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Thursday, June 7, 2018

Round pegs and square holes



Those who live differently than the average person have some difficulties. In this world of standardized forms, being outside the box can be interesting. Recently I was watching a Youtube of someone who lives in their RV crossing from the US to Canada. Simple questions like “where do you live?” or “what do you do for work?” can trip you up. Saying you live in the RV and work on-line isn't what they are looking for.

Personally, I run into problems because I don't have a real job and don't pay taxes. Great fun if you want to get a loan or something like that.

A good friend of mine, who's self employed, was trying to buy a small house. The banks were giving him an amazing go around. He'd been successfully making his living that way for many years, yet they treated him like a panhandler. In the end, he didn't get the house. His wife got the house. She had a “real” job with a location, regular hours, and all the proper paperwork. They just dropped him out of the equation and went with the wife's income alone. It was enough, but made my friend feel a bit out of sorts.

Another friend was trying to buy a new tractor for his farm. They guy had no bills and had never bought anything on credit. As far as the bank was concerned, he didn't exist. They asked him if his dad could co-sign, but he pointed out his dad was even more of ghost than he was. Dad was even further off the grid.

The world is full of gatekeepers of one sort or another. They bar your access to everything from freedom of travel, access to financial services, education, medical services, and just everything else you need to live. Sometimes the only thing to do is to provide enough of a paper trail to get past the roadblocks. In a world of black and white, you might have to be a bit gray.

-Sixbears

14 comments:

  1. I used to have decent credit, but I've given it up in my old age, so to speak. Debt is required to keep the numbers high, but it's the very last thing I want at this point.

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    1. You only need decent credit to get more debt that you can't afford -which will hurt your credit. Great system.

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  2. I have good credit but only because I pay my debts off every month as much as possible. Sometimes I have to rob Peter to pay Paul but manage to square up.

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    1. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is one thing, but I've had to rob Peter, Tony and Joe along the way too. Fun times.

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  3. Yes, its strange. Bankers consider it a good move to lend money who have a record of owing on past properties. The intelligent people who have no record of debt - there's the door.

    Some people take pride on how much they owe on their stuff. They figure being in debt makes them a 'mover - shaker'. I consider them a bit strange.

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    1. In business, the key is to use other people's money. Of course, I'm a terrible businessman.

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  4. The trick is..be the round peg..assuming equal size holes..work the system.

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    1. Sometimes you have to drill your own holes.

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  5. I'm in the same boat with credit etc.. I'm a round headed boy in a pointy headed world... Keep smiling..Keep on truckin'..

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    1. Once in a while I try to pretend to be a "normal" person. It's just for a short while until I get what I need to move on. Not sure how well I pull it off these days. It's been too many years of independence.

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  6. Replies
    1. I know, right? Nice to have you drop by today.

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  7. worked for a young woman. she and her husband, very well off, had to use credit to buy a couple of appliances when they married so they would have a credit standing.
    since then they paid outright for everything except the house.
    apparently you don't exist without credit.

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