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Can you cover an unexpected $400 expense?

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How much of an expected expense can you cover

  • I can't cover $400

    Votes: 6 3.9%

  • I can cover $400

    Votes: 31 20.1%

  • I can cover $4000 because I have Tridentboy like wealth

    Votes: 65 42.2%

  • I can cover $40,000 because I am a ATOT millionaire

    Votes: 52 33.8%
  • Total voters
    154
luv2liv said:
gofundme to the rescue!
USA's most popular life and healthcare insurance
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Just had this conversation. Trying to get the wife into Medical College of S.C. for her sarcoidosis. Not on our insurance. Might just have to sign up for the ACA. $1500/mo, $14K deductible might just be cheaper. Thanks Obama.

Exterous said:
and also where people beg for money for vacations
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So that's how you do it. Pointers for college tuition?
 
We are both over 50 and we can cover $4k easily enough, $40k would require some shuffling though. We live in the country and have a septic system and a well, both of those could be a major expense down the road. If our driveway floods out and we lose the culvert and access to the road that can be spendy also.

We still burn fuel oil, just waiting for the furnace to die before we remove the tank and switch over. I expect switching from fuel oil and adding central air (which we don't have now) and new duct work will be a sizable expense, but we have savings for that.

Fixing the pipe from a house to the city supply around here is about $6,500 my brother just had it done. On the original subject, I know so many people with such nicer things than we have, but the bank owns them, not the other way around. I doubt most people I know could buy a new television outright.
 
highland145 said:
So that's how you do it.
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I may play the miles and points game in inadvertently advantageous ways because the people like me who do that are tiny compared to the money companies are making off people who don't pay attention but I would never start a go fund me or equivalent page to pay for a vacation. Besides, most of those people show a lack of compromise, flexibility or common sense in their travel plans and expenses.

Pointers for college tuition?
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Yep - avoid it by having him start his own HVAC or plumbing business.
 
Last night I had to cover the granddaughter's cheerleader uniform/camp at $577.
Still shocked at how expensive cheerleading is.
 
AdamK47 said:
Someone right out of college isn't going to reach $100K very fast when they're making $15 to $20 an hour. It takes time to work your way up. My parents told me I need to get out right after college. That's what I did. Made $16 an hour (18 years ago) and rented a cheap apartment. I'm very independent and never rely on others for support.
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Your parents were working for the rent overlords that rule this country. That sucks man, not everybody has the luxury of being able to save, and a lot of times it is out of your control.
 
madoka said:
Let's just say that if I had a McLaren related emergency, I could buy a second McLaren with my emergency fund.

1zny69u.jpg
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this photo is missing the necessary ATOT note in the foreground...

and at first I thought: "LoL: seat belts an optional add-on? then realized it was for fancy red seat belts."
 
This is incredibly depressing. There is absolutely no concept of savings in this country. I have absolute no data to support this and it's strictly a theory, but it really seems that celebrity promotion of products in combination with social media are ruining young people (and some older people's) ability to understand the importance of saving for the future. It seems people just HAVE to have that flashy car, clothes, whatever it is without any thought of future repercussions.

I am not gonna sit here and say that i have scrounged and saved ever penny as I have been a very lucky person, but I have also not spent every dime I've ever had hit bank account either. I just don't understand what people are thinking? Do they really expect that someone will bail them out when the excrement hits the fan?
 
woodman1999 said:
This is incredibly depressing. There is absolutely no concept of savings in this country. I have absolute no data to support this and it's strictly a theory, but it really seems that celebrity promotion of products in combination with social media are ruining young people (and some older people's) ability to understand the importance of saving for the future. It seems people just HAVE to have that flashy car, clothes, whatever it is without any thought of future repercussions.

I am not gonna sit here and say that i have scrounged and saved ever penny as I have been a very lucky person, but I have also not spent every dime I've ever had hit bank account either. I just don't understand what people are thinking? Do they really expect that someone will bail them out when the excrement hits the fan?
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Can't save when your rent/mortgage is 50%+ of your income.
 
highland145 said:
@woodman1999 I think keeping up with the Jones' has been a thing for a long time.
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People expect a lot more from life also. They expect a lawyer's lifestyle on a clerk's income. Back in the day, people seemed more sensible about what "class" they were in. Now, everyone wants everything, and they can kinda sorta afford it when credit and loans are figured in. When things go tits up, well... welcome to 2008...
 
$400 is no problem. $4k isn't really a problem either, but $40k would be difficult if I needed it ASAP (if it was a matter of life and death, though, I could easily come up with it). What would that even be? I lost my job, no health insurance, and I just broke both of my legs while trying to patch my dilapidated roof?
 
I could cover $400 without even thinking about it. $4000 would be annoying but easy enough. $40k...that would definitely hurt but could do it.
 
highland145 said:
@woodman1999 I think keeping up with the Jones' has been a thing for a long time.
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I think you're absolutely right. But that was with your neighbor, or that kid down the road or the other side of town with a new bike or the newest model car.

Today's social media has invited new items to keep up with which may not have been viewed as important way back when. Clothes, jewellery, shoes, the new car only a VERY small number of people can afford.

lxskllr said:
People expect a lot more from life also. They expect a lawyer's lifestyle on a clerk's income. Back in the day, people seemed more sensible about what "class" they were in. Now, everyone wants everything, and they can kinda sorta afford it when credit and loans are figured in. When things go tits up, well... welcome to 2008...
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Agreed, but I think people today have the expectation that they will be bailed out if their mortgage goes south or they can't pay their debts. If more people learned to better live within their means (which should start from their parents) than maybe you see a bump in that % in the OP.

And I will agree with the 2008 comment. The fact that companies take advantage of people in the way they do is deplorable. I work I finance/accounting and I get the bottom line. What I don't get is the total lack of morals. I wish the bottom line didn't trump all.
 
AznAnarchy99 said:
Can't save when your rent/mortgage is 50%+ of your income.
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Thats no excuse if your talking california in the midwest I have a cheap mortgage and average income around 40k my mortgage is a little over 10% of my income, in california the average income is what 100k so that leaves more money left over than I even make.
 
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