What entitles you to live your lifestyle (Americans only)?

Question

With the credit crisis choking this country due to all the mathematically challenged individuals and families who live beyond their means (well beyond their means in many cases), I'd like to know why people think they NEED things that they CAN'T really afford? Do you know you can't afford it? Do you just not care that you borrow money you have no way to pay back or ever intend to pay back? Have you ever heard of saving money so you have it when it's not so "sunny"?

The banks giving people who have little no to financial stability makes me equally ill.

Why, why, why? I don't get it.

Answer 1

We've been trained for "instant gratification."  Look at the advertising.  I bet you would be surprised how many "buy now, pay later" ads you see.

It is as simple as that.

Answer 2

This may not be the case in your questions, but it amuses me when older generations get so upset about the younger generations feeling "entitled"

Why are they that way? Because you made them that way.

Everyone gets a trophy in the contest even though they didn't win. Everyone's a winner. Everyone's special. That's what you've been telling them and that's what they believe. And then you go and wonder why they think they should have all the best things for themselves.

The real question you should be asking is what entitles the people who DO have the money to afford those things to feel entitled to that lifestyle? I think I read that Brad Pitt was shopping for a $300,000 couch or something a few months ago. What the h**l is that? How many people could you feed with that money? How much cancer research could be done? Why does a $300,000 couch exist?

Answer 3

Because they can!

Answer 4

the majority of the "new generation" literally live on a day to day basis, without concern for the future.  Many think the world will end soon anyway, so why not live it up.  Us old folks like to have a little put by for a rainy day.  Most of the people I know of my age group lived very frugally during the early years after high school graduation and marriage, but slowly accumulated assets with minimal debt.

I don't get it either, but this is the way it is.

Answer 5

What entitles me to life my life style, I earned it. I get up at 3am 6 days a week to go to work. I dont spend beyond my means. When I get a credit card bill for something I bought I mail it off the next day. Paid in full. I can get up and walk out of a car dealership because they don't offer me the interest rate I want. And 10 minutes there calling me begging me to come back.

Why ?

Because I earned it.

Not all of us were raised for instant gratification.

We weren't  given a trophy just for showing up at a sports event.



We weren't given a new car for graduating high school.

We don't go buy $5,000 plasma LCD TV's because the neighbors have one.

We don't buy $300 jeans because "celebrity" is wearing them , when $40 Levi's work just fine.

When we said Its not fair, Our parents looked at us and said

"Life isn't Fair"

We shoveled snow, cut grass, and raked leaves when we were kids because we weren't old enough to work.

Our parents taught us to work for something and earn it, because it will mean more.