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- Status
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Minnesota_Mary
Guest
Saying there are poverty pimps working within the Church is not saying that the entire Church is corrupt.
I think mandatory investment in Australia sounds like a great idea. We could never get that passed in the U.S. though.
I just told one little incident from my experience with CSS. I am not going to reveal anymore, but I know from the reading that I have done on CC lately that it really should be renamed “Secular Charities” and become separate from the Church. *The Wanderer *published three articles on it by Christopher Manion this spring. What an expose’! It is definitely not Catholic.
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Proletarian
Guest
Ill just have to take your word for it. All I can say is that the same conditions do not exist within the hierarchy, of my archdiocese at least. I can understand your negativity towards the actions of some of the CSS management; I really only took offence at the implication that the bishops were involved. (but Im sure thats not what you were implying)
Why’s that?
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vern_humphrey
Guest
Because the government makes money off the pyramid scheme we call “Social Security.” The tax which supports this farce exceeds the amount paid out, and the surplus is “borrowed” to spend on pork projects.
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Minnesota_Mary
Guest
Teaching people to be financially prudent and fiscally responsible is to teach people to be self sufficient, good citizens. Teaching them the Ten Commandments and moral precepts leads them to citizenship in heaven.
L
ltbpoe43
Guest
to the original OP
A clean and contrite heart with God
Love of family
Good health
A clean and contrite heart with God
Love of family
Good health
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AndyF
Guest
I’m considered rich by my inlaws. In spite of my explaination that if I died tomorrow my family would be in poverty for the liestyle I live today. I owe mostly everything.
Today a Cadillac means nothing. I know a person with one and he pays by the month for it. So is a luxury home.
I think a rich person is one who has a lot of capital. But that isn’t the only criteria. I think the one who slaved all his life for the capital shouldn’t be branded as rich. Not one who slaved for 1/4 of it and now has 200% over the original by simply investing it. I mean for someone who really labored to earn it.
AndyF
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KathleenElsie
Guest
Funny how children actually watch what their parents do in this life.
We never dressed to society in name brands. But were dressed nicely, clean and respectful of others. My children and grandchildren are dressed the same.
We purchased a smallish home and built on as needed. Our son is doing the same for his family. DH and SIL are helping him do the hard work.
We drive mostly used cars (but have had new ones) that we drive till they die and they are not leased or rented. Our children do the same.
So when asked if we are rich. Yes I think we are rich with blessings and we have enough to see us through the hard times when they come. We thank God for this daily.
SO YES WE ARE RICH.
We never dressed to society in name brands. But were dressed nicely, clean and respectful of others. My children and grandchildren are dressed the same.
We purchased a smallish home and built on as needed. Our son is doing the same for his family. DH and SIL are helping him do the hard work.
We drive mostly used cars (but have had new ones) that we drive till they die and they are not leased or rented. Our children do the same.
So when asked if we are rich. Yes I think we are rich with blessings and we have enough to see us through the hard times when they come. We thank God for this daily.
SO YES WE ARE RICH.
C
CarrieH
Guest
Let me share the true story of an elderly couple I know quite well: both grew up during the Great Depression, so both learned to be frugal, not to throw things away, etc. The man was a scientist and professor, and somewhere along the way decided that religion didn’t make sense, so he became an agnostic if not a downright atheist. The wife went along with this as well. During the man’s career, he made an impressive salary. Money became his god, and the Wall Street Journal his lectionary. Since he was so frugal, he and his wife lived in a modest house and drove humble cars which they would keep for 15 years. So by the time they reached their golden years, they had a few million dollars in their portfolio…and a houseful of junk and clutter. The wife wanted to get rid of the clutter and move into a nice senior apartment where some of their friends had gone, but the man wouldn’t hear of it. The man had always managed the investments and still does even today, in his late 80’s… But one day the wife realized that the man could very well depart this world at any time and then she would have to deal with all of this money, and it literally drove her insane. Never mind that she was told that she could hire people to do this for her, her son would help, etc. etc. It still pushed her over the edge to the point that she wound up in the mental hospital and is now home in that cluttered pigsty of a house, heavily medicated. Are these people “rich?” I certainly don’t think so.
