Feedback to my post about creating a “get real budget”

Some friends called me this weekend about my recent post regarding budgets.

There was a distinct and clear tone in their voice…”Are you nuts? Give up my cable TV??"

OK, so they did not use the words “nuts” and there may have been the threat of physical violence if I did not stop making suggestions about their Smartphone or hanging out at McDonalds to use their WIFI instead of paying for it at home. I must admit that I may have let a couple of glasses of single malt scotch cloud my common sense a bit when i wrote that post but that is no reason to get uber mad at me.

Perhaps where I messed up the most was the fact that I don’t walk in your shoes. Perhaps you do need all these toys and technology. I always joke with my son about the countless hours he spends on his Xbox. I like to tell him that when I was growing up we did not have cell phones, video games (of course I am not counting Frogger or Paddle Tennis…those were the days!), no internet and no big screen TVs.

Somehow my 10 year old boy doesn't seem to believe that there was such a time. “Gee Dad; did ride on a dinosaur too?”- That one hurt a little.

You get my point though. One of my friends said that saving $20 here or $10 there would not make a big difference in creating a budget. Well regardless of where that $20 or $10 bucks come from, it sounds like $30 to me each month and $360.00 that you are saving a year.

One final thought on this topic. Let’s say you need a loan modification to save your house. You call your mortgage company and they ask you to go through your monthly debt…think I am kidding? Do not think for a minute that they will not run a credit report on you.

You start to list your monthly bills for them and they hear about cell phones, gym memberships, cable TV and your Sparkletts bill. Now put yourself in their shoes for a second.

Here is someone who is spending $100, $200 or even $300 per month on some things that might make that house payment a little easier to pay each month. Instead, they are working out at the gym. 

I mean no disrespect to anyone…honest. I just don’t get it, that’s all.