There is a big difference between acting on what you feel pretty certain will happen — aka a well-researched and educated estimate — and what you hope will happen.

And yet?

In so many financial and sales situations people throw common sense out the door and instead jump straight onto the bandwagon of wishful thinking!

No place is it perhaps more evident than in sales of more expensive items, and with the attendant financing that's often offered alongside those.

I'm sure the majority of people are perfectly well aware that most sales pitches are based on an emotional appeal, which ultimately means that you are expected to take action based on what you're feeling in the moment and hope will happen... typically at some relatively vague point in the future.

Of course, this includes the hope that you will actually be able to afford to pay for something in the future that you definitely can't afford to pay for now!

Buy Now, Pain Later!

No, you can absolutely not afford that 85" 4k UHD TV, because it's $2,500... so why would you magically think that you can suddenly "afford" it, if you don't have to pay till this time next year?

I personally prefer to act on the basis of more certainty than hope.

I realize that this may sound really elementary, but $2,500 is $2,500 regardless of whether you have to come up with the money now or down the road a bit. It doesn't magically stop being $2,500, just because you don't have to empty your pockets for a year!

Which, of course, is how a lot of people get into a load of trouble with debt. And then they get "trapped," because that "one year free financing same as cash" deal invariably defaults over to a rather usury 34.99% personal financing loan with payments that mean you'll be paying for your TV rather than going to happy hour with your friends, for three years. But wait! There's more!

Well, will you look at that! Your $2,500 TV suddenly cost you over $4,000! Which, of course, you can even less afford than the original $2,500.

I suppose I felt inspired to pen these words because we got some sales flyers for electronics in the mail today, and I found myself thinking back to a distant past where I found myself in bankruptcy in part due to some $70,000 worth of so-called "consumer debt." Whereas it wasn't entirely my fault (I was married to someone who engaged in extensive and uncontrolled "retail therapy," at the time), I do recall often using debt to "bridge" the gaps between now and actually having the money to buy certain things.

Occasionally, I almost think I can hear my father groan from his grave... he imprinted on me that "If you don't have the money in your pocket to buy something, you can't afford it. Period. Case closed."

Sadly, it's almost "unpatriotic" to not consume whenever the whim strikes you! Which, of course, is how the entire banking and debt industry works... and those living on the edge of barely making ends meet never feel like they are able to progress beyond the world of barely making ends meet.

"Hope" is best reserved for when you want it to be sunny for your BBQ party, or you are asking the object of your affections on a date!

Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your weekend!

How about YOU? Ever catch yourself "hoping" for things that almost certainly will not happen? Ever make the mistake of "hoping" you'll be able to afford something you can't... then then making the purchase, based on that hope? How did that turn out for you? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 20220423 16:00 PDT
0560/1806