OTOH, I consider myself very rich and blessed. I live humbly but am debt-free because of this. I’m into voluntary simplicity, so I don’t need many material things in order to be happy. But best of all, I have The Faith, and in the end, that’s what will make me the richest.
OTOH, I consider myself very rich and blessed. I live humbly but am debt-free because of this. I’m into voluntary simplicity, so I don’t need many material things in order to be happy. But best of all, I have The Faith, and in the end, that’s what will make me the richest.
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Al_Masetti
Guest
We have Bathfitter working on our house now. Installing a liner takes a day or a half day. In our case, they are building a whole new shower into an irregularly shaped space. So, they are actually constructing the whole thing from scratch. [The roughed in plumbing was already there, but not much else.]
So, per their estimate, it’s taking two days. AND they are custom forming a new shower floor pan at the factory, just for us. With all the customizing, we have coordinated with them closely and we should be finished two days ahead of schedule.
They also installed two sinks for us (that we purchased).
Very pleased. They are meticulous and very neat and orderly.
Like you, we tried to get a regular bathroom place and also a couple of plumbers … but none of them would give us an estimate when they realized we didn’t want a marble palace. And that we had a tight budget. Just a clean bathroom. One place even refused to return our call.
But the folks at Bathfitter have been super. Happy to recommend them.
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Pug
Guest
Wow! Are you me or something?
Thanks. I feel less alone with this lunacy.
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Al_Masetti
Guest
Seems like we are “co-doppelgangers”! ;^)Wow! Are you me or something?
it’s not lunacy. We don’t like wasting money. It’s hard to come by and after tax money is really valuable.
You’re “pen palling” with someone who keeps cars a minimum of 20 years (and buys them used to begin with). 200,000 miles or more, baby!
But seriously, folks, … we hunted the back obscure corners of Home Depot and got peel-and-stick floor tiles for 39 cents a square foot. Spent a lot of time getting advice on how to apply it, from everyone from the Bathfitter guy to several floor store sales people. (The “sub floor” MUST be absolutely flat; any imperfections will show through instantly. Just work one or two square feet at a time; start with some obscure corner so your early mistakes won’t be seen; clean the floor with Fantastic / and X-14 scrupulously, dry it, use LOTS of paper towels, keep a garbage bag handy to keep your work place clean. Lay it carefully; use a hair dryer if you need to soften it for cutting; just before laying it, blow the area off with one of those air cans … you don’t want ANY dust or grit on the surface or it will show through the tile. Buy a $5 rolling pin and if you’re sure it’s in the right place, roll the tile. Voila.)
When you get tired quit.
You need underlayment of some kind. Or the tile will show every ridge. Luan plywood is good and cheap.
OR, get a linoleum remnant.
For REALLY sharp looking finish, the very last thing is to get some of that composite moulding at Home Depot… a little more than a buck a foot. Looks sooooo excellent.
All the plumbers/bathroom places seemed to want $20K and up for a small bathroom … with all Leo DaVinci marble. Akhbar didn’t use such fine materials on his wife’s musoleum (The Taj Mahal). The minute we said the word “budget”, their eyes glazed over and they looked away and used convenient excuses to remove themselves.
Both Home Depot and Sears have EXCELLENT vanity sinks which are the easiest to install. And are the cheapest.
But you gotta look. 'Cause the stores want to sell the high ticket items; the cheap stuff is well hidden, but it’s there.
Although my wife went on the internet and found a super nice, and compact Beryl Ceramics unit. The on-line distributors were “out of stock” so we complained to the manufacturer/vendor and they sold us one for a good price. Beryl is mostly West coast at this time.
The most difficult thing has been the hunting for good looking stuff at el cheapo prices. But it’s worth it to avoid blowing the children’s college money.
Best advice: chat up ALL the Bathfitter people … the sales person AND the branch manager AND the installers. They have valuable ideas.
