The Luxury Trap

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:25PM #1

I saw a program on television called the Luxury Trap, it is about people who live way beyond their means. One case had a nurse who bought lots of crap and generated mountains of credit card debts. In her apartment she had THREE 50 inch flat screen televisions, one of them was put away in a closet!

I wanted to scream, why are people this stupid. When you walk around and see that people use their own houses as their private ATM's you just ask yourself, why do people do this?

What kind of person gets caught up in the luxury trap?
What kind of person gets caught up in the illusion of wealth?

Is the Western world an idiocracy already?

soundsham · 06-10-2009 08:28PM

obviously public sector earn too much:D

AlmightyCushion · 06-10-2009 08:29PM

Some people seem to see their credit card as free money especially when they only pay the minimum on it. Also when applying for a loan hearing it only costs €xx amount per week/month it sounds a hell of a lot cheaper. People just need to cop on a lot.

PirateShampoo · 06-10-2009 08:32PM

All i have in my closet is a bound and gagged hooker.

SEPT 23 1989 · 06-10-2009 08:33PM

bland shallow people who know the price of everything but the value of nothing

this economic depression will thin out their ranks

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:36PM

soundsham wrote: »

obviously public sector earn too much:D

This is a Swedish show and this nurse(not qualified, one step below qualified nurse) had an after tax salary of €1500 month, yet she spent more money than what a GP could afford. She also smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day and spent loads on takeaway.

I honestly believe that this person deserved to be homeless and begging on the streets. People should not get any help from government when they put themselves in situations like this.

There are to few homeless people

More people should be homeless because of their stupidity.

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:37PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

bland shallow people who know the price of everything but the value of nothing

this economic depression will thin out their ranks

I personally have more money than most people who make 50%-60% more than me, I love money. It buys me freedom, I laugh at suckers in debt bondage.

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 08:38PM

We're here for a good time not for a long time

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:39PM

DarkJager wrote: »

We're here for a good time not for a long time

and when it goes to **** you expect to get a tax payer bail out!:mad:

Turd Ferguson · 06-10-2009 08:40PM

PirateShampoo wrote: »

All i have in my closet is a bound and gagged hooker.

No wonder my ma hasn't been doing the washing up recently

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 08:41PM

SLUSK wrote: »

and when it goes to **** you expect to get a tax payer bail out!:mad:

Eh..wut?

Kernel · 06-10-2009 08:41PM

SLUSK wrote: »

and when it goes to **** you expect to get a tax payer bail out!:mad:

Only if you're a bank/property developer.

Catch_22 · 06-10-2009 08:42PM

sweedish nurses you say ?

so you got a copy of this eh "programme" ?

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:44PM

Catch_22 wrote: »

sweedish nurses you say ?

so you got a copy of this eh "programme" ?

I'm sure you would not understand the language and besides she looked kinda rough.

Kernel · 06-10-2009 08:45PM

It's all about consumerism. People are constantly being fed that buying the latest products will make them happy. They're groomed from birth to be good consumers. There's also another factor of instant gratification vs. long term planning which is a psychology manipulated by lenders and credit card companies.

Neamhshuntasach · 06-10-2009 08:46PM

I got caught up in it. I used to pay for high class hookers every night. Now i'm the working class hooker.

pikachucheeks · 06-10-2009 08:48PM

I think it has a lot to do with the media and their portrayal of celebrity life.

There's constant reminders of how much celebrities spend in the press - everything from how much their car(s) cost, to how much they spend on certain items of clothing.

Celebrity life is made out to be glamourous and fun - people then associate being affluent and spending money on material possessions as the way to have a higher quality of life and possibly, to validate themselves.

I think this material element in our society is very sad, thousands of people and families are struggling with debt, as a result. I use Christmas as a prime example - How many people do you know who spend beyond their means at this time of year to provide lavish gifts for their children/family/friends, to keep them happy?

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:52PM

Kernel wrote: »

It's all about consumerism. People are constantly being fed that buying the latest products will make them happy. They're groomed from birth to be good consumers. There's also another factor of instant gratification vs. long term planning which is a psychology manipulated by lenders and credit card companies.

what a bunch of bs! people have responsibilities for their own lives and they cannot run around like children and blame everyone else, I truly despise these people who are not willing to function like proper adults.

