Do You Ever Feel Like a Slave?
I have often said to people that slavery is alive and well today. Some people get it right away and some people look at me funny. Yes, my friends . . . slavery is alive and well today-- you may be one of the slaves I speak of . . .
Some of us having willingly walked into it, others have been forced into it kicking and screaming. Slavery you ask?
- Debt
- Divorce
- Employment
Let's look at debt for a moment. If you are a debt slave, you were probably seduced into it slowly. "It's just a few dollars a month . . . " leads to more pain and suffering than you know. Loan payments, credit cards, car payments . . . it adds up fast. Miss some payments and you will be abused and harassed to death.
Now divorce, is another story. If you ran off with your secretary, I don't have much sympathy for you. However, if you are a male in this country you will become an indentured servant, a slave until your last child turns 18 years old as it related to child support. Until the term on the alimony runs out, your ex remarries, or passes away-- you are an unwilling slave. Family court judges have the power to ruin you.
As for employment, this one is the toughest one to see through. This is especially true of situations where it is structured to appear as though it is your own business. If things don't go the way the company wants, it won't be long before you are reminded who works for who. Even if you may or exceed your goals, you still can be let go-- it's called, "Employment at will".
I just had this conversation with my wife and I told her-- you are only in business for yourself in your own business and no other way. This is probably the toughest one to escape because it feeds on the debt bonds of slavery.
Open your eyes, recognize the chains that bind you, and plan your moves to freedom. Be prepared for a journey to freedom that could last years . . .
What do you think? Ever feel like a slave?
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Categories: careers, Divorce, Personal Finance, Credit, Frugality, Personal Philosophy
Tags: Personal Finance Careers Divorce Frugality Defensive Entrepreneurship Frugal Personal Philosophy Credit
We all pick our poison, or we avoid it. The choice is in our hands.
Debt - I was looking at credit card interest rates recently, and I recognized that they are very much akin to loan shark rates. Over 20%? Over my dead body!
And, it's clear that the credit card companies want you enslaved. They increase your credit limit, lower your minimum payment, encourage you to skip a payment, and provide you with "checks" for your convenience. It's all stacking the deck in favor of you getting hooked into debt and chained to paying interest, fees and penalties for many years.
Divorce - The more I study marriage, the more I find limited use for it. There are many, especially divorce lawyers, who would strongly disagree with my viewpoint.
Employment - I've seen people who can tell you just how many years it is until their retirement. That's an individual putting in time, like a prisoner doing time, until their moment of release. How sad. They aren't really enjoying a large part of their life at all, just making it through the years until they don't have to work anymore. That's an awfully high price to pay for the illusion of security.
Clair
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Great article.
Debt - this is definitely a master-slave relationship. I'm making great progress getting out of debt, but it sucks knowing that I'm paying almost $1000 a month to get out (without paying interest). That's money that could go to savings, a vacation, etc...
Divorce - thanksfully, I have not had any experience going through one, but as the child of a divorce, I saw how hard it was on both parties - both emotionally and especially financially.
Employment - although it does feel like slavery sometimes, I'd argue that employment is actually empowering if you use it the right way.
I started off on the wrong foot, but am now using my money to live a frugal (but enjoyable) lifestyle. I'm using most of my money to improve my financial standing, paying off debt first, and will start building a nest egg soon.
If I continue this pattern, I could be in a position to live a self-sustaining lifestyle without having to work (assuming I can pay off ALL debts, save a significant amount for retirement, and build a savings nest egg).
It's a long way off (20+ years), but it gives me something to work towards, and would let me retire at 50 if it all comes together.
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A self-sustaining lifestyle is a worthy goal for all of us. You may want to check out Clair Schwan's site Frugal-Living-Freedom.com if this is your goal.
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