What is your "Debt Free Date"

[Loren49]

Debt Free?
Unless you have a solid business plan to pay for something - don't buy.
For personal and family purchases - if you don't have the cash, don't buy. There is a clear difference between a want and a need. How many spent money they didn't have over this Christmas Season?

One of these could help :laughing:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHn2sJ6T-bo]If You Don't Have the Money - Don't Buy It - YouTube[/ame]
SNL Skit: Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford - The Consumerist
We don't have much but have been debt free for a long time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A significant difference between health insurance and all others is that for example if your house burns and it is uninsured - you lose but if you get very sick and have no insurance (and few resources) others pay for your care. A little research shows that the reasons Medicare was passed were the ballooning cost of medical costs and number of uninsured elderly.

Loren

 

[RickB]

Obama doesn't have to run at all for several months yet. We're eleven months out from the election.



.

You can't be serious?

 

[CurlyDave]

...I took a look at your first link, and it was just a mix of whining and distortion. Yes, health insurance companies will have to meet federal guidelines. One of those guidelines that they will have to rake off no more than 25% of premiums, instead of the 40% they were pocketing before Obamacare. It's no wonder they are whining. Out of $2.3 Trillion a year in health care costs, 55% is covered by private insurance, and the 15% that they have to quit skimming amounts to about $190 billion a year. If you were losing a scam like that, you would be whining too, but don't waste a lot of effort on sympathy. They don't need it.

Show me where the Obamacare people are limited to spending 25%.

The reality is that the government can spend as much of the premiums as they like, and when they have blown through that they will force the taxpayer to come up with even more.

Obama and his band of socialists are turning the US into a third-rate nation. The elites at the top of the political pile live outrageously well, everyone else is headed for grinding poverty.

* * * * * *

I liked the old system better. My parents and grandparents worked hard and every generation was better off than the last. My wife and I worked hard, and even in retirement, I put a lot of hours into economic activity that improves my situation. I just do it on my own and don't work for anyone else, in fact I am the boss and hire people to work for me.

We want our children to have an even better life -- not everybody else's children, our children. Other people should be responsible for their own advancement and that of their children.

Until a guy has actually had to meet a payroll, or even just supported himself, for a few years his pronouncements on any economic issue are pretty close to nonsense.

 

[two_bit_score]

Show me where the Obamacare people are limited to spending 25%.

The reality is that the government can spend as much of the premiums as they like, and when they have blown through that they will force the taxpayer to come up with even more.

Obama and his band of socialists are turning the US into a third-rate nation. The elites at the top of the political pile live outrageously well, everyone else is headed for grinding poverty.

* * * * * *

I liked the old system better. My parents and grandparents worked hard and

every generation was better off than the last. My wife and I worked hard, and even in retirement, I put a lot of hours into economic activity that improves my situation. I just do it on my own and don't work for anyone else, in fact I am the boss and hire people to work for me.

We want our children to have an even better life -- not everybody else's children, our children. Other people should be responsible for their own advancement and that of their children.

Until a guy has actually had to meet a payroll, or even just supported himself, for a few years his pronouncements on any economic issue are pretty close to nonsense.

I just don't see why that is so difficult for so many to understand.
.

 

[ultrarunner]

Until a guy has actually had to meet a payroll, or even just supported himself, for a few years his pronouncements on any economic issue are pretty close to nonsense.

The problem I have is when what people preach is not what they do...

Congress expempting itself from the laws a regs we must follow is a perfect example.

 

[RickB]

.

Obama and his band of socialists are turning the US into a third-rate nation. The elites at the top of the political pile live outrageously well, everyone else is headed for grinding poverty.

* * * * * *

.

We have largely done it to ourselves.
The country's leadership on both sides of the aisle have done little or nothing to correct the problems, or make our descent any less steep.
Thomas Jefferson said democracy is doomed as soon as the populace figure out that they can vote themselves a slice of the treasury.

We have been there for a while now.

 

[two_bit_score]

We have largely done it to ourselves.
The country's leadership on both sides of the aisle have done little or nothing to correct the problems, or make our descent any less steep.
Thomas Jefferson said democracy is doomed as soon as the populace figure out that they can vote themselves a slice of the treasury.