My name is URL · 06-10-2009 08:53PM

Why have cotton when you can have over-priced cotton?

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:54PM

pikachucheeks wrote: »

I think it has a lot to do with the media and their portrayal of celebrity life.

There's constant reminders of how much celebrities spend in the press - everything from how much their car(s) cost, to how much they spend on certain items of clothing.

Celebrity life is made out to be glamourous and fun - pndeople then associate being affluent and spending money on material possessions as the way to have a higher quality of life and possibly, to validate themselves.

I think this material element in our society is very sad, thousands of people and families are struggling with debt, as a result. I use Christmas as a prime example - How many people do you know who spend beyond their means at this time of year to provide lavish gifts for their children/family/friends, to keep them happy?

I don't know to many people, I personally haven't given or received a Christmas gift in years. I don't need presents or all manner of useless items. I own almost nothing and I plan to leave this world behind and go to South East Asia permanently when I can afford it.

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 08:54PM

SLUSK wrote: »

what a bunch of bs! people have responsibilities for their own lives and they cannot run around like children and blame everyone else, I truly despise these people who are not willing to function like proper adults.

You hit the nail on the head there - people have responsibility for their own lives. So what business is it of yours what they spend their own money on?

Pighead · 06-10-2009 08:56PM

SLUSK wrote: »

and I plan to leave this world behind and go to South East Asia permanently when I can afford it.

You do realise that South East Asia is located here on planet earth? Are you thinking of somewhere else? Valhalla maybe?

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:56PM

it becomes my business when they receive handouts from government.

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 08:57PM

Pighead wrote: »

You do realise that South East Asia is located here on planet earth? Are you thinking of somewhere else? Valhalla maybe?

Valhalla is too expensive for his tastes. A nice shack in the back arse of Rwanda perhaps??

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:57PM

Pighead wrote: »

You do realise that South East Asia is located here on planet earth? Are you thinking of somewhere else? Valhalla maybe?

When I said this world I meant the Western world.

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 08:58PM

SLUSK wrote: »

it becomes my business when they receive handouts from government.

You are not the government so why worry yourself over it? You may like the idea of a mud floor, arse naked with no electricity but most people enjoy purchasing items (useless or not) with the money they earn themselves.

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 08:59PM

DarkJager wrote: »

You are not the government so why worry yourself over it? You may like the idea of a mud floor, arse naked with no electricity but most people enjoy purchasing items (useless or not) with the money they earn themselves.

You can enjoy a much better standard of living than that without putting yourself one cent into debt.

DarkJager · 06-10-2009 09:01PM

SLUSK wrote: »

You can enjoy a much better standard of living than that without putting yourself one cent into debt.

But why do you see it as putting yourself in to debt? People know when they buy expensive items that it hits the wallet, but if its something that appeals to them then what harm is it, apart from to the bank balance?

Nothing in this world is free.

orestes · 06-10-2009 09:02PM

SLUSK wrote: »

it becomes my business when they receive handouts from government.

Are you Swedish?

pikachucheeks · 06-10-2009 09:04PM

SLUSK wrote: »

I don't know to many people, I personally haven't given or received a Christmas gift in years. I don't need presents or all manner of useless items. I own almost nothing and I plan to leave this world behind and go to South East Asia permanently when I can afford it.

You're in a minority - the world is becoming increasingly more materialistic.
Seemingly, people like owning "useless items" - They like having stuff in their houses they might not even have need to use.

As for Christmas, it's the ultimate cash cow for advertisers and retailers. It gets bigger every year. The original message of the season is pretty much lost, to be replaced by the material.
Thousands of people get into debt over Christmas, due to spending crazy amounts of money on everything from gifts and decorations to luxury food items.

SLUSK · 06-10-2009 09:04PM

DarkJager wrote: »

But why do you see it as putting yourself in to debt? People know when they buy expensive items that it hits the wallet, but if its something that appeals to them then what harm is it, apart from to the bank balance?

Nothing in this world is free.

Don't buy stuff you can't afford, save until you can afford them. People left right and centre buy stuff on credit and the bills keep racking up. Because of their stupidity I wonder how they managed to survive until adulthood.

The Luxury Trap

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