Comments on: Daily Links: Kids, Debt, and Renting to Own

By: Greg C

Greg C — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:56:25 +0000

Sorry. The girls are right, and the Clayton mayor sounds like an idiot. Just the typical example of government doing its best to discourage personal initiative in hopes of perpetuating dependence on the the state.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:39:51 +0000

My mom’s getting red cherry tomatoes out in Troutdale, but the bigger ones are still mostly very green.
I can’t believe some of the people I have met - otherwise reasonably intelligent people - who have been lead into the rent-to-own trap. They have no insurance that they will ever own it, practically speaking, and they pay through the nose for stuff. It’s sad.
Jerry

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:31:33 +0000

Personally I’ve been loving the weather (eug/springfield). If we go too long with no rain I start to dry out.

Thanks for the continued postings. It has been great following the blog this last 2 or 3 months.

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:42:37 +0000

Amusingly, this month’s Smart Money magazine recommends buying Rent-A-Center stock. :p

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:46:14 +0000

In Seattle:

I’ve had 2 red tomatoes so far! I’ve placed a few green ones on the windowsill in the kitchen to ripen, but I think I’ll be looking at a lot of green ones.
My mum swears that putting them in a brown bag with a banana ripens them up. Think I’ll need a very large bag and a huge bunch of bananas though!
I have heard that bringing the vine inside and hanging it up helps the tomatoes ripen if the frost comes early. Failing that I’ll be making green tomato chutney and eating fried green tomatoes for weeks.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:44:52 +0000

In Gladstone,

I’ve been harvesting tomatoes for the last couple of weeks, but I’ve got a ton of green ones. I’m thinking about trying to make them a plastic tent. My wife is looking into pickeling the green ones if they don’t ripen. It’s been a horrible year in our garden

By: seawallrunner

seawallrunner — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:06:27 +0000

Why can’t they have money without spending it? Is this a skill they need to practice?

There’s a fantastic billboard in Vancouver BC for either ING or VanCity credit union. It states:

“No one ever suffers from saver’s remorse”

I love, love, love that statement. If I buy another pair of shoes or a dress (which I occasionally do) they will go into the closet with the other shoes and dresses. The shopping is fun, the wearing is fun, but then… meh-h. Another dress and pair of shoes in the closet.

But when I buy a 30-day term deposit, I watch my bank account *grow*.

PS - the 30-day papers eventually get converted to investments etc etc etc

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:04:54 +0000

Tell me about. Up here, near Hillsboro, I’ve got dozens and dozens of green tomatoes doing nothing; just sitting there.
Can’t wait for your update.
Thanks

By: JenK

JenK — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:59:32 +0000

MP Dunleavy’s story makes good points, but I think it missed one key piece: Living without debt requires that you learn to have money without spending it.

Unfortunately, many people seem to feel that if they have money they MUST spend it. A raise? They increase their spending. Or they “fool” themselves by putting the raise into their 401(k) or using direct deposit to put the raise into savings. I’m not saying that saving is bad, but if someone says they have to save automatically “so they don’t spend it”, I wonder. Why can’t they have money without spending it? Is this a skill they need to practice?

By: Dan Isaacs

Dan Isaacs — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:37:27 +0000

More likely that neighbors were ticked off at the traffic. I suspect there is more to the story.

By: Mike Bahr

Mike Bahr — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:32:05 +0000

Nope, it’s typical government bureaucracy. Can’t let anyone do anything without approval. Why, people might start noticing that government approval is meaningless, and vote in representatives who would scale back government! We can’t have that!