I keep reading stuff on the internet such as how to get a student loan with no co-signer and just feel sad. I don't think people really know what they are getting themselves in for. They are blinkered. They think that studying will give them what they want out of life and therefore get them a good job. Call me bitter and twisted but I hate the whole education system.
I was out shopping the other day for Christmas presents and couldn't beleive the amount of utter tat there is out there. Not only is it just junk but it's also pretty expensive. It's as if manufacturers and shops think that we're so utterly desparate to buy stuff that we'll just buy anything. One of the "gifts" I was was a potato bonsai kit. Basically, from what I could tell from the box, is that someone goes out and buys a potato. Leaves it so that it goes all old and horrible for the roots to come out. Then you use the bonsai potato kit to "prune" the roots into a nice shape. So what exactly are you actually buying? I couldn't quite tell. It appears to be some instructions and a pair of tiny pruning scissors. Wow, if you're on minimum wage, you can work for a whole hour to buy someone that. What make me particularly angry is the fact that it will end up being chucked out. Becuase do you really think someone in their right mind is going to have an ugly smelly potato sitting in their living room? I don't bloody think so.
OK, I'm not going to be making any wild claims or anything but there are certain things about being in debt that can be quite good for the environment. For instance you can save money by using vinegar as a cleaning agent in the home instead of these comparatively expensive detergents. Also, they are kinder to your health because they aren't so toxic.
A lot of people who don't have an awful lot of money will go to flea markets and garage sales. The problem is they end up buying all these things they don't actually need. So instead of saving money they end up spending it. Finding a bargain is all very well and good but make sure you really do need the product.
No matter how bad things get with your life, try and take the time to realize how luck you trully are. Make a list even. For instance there are people living in 3rd world countries who have no clean water to drink. Where they get their water can be miles away and what they get is dirty and can give them all sorts of diseases.
Debt is as debilitating as any disease you can imagine. It can really take over your life and it's no wonder that people throw themselves off bridges and in front of buses. When you go to sleep at night all you can think about is debt. When you wake up in the morning it's the first thing you think about.
I have always been very careful about money because my parents got into all sorts of terrible debt in the past. They felt compelled to show everybody how well they were doing but really they were living off their credit cards. I don't know why they were like that but I know that they aren't alone in their plight.