Another happy dance, divining symbols and signs, and rats! All the fun of the boards this week.
With Christmas looming ever larger on the horizon, money -- or, more accurately the lack of it, when the credit card statements arrive in the New Year -- is likely to be an increasing source of worry for many people.
So let's start with some good news. On Dealing with Debt this week missgolightley was able at last to do the 'Happy Dance'...
"Woo hoo! For the first time since I was 19 years old, I am free of unsecured debt having learnt the hard way to take financial responsibility for myself."
Of course, other people may not yet be in that fortunate position, and might welcome some help and encouragement to get in control of their spending. And that's what the Dealing with Debt board is all about.
Lurker at the Threshold
Many boards have a crowd of regular posters, writing messages and replying to each other on a regular basis. So it's easy to end up thinking that they're the only people on that board. The truth is, of course, that most boards are read by lots more people that just those who post. Indeed, for every active poster there may be ten, twenty, perhaps even a hundred or more people who just read the board. Such people are known by the -- possibly unsettling -- nickname of 'lurkers'.
Occasionally a lurker will reveal themselves, which just what Anything123 did this week to express his thanks for the posters on the Living Below Your Means board.
"When my wife and I first met she was pretty badly in debt where as I was already reading the Fool so had a better idea. We muddled along, moved into rented accommodation and things pretty much carried on with her being bad with money and me being good with money. We went travelling and she extended her graduate loan where as I paid for my half from savings and coming home with cash to spare."
However, the reason for his 'de-lurking' (as it's known) is that his wife has now paid off her loan, is now saving regularly. But, as Anything123 goes on to explain, there's an even more important reason to celebrate...
"It's worked out as especially good timing since our first baby is due next month and we feel very secure and well able to cope with the loss of earnings due to maternity leave. It actually feels like we've got more money than we know what to do with so a baby should at least solve that problem!"
Symbols and Signs
I am sure KingMcKong won't mind my describing him as one of the 'elders' of the Fool boards, both in terms of how long he's been registered -- over 10 years now -- and his, well, let's just say 'chronological maturity'.
But, as he points out, the latter has its benefits:
"One of the great things about growing old, and there aren't that many, is that one has seen a lot of stuff before. One becomes rather inured to claims that it's 'different this time'."
So, what is it that isn't so different? The property market, that's what.
"I remember in the 70s and 90s when people who once talked about how much their houses had earned in the last quarter started to talk about how soon they might arrive in negative equity, and when the property ladder looked rather snakelike. At present we still have everyone looking for stabilisation and a 'bottom' and just maybe they're right.
I don't claim a better vision of the future than others, but I would like to offer my picture of the other side of the sentiment equation. And it has rows of unsold houses with people desperate to unload because they think the price will be cheaper next week, and it has buyers holding off and off and off to get a better deal, and it has dinner party conversations exactly the reverse of those that gave us the completely misnamed 'feel good factor'."
Whether you're also an 'older Fool', or if this is the first recession you've lived through, you should find KingMcKong's post -- and the rest of the thread -- interesting reading.
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats
Quite a lot of things can be guaranteed to divide opinion, such as politics, football, or Wagner. On Does Anybody Know? this week it was rats. reteplave wants to get rid of them.
"We live in a semi rural area and have a largish garden ...which also means we have several compost bins on the go.
Unfortunately we also have the odd rat or two chewing their way through our rotting vegetable matter (just the usual garden vegetation, peelings + scrapings and definitely no normal food)
I don't want the expense of the local council catcher so can anyone recommend a clean + safe method of dealing with this problem."
But jimsusan came to the rats' defence.
"The rat is nature's vacuum cleaner. Wherever mankind deposits his rubbish rats will sus it out and attempt to clean up after him. In this context rats do man a favour because, generally, rubbish left to rot can become putrid (compost excepted of course) and therefore can create a bigger health hazard than ever do the rats that are attempting to get rid of it."
So, are rats the nasty, verminous beasts we're lead to believe, or cuddly and unfairly maligned four-legged vacuum cleaners? Read the thread and make up your own mind!
Last week's round-up: A Very Foolish Investor
