Comments on: The Consequences of Believing in the Entitlement Fairy Tale

By: Breian Malupa - Breian.com

Breian Malupa - Breian.com — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:25:00 +0000

We do really need to make a conscious decision whether to put necessities or luxuries, first (or pain before pleasure). There are major consequences and outcomes to our decisions.

Excellent article to our psychological wake up call

By: Gail

Gail — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:00:50 +0000

Reminds me of a girl I knew in college at least 100#+ overweight (and about 5′ tall) going through the lunch or dinner line at the cafeteria she would take not one but two pieces of bread to eat with her meal because “bread was good for her”. Her way of saying I deserve to eat bread plus a meal.

I see the double whammy or “I deserve it” and “it isn’t my responsibility” all the time. So few want to do a good job for the sake of doing a good job, few wants to take responsibility for their failures and they want to push it on to someone else, few wants to work for their goals, few ant to learn new ways of doing things. It is a sad commentary on our country.

By: Oasdg

Oasdg — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:48:30 +0000

I completely agree!
In my line of work I run across a lot of people who are just barely keeping their finances together, and yet I frequently hear how they “deserve” new this, and that. It frustrates me to no end. One couple I was helping with their financial delimas continually told me how they didn’t have money to even afford toilet paper, and that they had been stealing it from public restrooms. I worked with them for a few months, when they suddenly called to tell me they were paying everything off! I was so excited for them, but a little suprised. They informed me the only reason they were paying everything off is because they were trying to qualify for brand new 4 wheelers (theirs were over 2 years old) and the bank declined them, but told them what to pay off to get approved. Their excuse was that they were working so hard to get out of debt, that they deserved new 4wheelers.
I just don’t understand people at all. “DESERVE??” Since when does anything in life ever come for free? I occasionally tell myself, well, I deserve…but it’s usually a cookie, or a glass of wine after a day like that. You only deserve what you work for-period.

By: fern

fern — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:45:06 +0000

Good post, but the title made me think i was going to read a story on SS/Medicare and Medicaid.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:11:43 +0000

Thanks for a very insightful post, I’m sending this to my daughters ages, 24 and 30; all 3 of us can use this excellent reminder.

By: rob

rob — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:20:10 +0000

Every day I see people in my age group (30s) living luxury lifestyles. I don’t know if they are ALL truly wealthy or just blowing out credit or getting gifts from the parents. If this is a result from nto savings, these people are going to be in big trouble. With fewer invividuals getting pensions and payment of health care benefits during retirement, people who dont save are going to be working until they are 85.
I save 15% of my salary into my 401K and this limits my money to buy a house, but I will just save more for a down payment, because I can’t afford to blow money now and worry about retirement savings later.

If the savings rate in the US is as low as statistics say, in about 25 years there is going to be a catastrophe as far as people’s retirement goes.

By: hbemis

hbemis — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:27:06 +0000

Excellent. Excellent commentary. Sad to say, but our country has this entitlement motto written on our sleeves. My wife is from a foreign country and always says, “You aren’t entitled to something unless you work to bring it into reality.” She and you are so right. The entitlement reality is hard to let go of. But, you are soo sooo right. Sometimes I feel it creeping up on me and then I think of what she says, and laughs. Best opinion piece I’ve read in a long time. Try and get it published in a op-ed section of a national paper. We could all use a jolt to our systems – we’re “entitled” to it.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:04:04 +0000

You are so right. I always used to think that the goverment would take care of me when I got older. I even
went thought the patriotic phase by
wearing the uniform and servign overseas which means didly shit in the real world. I should went into
politics. They vote themselves raises and have the best medical care in world at the expensive of the working class hero. Just look at the Kennedy clan. At the age of
52 I have finally found the truth:
Every man for himself.

By: Monroe on a Budget » Saving Advice: the entitlement fairy tale

Monroe on a Budget » Saving Advice: the entitlement fairy tale — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:28:05 +0000

[...] Saving Advice has this post: The consequences of believing in the entitlement fairy tale. [...]

By: chris

chris — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:47:51 +0000

Thanks for the article. I was feeling a sense of entitlement when I ordered a pair of shoes that are not a necessity. As a result, I am returning those shoes tomorrow.

Your article is true and I am certain many folks have big debts as a result of the “I deserve it attitude”. This article was the kick the ass that I needed