1. I always scream, “YOLO!!!!” (You Only Live Once).
I’m not sure if most adults have heard this ‘Yolo’ term, but it’s one that kids tend to be using these days: “You only live once!” And that is true (unless you believe in reincarnation). But while that term implies living life to the fullest and embracing the moment, that way of thinking can get you into trouble of you don’t think about the consequences of your actions. If you rack up a pile of debt so big that you will have to spend the next 10 lifetimes paying it back, well, maybe you shouldn’t ‘live in the moment’ quite so much.
2. I need to impress everyone.
This is deadly. As I said in the opening paragraph, many people do have this need. However, what is the point? Just because you don’t live in a huge house or drive a fancy car doesn’t mean that you aren’t successful. In fact, I bet most of the people who do own all the ‘rich-looking’ stuff are really drowning in debt. Wouldn’t it be better to live in a modest house and drive an average car knowing that you can sleep at night because you are not drowning in debt? I think that sounds like a better option.
3. I don’t think money is important.
If you’re thinking, “Money isn’t everything!” then you are probably being financially irresponsible. Of course money is important! But if you think that it isn’t, then you have an attitude of carelessness. If you don’t think money is important, then you won’t pay attention to how or where you spend it. And this lack of attention will get you into trouble.
4. I can just live off of credit cards.
You do realize that at some point you will have to pay that money back, right? And you will probably have such a huge balance that you will never pay it off. So then you might think, “Well then I can just declare bankruptcy. No big deal.” Well, guess what? Not only does bankruptcy ruin your credit for a very long time, the debt just doesn’t magically disappear. Someone pays for it. And who is that? The rest of us. The companies you don’t pay will have to raise their prices to make up for the loss — higher prices that we all have to pay. Or maybe taxpayer money will go into paying off your debt. However it works, it all comes down to one thing: not taking personal responsibility.
5. I’m already in a ton of debt, so what’s a little more?
That attitude is what got you into the mountain of debt in the first place. Little by little, one small purchase after another adds up to one big mess. It’s kind of like eating a whole birthday cake in one day, bite by bite. Each bite seems harmless. But as you slowly eat your way through the whole cake, suddenly you ate just that — a whole cake. Remember that each step along the way stacks on top of the last and eventually they add up.
6. I can’t invest my money — I might lose it because it’s too risky.
True, any investment is risky. However, if you are investing for retirement or for your children’s college tuition, then that is a very good reason to take the plunge. As the saying goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained!” So if you are avoiding a strategy that could grow your money into a nest egg in the future, then maybe you should rethink your actions.
7. I like to buy things on credit because I can take a long time to pay them off.
This is like the ‘lay away’ mentality, but you actually get to enjoy the thing you bought. Yes, a house usually takes 30 years for most people to pay off. Cars take around five years. Those are normal purchases that we expect to have to pay over time. However, those are necessities. Some things you buy probably aren’t. If you find yourself thinking, “Hey, it might cost $5,000, but the payment plan says I only have to pay $20 a month…so apparently I can afford it!” Well, maybe you really can’t. Financial responsibility is really the same as personal responsibility. You just need to be self-aware enough to know that your actions have consequences, not only for yourself, but for other people as well.
title: “7 Excuses Most People Use To Avoid Financial Responsibility” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Autumn Clark”
Excuse 1: But I only live once!
Kids today use the excuse “YOLO,” or “You Only Live Once,” to spur themselves into trying new things. While the intent of YOLO is a good one – that is, so people can get out of their comfort zone and maybe discover themselves and what they are capable of – many have skewed the meaning into, “I’m going to die anyway, so let me buy whatever I want.” While it’s good to splurge once in a while, you also want to make sure you’re not doing it to the detriment of your finances. Yes, you only live once, but for most of us, it’s going to be a long life. There is time enough to enjoy many things in life, but you must also make sure you are financially solvent to do it.
Excuse 2: Retirement is so far away, I’m only 20!
People say that youth is wasted on the young and in the case of retirement saving and financial responsibility, that is very true. Being young is a great time to try new things, but you also have the best asset any investor can have: time. When you are young, you have time to let your investments grow.
Excuse 3: But I need a new car/clothes/shoes to look good and move up.
Nice things are great to have and generally last longer. A good car is definitely a good investment, especially if you plan to keep it for a long time. However, if you change cars each year and you can’t really afford it, you are just digging yourself deeper into debt.
Excuse 4: These are the things I need now!
Well, what are these things you need exactly? Sometimes, what we thinking we need now are not exactly needs, but stuff we want. For example, you’ve probably heard those commercials that say, “Cash out that structured settlement now! And get the money you need!” When a person has a structured settlement from an insurance or legal claim, he or she can go to a company that can give them a lump sum of money in as little as a few hours in exchange for waiting for the payments. Sounds good, right? Well, the truth is, when you cash out a structured settlement, you will lose a good chunk of money. Now, if you use the money to invest in an education or business to make more money for you, then great. If not and you just want to buy things now, then it’s a bad decision.
Excuse 5: I’m going to lose my money in the stock market anyway!
Yes, it’s true that the stock market is very risky and it goes down and up a lot. However, studies have shown that on average, the market can give you returns of up to 12 to 14 percent per year over a long time. That means if you start now, you still have time to ride out the bad years and come out on top.
Excuse 6: Oh no! I need to get my car/roof/plumbing fixed!
Stuff happens – that’s just part of life. While you can’t predict these bad things, you can always anticipate them. That’s why you need an emergency fund, so that when stuff like that does happen, you won’t be decimated and you can cover any immediate expenses. Start by saving up $1,000. That should be enough if you have to get you car fixed so you can get to work. However, you need to build up at least six month’s worth of expenses should something worse happen.
Excuse 7: My debt is too big, I’ll never get out of it.
There are many approaches to getting rid of debt, but the first thing you need to do is stop creating more. Live within your means and pay down your debt aggressively. For many people this is the first step to financial responsibility and, eventually, financial freedom. Featured photo credit: Stop Financial Excuses via medexec.org
