Bad debts - accepting personal responsibility

[Latrade]

That's what needs to be done in Ireland. They should be slapped with a health warning like cigarettes.

They do, except people never read them.

And let's not forget on mortgages, people complained it was too hard to get mortgages and banks need to relax their standards so that first time buyers could pay over the odds for unaffordable property. We wanted competition as we were told we had a cartel.

UK banks came here, competed with easier credit, the Irish banks followed suit.

We got exactly what we asked for.

 

[liaconn]

It will be interesting, this Christmas, to see if people have really got the message or whether they will still be maxing out on their credit cards to buy hundreds and hundreds of euros worth of presents for their kids and relatives.

My nephew has been told that it takes Santa ages and ages to make a DS Nintendo so if he wants one he can't ask for anything else.

 

[truthseeker]

Where have you been living, I've often been offered those but I've always declined. Short term gain = long term pain. 20% off today means you pay double or treble for the goods in the long term.

I totally agree with you. I was never offered one before - it was a new example of idiocy to me!!

 

[Bronte]

I totally agree with you. I was never offered one before - it was a new example of idiocy to me!!

You obviously don't get out much to shop

 

[Bronte]

My nephew has been told that it takes Santa ages and ages to make a DS Nintendo so if he wants one he can't ask for anything else.

How much is this and what age child if you don't mind me asking?

 

[truthseeker]

You obviously don't get out much to shop

Clearly not - perhaps this explains my own lack of debt - although it must be admitted that ebay gets a fair bit of business out of me!!!

 

[liaconn]

How much is this and what age child if you don't mind me asking?

I think they're around €100. He's only 4 so they're a bit reluctant to get him one, but his older brother has one and there's always fighting over it.

 

[Phibbleberry]

Gosh, no they're more than that... About 150 odd, new, at least.

The fact that hes only four (and likely to drop/damage easily), they may be better getting him a second hand one, they have them advertised in all the game shops.. (you can even get second hand bundles, buying two second hand games also..) This way, they could even get him something small too, giving him two pressies, but coming in under budget, without him knowing a bit the difference!


The good thing is, some games can be played on two consoles just by being in close proximity to eachother, so if they are happy to play 'against' eachother, or different games at different times then they should be able to cut down on the amount of games they need to buy.

 

[liaconn]

That would make sense. They really are unsure about buying him one at his age and it's really just to stop the rows. He's been told that his parents are still 'thinking about letting Santa bring him one'.

 

[Bronte]

As TV is unsuitable for under 3's are games consoles suitable for 4 year olds How about action man or lego? Much cheaper and hours of fun. 150 for a Christmas present (and not even the main present) for a 4 year old seems like a lot of money.

 

[liaconn]

As TV is unsuitable for under 3's are games consoles suitable for 4 year olds How about action man or lego? Much cheaper and hours of fun. 150 for a Christmas present (and not even the main present) for a 4 year old seems like a lot of money.

I explained that if he got a DS he wasn't getting anything else. How do you come up with the idea that it's not his 'main present'? As I've also said, he's always playing with his brother's DS so he knows how to use one. There are simple games for young children to play and the games state the suitable age on the cover. I should also add that his brother is only allowed use his DS for a couple of hours spread over the weekend, so this would also apply to the four year old. In any event, what has this got to do with the topic???

 

[Latrade]

I explained that if he got a DS he wasn't getting anything else. How do you come up with the idea that it's not his 'main present'? As I've also said, he's always playing with his brother's DS so he knows how to use one. There are simple games for young children to play and the games state the suitable age on the cover. I should also add that his brother is only allowed use his DS for a couple of hours spread over the weekend, so this would also apply to the four year old. In any event, what has this got to do with the topic???

Pah in my day all we got was an orange and a stick, and were happy with that!

I do wonder though how this came round to a moral debate on whether or not your sister get's approval from the forum to buy her son a particular present.

 

[Purple]

I do wonder though how this came round to a moral debate on whether or not your sister get's approval from the forum to buy her son a particular present.

I think we need to see a full Santa list for the kid before we make a decision. A sibling impact report would also be a good idea.

 

[Bronte]

I explained that if he got a DS he wasn't getting anything else.. In any event, what has this got to do with the topic???

I missed that it was only his main present. You shouldn't believe all your read on the tin though

In relation to the topic I knew people who go into massive debt at Christmas to buy really expensive toys for their kids in the misguided idea that going into debt to make a child really happy works. Quite a few people over the years have mentioned how much they are going to spend on the kids for birthdays and xmas even though they are in debt. Some quite recently.

 

[liaconn]

I think we need to see a full Santa list for the kid before we make a decision. A sibling impact report would also be a good idea.

He also has a younger sister. Does the Board approve of 4 yr olds with little sisters getting a DS from Santa? Supposing she sees it and wants one for herself? This could get dangerous.

 

[Complainer]

Pah in my day all we got was an orange and a stick,

We just got the orange, and then they beat us with the stick.

 

[Purple]

We just got the orange, and then they beat us with the stick.

You must have been working “Down Mill”... that explains the socialism

 

[RMCF]

This thread is going off topic quickly.

Time to forget about the 4yr old and his DS !!

 

[Howitzer]

The idea of debt forgiveness seems to be cropping up quite a bit in the mainstream media of late.

It might be time to load up the credit card so, as a taxpayer, I'm not lumbered with paying for other people's foreign holidays and timber decking whilst having noting to show for it myself. That's what you're supposed to do, right?

 

[liaconn]

This thread is going off topic quickly.

Time to forget about the 4yr old and his DS !!

I agree!

Back on topic, I know people who moan and groan about the recession and having to make sacrifices etc and then, the next time you meet them, they've just booked a nice holiday for themselves or are getting some work done on the house. I'm not sure whether these people are in denial or whether they're not as badly off as they say and just want to feel part of the general despondency going on.
Maybe gloom is very 'happening' at the moment.