Oh no docboy the Recession got me

[jackfaire]

You tell me, "I was in so much debt because of the recession"

I say you're full of crap. Your income level hasn't changed. The cost of the things you're buying hasn't changed and your debt predates the recession.

Tell me again how the recession created your debt problems?

[bara]

Depends on if you lost your job or not.
I went through several making it hard to pay the bills so I got behind, I was however smart enough not to make more for myself. Its why Im climbing out of the hole more quickly than many people I know. Also helps that I didnt have as many bills to begin with.

But it really depends on the person.

[crashhelmet]

Depends on if you lost your job or not.
I went through several making it hard to pay the bills so I got behind, I was however smart enough not to make more for myself. Its why Im climbing out of the hole more quickly than many people I know. Also helps that I didnt have as many bills to begin with.

But it really depends on the person.

This is true. Many people lost their jobs and, as a result, lost their homes and/or their cars or defaulted on their student loans because they couldn't afford the payments any longer. Many of these people are still out of work. Add in credit cards and medical expenses and the interest rates they all accrue and that debt rises quickly.

[BlaqueKatt]

Depends on if you lost your job or not..

This is true. Many people lost their jobs

It was already stated that wasn't the case

Your income level hasn't changed.

The person in question just wants to blame the recession, rather than their own fiscal irresponsibility, for their debt.

[siead_lietrathua]

i dunno, i've noticed the costs of things like hydro, gas, food, etc have gone up. some quite signifigantly. at the same time, some people who work hourly jobs may have been having reduced hours at work. i've seen it enough in boondockia here, i can only imagine how bad it's gotten in cities.
their debt may have predated the recession, but living in the recession makes it that much harder to reduce or remove debts, so the intrest can add up.

[jackfaire]

their debt may have predated the recession, but living in the recession makes it that much harder to reduce or remove debts, so the intrest can add up.

Understandable but in her case she has been working the same jobs, hasn't lost any hours, lives close enough to her jobs (very small town) that she truly and literally has not been personally affected by the recession she just likes to whip it out as an excuse for her previous bad behavior.

I own the fact that I have debt from being stupid in my early 20s I don't try to play the "Oh the recession" because I haven't been out of work since it started and my costs have gone down not up.

I understand and have sympathy for people that took a beating due to the recession but I don't like hearing people be like, "Oh man I did something really stupid and I am going to blame these other people because we all know they must be evil"

[siead_lietrathua]

unless you know her financial details intimatly, though, it is a hard judgement call to make. and i mean, every time she needs something fixed in her home/vehicle/her own health/ family health/etc etc.
there are many friends i have that bitch about the bad economy and i've thought the same things you posted, only to learn later they've had to drop a couple grand into their car, or their pet needed meds, or some other mini-crisis. things that, were their debts easier to pay/ the cost of those items had not gone up, would not be as much of an issue. so they bitch about the recession.

[crashhelmet]

OK, I'll admit i misread the OP. I was wrong in that aspect, so i'll use myself as an example.

Here in Las Vegas, prices have gone up everywhere, most of it starting around the same time as the housing collapse.

Gas has gone from $2 to $4. The average cost of a loaf of bread has increased from $0.80 to $1.20 (That's a 50% increase in price). Lettuce, too, has gone up from $0.89 to $1.49 a head. Because of the housing collapse, rent has increased everywhere as well. The 3 bedroom condo I was renting for $900 a month is now at $1200 a month.

Add in the other increases across the board and then consider that in the last 3 years, I've gotten a total of $0.98 in raises.

If I have any unexpected expenses, like say the fuel delivery system in my truck takes a shit, and I have to shell out $1300 to have it repaired and then another $600 a few months later when I find out that the shop didn't find and fix everything wrong. I'm forced to throw that on a credit card, increasing my debt. Because of the increase in everything else, I can't afford to make the normal larger payments on my card like I could in the past. This causes my debt to last longer, with the risk of increasing over time due to other expenses and/or interest.

[jackfaire]

unless you know her financial details intimatly, though, it is a hard judgement call to make. and i mean, every time she needs something fixed in her home/vehicle/her own health/ family health/etc etc.

She is an oversharer I know what she has for dinner. She tells me just bout every single thing going on in her life. I am her go to ear.

[siead_lietrathua]

She is an oversharer I know what she has for dinner. She tells me just bout every single thing going on in her life. I am her go to ear.

ah. without knowing that before, i agree my statement was in error, at least in referance to your specific friend.

[jackfaire]

ah. without knowing that before, i agree my statement was in error, at least in referance to your specific friend.

It's cool it just occurs to me that there must be plenty of people like my friend blaming the recession for all of their problems rather than accepting responsibility for their own choices.