I read your blog about giving to the homeless man and was touch by your story.  I try to keep a little something in my rainy day coin purse for just such an occasion.  Honestly, it doens't matter to me what kind of vehicle the other person was driving.  What matters was his response to your gift to the homeless man.   I believe that we are all members of a greater community and if we are in a position to give aid in what ever form we should.  I look at is as an opportunity to share the blessings.  Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for setting an example for all of us.

Chris, I agree with you, too.

Many members of my family live like this, frequently on the verge of finacial ruin. They, too, are in and out of work and because they didn't bother to get an education or job skills, have never made much money.

Right after my husband and I married , we had a problem with those family members coming to us for money, so we had to make a rule. If someone becomes sick or hurt or their financial difficulties come from something they couldn't control, just give them the money and don't ask for repayment. If they are in hot water because they can't manage their own lives, no way.

Over the years, the family asking for money have literally bled those that said yes dry. If I hadn't set that boundry, it could have been me.

... As you know, you are kind and considerate. Thank you. What people don`t realize is that it`s so much cheaper to keep what you have as you can`t replace it. With inflation, greed, and an  indifferent society, people have to look to their friends and family to keep from losing what they already own. If they had to get an apartment they would pay twice as much and the family may even break up with the added pressures. You not only helped them keep a home they have had for ten years but you may have saved a divorce. Thank you

Greedy, rapacious, irresponsible executives get government bail-outs for their companies or multi-million dollar golden parachutes.  Ordinary people, people struggling to make ends meet and support their families, get the shaft once again.  Acts of private charity are lovely, but a systemic change is required.

Yes, James!!!   The people we cringe around I truly believe are sometimes Angels in disguise.  Are we only going to bless when it's comfortable?  When we approve of the person's need?  When we "OK" their behavior that WE decide got them where they are at this moment?

Wonderful financial planners are suddenly broke due to illness, loss of a job, a friend in need.  We can't take $$$$ it with us.  When I'm on my death bed, I hope I have loads of memories of loving and blessing people.  Lord, keep my eyes open for your Angels!

Chris and ode2Brish,

Shame on you two.  You don't know people's situations and why they are in the position they are in.  

I am well educated in an industry that is very stable.  I have been in my current job for more then five years, I have four children and I work hard every day to provide for my family.  A year ago we bought a house with the understanding that we could refinance in three months.  We set a plan to cover a really high mortgage for three months and extended it to almost a year.  We weren't able to refinance because of the housing market crash and now we can't afford our monthly mortgage payment.  Had the refinace gone through as we expected we would be fine.  We own one vehicle and have only $1500 in credit card debt.  My wife walks our kids to school and we schedule everything else for when I don't need the vehicle to get to work.  We don't eat out often at all and we haven't even rented a movie for entertainment in over a year.  We don't have store creit through anybody, but we do have student loans we are paying off.  I would consider us cautious borrowers.  When we had our children we made sure that we could afford them and at the time we could.  I know some people would say I was irresponsible for having four children, but they are the reason I do what I do.  They are my pride and joy and I wouldn't change anything as far as they go if I had it all over to do again.  My oldest daughter ended up in the ER due to a sevier allergic reaction to a prescribed medication and my youngest son needs to have tumor removed soon so it doesn't start spreading.  Because of our current financial situation we haven't been able to schedule the operation until we get our current medical bills paid for.  

We are now losing our house because our plan failed.  Did we make a mistake in signing a mortgage that we couldn't afford for the long haul?  Absolutely, but does that make us bad people?  No it doesn't.  I took on a second job to try and save our home, but it still wasn't enough.  We have only been able to keep our home for a s long as we have because of the help from our family.  A couple of months ago we decided that we weren't going to take anymore help and give up on the dream of owning our home.

The difference between you and I is that I will land on my feet.  If you ever go through tough financial times you will fall flat on your facesand nobody will be there to pick you up.

In half of all foreclosures the borrower never contacted the lender. In todays' market no mortgage company wants your home, if you're not blind you can see them just sitting there unsold. All you have to do is call and make arrangements. Most of these people need to contact these non-profit housing advisors to correct their spending habits and to learn to live a frugal life. It's simple, don't spend more than you earn. Exceptions are people unemployed for months but even then you can at least take a job for minimum wage and lessen the problem. Humans are creatures of habit and those borrowing, no matter what the circumstance, have borrowed before.

I know exactly how you are feeling.   Best friends of mine and husbands were in the same circumstance but they needed money that we were unable to loan them, the only thing we could do was be there for them emotionally and physically and help any other way.  They lost their home, which she grew up in as a child, the loss was from foreclosure and the tough times they went through.  We took them in and allowed them to live with us, it is one year later and with the foreclosure on their credit report no one will help them.  We told them do not be in a hurry, stay as long as needed.  All four of us are in our 40's, they have a teenager and luckly are children are on their own so we had the extra rooms.  It is only good to know that we all have a purpose in this life....more than once in a lifetime.

Thanks for your example. It will be a better world when we learn to put others ahead of ourselves, and hopefully your friends learn spending priorities. I say this as someone who had to learn these lessons the hard way. As Dave Ramsey, another who learrned the hard way, puts it, buying on credit is "Spending money you don't have, for things you don't need, to impress people who don't care".

Good for you. I've done the same thing several times and sometimes I wonder if it will return only to realize that the blessings that I have not deserved were payment enough and more. Right thing or wrong thing is not important if you are sleeping well at night.