Up From Wage Slavery

Financial Freedom Through Economic Thinking

Archives for September 2016

What Wells Fargo, Timeshare Companies, and I Have in Common

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Not a bad bedroom view...too bad it isn't mine.
For the cost of a motel 6, this could be your bedroom view…


For years I have wanted to attend a timeshare presentation.  You know, the kind where the most talented, aggressive, and tricky salesmen in the world convince vacationers to purchase a vacation property for one week a year forever.  I am not interested in a timeshare, but I have heard so many horror stories of people buying property they didn’t actually want to buy that I thought this is something I need to see in person.  On a recent trip with my family to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I decided it was the time to fulfill my dream.  (I was actually more excited about a timeshare presentation than seeing the ocean, and I love the ocean.)  Arriving at the airport, we were instantly swarmed by dozens of timeshare sharks, pretending to be there to help us get a taxi, hotel, or whatever else we may have needed 30 seconds after walking off the plane.  I didn’t feel like booking a timeshare right then, so I did what seemed to be the polite thing.  I pretended like they didn’t exist.   [Read more…] about What Wells Fargo, Timeshare Companies, and I Have in Common

What Have We Learned in the Past 4,000 Years?

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ass-cart-2016-bc
Quite the Stylish Ass Cart, Model Year 2016 BC

I recently had a dream.  First, I saw seven fat and joyful office workers, but then seven emaciated office workers came up and ate the fat ones, yet remained sickly and thin.  Then I dreamt of seven beautiful new Teslas, but there, in front of my eyes, they were replaced with seven 1980s Ford Escorts.  I am not exactly sure of the meaning of this dream, but I have some ideas.

We Americans have become accustomed to living in incredible luxury and wealth, which is great, but we need to realize part of the trade off of living in a (mostly) capitalist economy is that we tolerate some economic insecurity in exchange for greater overall growth. There are many boom years, but there are also bust years. There are years where money flows freely and times where finances are tight.  We know this.  We can look back and easily see the trend.  With this knowledge, why on earth do we live our lives like there are only good times ahead?  “Refinance the house honey, I’m goin’ shopping!  We can pay off the loan over the next 30 years with my secure union factory job.” [Read more…] about What Have We Learned in the Past 4,000 Years?