The dangers of financing a Gaming PC (YT/Greg Salazar on Affirm, and services like them)

[VirtualLarry]

I use Paypal Pay-in-4, to useful effect. But I really have to watch myself, I've gotten so close to being "in trouble" with these checkout-loan services. It's easy to fall into their psychological trap, where, if you want to buy a $200 item, you think, "I can get that for only $50 down NOW". You think of it, like a multiplying factor for your purchasing power. Buut now, you're still in it for $200. And with payments two weeks apart, people that get monthly checks, have two, not just one payment due in a month. It can be made to work, though, if you're careful and judicious.

 

[biostud]

Maybe I'm a privileged person, but if I can't afford to pay up front I'm not buying it. The only thing I've ever taken a loan for is my house.

 

[BoomerD]

Maybe I'm a privileged person, but if I can't afford to pay up front I'm not buying it. The only thing I've ever taken a loan for is my house.

I also have a sizeable truck payment...our credit cards get used sparingly...and generally only for on-line shopping. I wish I could say we pay them off every month...but sadly, we usually carry a small balance.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Maybe I'm a privileged person, but if I can't afford to pay up front I'm not buying it. The only thing I've ever taken a loan for is my house.

That's a pretty wise stance to take.

Sometimes, I see "a deal", and I'm like, "OMG! Gotta have it! Naow!".

Much like the Asus ROG GL10 gaming PC, that I posted in Hot deals. Marked down from $899 to $649. I bought it. then it got marked down to $599. then $499. And I started to feel like a chump.

 

[mikeymikec]

Maybe I'm a privileged person, but if I can't afford to pay up front I'm not buying it. The only thing I've ever taken a loan for is my house.

This is the way I work too, though for one of my first 'more expensive' cars (£2.5k - all things are relative, I paid £200 for my first and £500 for my second), my parents paid for it and I paid them back steadily. Since then I've paid my own way, and both my wife's and my car are getting near 100k miles (in my experience in the UK the car will need replacing shortly), which means the savings will take quite a hit and so therefore I get nervous about sinking money into 'investments' like a better-insulated front door before the winter.

 

[biostud]

That's a pretty wise stance to take.

Sometimes, I see "a deal", and I'm like, "OMG! Gotta have it! Naow!".

Much like the Asus ROG GL10 gaming PC, that I posted in Hot deals. Marked down from $899 to $649. I bought it. then it got marked down to $599. then $499. And I started to feel like a chump.

It is very seldom I buy anything because it is a good deal, since I really don't need more stuff and therefore never look for deals.

 

[biostud]

This is the way I work too, though for one of my first 'more expensive' cars (£2.5k - all things are relative, I paid £200 for my first and £500 for my second), my parents paid for it and I paid them back steadily. Since then I've paid my own way, and both my wife's and my car are getting near 100k miles (in my experience in the UK the car will need replacing shortly), which means the savings will take quite a hit and so therefore I get nervous about sinking money into 'investments' like a better-insulated front door before the winter.

If possible I always invest in things that can save me money in the long run or generate money.
Investing in Led lights in my house reduced the electricity bill by 30%, smart thermostats reduced heating by 20%, surplus savings go to index funds, which currently just reinvest, but at some point could be set to pay out the dividends.

So not very flashy, but I prefer stability and security over spending.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

If possible I always invest in things that can save me money in the long run or generate money.
Investing in Led lights in my house reduced the electricity bill by 30%, smart thermostats reduced heating by 20%, surplus savings go to index funds, which currently just reinvest, but at some point could be set to pay out the dividends.

So not very flashy, but I prefer stability and security over spending.

I could add a bunch of other money hacks like that. A big one that I will share, is cooking. I love to cook, did it professionally once upon a time. Rarely eating out saves a ton of money. Some shit pickle quipped on bleeter about how we all discovered eating out was our hobby during the pandemic. Negative ghostrider. The other benefit besides financial, is when you do eat out, it still feels special, like when I was a kid.

