I mean, there was a reason that's what I majored in, and why I got my B.A. in Economics & International Relations in the first place.
Especially the economics stuff. I'd forgotten how much I really, really like this stuff. :) It's like my brain has woken up again.
Anyway. A few things in the news have gotten me going, and I'm just gonna post a bit here before going on to BOOKS.
1) Obesity is Contagious. Heard it on the news this morning. Uh-huh. Apparently, according to a new study,
Our ideas about what's a normal amount of food or exercise, and what counts as a normal body size, all seem to be influenced by the people to whom we're connected. And researchers believe these "norms" ultimately shape our weight.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12237644 Well, duh. Coulda told you that.
2) Housing Market "Slump". Now it's not just subprime mortgages defaulting. Another "well, duh."
When I took the first time homebuyer's class out here in the beginning of 2006, they brought in a bunch of banks/mortgage companies to meet with us individually. I met with 3 of them. One of them was Countrywide. All three of them looked over my credit report and credit score (I'd already obtained them, it was part of the class to get them for the bank meetings). I have excellent credit (yeah, I'm boasting. It was hard work to get that credit score) the highest my banker said she's ever seen. Anyway. ALL of them said I qualified for $120,000 to buy a home. Countrywide was even willing to loan me up to $140,000 for a mortgage. WTF?
See, I'd already done my homework. There was - still is - absolutely no way for me to afford that. Not and buy groceries, put gas in the car, pay the utilities, keep a little set aside for house repairs/emergencies. Not to mention cable and phone and internet. And entertainment (for me, that's my book budget.) Or clothes. What the hell do these people think? That people will live without these things? Hardly. Life isn't worth living otherwise! (Or possible if you have no food!)They absolutely did not take into account any of that. Crazy.
Most I could afford is $80,000. That's $40,000-$60,000 less than what they were willing to give me. That's a big difference when it comes to mortgage payments. So I am not surprised that people are defaulting, even those with good credit. Not with the way gas prices and other prices are rising...seriously.
We live too much on the premise that "bigger is better." And appearances mean everything. Must have the biggest and best of everything. I shake my head as I watch the HGTV shows "Househunters" or "Designed to Sell". A lot of the time these families are saying "We have to get a bigger space because we've run out of room." And as the cameras pan through their homes, I almost inevitably think, "Geez, get rid of some of that stuff and you'll have tons of room!"
Most people I know are appalled at my little house. It's tiny and old and needs work. But it's just me. What do I need with several thousand square feet and four bedrooms and three baths? I don't even use the upstairs space - that's about 600sq feet used on storage. Oh, I have dreams of a craft room and guest room. But all my time is spent in the living room and kitchen.
All those people who are appalled at my little house, are struggling now. But I've absorbed the increased gas prices and other prices (including property tax increases) into my budget. Oh, don't get me wrong, money is tight, but not that tight. I was able to pay Scully's vet bill of $125 in cash this month. Bought that new storm door with pet door in it and paid it off in 2 months. So. Anyway. I just want to know: what the heck happened to personal responsibility? Everyone let the apparent "richness" of the housing market go to their heads. Short term thinking. Hel-lo-o-o. What goes UP must eventually go DOWN.
It's a hard lesson to learn, and I probably sound harsh and full of myself. But hey. It's not like this is new. It's basic personal finance.
And now I've rambled enough...and used up so much space on these two items I'm going to postpone my book post until later. :)