S
stinkcat_14
Guest
I think this is the downside that some of us who are prodigious savers and investors need to come to grips with. It is very easy, once you start acquiring money to start making money your god. Another problem, is that when life starts to get easier because you have enough money, it can be easy to forget God and think that you have a lot of money because you are such a genius. This is not to excuse foolish money handling behavior, but wealth comes with strings attached and we need to keep that in mind.So by the time they reached their golden years, they had a few million dollars in their portfolio…and a houseful of junk and clutter. The wife wanted to get rid of the clutter and move into a nice senior apartment where some of their friends had gone, but the man wouldn’t hear of it. The man had always managed the investments and still does even today, in his late 80’s… But one day the wife realized that the man could very well depart this world at any time and then she would have to deal with all of this money, and it literally drove her insane. Never mind that she was told that she could hire people to do this for her, her son would help, etc. etc. It still pushed her over the edge to the point that she wound up in the mental hospital and is now home in that cluttered pigsty of a house, heavily medicated. Are these people “rich?” I certainly don’t think so.
OTOH, I consider myself very rich and blessed. I live humbly but am debt-free because of this. I’m into voluntary simplicity, so I don’t need many material things in order to be happy. But best of all, I have The Faith, and in the end, that’s what will make me the richest.
FWIW, I live a rather simple life, and there are some things that I am glad to live without. For example, I have never had a cell phone, and I am not sure I really want to get one. One time, my dean at school called my home looking for me, my wife told him that I was on campus at a meeting. He asked if I had a cell phone number, my wife said no. He actually had to walk accross campus to find me, I felt good about not having a cell phone that day
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Pug
Guest
This sounds doable. Thanks for the suggestions! I need to finish some copper pipe behind the shower. I’ve got the bathtub pipe done (for the handles and spout), but I bailed on the part up to the showerhead. I’m pretty good with copper to copper, but I have trouble with copper to brass.
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Al_Masetti
Guest
I’m not good sweating fittings. If you call Bathfitters, they can do the connections for you.
[For copper to brass, would that be a threaded connection???]
In our neighborhood, there are tons of folks advertising themselves as “handymen” who will take on a multitude of small tasks. They are not licensed plumbers or licensed electricians. So, legally, they are assisting you, the homeowner. I am told that a homeowner can do most anything without a permit (as long as he/she doesn’t expand the building envelope).
Homeowners can also get permits and the requirements are somewhat different from when a contractor is involved. Or so I am told.
Gotta check your own local building department.
P.S. just got back from KMart and since their merger with Sears, their merchandise has improved… or it might be the impact of Martha Stewart. ANYWAY, for not much money we got all the towel bars, and other misc doodads we needed. In one swell foop.
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Pug
Guest
I’ve connected copper to brass two ways. One way is to solder a copper piece with copper threads onto the copper end, then use some, uh, joint compound (? - I’d have to go into the basement and look for the bottle to know for sure what it is called) and screw it into the brass. But I’ve also put in brass valves and those are just soldered straight onto the copper. They’re hard to do. I’m figuring it is because the brass doesn’t heat up nearly as fast as the copper. As long as the physical amount of brass is small, and it isn’t some huge three-quarter inch ball valve or something, I can do it with my little hand-held bottle of propane. If you practice on half inch copper to copper, you could learn to sweat pipe.
They have demos at home depot. I passed one yesterday.
At the top of that pipe that goes up to the shower, I have a brass piece soldered on. It is screwed into a piece of wood between the studs. Then I have a chromed spout to screw into the brass and then screw the shower head into. Amazingly, I have that top part ready to screw together. It is in the piping between that and the mixer (where handles for the bath are) that I have a gap. The first set up had twisted somehow when I made it, and it poked out of the wall, so I cut that portion out in disgust and now I need to redo it.
You still have K-Marts?
Excellent call on the doodads.
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Al_Masetti
Guest
For some bizarre reason, we still have a KMart … but NO Walmart!!! Go figure. Maybe because they still have “blue laws” here. So the malls and big box stores are closed on Sunday.
We DO have a Sears Hardware Store (converted from a former A&P that relocated to a new Superstore building that is so large that rumor has it folks visit it from all over the world.) The Sears Hardware Store has bits of screws and bolts and nuts and hooks & eyes and springs LOOSE, sold by the piece, on a self-help basis. THOUSANDS OF different bits. Perfect for DIY jobs. Every conceivable size, shape, and material, from pot metal to stainless steel.
When I try to sweat copper pipes, either I mishandle the pipe and get it out of round OR there are water droplets and the pipe never is dry enough. It’s a major source of frustration. Along with measuring bits of wood EXACTLY and still managing to cut them into different lengths… all of them wrong. Resulting in wobbly tables and crooked picture frames. Even with a jig.