And pay everything you can including monthly bills with CCs. Amazon and Sam's give 5% on their stuff. You can get that on gas too. Various other perks like sky miles, whatever you are after. Of course you need to use them same as cash. If you have bad credit or carry a balance? That sucks and I hope things get better for you.

On loans: I take them if they are interest free. Did that on the A/C replacement. That money was better earning more money for me, than paying upfront at zero APR.

I'd like to say Greg's video is a well DUH! But seeing how mouthbreathers in the comments section fall for the YOU ARE WINNAR!!1! scams, it is obviously a necessary public service.

 

[biostud]

I could add a bunch of other money hacks like that. A big one that I will share, is cooking. I love to cook, did it professionally once upon a time. Rarely eating out saves a ton of money. Some shit pickle quipped on bleeter about how we all discovered eating out was our hobby during the pandemic. Negative ghostrider. The other benefit besides financial, is when you do eat out, it still feels special, like when I was a kid.

And pay everything you can including monthly bills with CCs. Amazon and Sam's give 5% on their stuff. You can get that on gas too. Various other perks like sky miles, whatever you are after. Of course you need to use them same as cash. If you have bad credit or carry a balance? That sucks and I hope things get better for you.

On loans: I take them if they are interest free. Did that on the A/C replacement. That money was better earning more money for me, than paying upfront at zero APR.

I'd like to say Greg's video is a well DUH! But seeing how mouthbreathers in the comments section fall for the YOU ARE WINNAR!!1! scams, it is obviously a necessary public service.

I do all the cooking at our home, and on average we do take away once a month max. And yes interest free loans can make good sense, if it is for something you actually need or if it is for something that will cut your expenses.

Credit cards are not that usual here in Denmark, and here in the rural part of Denmark the selection of take away is a bit lackluster.

 

[Captante]

I'd like to say Greg's video is a well DUH! But seeing how mouthbreathers in the comments section fall for the YOU ARE WINNAR!!1! scams, it is obviously a necessary public service.

They have to put a warning label on food-processors and blenders to keep folks from reaching inside before the blades stop moving.... what more do you really need to know?

Never allow stupid things that folks do on the regular to surprise you.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

They have to put a warning label on food-processors to keep folks from reaching inside before the blades stop moving.... what more do you really need to know?

Why we don't let natural selection sort it out.

 

[Captante]

Why we don't let natural selection sort it out.

Tempting I must admit.... after a few years of "thinning the herd" life overall WOULD get much easier for the folks remaining! (be a lot of mopping up blood in the interim though!)

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Tempting I must admit.... after a few years of "thinning the herd" life overall WOULD get much easier for the folks remaining! (be a lot of mopping up blood in the interim though!)

Okay, that is enough of us being morbid.

Greg lives in Orlando; a fellow Florida Man. I am stoked for the success his channel is having, He seems like a good dude.

 

[Torn Mind]

Why we don't let natural selection sort it out.

Natural selection actually selects such that stupidity is preserved. Excess, perfectly rational behavior actually is not conducive to the propagation of the species. (Or in others words, if everyone is smart and learned enough to cover up and get away with murder...humans can't sustain themselves.)

Humans abhor stupidity but are also terrified of perfect, cold, hard, unfeeling rationality.

Such a thing manifests in the way people want their politicians to be versus what they want a person in the politician prior occupation to be(and most politicians are formerly lawyers). People don't trust lawyers that are green and inexperience. They want someone who knows the law and how to win.

Whereas, people don't trust experienced politicians and want a green one. So they want greenhorn lawyers or outsiders in positions of power because inexperience is a heuristic for less guile and misconduct.

 

[nakedfrog]

Natural selection actually selects such that stupidity is preserved. Excess, perfectly rational behavior actually is not conducive to the propagation of the species. (Or in others words, if everyone is smart and learned enough to cover up and get away with murder...humans can't sustain themselves.)

TIL that murder is excess, perfectly rational behavior.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

TIL that murder is excess, perfectly rational behavior.

