Actually, Maxed Out isn't a "movie," it's a documentary. I started watching it this morning before work because it caught my attention, being about bankruptcy and so on. What it turned out to be was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. It had my heart pounding like the Halloween movies never did.
It's all about credit and debt, and even though it focuses on the situation in the U.S., it's still quite scary for Canadians, because, really, our credit system here isn't all that different.
Just under five years ago, I had to declare bankruptcy. I had suddenly and unexpectedly found myself the sole bearer of over $100,000 of mortgage debt on a house I didn't even live in anymore. I won't go into details, but rest assured, it wasn't really my fault (unless being trusting is a fault), and it's something I'll be pissed about for the rest of my life. Since then, my credit rating has been in the toilet of course.
Even so, I've been hankering to get a credit card for several years because I want to be able to do things that "normal" people do. Like book a hotel room, rent a car, get a membership at a video store. There are loads of things you can't do these days if you don't have a credit card. Last year when I was living in Nova Scotia and travelling almost every week, I had to rely on outside help for booking hotel rooms, purchasing flights and renting cars. It made me feel like a child, and I hated (although, I was very grateful for the help).
But after seeing this show, I'm feeling like I never want to have credit again as long as I live, even though it will limit me severely. Credit card companies and banks literally WANT you to get behind on your payments, because that's how they make their money. The documentary told the stories of two women whose children had committed suicide because they'd gotten so deep into debt after being seduced by credit card offers while they were still in university.
I know it's possible to have credit and not get into trouble...but the credit sharks don't want that, and they make it so hard for you to avoid trouble. It's so scary, and so discouraging. It's practically impossible to live outside the poisonous cloud of credit and debt these days.
I can live without buying books from Amazon.com. I can live without making large purchases until I've saved up the cash. I can live without buying my own home. Fuck the banks and the credit card companies. They're not going to bleed me ever again.
For now, I'm just going to lie back on the couch and watch the snow. It's coming down in a lazy powder that's litterally glittering like those snow globes with the sparkly stuff inside. I've never seen it come down sparkling like this...it's sooo beautiful.
3 comments:
First I just have to comment on The apprentice Celebrities. I do do hate Omarosa. Oh goodness I do. But Gene Simmons... I'm torn, see I'm an ex.. well still a KISS fan (I do want to rock and roll all night!) but the man is being a gigantic jerk!
And for the maxed out documentary, I'm curious enough to look it up. Will do.
Thanks for the comment, jojo! I was never really a fan of Gene Simmons, but I was in high school when KISS hit the charts. There was a guy in my school who used to walk around in those black and silver three-inch platform boots that were such a fad back then. LOL...I can't help but looking back on those days fondly, so KISS gets the benefit.
I'm one of those who freak if I "almost forget" to pay off my monthly VISA statement on the due date. I have only ever paid interest twice since I got the card when I was 18 and that was eons ago! they ain't suckin' me in either. I've seen too many friends and relatives paying those huge percentages and getting further and further into the hole... and just can't figure them out at all. How can rational, even clever, human beings do that to themselves? If they stopped to figure how much money they are wasting..you would think..... but..no...still they continue .....
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