God wants my talents to be used in other directions, I guess.
:whacky:
P.S. Bathfitter fellow showed me some liquid teflon that he uses instead of teflon tape. Neat stuff.
We DO have a Sears Hardware Store (converted from a former A&P that relocated to a new Superstore building that is so large that rumor has it folks visit it from all over the world.) The Sears Hardware Store has bits of screws and bolts and nuts and hooks & eyes and springs LOOSE, sold by the piece, on a self-help basis. THOUSANDS OF different bits. Perfect for DIY jobs. Every conceivable size, shape, and material, from pot metal to stainless steel.
When I try to sweat copper pipes, either I mishandle the pipe and get it out of round OR there are water droplets and the pipe never is dry enough. It’s a major source of frustration. Along with measuring bits of wood EXACTLY and still managing to cut them into different lengths… all of them wrong. Resulting in wobbly tables and crooked picture frames. Even with a jig.
God wants my talents to be used in other directions, I guess.
:whacky:P.S. Bathfitter fellow showed me some liquid teflon that he uses instead of teflon tape. Neat stuff.
I’ve connected copper to brass two ways. One way is to solder a copper piece with copper threads onto the copper end, then use some, uh, joint compound (? - I’d have to go into the basement and look for the bottle to know for sure what it is called) and screw it into the brass. But I’ve also put in brass valves and those are just soldered straight onto the copper. They’re hard to do. I’m figuring it is because the brass doesn’t heat up nearly as fast as the copper. As long as the physical amount of brass is small, and it isn’t some huge three-quarter inch ball valve or something, I can do it with my little hand-held bottle of propane. If you practice on half inch copper to copper, you could learn to sweat pipe.
They have demos at home depot. I passed one yesterday.
At the top of that pipe that goes up to the shower, I have a brass piece soldered on. It is screwed into a piece of wood between the studs. Then I have a chromed spout to screw into the brass and then screw the shower head into. Amazingly, I have that top part ready to screw together. It is in the piping between that and the mixer (where handles for the bath are) that I have a gap. The first set up had twisted somehow when I made it, and it poked out of the wall, so I cut that portion out in disgust and now I need to redo it.
You still have K-Marts?
A
Al_Masetti
Guest
The “problem” or “issue” is that there are LOTS of folks out there who are more than happy to relieve you of your money.
Oncet uponatime, I considered becoming a financial planner. Got invited to a monthly meeting. They had the meeting at a place called the “Bluebeard Inn”. No joke. * Their major focus was to maximize their commissions by selling insurance.
You need to be sooooo careful about managing your money. Even well-meaning money managers inadvertently give bad advice and make mistakes. BUT IT’S YOUR MONEY, not theirs.
There is no way of knowing what your needs are going to be when you get to be older. I know folks who wanted to be protected if they needed to enter a nursing home; so they scrimped and saved and studied money management all their lives. Not everyone has a lot of surviving children who can look after them.
And there are tons of horror stories of even smart, wealthy people who got taken advantage of. One fellow was a very shrewd bank president who retired and turned some of his money over to a bank to manage AND the bank subcontracted it out to someone with great hair [made you feel confident] who lost it all.
So you need to diversify. And study.
I also know people who might be diagnosed as being “passive aggressive” … they REFUSE to study … REFUSE to do the homework … REFUSE to read. THEN they demand perfect money management. And scream bloody murder when they don’t get the kind of “mind reading” that they demand.
Being debt-free is absolutely essential. You are doing extremely well and, shockingly, extraordinary.
A fellow named Sam Shulsky, who for decades had a financial advice column, once stated or wrote, that he was constantly amazed … that folks with an income of hundreds of thousands would complain that they were desperate for more income. And folks with an income of only two thousand PER YEAR needed financial advice on where to invest their surplus.
OTOH, I consider myself very rich and blessed. I live humbly but am debt-free because of this. I’m into voluntary simplicity, so I don’t need many material things in order to be happy. But best of all, I have The Faith, and in the end, that’s what will make me the richest.*
Oncet uponatime, I considered becoming a financial planner. Got invited to a monthly meeting. They had the meeting at a place called the “Bluebeard Inn”. No joke. * Their major focus was to maximize their commissions by selling insurance.
