Author Topic: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"  (Read 7539 times)

HBFIRE

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Came across this one today, just insane.  Doesn't want advice on how to cut spending, just wants a "hack" to make the debt disappear.

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Personal-Finance/Massive-Credit-Card-Debt-Saving-to-Settle/td-p/5325782


edit, just saw his first post on that forum in early 2017, wow:

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Card-Approvals/Success-Story-Chase-Sapphire-Preferred-Amex-EveryDay-Approval-in/m-p/4900688
« Last Edit: August 29, 2018, 09:33:06 AM by dustinst22 »

ysette9

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The link just goes to the home page and not the forums for some reason.

HBFIRE

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The link just goes to the home page and not the forums for some reason.

Ah shoot, maybe you have to be logged in as a user to view it.

Cgbg

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The link worked for me.

Clearly that person wanted the easy way out. Their future looks pretty bleak.

Davnasty

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I was able to read both threads. The timeline was amusing.

"Look everyone, I just got all these new credit cards and improved my credit score!" "Hooray, congrats"

(1.5 years later)

"So I have a ridiculous amount of credit card debt but I cannot possibly reduce spending on luxuries, plz help?"

honeybbq

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I was able to read both threads. The timeline was amusing.

"Look everyone, I just got all these new credit cards and improved my credit score!" "Hooray, congrats"

(1.5 years later)

"So I have a ridiculous amount of credit card debt but I cannot possibly reduce spending on luxuries, plz help?"

Hahahaha that is amazing. I missed it the first time.

I've seen this sort of personality on other boards before - I have X problem and solutions A,B,C,and D won't work for me. What else ya got? It's sort of infuriating trying to help someone who refuses to be helped.

patchyfacialhair

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The comment the OP posted about "how do I still pay this off and still have a life" irked me.

Pure entitlement. You are not entitled to "still have a life." You made bad, adult choices, and now you have to pay for them, like an adult. If that means sacrificing "a life," then so be it.

I'd guess that their friend group is full of trust fund NY spendypants hence the living above the means. They probably should reevaluate what's important to them going forward, because they can't keep up obviously.

WhiteTrashCash

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless because they have been indoctrinated into the Church of Materialism. Their only value comes from what they own and what they can spend. It's really sad and all you can do is keep tossing a life preserver to them and hope one day they will grab hold.

sol

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

Davnasty

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

No problem! I've got some baby tapeworms for sale right now. Better take a few if you're in a hurry.

WhiteTrashCash

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

HBFIRE

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless because they have been indoctrinated into the Church of Materialism. Their only value comes from what they own and what they can spend. It's really sad and all you can do is keep tossing a life preserver to them and hope one day they will grab hold.

When you're in deep financial trouble, you should be listening to all the advice you can get, no matter how drastic it might seem.  When someone reacts the way this poster does, they haven't realized how bad things are yet.  Being blunt is the best way to get them to wake up.  It's not a time for sympathy, its a time for reality.  The more painful the better, so hopefully they rethink their habits.  ~5 years ago i was in a financial shithole myself.  Took some real introspection and pain to dig myself out, glad i went through it.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2018, 12:27:15 PM by dustinst22 »

sol

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That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You think it makes me feel good that some people are so hopelessly dysfunctional that they refuse the obvious solutions to their problems?  No, not really.

If you are overweight, then calorie deficits are a 100% guaranteed way to lose weight.  If you are in debt, then generating financial surpluses are a 100% guaranteed way to pay it off.  Everything else is just a matter of motivation and implementation, the details behind the easy obvious answer. 

mm1970

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.
I think he was just making an analogy.

People are resistant to change.  Change is hard sometimes.  Or a lot of the time.

I have a friend who is a dietitian, and she told me that well into her career, she realized that some people weren't ready for change.  She got to be pretty good at identifying the clients who were not ready for change.

Ananas

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Theese stories always remind me of
https://twitter.com/dril/status/384408932061417472

Spud

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People get fat because they eat too much i.e. consistently consume more calories than they expend.

People get into debt because they spend too much i.e. consistently spend more money than they earn.

The real issues are WHY people eat too much and WHY people spend too much.

Despite this, we have a society that still likes to sell people products that waste time on helping them understand why they are in debt and how it happens etc.

It’s the same with diets. It’s all about demonising carbs and intermittent fasting (IF). A guy at work made me laugh a few years ago. He started IF. He could only eat between 12:00 and 20:00. He was raving about it in the office, telling everyone how great it was. He lost about 5 pounds and then stalled and we never really heard anything more. I asked him about it, and basically he was eating exactly what he normally would, but just squeezing it all into a smaller time frame. I explain politely and simply, in a non-patronising way, that his 8 hour feeding window wouldn’t help him lose weight unless it also helped him eat fewer overall calories each day. He looked utterly baffled and slightly embarrassed.

I saw him the other day for the first time in a few months and he looks no different. Another example of someone trying to avoid fundamental principles and instead go looking for some magic bullet.

If this guy with massive credit card debt can’t control his spending then even if he does shift this debt, in another few years he’ll be back in debt. That, and he’ll only retire at age 70, and by then he’ll be moaning about the government not helping him etc.

GrumpyPenguin

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That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You think it makes me feel good that some people are so hopelessly dysfunctional that they refuse the obvious solutions to their problems?  No, not really.

If you are overweight, then calorie deficits are a 100% guaranteed way to lose weight.  If you are in debt, then generating financial surpluses are a 100% guaranteed way to pay it off.  Everything else is just a matter of motivation and implementation, the details behind the easy obvious answer.

