# You're not a moron anymore! How inspiring. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679 "2010-09-22T18:47:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/1 "2010-09-22T18:47:28Z")
Stories like this [She got rid of $100,000 worth of debt!](http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110746/qa-with-lynnette-khalfani-cox) are so insulting it hurts. The short story is some rich-bitch making 6 figures was an idiot and overspent for years racking up $100K in debt. She finally wises up and OMG! the debt goes away! Tell us, tell us, how ever did you do it! She even admits: “I know now that people get into debt for two primary reasons. Some kind of misfortune happens to them – downsized, going through a divorce, becoming disabled, death of the main breadwinner of the family. The other group of consumers who can get into trouble are overspenders or poor money managers. I was in that category. I certainly hadn’t learned how to manage money at all. Compounding that problem was that I was an overspender. I had a nice six-figure salary, but I was living as if I was earning seven figures.” So now through her experiences she is a money coach? For who? Morons like herself who overspent themselves into debt? By doing what? “At the time my, two older kids, who were 3 and 5, were in a private school that cost $20,000 a year. I took them out of that expensive private school and put them in a less expensive private school that was a third of the cost.” Ohh, the sacrifices the rich must make! How ever do they do it? You want to be inspiring? Find a way to get someone out of debt who is scenario #1: “Some kind of misfortune happens to them – downsized, going through a divorce, becoming disabled, death of the main breadwinner of the family.” Find a way to get rid of $100K in medical bills with an income of $40K while still trying to afford somewhere to live. If you could help these people out then you might be an inspiration. Getting out of debt by “selling my land in Newark”? Not so inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/2 "2010-09-22T18:56:37Z")
Leaving aside the fact that I think most if no all of these ‘self help’ books or course are complete horseshit, I just want to point out that if you have only $100k of debt, you are hardly ‘rich’. RICH folks…as in, the real kind of people with lots of money…wouldn’t even bat an eye at $100k. If you are in debt a mere $100k and it’s a problem that you have to take steps to deal with, then you ain’t ‘rich’. Just sayin’. Carry on. -XT ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/3 "2010-09-22T18:59:18Z")
You know what they say. You owe the bank a million dollars, they own you. Owe them one hundred million, you own them. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/4 "2010-09-22T19:02:43Z")
I actually am inspired by stories of people who were morons, and then learned not to be. Gives me a lot of hope for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Doxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Doxy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doxy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/5 "2010-09-22T19:07:42Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I actually am inspired by stories of people who were morons, and then learned not to be. Gives me a lot of hope for myself. Heh! Could I ever be an inspiration for you! LOL ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/6 "2010-09-22T19:08:18Z")
What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/7 "2010-09-22T19:11:10Z")
It reminds me of a tip I heard on Dr. Laura for saving money. Quoth the doctor: “Maybe you don’t buy a whole new wardrobe every season.” What a novel idea. Who would have ever thought of not throwing out clothes that are still wearable? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/8 "2010-09-22T19:24:16Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. I think it’s annoyance at her out-of-touchness, that she thinks she’s done something earthshaking and ground-breaking by learning to live on her very large salary, by scaling her frivolous spending back. It’s good that she’d doing this, I agree, but it doesn’t really compare with most people’s financial reality. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/9 "2010-09-22T19:26:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I actually am inspired by stories of people who were morons, and then learned not to be. Gives me a lot of hope for myself. > [@friedo](#): > > What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. I gotta say, I’m heartened by the notion that someone learned from her mistakes. Yeah, she did some stupid shit, and got herself in trouble. Lots of people do this. What makes her different is that she was able to get herself OUT of trouble, and she was capable of learning how not to do that again. Unfortunately, lots of people DON’T do this. I don’t know if they aren’t capable of learning, or if they just don’t want to put forth the effort. I lean towards the idea that it’s usually a combination. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/10 "2010-09-22T19:31:31Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > You want to be inspiring? Find a way to get someone out of debt who is scenario #1: “Some kind of misfortune happens to them – downsized, going through a divorce, becoming disabled, death of the main breadwinner of the family.” > Find a way to get rid of $100K in medical bills with an income of $40K while still trying to afford somewhere to live. If you could help these people out then you might be an inspiration. > Getting out of debt by “selling my land in Newark”? Not so inspiring. I’m at the tail end of getting rid of $60000 in medical debt with an income that started at $18000. Sadly, the way I’ve done it was… to start making more money. Also not inspiring, since it’s really not a valid option for most people. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/11 "2010-09-22T19:34:21Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. I’m more annoyed that there are A LOT of people out there in financial straits who got there 1) through circumstances beyond their control (injury, layoff, medical, death, etc.) and/or 2) Don’t have the income to keep their head above water much less pay down debt. These are the people who need help, hope, and guidance. I’d like to hear an inspiring story about someone who dug themselves out under those type circumstances. Not about someone who overspent on excesses and had the monetary means to reverse it. Whoop-de-doo! ---
