A Conversation with my Neighbor "Sam"

[Draggingtree]

Mises:

A Conversation with my Neighbor "Sam"

 

MARCH 3, 2016 Mark Brandly

Lately, I’ve wondered how my neighbor, Sam, affords to buy so much stuff. He appears to have an unlimited budget. When I asked him about this, Sam asked, “Do you think I’m spending too much?”

 

“That depends,” I said, “How much money do you make?”

 

“I take home $100,000 a year.”

 

That surprised me. I would guess that he’s spending more than that. But I tried to be encouraging, “That sounds like plenty of income. With a little planning, you should be able to budget your spending and be financially stable.”

 

“But my finances are a mess,” Sam replied. “I spend more than I take home. Last year I had to borrow $12,000 just to cover my spending.”

 

“Well maybe things will be better this year,” I said, hoping that Sam’s spending issues was a one year problem.