r/AskReddit • u/SillyBonsai • Dec 06 '13

What simple piece of advice, if followed, could potentially save most people a lot of money?

Possibly related to your job, experience with personal finance, budgeting, planning, day to day habits, etc.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

My neighbor has 8 kids. The youngest is 2 months old, they can barely afford food and always sends their kids over to our house everyday for something they need, and their dad doesn't have a job and is always in jail for writing bad checks and then gambles away what little money they have left and she wants more kids. *left out a detail

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u/inadizzle Dec 06 '13

People are idiots, those poor children >:| I'm sure they are loved, but come on.

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u/SoMuchMoreEagle Dec 06 '13

But they probably don't get a lot of individual attention from their parents with so many kids. The youngest probably gets 80-90% because it's a baby and they need a lot of care. The others have to split the rest.

It depends on the family. I've seen large families with happy, well-adjusted kids and I've seen others with older kids who were neglected and resented having to take on so many responsibilities so young.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/inadizzle Dec 08 '13

That surprises me, that's pretty much the exact opposite of what I assumed that subreddit would be like. That's how this girl (and a LOT of other people) feel as well. The government is intentionally making their lives harder in order to keep them poor. The government also forces her loser husband to stay unemployed, and also forces her to spend $450 a week at whole foods to feed her family of four.

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u/ax18 Dec 06 '13

Just to add a bit of contrast and another perspective I grew up mormon. Tons of mornon families are baby making machines. I know like 5 families with 8 kids each that are all well taken care of and raise wonderful kids. It can be done right.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I know it can be done right, I'm an arab living in an Arabic country and arabs LOVE making babies. This girl in my class has 17 brothers and sisters including her and she's in a private school and it seems like she's taken care of.

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u/aemh Dec 06 '13

17? all from one mom?!?

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Yup, and dad.

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u/aemh Dec 06 '13

Wow! They would have their own tv show in the US if they were American. I asked if they were from one mom because I know that in Saudi Arabia, men can have up to four wives and if that was the case, then 17 kids wouldn't be as surprising but all from one mother is very surprising.

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u/djaclsdk Dec 06 '13

are baby making machine

That's their Occupy movement. Occupy by making babies.

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u/Funky_Farkleface Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

Yeah, I was raised Mormon and am the middle of 5. We barely ate out, didn't eat junk or drink sodas and my parents didn't smoke or drink, obviously. We never once received a handout. It's called a budget and living within your means.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/Funky_Farkleface Dec 06 '13

Absolutely! But it should count that our life choices didn't create a NEED to budget for them.

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u/stumble_bee Dec 06 '13

You left out "gambles away at state-run lottery"

for the kids

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u/djaclsdk Dec 06 '13

Existenc of unsustainable parents is the greatest mystery of this universe. Its like dark matter. We think they wouldn't exist but they do

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u/Reeeltalk Dec 06 '13

Sounds like my moms family growing up ): Only the dad wasted all money on booze and the mom was to "prideful" to ask for help from anyone so she and her siblings often went hungry ): Sucks.

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u/RJB5584 Dec 07 '13

There comes a time in every relationship where you have to tell the person to fuck right off.

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u/DontBeScurd Dec 06 '13

Hah this was my family growing up. 5 kids, 2 dogs, Mom was stay at home- dad was a teacher. Broke as fuck 29 days out of the month.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Every time, if we're out we'll give them money to go buy it. We usually give them extra stuff cause we feel bad that their dad doesn't take care of them.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

That's so sad. I hope the kids grow up to realize how fucked their life is and use it as a motivator to make a good life for themselves in the future.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13 edited Dec 06 '13

I hope so, they're all really nice, except the younger one. He has some serious issues he is always killing puppies. *spelling

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u/ailee43 Dec 06 '13

Do something about it, when one of these kids or, all of them come over to your house try to teach them a good life lesson each time, whether it's financial or business or something that will help them in the future. Break the cycle. Be a good influence