Sunday, December 27, 2009

I know things change. I have been watching it for over seventy years. Some changes bug an old person. One is the attitude toward paying bills.
I was raised to pay what I owe when (or before) it is due. There was a time (that disappeared sometime in the last 30 years) that the company you had credit with VALUED YOU as a customer, if you paid on time. You were a ‘trusted customer’. If you needed more credit, they looked back at your record and said, “Hey that Jack has never been late and usually pays before we bill him. SURE give him whatever he needs he is good for it.
In our family we have gone short of something’s, to make sure the debts were paid on time. BUT our one rule was we never buy what we cannot afford. I think of this at Christmas time. Christmas gifts are wonderful; it is the spirit of Christmas. One thing I can say, this family has NEVER borrowed to buy gifts. We have given less, we have given nothing but cards and good wishes, but we have never gone in debt for Christmas. Somehow it just was not the right thing to do. That was OUR ideas.
We have had friends who were bemoaning the December gifts in January, when the bills came due. Families today must give ‘bigger’ than last year no matter how much the cost. For some reason parents cannot sit the children down and say, “We just cannot do much this year.” In later years the children will appreciate the honesty, I would hope.
My original premise to this entry was borrower lender relationships. There was a time, when there was a Company Store, where purchases were made against one’s paycheck. People who did not do some calculations would buy more than they had coming. Tennessee Ernie had a hit song called ‘Sixteen Tons’. A song about a coal mining man who ‘owed his soul to the Company store’.
I never lost the vision of a man at the other end receiving my payment and saying, “I knew Jack’s would be one of the first.” Silly, that. Over the years I became just a number and did not know it. Now the companies really don’t care if you are late or not, they make more money. The interest does not stop, it just keeps ticking on. And they tempt you with the “MINIMUM PAYMENT” entry. They would much rather you pay the min payment. Let me say this and I will quit after not having said what I wanted to. NEVER SEND THE MINIMUM. Always send just a little more, even a dollar, if you cannot pay it all. The minimum will have you owing your soul to the ‘Company Store’.
Thanks for reading this drivel.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Things you don’t hear anymore (some of you never heard them).
Quit slamming the screen door when you go out!

Wash your feet before you go to bed, you've been playing outside all day barefooted.
Why can't you remember to roll up your britches legs? Getting them caught in the bicycle chain so many times is tearing them up.

PS@ I quit trying to add pics after the third time.....

10 comments:

Helen said...

I feel like you do Jack about paying them bills. If my kids slammed the door I always made them come back and close it gently. Made them mad but they knew not to say anything LOL. Helen

Paula said...

I haven't been able to put a picture in my side bar for several days. Makes me so angry 'cause I have a New Year's graphic.lol I think your subject is one of the reasons I have become a non-holiday person. Mel and I lived the way you and Sherry did but the young just pull out the plastic and don't worry about the bills.

Anonymous said...

This Christmas was the first ever when we bought nothing to eachother, was one of the best ever.
Remember so well having me jeans inside that chain...thank you for that memory very much!
A wonderful start into the new week.

Rose said...

I agree with you about the topic of paying bills.

I had a hard time inserting photos today too.

Hugs,Rose

Woody said...

Hope you had a nice Christmas, wishing yo a Happy New Year and a great 2010!!

betty said...

I've done both (charge and pay after Christmas) and not charge and do it simple and if I had to do it all over again from day one, I'd do the don't charge and go with what you had, those were usually the better Christmas seasons

son got a credit card and due to this and that got it charged up to the limit; we were helping with making more consistent payments but with everything else going on we are just helping him make the minimum payment. He's longer using the card (we shredded it) and it was a small amount that was his credit limit but we figured it will be 3-4 years just paying minimum payment before it is paid off. hopefully his financial situation will change this year and he'll be able to make steady progress in getting it paid off in 2010

betty

Lucy said...

Now Jack, even though we are not well to do sent a check the day I received package. Would never order anything if I could not afford to pay. We do not charge but since I was sick a good share of Dec. and it snowed buckets, I did order on line for Joe. A shirt, and a calender for Joe with all his dogs that have passed on, and the most personal gift I could give. Joe never had anyone that cared until he met me and my kids and I will go into debt any day to make at least 2 gifts for him. Yep, I will pay interest for those gifts but that calendar meant the world to him. Not much, but I made my husband happy. I do agree though and had I been able to get out I would not have used a credit card. I have only one. My mom and dad did not know what a credit card was, nor my brothers or sisters until my oldest sister got one.

Anonymous said...

Those companies also love to tempt you with credit increases too. I recently refused one because the only reason I have my credit card is to improve my credit score. I use it to the max and pay it all back every month. I haven't had a cent of interest charged to me since I got it. I'll be they look at me as a loss, lol!

Lucy said...

Jack, I am going to bean you with a frying pan, if I ever meet you. Poor Sherry!!! Do you torment her like you do me? Oh well that is what keeps me young, I can't believe I just said young but not young enough to have any more kids.

Lucy said...

Jack and Sherry, I bet you forgot one thing you heard when you were very young and that is "close the door, were you born in a barn"