You need to be sooooo careful about managing your money. Even well-meaning money managers inadvertently give bad advice and make mistakes. BUT IT’S YOUR MONEY, not theirs.
There is no way of knowing what your needs are going to be when you get to be older. I know folks who wanted to be protected if they needed to enter a nursing home; so they scrimped and saved and studied money management all their lives. Not everyone has a lot of surviving children who can look after them.
And there are tons of horror stories of even smart, wealthy people who got taken advantage of. One fellow was a very shrewd bank president who retired and turned some of his money over to a bank to manage AND the bank subcontracted it out to someone with great hair [made you feel confident] who lost it all.
So you need to diversify. And study.
I also know people who might be diagnosed as being “passive aggressive” … they REFUSE to study … REFUSE to do the homework … REFUSE to read. THEN they demand perfect money management. And scream bloody murder when they don’t get the kind of “mind reading” that they demand.
Being debt-free is absolutely essential. You are doing extremely well and, shockingly, extraordinary.
A fellow named Sam Shulsky, who for decades had a financial advice column, once stated or wrote, that he was constantly amazed … that folks with an income of hundreds of thousands would complain that they were desperate for more income. And folks with an income of only two thousand PER YEAR needed financial advice on where to invest their surplus.
would have to deal with all of this money, and it literally drove her insane. Never mind that she was told that she could hire people to do this for her, her son would help, etc. etc. It still pushed her over the edge to the point that she wound up in the mental hospital and is now home in that cluttered pigsty of a house, heavily medicated. Are these people “rich?” I certainly don’t think so.
OTOH, I consider myself very rich and blessed. I live humbly but am debt-free because of this. I’m into voluntary simplicity, so I don’t need many material things in order to be happy. But best of all, I have The Faith, and in the end, that’s what will make me the richest.
*
A
Al_Masetti
Guest
Some towns have very very high real estate taxes, for example. No way around this, except to sell out and move to a low tax state. Delaware or Texas or someplace like that.
But if you’re in New Jersey or a place like that, you need a fair amount of income just to pay the taxes.
You can economize on groceries and on cell phones and on entertainments, but TAXES are unavoidable without drastic action (moving halfway across the country).
So, an income that might be considered “rich” by some politicians and some in the media, might be barely adequate in some of our states and cities.
It’s kind of “fun” to listen to the politicians and newsies and to listen for “envy words”, where they try to whip up passions of their listeners over envy masquerading as “injustice” .
But if you’re in New Jersey or a place like that, you need a fair amount of income just to pay the taxes.
You can economize on groceries and on cell phones and on entertainments, but TAXES are unavoidable without drastic action (moving halfway across the country).
So, an income that might be considered “rich” by some politicians and some in the media, might be barely adequate in some of our states and cities.
It’s kind of “fun” to listen to the politicians and newsies and to listen for “envy words”, where they try to whip up passions of their listeners over envy masquerading as “injustice” .
I think this is the downside that some of us who are prodigious savers and investors need to come to grips with. It is very easy, once you start acquiring money to start making money your god. Another problem, is that when life starts to get easier because you have enough money, it can be easy to forget God and think that you have a lot of money because you are such a genius. This is not to excuse foolish money handling behavior, but wealth comes with strings attached and we need to keep that in mind.
FWIW, I live a rather simple life, and there are some things that I am glad to live without. For example, I have never had a cell phone, and I am not sure I really want to get one. One time, my dean at school called my home looking for me, my wife told him that I was on campus at a meeting. He asked if I had a cell phone number, my wife said no. He actually had to walk accross campus to find me, I felt good about not having a cell phone that day
K
KathleenElsie
Guest
Income from all sources - taxes and state required purchases (care & house insurance etc) = true income. In my opinion the money paid into "law required expenditures) was never ours in the first place.
Now understand, if we purchase optional add ons to the required items (mostly insurances) that is part of optional not forced expenses. Only those items we have no control over should be not considered income. This is why I believe that taxes should be based on purchase power and not “income”. My purchase power does not equal the “income” earned.
Now understand, if we purchase optional add ons to the required items (mostly insurances) that is part of optional not forced expenses. Only those items we have no control over should be not considered income. This is why I believe that taxes should be based on purchase power and not “income”. My purchase power does not equal the “income” earned.
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