Why are so many people in debt when it is so very avoidable and easy to stay out of?

Question

All you have to do is not spend what you don't have and keep an eye on your interest rates and read between the lines.

Answer 1

Sometimes the thing's you can afford today are not the thing's you can afford tomarrow...

And to all of you who buy all your car's with cash, etc, well kudos to you, but it's not always that easy for everyone. I know I personally, don't have 20k in my couch cushion's, or saved up for a rainy day. I do however need a reliable car to drive back and forth to work, so when my current one begin's to get troublesome, I will begin to save a downpayment, and go into debt again.

Same with appliances, it's easy to say "save up and pay cash", but somewhat less so when you live in the midwest, it's January, and your furnace just went out. Then you say "Don't I have a Sear's card..."

Get a few of these instances strung together, along with an unforseen downward adjustment in your income, and BAM, you're over your head. It happen's easier than some of you seem to think.

Yes, indeed, many people just run up credit bill's frivolously, but quite a few people fall victim to a chain of circumstances beyond their control as well.

But hey, life is easy for you guy's, no problems, no worries, all sunshine and lollypop's, so just ignore me, lol.

Answer 2

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Some haven't had good examples at home so think it is normal to charge things they could have saved for. Once in debt it snowballs the first time you accept the fact you can't pay what you owe or that the minimum payment is the amount you are supposed to pay.
Even if you are going along not in debt and with some savings you can get caught in the credit card trap. Go to a store that offers 12 months same as cash and you will be tempted to take the offer. I got a computer and lawn mower that way the same year and later got a TV, then I was asking myself if I paid for the TV and it took a while to remember that I did pay for it. If I had charged everything even at zero interest I could have been 3K in debt and not thinking anything of it. If I lost a job or forgot to pay when due it could get interest back to the beginning at a high rate. So then you find you have lots of credit card debt, no job and need the savings to pay the mortgage so pay only part of the bill.

Answer 3

Because it's hard.

You have to actually pay attention to your money and make choices about how you are going to spend it. Most people have trouble with the day to day stuff, let alone saving for life's emergencies.

I remember the year I decided I couldn't afford something and chose to postpone buying it. Then I was looking at my year end credit card bill and noticed the finance charge was more than the item I'd just foregone. I had the click moment and took a good look at the credit card debt. I owed like $4000. I finally stuck to a budget and got rid of the credit card debt.

I did have student loans and a car loan in the early days, but vowed that any pay raise went 1/3 to savings and 1/3 to the loans. Each was paid off early.

For car loans I buy into Andrew Tobias' schtick. Buying new? Pay cash. If you can't afford it, look at used cars. Again, try to pay cash. If you still can't afford it, look at a 2-3 year car loan. As the car gets older, you've got to be finished with the debt so you can pay for repairs and save for a newer car.

The last time I bought a car, I'd saved for 3 years and was ready to pay cash. The salesmen were stumped because all of their pitches were about how little per month you could pay. I was the only person in the dealership paying by check! (The person with me muttered, you're acting like an old person; old people don't by Hondas, they buy Cadillacs.)

Answer 4

There is good debt - debt that makes your life or future better or more secure. Mortgages and school loans fall in this category There is debt that you can't avoid - most people need a loan to buy a car. Then there's all the other debt - some necessary (to fix the roof, etc) and much of it just so you can own what you can't afford. That's the stuff to watch out for.

Answer 5

"questions" like these make me want to barf!
We are all very proud of you that your are not in debt right now
but must you make it seem like it is some lack of charater that others are?
YOu have no idea what the situations of others are...
Maybe someone didnt have mommy and daddy to pay for college for them
maybe they didnt have a scholarship
maybe a parent died and they were left to take care of younger siblings...
who knows
but there ARE plenty of perfectly justifiable situations where people SHOULD and DO spend what they dont have ....
I would have gladly went into debt to care for a relative who needed surgery
what if the bread winner was killed or a grandmother who needed to be placed in a nursing home?
Sure you can plan for these things but sometimes you cant...
My credit rating would not stand in the way of helping a loved one who 'thru no fault of their own' found themselves in immediate need if I could help....
If you would, I question YOUR character
I feel fortunate now that I dont have any major debt. My car is paid and I am $1100 in xmas debt...I feel fortunate...It should be paid off by the end of next month...But this has not always been the case and I cant say that it always will be...any one of us that works in an 'at will' state can be laid off or fired.
YOU could be in a car accident that prevents you from working sure you have AFLAC or whatever else but do you REALLY think that will cover all of your expenses....THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF 'whatever you consider holy' COULD BE YOU!!!
Think about it before you write such condesending 'questions'
LIFE HAPPENS

Answer 6

I believe that most people intend to get into a lot of debt when they get their first credit card. You intend to pay it off every month, and you only use it for things that you HAVE to use a card for, such as gas (with everything being pre-pay now) or internet purchases. Well, somewhere in there, you decide to carry a small balance, and then those extra little purchases (that you intend to pay quickly) start adding up. Next thing you know, you end up at $7,000. Thankfully, I was always able to make a payment and killed that card within a year of my first post-college paycheck.

I think that is how most people get into debt (medical debt exlcuded).

Answer 7

I am a saver and my hubby is a spender. And he cosigned for two brothers to each have a car. And he lies to me about how much he spends when he shops. Sigh. That is why we are in debt. But we are trying to get it all figured out, slowly but surely. Also, we more or less started out in debt because we were never taught how to pay bills, balance a checkbook, overdraft fees, etc. We had to learn as we went.

Answer 8

Alot of people are in debt because of medical bills that skyrocket through the roof, its not always necessarily consumer debt. I'm not certain, but I believe I heard a stat that said that over 50% of bankruptcies are due to medical bills. Otherwise, I definitely agree with you about not spending money you don't have.

Answer 9

The number one cause of people being in financial trouble that they can control is simply spending more than they earn and living a standard of living that is borrowed (from the credit card company) .

Learn more here:

http://www.financialfreedomtrail.com

Then number #1 reason from things people cannot control is medical bills from catastrophic illnessses or accidents.

Answer 10

First of all there is no good debt bad debt. Debt is Debt.

The people that say life happens and make excuses are the ones that don't plan for emergencies and then have to rely on credit cards to make it.

Yea, Sure your furnace could go out in the middle of the winter. If you had an emergency fund it would be no trouble.

If you had medical insurance. You wouldn't be in debt to hospitals and doctors if something happens.

If you can't afford medical insurance then you have a career crisis. Take some classes to get your income up.

Someone needs to give you people a good kick in the ***.

What's that Eagles song? "Get over it"