How Much Is Enough?
On my other blog, The Alternate View I recently posted a picture that I took with my cellphone. This picture was taken during halftime at this years Super Bowl game. My wife and I were somewhat stuffed by the time half-time rolled around, so we deceided to take a walk around the neighborhood.
Bare in mind, this isn't our neighborhood. We were attending a Super Bowl party at a friends house who lives way out on the west side of town. They live in what we call the 'sea of sameness'. These are very large tract homes, all with the same floor plan (often rotated to make them look different), all with the same construction and all with the same color. Neighborhoods like this have 'Home Owner Associations' (HOA) that govern the look of the houses. There are no city ordinances or oversite in these communities. Each neighorhood is incorporated and has a 'Board' that oversees the 'status' of the hood. The cities take your tax dollars out here, but they give you very little in return except for limited water and police protection.
While we were walking through the neighborhood, we were counting the number of abandoned homes that appeared vacant. We counted about 4 of them on the block. Most of these owners had just 'walked away' from the properties, with no 'For Sale' sign or attempt to even sell the house.
You see, this is ground zero for the housing crisis. Most of these homes sold for over $500,000 just 2 years ago. Now it is estimated that most are sold at auction by the banks for around $200,000. They are all over 2,000 square feet with 3 car garages, xerascaping (no water landscaping) and there is about 5 feet between each house. They all have pools and are all constructed of wood, particle board (thick cardboard) and plaster. They all have red tile roofs.
It was on this walk that I snapped this picture. If you click on the picture above you can go to the The Alternate View and see the full resolution version. I had forgotten about it until it came up for rotation on The Alternate View. Looking at it now, I sort of wonder and chuckle. How the hell did we get here as a society?
The image pretty much screams wretched excess. Matching his and hers Hummers, sitting in front of a three car garage that is probably stuffed with more cars or worse yet, jet skis and quad-runners. A house that is large enough to house 10 people in the third world, comfortably, is probably occupied by no more than than a husband, wife and 2 children.
Where did we get it into our head that we needed this? Even worse, where did we get the notion that it is a good idea to go into debt to have it all? If someone marketed some really cool razorblades that were custom designed to slit your wrist....because that is what all the Hollywood Stars are doing to lose weight, would we all be running out to Walgreens to buy them so we could open up our viens? Or would we stop and think for a minute and realize that this is crazy? The answer appears to be no. We would buy the razorblades.
Sorry for the rant, but after all, this blog is called "Hypocrisy".
I live in a neighborhood like that, because when we moved here, that was the only place affordable. But our cars are old. And they will get older... and older... until they stop running. I'm always amazed at the Hummers in the area. (My street is pretty sensible, thankfully.) They're usually on the streets that have smaller houses, lots of rentals. I don't get it. And I don't get why people need it, or need to go into debt for it. I ride my bike around the development sometimes for exercise. I've seen lots of expensive cars, and a few I've seen with locks on them from repo-men. A few I've seen getting taken. It's crazy.
ReplyDeleteWe paid off our mortgage last year. Our home is a 1200 square foot bungalow, with a basement though, and a single car garage. Our vehicles are old, bought used and still usable (knock on wood). I can't believe what a great feeling it is not to have bills piling up, especially these days. I also can't fathom a half-million dollar mortgage. Ours was 100 K. And it's OURS.
ReplyDeleteI will always believe that greed is the root of all evil- even if it isn't intended evil.
ReplyDeletethats why i have never lived above my means. my credit card is paid in full at the end of every month. credit is the devil.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who's house is so huge that my entire house would fit in her kitchen/family room area. Truly.
ReplyDeleteAt work we build houses for people who think nothing of spending $2K on a TOILET! They also feel very special because they install water tanks and other eco friendly additions. But their home is so giant you would spend a fortune to heat it up or cool it down. And they have debt up to their neck.
We have suburbs that you speak of with ugly homes attached to triple garages etc. Terribly soul destroying to be around.
As for me, I am mortgage free and we live in an old and small house. I buy only what I save for. Boring perhaps, but I really don't like to spend money I don't have. There are ultimately consequences for giving in to material temptation. Debt and big debt at that.
Honestly, I thought I would be annoyed by this post. but, really it was quite balanced. I think that you did an excellent job discussing the largess with the empty particle board that it is made out of.
ReplyDeleteand the abadonment of the houses. That still floors me.
what it comes down to is not taking responsibility for the good fortune you have.
huh
well, :)
I am glad to hear that most of you DON'T live beyond your means. Sadly, I know a lot of my friends that do. It is the American Ethic, of bigger, better, faster and go into debt to get it. The wife and I aren't debt freen, but the concept of having a 3,000 square foot home with two huge SUV in the driveway, would never be in our mindset. I am still hoping to build that geodesic dome in the wilderness with a wind generator to power my laptop.
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ReplyDeleteFive years ago, the last home my ex-wife and I shared, a home we considered a blessing, a home that may have actually saved my life; We loved it, and we loved living there. But it was a little over 5000 square feet, 7 bedroom, 3 bath. It had a two car garage, and was setup with a spot in the garage where we could power our home off of the power grid by generator. Yes, there were 2 large vans usually in the driveway, My wifes 10 year old mini van, and the company's 5 year old passenger van with wheelchair lift.
ReplyDeleteI loved the home, the yard (even though the town we lived on imposed severe sanctions ($1000 fine) for the grass being longer than X number of inches. It was home to us, and we were thankful for it. Because of my wifes company, we were able to move in with no deposits, no rent, no utilities, which we guestimated for that house would have cost us about 1800 a month Then because the upstairs became home to 6 elderly dementia patients as an Adult Family Home, my wife also collected a paycheck without ever actually leaving home. Add to this my piddly income, we were able to live large had we wanted to.... Instead we lived foolishly. In the end, the business was sold, we were divorced, and although not all at once, we lost all that we had owned together over time. Now each of us live in separate apartments, neither one as big as the living room of our old house, and we look back and wonder what happened? Funny how all the things we once thought so important, they just aren't important anymore. The things we lost? Gone forever and rarely missed.
But now, I look back and think, How fortunate was I, during a time when blindsided by illness and surgery, medical expenses coming out my ears... how fortunate to have so much excess that wasn't even mine, had we not been in the situation, we would not have been able to afford meds, food, anything. We are very thankful for the blessings we receive in this life, and we are sorry we took them for granted. I just never really thought, did people look at this fat 30 something couple living in the huge house and think we were living in excess? Did we appear superficial and shallow? Or were we just lucky opportunists,in the right place,at the right time?
We have a lot less now, but we are friends again, my ex and I. Her son just got married, and I inherited a new grand daughter.
I live in a crappy little apartment with a friend I have known since high school, and sometimes cannot afford bus fare. But you know what? I think I am pretty freaken wealthy after all. I am so glad that this kind of wealth can't be taxed.
Daedak: Love the comment, and exceptional conclusion. Those things that are worth the most don't fit in a garage. Sad that it takes most of us an entire life to discover the real value of things.
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