Moment of clarity

I stopped being happy when I started owing people money.

The US credit card industry is a racket. Once you're in, these loan sharks will see to it that you bleed every last cent of your disposable (ha) income into their pockets. They will hang you upside down and shake if they have to. Example: I accumulated $206 on a credit card with a limit of $200, after which I closed the account myself. That was followed by 7 months of unemployment. No checks, no nothing. I was living very poorly. My debts went unpaid, because shelter, food, and gas to go to job interviews took precedence. It's my fault, but it could not be avoided. After I got back on my feet, I made arrangements to pay up. My balance stood at $715. That's $509 more than I had actually spent; an interest rate of almost 200%. Unbelievable, right? Turns out, there's no recourse for the consumer. They say you owe them that, you need to pay it. End of fucking story. It's my own fault to be in the dark alley, true, but did I really have the ass-raping coming?

So I tightened my belt, paid up like a good little consumer, and was happy to not be under that one anymore. (1 card down, 8 to go). But wait! Not so fast. According to them, even with a zero balance, I owe them $66 in interest. What the fuck?!? How is this not criminal? So, I pay that too, greedy fucks, and what? Next month they'll inform me that I still owe them more? What a bunch of Shylock charlattans.

So, kiddies, when those credit card apps come in the mail, do the sensible thing. Shred those fuckers and use them to line the birdcage. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. I'm $5000 in debt from $2000 of spending, and it's gonna take me years to pay off. Factor in back taxes and student loan debt, and my ass hurts. True, I make more than most people my age, but between my debt, living alone in the 2nd most expensive housing market in the country, and only being able to spend what I make after taxes (I'm on the low end of a higher bracket), I'm broke.

I've got less credit card/consumer debt and more income than most people my age, but I'm fucking broke. The typical person my age has bad credit (owes between $9,ooo and $17,000 total) and drives a car worth $27,000, almost as much as they make annually. I owe only $5,000 in credit cards, and I drive a used car. Almost all my peers have nice clothes, take vacations, buy electronics, drive relatively new cars, make less than I do, and have a lot of credit card debt. I have none of these things. Choosing to do the right thing and pay what I owe means my quality of life suffers. And you can bet I'm bitter as hell about it. I've been coveting an iPod for years, and still can't afford it. Some other friends, late 20s, have their lifestyle supplemented by their parents. Others looking at home ownership soon can count on Mom and Dad lending them their deposit money, amounts of between $50,000 and $85,000. All at once. Not me. Nope. Nosiree. I'm not that fortunate, money-wise.

Only in America can you be assed-out poor while earning more than the local median. Fuck.