To me this is part of the point of MMM's blog and the forum.  Solutions aren't always easy, but we're not about sugarcoating here.

KodeBlue

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I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2018, 04:18:50 PM »
Oh, there are plenty of credit card hacks, and I mean fantastic ones that save you THOUSANDS. Of course, they're all at the beginning of the process..... like simply not buying crap on your credit card and paying off the full balance monthly if you do.......

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #19 on: September 01, 2018, 09:05:39 PM »
I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

Over the past couple of years, I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely. It's not a constructive attitude. It's just catharsis and self-satisfaction.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2018, 09:07:29 PM »
I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

Over the past couple of years, I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely. It's not a constructive attitude. It's self-satisfying and mean-spirited.

funobtainium

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #21 on: September 02, 2018, 07:15:10 AM »
Theese stories always remind me of
https://twitter.com/dril/status/384408932061417472

I knew this would be my favorite dril tweet before I clicked!

The reason it's my favorite is that I love candles. A "fancy" $4 candle from TJ Maxx is my splurge treat!

But aside from that, the poster is absolutely doing this. "I don't want to change my lifestyle or make any sacrifices (like getting roommates or a side gig -- which are BOTH things I did/had as a 20-something making a quarter what this person makes). I just want this problem to painlessly resolve itself."

sol

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #22 on: September 02, 2018, 08:53:55 AM »
I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely.

No matter how good the advice is, it's still free advice from the internet.  It doesn't have to adhere to anyone's standards for gentle hands holding.

Not everyone is ready to make a change.  This forum is also full of people in crisis at the beginning of their journeys who wake up and smell the coffee, and then become success stories.  Some of them have even said that the facepunch was the jolt they needed to snap out of it. 

If someone wants the cold hard truth delivered luke warm and wrapped in a bow, they're probably not ready for the cold hard truth.  That's okay too.  People grow at different rates.

Dicey

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #23 on: September 02, 2018, 09:50:21 AM »
I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely.

No matter how good the advice is, it's still free advice from the internet.  It doesn't have to adhere to anyone's standards for gentle hands holding.

Not everyone is ready to make a change.  This forum is also full of people in crisis at the beginning of their journeys who wake up and smell the coffee, and then become success stories.  Some of them have even said that the facepunch was the jolt they needed to snap out of it. 

If someone wants the cold hard truth delivered luke warm and wrapped in a bow, they're probably not ready for the cold hard truth.  That's okay too.  People grow at different rates.
Amen, sol! I once told a newb that something she was doing was "facepunch worthy" and she complained to the mods. She disappeared soon after. I suspect it's because she didn't want to change her behavior. My bet is that she's no better off now than she was then. I said the same thing to someone else, who took it to heart and to date has made amazing progress. I love, love, love it when someone is open to the message and makes the changes that absolutley improve their lives.

KodeBlue

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #24 on: September 02, 2018, 06:48:49 PM »
I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

Over the past couple of years, I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely. It's not a constructive attitude. It's just catharsis and self-satisfaction.

this isn't the part of the board to actually seek out advice:

"Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy;
Sometimes the world just needs to be mocked. What have you seen in real life, in the mainstream media, or on other blogs, that is just so Antimustachian that you need to share it with us, your friends on the Inside?"

it's the area where we go to have a good laugh at stupidity we see on other forums.

HBFIRE

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #25 on: September 02, 2018, 07:21:49 PM »
I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

Over the past couple of years, I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely. It's not a constructive attitude. It's just catharsis and self-satisfaction.

this isn't the part of the board to actually seek out advice:

"Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy;
Sometimes the world just needs to be mocked. What have you seen in real life, in the mainstream media, or on other blogs, that is just so Antimustachian that you need to share it with us, your friends on the Inside?"

it's the area where we go to have a good laugh at stupidity we see on other forums.

Nobody's giving anyone advice.  In case it was missed, the person referenced isn't in this thread.

dougstash

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #26 on: September 03, 2018, 08:00:14 PM »
What a dumbass.   I can't help but to cringe as every person I work with and the majority of people I know are in the same boat as this guy.  I can't even start to understand why people think having a high credit score means you're doing well financially.  I don't get what part of their brain doesn't understand that just because a business wants to capitalize off your income through interest payments, that does not mean your a financial badass or responsible with your money.   I really enjoy the irony of his first post and latest one

Prairie Stash

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Re: "I refuse to change any spending, tell me how to get rid of my massive debt"
« Reply #27 on: September 11, 2018, 10:23:49 AM »
I think it's important to remember that the vast majority of Americans are brainwashed by advertising and the media to spend like drunken sailors in port. When you tell them that they could cut their spending, they feel like they are being told that they are worthless

"I'm trying to lose 15 pounds by next Friday, and I need ideas!  The only thing I can't do is cut back on the 45 ding-dongs I eat every day, because what is life if not a never ending smorgasbord of artery-clogging junk food?"

That's not a constructive response but it probably makes you feel good.

You do understand that the person being discussed isn't on this forum and isn't going to see sol's post right?

Over the past couple of years, I've just seen a lot of these "face punches" result in people in crisis at the beginning of their journey deciding to just leave the forum entirely. It's not a constructive attitude. It's just catharsis and self-satisfaction.

this isn't the part of the board to actually seek out advice:
https://www.facebook.com/

I linked the forum for people wanting gentle advice.