I always leave with my jaw dropped wondering...

**Juto** · 01-04-2008, 09:12 PM

What am I doing wrong? How can this be real? My neighbor (who drives a Lexus) has a great job. Her husband lost his job a little over 2 months ago, yet you would NEVER know it. The housekeeper still comes, they just came back from Disney (for the 10th time) , she talks of going to Hawaii, they have 2 kids, and life still seems grand (oh, and they got a 56" TV last weekend)! How the heck?...My DH and I make excellent money, have 3 kids, but live rather frugal, we rarely eat out (once a month maybe), and we certainly do not have a housekeeper. I can't help but wonder, how is it pulled off? I would be freaking out if my DH lost his job! Is this "normal" behavior for people to not change when something like this happens, EVEN if they have a 6 month cushion? I just don't get it.

**Grandma Lewis** · 01-04-2008, 09:38 PM

Probably living on credit. There were two times in our life that we had to do that.

**i.m.cheap** · 01-04-2008, 09:44 PM

I agree that they are probably in credit card debt. Maybe when he lost his job he got a settlement of some kind from his employer. The City Manager in Wichita just resigned (under pressure from the city council, they would have fired him), and he got a severance package of $180,000 plus his insurance paid for the next year. This guy had only been on the job for three years. I bet he went to Disneyland too!

**Juto** · 01-04-2008, 09:47 PM

LOL I.M. CHEAP! I know there was a severance, but it went to buy a truck since the Company he worked for had let him use a Company car(he had to return the vehicle and obviously needed to buy one). I think most of the severance pay went for that.

**Lady_V** · 01-04-2008, 09:51 PM

Not knowing them, or their financials (inheritance perhaps?) I would say it's most likely they are living the plastic life. Maybe it's pride, maybe a sweet severance package, or maybe denial. Don't know...

I read this somewhere before -- You are so busy trying to keep up with the Joneses... maybe they are trying to keep up with you.

**Juto** · 01-04-2008, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by Lady_V

Not knowing them, or their financials (inheritance perhaps?) I would say it's most likely they are living the plastic life. Maybe it's pride, maybe a sweet severance package, or maybe denial. Don't know...

I read this somewhere before -- You are so busy trying to keep up with the Joneses... maybe they are trying to keep up with you.

I can't imagine anyone trying to keep up with us... I don't think it would be too difficult to pass us! Ha!Ha!

**BetterLateThanNever** · 01-04-2008, 10:20 PM

LOL oh boy I'm sooooo tempted to go on a rant ! I think I will. I'm having the same problem in my family My BIL is the prime example of someone who lives large even though he had to file for bankruptcy. Then ran up my sister's credit card and told her to file for bankrupcty because it's legal. Drives a huge exspensive pickup truck eventhough he doesn't do any hauling or have any need of any kind for such a vehicle. IN the six-7 years of their marriage had managed to be out of work at least 50 % of the time. He's a computer programer but wants to consult not have to work for a company and punch a clock. Also always has some new business scheme that never pans out. Invites his friends to come live for a period of time and they don't pay rent or help out with groceries ( hence one of the reason my sisters card got racked up). Has about 9 computers in the house and a big screen tv in his sons room for their vido games. Time Warner cable. New Patio Furniture and Deluxe barbeque grill. You want to know how he pays for it all beside plastic I mean??? HIS MOMMY BAILS HIM OUT EVERY TIME! He and my sister bought a new house this year because his mother needs help so she sold her house and I know she gave him the money for the down. My sister told me there was a problem with the insurance for the house because the insurance company found out they had both filed for bankruptcy in the past six years and she mentioned that his mom was going to give him money for the house so the payment would go under his name. Mommy also coverd 7 months of child support payments last year. But you know what goes around comes around because now MOMMY DEAREST IS LVING WITH THEM AND SHE IS A SHREW!!!!! She is making everyone's life in that house a living you know what. I"m just waiting because I really am afraid they are going to be living on the streets eventually.

Also a friend of mine lives in a suburb of Cleveland where many people buy huge homes that they really can't afford. How do they pay for it all? Once again they get grandma to move in with them and they charge her rent and she watches teh grandkids so that the parents can work, go to the gym and eat out.

Also know a guy that works for orkin? ( the bug company) he goes to many homes in this same area and he says that many of these people have big beautiful homes on the outside but when you go inside there's very little furnishings because they can't afford it! I'm learning more and more not to be too impressed by peoples supposed financial accomplishments but most usually they've had some one either flat out give them money or bail them out of financial jams because of their poor judgement or they're maintaining their lifestyles at someone elses exspense. Thanks for letting me get that out! I feel sooooo much better now!

**latierra84** · 01-04-2008, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by BetterLateThanNever

Also know a guy that works for orkin? ( the bug company) he goes to many homes in this same area and he says that many of these people have big beautiful homes on the outside but when you go inside there's very little furnishings because they can't afford it!

I have heard that too, about McMansions being pretty much bare on the inside because they can barely keep up with the payment.

**nancycg56** · 01-04-2008, 10:40 PM

If she has a great job...maybe it comes with a great salary????

**Persimmon Lace** · 01-04-2008, 10:48 PM

Or maybe they found the Dave Ramsey way of doing things so losing the job wasn't a huge deal. Who knows for sure!

**Juto** · 01-04-2008, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by nancycg56

If she has a great job...maybe it comes with a great salary????

If the salary was THAT great, they wouldn't be our neighbors. They would live in a better neighborhood guaranteed!

**tina150** · 01-04-2008, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by BetterLateThanNever

he says that many of these people have big beautiful homes on the outside but when you go inside there's very little furnishings because they can't afford it!

My mother did wallpapering for 25+ years and seen the same thing, huge, empty homes...
and then buy $100 rolls of wallpaper plus installation

**HandyMom** · 01-05-2008, 04:02 AM

I've seen it, too! Went to a work-related party and it was a huge beautiful house with not a chair in it or any other furniture! I was shocked.

**JohnH** · 01-05-2008, 04:35 AM

Sounds like denial to me. A serious fear of lifestylitis. The Western World disease of chronic consumption. The need to spend to feel special.

What went wrong with us all?

We are "at war" with a people who are happy to live a lot more simply than we do. Some of their kin do some despicable things but then we have children who walk into school with guns or knives.

On balance I wonder which society has the better chance if the world economy collapses. The society that is used to having nothing or the one that has to pop out in the truck everyday to spend money to feel good about themselves.

I probably started an argument here but I sometimes wonder who are the goodies and who are the baddies. One group that wants nothing to do with the over-consumption-lifestyle and one side that wants to force it on the world.

Still, I mourn the loss of all our brave soldiers who do good work, which may all be in vain when the resources they are protecting run out.