[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Duke41

I am sorry to read about the issues everyone is having. I hope that we all walk away having learned a few lessons. First do not trust the government at any level to have the best interests of everyday Americans. All of them are in politics for financial gain and personal interests. Stay on top of what is happening at the national, state and local levels. Hold the politicians accountable and for God's sake vote, vote in every election. Second credit cards are evil. Make sure your kids know that, make sure you know that. They are the modern equalivant of the shylock or the loan shark. Stay away from easy credit at all levels. If you can't afford without the credit card, then you can't afford it period. Third, save some money. Open up a savings account and put a little in every week. You would be surprised how fast $200 a month can equal $20,000 in the bank. Fourth do not buy a bigger house than you can swing. Don't forget bigger house, bigger mortgage, higher taxes, higher upkeep, higher electric bill, higher heating bill. Fifth as Clammer use to say appreciate what you have. Are you healthy, is your wife, your kids. Yes, than you are doing fine. We will survive this downturn and come out of it a lot wiser, maybe more responsible with our money and community. Maybe the kids will learn something too. So let’s stay on the politicians at all levels, save our money, pay our credit cards off and never let this happen again. This is the greatest country in the world and we will bounce back, we always do. Let’s vow never to let the greedy bastards do this to us again.

Problem is, this is the way people should have been living over the past 20 years.