Seriously, as soon as I read that I -

 

[Captante]

Okay, that is enough of us being morbid.

Greg lives in Orlando; a fellow Florida Man. I am stoked for the success his channel is having, He seems like a good dude.

I'm subscribed myself although sometimes he annoys me with his incorrect conclusions however he does admit it when he's wrong unlike certain other Youtubers! (cough... LINUS! .... cough:gasp)

Especially that "plastic" *hair!







*(you KNOW I'm really just jealous!)

 

[Torn Mind]

TIL that murder is excess, perfectly rational behavior.

A murderer is not going to having feelings of conscience against whomever he decides to take out.

He would, however...have thought a few things through.

Victim is to be eliminated for whatever cause
Victim needs to be eliminated by some sort of means
Victim is worth eliminating.
"I'm going to do it".
Covering up the evidence so the logical chain in the courts or other "enforcement mechanism" is broken.

All of these acts are of an obvious practical, brainstorming nature.

Murder in the mind of a person without conscience is merely just another mundane act on the table to exercise the person's will.

Should the murderer have prepared a form of protection or cover for his act, he's even more rational; this would be the mafia/politicial assassination level of rationality.

If everyone has no conscience, it's easy to see a meltdown of any society.

 

[VirtualLarry]

This is precisely why I requested you, Torn Mind, NOT to reply to any of my threads.

Why are we talking about the politics of MURDER in a thread about FINANCE?

Can we please get back on topic?

 

[Captante]

This is precisely why I requested you, Torn Mind, NOT to reply to any of my threads.

Why are we talking about the politics of MURDER in a thread about FINANCE?

Can we please get back on topic?

Next thing you know Moon-pile will chime in with a page and a half of nonsensical bull$hit from way out in left-field too! (we should hook these two up!)



And on-topic I briefly considered buying a small sofa using Affirm during lockdown in 2020 HOWEVER after reading the terms I relegated their email offers to the spam folder where they belong.

 

[Torn Mind]

This is precisely why I requested you, Torn Mind, NOT to reply to any of my threads.

Why are we talking about the politics of MURDER in a thread about FINANCE?

Can we please get back on topic?

I haven't even bothered to go back to Love and Relationships to revisit your thread and read your comment or request.

I can tell people are too emotional to process specific points or even bother to re-read to make sure what point is being made.

Stupidity is not a innately undesirable trait for the purposes of the species sustaining itself.

 

[nakedfrog]

A murderer is not going to having feelings of conscience against whomever he decides to take out.

He would, however...have thought a few things through.

Victim is to be eliminated for whatever cause
Victim needs to be eliminated by some sort of means
Victim is worth eliminating.
"I'm going to do it".
Covering up the evidence so the logical chain in the courts or other "enforcement mechanism" is broken.

All of these acts are of an obvious practical, brainstorming nature.

Murder in the mind of a person without conscience is merely just another mundane act on the table to exercise the person's will.

Should the murderer have prepared a form of protection or cover for his act, he's even more rational; this would be the mafia/politicial assassination level of rationality.

If everyone has no conscience, it's easy to see a meltdown of any society.

My apologies to VirtualLarry, but I have to quote this for posterity. Feels like it could possibly be relevant in court proceedings in the future.

 

[Torn Mind]

My apologies to VirtualLarry, but I have to quote this for posterity. Feels like it could possibly be relevant in court proceedings in the future.

You probably think Ted Bundy had a conscience then and was a dumb, unlearned guy who never went to law school.

 

[Captante]

You probably think Ted Bundy had a conscience then and was a dumb, unlearned guy who never went to law school.

More like we're all starting to think you are a complete jerk.

(sorry Larry... I'm done)

 

[VirtualLarry]

Next thing you know Moon-pile will chime in with a page and a half of nonsensical bull$hit from way out in left-field too! (we should hook these two up!)

THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL THREAD.

This is a thread, debating the utility and the dangers of "checkout loans".