As the world enters a financial meltdown, I’m not surprised.

What surprises me is that other people are surprised…

Why would this financial collapse surprise anyone?

Have you seen how many things people have that they don’t OWN but they OWE?

In basic terms, if you haven’t bought something outright, you don’t OWN it… But you sure OWE it.

Whether it’s the house you’re paying a mortgage on, the car you’ve financed, or the clothes you’re wearing that you paid for with a credit card that you haven’t paid for in full.

If you haven’t paid for something free and clear, then you don’t OWN it… it OWNS you… and you OWE for it.

I know governments, banks, car dealers, department stores, computer manufacturers, and credit card companies have sold you a convenient story, but fooling yourself that you OWN something when you haven’t paid for it in its entirety it is a recipe for disaster.

Look around you and you will see

Houses are in foreclosure, why? Because they were owned by people who did not have and could not pay for them?

The debt is increasing, why? Because credit cards offer a false sense of superiority that leads to unnecessary purchases. Yes, I wrote superiority, because credit cards allow you to live beyond your means…

Possessions are excessively available, and in the meantime they are bought by people who cannot afford and do not deserve them.

Most of the problems people face are caused by dishonesty, and most of the dishonesty is with the person who is buying.

If you can’t easily afford it, then don’t buy it.

Take the complications out of your life and start appreciating what you have instead of pretending you can afford what you don’t need.

Trying to screw up the system will only screw it up in the end; It really isn’t complicated unless you refuse to be honest.

I am fully aware that sometimes we need to borrow money to make a purchase that will ultimately be an investment, and that is fine as long as the payments are affordable and the investment is logical: if you buy a house and borrow the money, Be sure to factor in taxes, annual bills and fees, improvement costs, and furniture needs – if you buy a home and can’t afford it long-term, you’ll not only lose the home, you’ll lose your pride, your health, and your tranquillity.

And remember, you don’t OWN that house until you’ve paid it off, so for 35 years you OWE the house.

If your mortgage payment doesn’t pay the principal, then your mortgage payment is a gimmick that is wasting money.

If you can’t sleep at night because you’re worried about your mortgage payment, then your home is not a good investment.

If you can’t easily afford the possessions you buy, then the momentary excitement will only come back and bite you on the butt.

Be aware of what you earn and then make sure you spend less – save… then spend – the loss from anxiety is worth all the money in the world.

Wouldn’t it be better to save for what we want before buying it?

If we saved our money, we would have a double benefit: we would appreciate what we buy and we would not be in debt.

Why is debt so bad?

Because debt leads to anxiety which leads to illness which leads to hospital bills and more debt which leads to more anxiety…

Before you buy something you don’t need, try to save for it first, and then see if you still want it once you have the money to actually OWN it.