Maxed Out

This is another documentary that I just got finished watching on Netflix...It was from 2006, so I can only imagine how much the situation has snowballed since then :(


Credit cards are probably the worst thing on the face of the earth to someone who isn't good with money or uses it to get out of one debt to pay for another :( I understand the cycle, but still don't understand why people feel that they don't need to pay for what they "borrow". I am not saying that the credit card companies deserve the interest rate that they are charging. I honestly feel that we really shouldn't have to pay more than 15% on credit cards. But I have friends that have been technically raped by the credit card companies...Charging them as much as 30%. Why would you want to make someone chose between paying for gas to get to work and paying your payment on time. That is how they ended up in the downward snowball that they have created...miss one payment and it literally "kills you". I wonder how many CEO's at big credit card companies would feel knowing that they have in turn caused more suicides because they needed to pad their paychecks more :( They probably don't even care, which is sad. You might as well have pulled the trigger yourself.

There are several people around me and in my life that use/or abuse credit cards. Rod and I have always used credit cards. But we pay it off when it comes due. Whatever it takes to do that we make sure it happens. I am not saying that if either of us were to end up in the hospital that we wouldn't be riddled with tons of debt. I am just trying to emphasize that we use them and don't "abuse" them. I know that is probably easier said than done in some cases. Everybody always feels they can't tell others "no, can't go out tonight" or "no, can't afford it"...but I would much rather be told that than have them suffer the endless spiral of events that follow with the debt.

How many of you feel that credit cards have hurt or damaged your relationship? How many of you feel that debt is going to be there when you die? I personally have read many Dave Ramsey articles/books along with Suze Orman. These people have helped us maintain where we are today and where we want to be in the future. I am not saying we are ready to retire, just stating that we will make a plan to make it there... Where do you want to be in 10 years?