Interest now or later. Who cares?

Went to see "Maxed Out" last night. This film, directed by James Scurlock, just about sent me over the edge. Scurlock started filming a documentary about Americans' loss of control when it comes to the almighty lure of trinkets purchased with "free money" (otherwise known as Visa, Mastercard, etc.). What he found was a dirty overbelly of greed. I call it an overbelly because we often hear about the underbelly of society: the poor, the wretched ... criminals or just plain poor. However, what about those scurrilous assholes who, in search of the almighty buck, will sell just about any story to anyone who will listen in order to make a buck off the backs of those who are either ignorant, foolish, or just plain desperate?

I think everyone should watch this documentary, and then think long and hard next time they get an offer that sounds too good to be true -- it probably is. Of course, the major focus of "Maxed Out" was on bogus loans and mortgages, but our debt-run society scares me. I learned my lesson a long time ago. Luckily, before it got beyond my control, I paid off all my debt. There was more happenstance and luck involved than actual self control, though there was a time in the late '90s when I put my credit cards into a glass of water and then stuck it in the freezer.

Words to live by: if you can't afford it today, you probably can't afford it period. Whatever happened to saving? I know, I know, instant gratification is so delicious, isn't it?