I believe that one of the topics that we need to encourage is openness about debt. In my world people will not talk about how much they owe on a car, on their house, their credit cards, 2nd mortgages, how much money they make - silence about these realities only supports the predatory practices of unscrupulous lenders, banks, mortgage companies, etc. Silence also keeps people in the dark about and unable to learn from each other. The stories coming out now about how people took out loans for homes that they could not afford are very important. I remember when my broker told me that I could get much more money and buy a much nicer house - I knew this was crazy talk and told them all no thanks. Unfortunately most people didn't understand this - and they weren't getting information from folks around them.

We need to be open and honest about debt. If I have 7500.00 on my credit card and go out and buy a 1400.00 tv - somebody in my life needs to talk to me about that, maybe even do an intervention.

Yesterday an old friend who is retired called and in our conversation he let me know that he was looking at buying a mercedes used for 9k. I asked him why - he's got a great car that he loves. I asked him about his values. His last comment to me on the topic was - you only live once. That conversation went very well and I think that it got him thinking. Before he hung up, he said he probably won't buy the car but just wants to look.

Tell me if you think that this sounds crazy. I've been thinking and talking quietly about it for some time. I would like to be more outspoken. Thanks

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I like your idea. I hesitate to be honest about this in a public setting, yet this also feels healthy. For me, my journey with credit card debt began with getting many, many offers for credit lines with 0% interest for one year.  Using the advantage of my great credit, I even offered two cards to close friends who were starting businesses and were sure they could pay me back in a few months.  I appreciated the big banks, at that time, for "being so generous".

What I did not really get at the time, and I still do not fully understand this, is the notion that the money the banks were offering me was not "their money" as I thought.  Now, I am told that the money that was being created out of thin air as a way to collect interest.  Is this correct? I want to grok this more.  Somehow, from my spiritual values, I just trusted what I was getting involved with.  I like being a trusting soul. ;)

Now, years later a huge percentage of my income is going to paying down those cards, and I keep drawing from savings as well.  I cannot get behind blaming the banks for my situation, I was a willing participant in this. Yet, I am opening up the the reality of how so many of us were conned by false images about what was going on.  Somehow, while we must hold ourselves accountable for our part of this,  others need to be held accountable as well.

I welcome any responses you may have to what I have to what I have shared here.  Thanks!

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