Why should I support someone else?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-27-2006
Why should I support someone else?
4426
Sat, 12-30-2006 - 1:24pm

Let me start by saying that I"m new here so this may have already been discussed, but this has come up in my office several times and I wanted to get some other views of this.

I do payroll for a rather small company so I know most of the workers and their wives (most of the workers are men due to the nature of our business). There are two in particular who's wives SAH. These two are up to their eyeballs in debt. I have bill collectors constantly calling for them. That part is really their business, it is annoying but I enjoy being rude back to the bill collectors, lol.

The part that bothers me is that both wives have been in the office wanting copies of X amount of check stubs so that they can go and get public assistance (I know because they told me that is what it is for)! Why should my tax money go so that these women can SAH? I know that not all families that one parent stays at home are like this, but I know lots that are. Heck, growing up we were always broke because my mother refused to work, but we weren't on any public assistance.

So, why should I pay for a woman to SAH? Why can't she go and get a job to support her family just like anyone else?

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2005
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 9:09pm

I'm not sure I understand what you mean?


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 9:17pm
Oh I'm sure they were. But in todays world, how often do you see people pay cash for brand new cars? (I'm assuming thats what they did?).

Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 9:23pm

We have found that by taking care of a car, it can last well into its second decade without more than the usual wear and tear things. Most engines are good enough to last at least 150k miles and that lasts about 12-15+ years for our cars. If we didn't drive up to CT and down to NC several times a year, they would last longer.

We spent about $3k on my car last year. Much less than if we had to make payments on anew car plus our car tax and insurance rates are much lower. Savings all around. Plus, buying and using fewer cars in my lifetime makes my footprint on the earth smaller.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-1999
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 10:44pm

ITA. RE: the warranty, I had a professor in college who often used to say that the best thing to ask salespeople trying to sell an extended warranty was, "Why should I buy this? Does this item have a history of breaking down? Perhaps if it is that unreliable, I should buy something else..."


I've never owned a "brand new" car. Even my T&C was a dealer demo. The owners wife drove it for 8K miles. We saved THOUSANDS buying it that way and given that I've put almost 75K miles on it, 8K is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Christi babies
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2006
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:19pm
LOL... "Not worrying about depreciation" is precisely WHY it's a bad financial decision. That's great if they want to do it... but I would never call it smart. You could go buy a certified pre owned, with warranty and everything a new car would offer, with VERY low mileage, for 10% off new car pricing.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2006
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:27pm
Because a car loses an insane amount of value the minute it is driven off the lot. It is infinitely smarter to buy a low mileage pre-owned car. You take advantage of the cheaper price, and get all the benefits of a new car. I can't imagine what could possibly be worth $1000s of dollars that is lost when a car gets 5000 miles on it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2006
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:29pm
Didn't you learn during the "big whopping $$$$ birthday party thread" that you are seriously in the minority when it comes to this stuff?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:38pm

I agree. My dh is very caught up in the *new car* thing but I've always had good luck with used. The only reason our last two cars were new were at his insistance. Some of my best cars have been gently used-in fact I'd probably still be driving my old nissan pathfinder if it hadnt gotten totaled by a lady who pulled out in front on my on an icy road 6 years ago!!!

dj

Dj

"Now when I need help, I look in the mirror" ~Kanye West~

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2006
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:42pm
Honestly, with the things you've posted here, I don't think that you could be a judge of that.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-20-2006
Wed, 01-31-2007 - 11:44pm
Apparently, having your little girl be overly concerned about appearances is a worthy goal. Although not surprising, the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

Pages