**Author:** ![smaje1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@smaje1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaje1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/12 "2010-09-22T19:53:06Z")
Hampshire, I read that same story this morning on Yahoo! and had the exact same reaction as you. My favorite part was when she got divorced, she just left a bunch of the stuff she bought in cardboard boxes, including new clothes with the tags still on them. You know a good way to get out of debt? Return those unused clothes to the store. Or sell them on consignment, or eBay. She sounded like an utter twat to me. And I’ll nomite Yahoo! “News” for pitting as well - they’re so desperate to fill up space on their website that they’ll run almost any stupid, unhelpful story. You’ll see tons of stories from so-called experts - rarely have these stories given me any actual insight! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/13 "2010-09-22T20:07:21Z")
> [@smaje1](#): > > And I’ll nomite Yahoo! “News” for pitting as well - they’re so desperate to fill up space on their website that they’ll run almost any stupid, unhelpful story. Depressing, yes, but a wellspring of wisdom compared to the abysmal, sucking hole of anti-knowledge that is Yahoo! Answers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/14 "2010-09-22T20:10:55Z")
“How is babby formed?” That’s one of their greatest hits, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/15 "2010-09-22T22:47:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “How is babby formed?” That’s one of their greatest hits, isn’t it? No, that was “Yahoo Answers”, not “Yahoo News”. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/16 "2010-09-22T22:49:08Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Stories like this > [She got rid of $100,000 worth of debt!](http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110746/qa-with-lynnette-khalfani-cox) > are so insulting it hurts. > > The short story is some rich-bitch making 6 figures was an idiot and overspent for years racking up $100K in debt. She finally wises up and OMG! the debt goes away! Tell us, tell us, how ever did you do it! > > She even admits: > “I know now that people get into debt for two primary reasons. Some kind of misfortune happens to them – downsized, going through a divorce, becoming disabled, death of the main breadwinner of the family. > The other group of consumers who can get into trouble are overspenders or poor money managers. I was in that category. I certainly hadn’t learned how to manage money at all. Compounding that problem was that I was an overspender. I had a nice six-figure salary, but I was living as if I was earning seven figures.” > > So now through her experiences she is a money coach? For who? Morons like herself who overspent themselves into debt? By doing what? > “At the time my, two older kids, who were 3 and 5, were in a private school that cost $20,000 a year. I took them out of that expensive private school and put them in a less expensive private school that was a third of the cost.” > Ohh, the sacrifices the rich must make! How ever do they do it? > > You want to be inspiring? Find a way to get someone out of debt who is scenario #1: “Some kind of misfortune happens to them – downsized, going through a divorce, becoming disabled, death of the main breadwinner of the family.” > Find a way to get rid of $100K in medical bills with an income of $40K while still trying to afford somewhere to live. If you could help these people out then you might be an inspiration. > Getting out of debt by “selling my land in Newark”? Not so inspiring. Dave Ramsey has made a career out of his recovery from debt, and his story is not all that different from the woman in the Yahoo link. I don’t personally listen to him, never having had a debt problem myself, but he’s got thousands of devoted followers. So lots of people think this kind of thing IS inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/17 "2010-09-22T23:11:12Z")
Not to say she wasn’t/isn’t a moron, but “She paid it all off in three years – **a time in which she was laid off and got divorced**.” She actually got out of the situation in much less advantageous circumstances than she got into it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/18 "2010-09-23T01:39:14Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Not to say she wasn’t/isn’t a moron, but > > “She paid it all off in three years – **a time in which she was laid off and got divorced**.” > > She actually got out of the situation in much less advantageous circumstances than she got into it. But she still had 33,000 per year just to pay towards her debt plus whatever to handle her regular bills and expenses. Plenty of people have fraction of that as a total income. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/19 "2010-09-23T02:16:04Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > > [@friedo](#): > > > > What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. > > I’m more annoyed that there are A LOT of people out there in financial straits who got there 1) through circumstances beyond their control (injury, layoff, medical, death, etc.) and/or 2) Don’t have the income to keep their head above water much less pay down debt. > These are the people who need help, hope, and guidance. I’d like to hear an inspiring story about someone who dug themselves out under those type circumstances. Not about someone who overspent on excesses and had the monetary means to reverse it. Whoop-de-doo! Guess you don’t ascribe to “mo money mo problems.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679/20 "2010-09-23T03:05:13Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > [@friedo](#): > > > > What are you so vitriolic about, OP? The fact that she was stupid with her money, or the fact that she earns a higher salary than you? At least she learned from her mistakes. > > I think it’s annoyance at her out-of-touchness, that she thinks she’s done something earthshaking and ground-breaking by learning to live on her very large salary, by scaling her frivolous spending back. It’s good that she’d doing this, I agree, but it doesn’t really compare with most people’s financial reality. I am reminded of a Suze Orman story where she profiled how a twenty-something was able to invest responsibly for retirement on income of _only $7000 a month_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-not-a-moron-anymore-how-inspiring/554679.md?page=2)