We have been there for a while now.

Obama stomped on the accelerator.

I'll give Obama credit. If he had not bern elected we might still be incrementally going down the tubes and still thinking we are making progress. His actions have awakened a lot of complacent people. We may have a chance to make the needed corrections now.

GTFO 2012!
.

 

[EddieWalker]

It comes as a surprise to many people that the regulating agency for medical care in the USA is not a government agency. The American Medical Association regulates medical care. The AMA is run by physicians for the benefit of physicians. What you see is the result of 100 years of letting the union run the industry.

With a statement like this, I realize that we are so far apart that there really isn't any point in discussing this with you. What scares me is that others might also be this far off base.

The AMA is a lobying organization that says they are for the benifit of Doctors and the medical field. They do not set policy of any kind. They do loby for what they want, but it is not always in the interest of those they represent. There is a very big reason that membership in the AMA is decling and why so many Doctors withdrew their membership with the passing of Obamacare.

Why Join the AMA?

American Medical Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are all sorts of complaints against the AMA and it doesn't take much to find some of them.

Daily Kos: On The AMA's Opposition To The Public Option

Doctors Versus The AMA - Forbes.com

Doctors, Medical Students Abandon AMA in Search of Alternatives

A.M.A. Opposes Government-Sponsored Health Plan - NYTimes.com

Eddie

 

[brin]

With a statement like this, I realize that we are so far apart that there really isn't any point in discussing this with you. What scares me is that others might also be this far off base.

The AMA is a lobying organization that says they are for the benifit of Doctors and the medical field. They do not set policy of any kind. They do loby for what they want, but it is not always in the interest of those they represent. There is a very big reason that membership in the AMA is decling and why so many Doctors withdrew their membership with the passing of Obamacare.

Why Join the AMA?

American Medical Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are all sorts of complaints against the AMA and it doesn't take much to find some of them.

Daily Kos: On The AMA's Opposition To The Public Option

Doctors Versus The AMA - Forbes.com

Doctors, Medical Students Abandon AMA in Search of Alternatives

A.M.A. Opposes Government-Sponsored Health Plan - NYTimes.com

Eddie

Eddie...exactly on point...:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

Eddie... you continue to amaze me on the depth and breadth of your knowledge...

California's loss has definitely been a Texas gain.

This goes for Curly Dave too

Best wishes to both of you and yours!

 

[two_bit_score]

I don't see how the AMA 'regulates' anything when you aren't required to be a member to practice medicine. You do have to be licensed by your states licensing authority and that's not the AMA.

.

 

[ultrarunner]

Regarding Doctors and being Debt free...

Many Docs I know were able to get their medical school debt retired by signing on with the local HMO...

So far, all but one is happy working for Kaiser Permanente... they are a competitor of where I work.

Something about not having the entire responsibility for the office on one or several shoulders plus being able to actually take vacations has been a big plus for the Doctors...

I see the days of the small independent offices dwindling...

Just keeping up to date with all the regs is a full time job... and do nothing in terms of treating patients that come through the door.

My sister-in-law was a sole practitioner... she had an office staff of 3 and when two became pregnant at the same time it was a hardship that she didn't ever want to have to go through again...

 

[EHR]

I am 51 and never had a car payment or a mortgage. I also never had a new car but I did build two of the 3 houses I live in. Our friends complain about expenses but they are living paycheck to paycheck in their big houses and new cars.

 

[lilranch2001]

Show me where the Obamacare people are limited to spending 25%.

The reality is that the government can spend as much of the premiums as they like, and when they have blown through that they will force the taxpayer to come up with even more.

Obama and his band of socialists are turning the US into a third-rate nation. The elites at the top of the political pile live outrageously well, everyone else is headed for grinding poverty.

* * * * * *

I liked the old system better. My parents and grandparents worked hard and every generation was better off than the last. My wife and I worked hard, and even in retirement, I put a lot of hours into economic activity that improves my situation. I just do it on my own and don't work for anyone else, in fact I am the boss and hire people to work for me.

We want our children to have an even better life -- not everybody else's children, our children. Other people should be responsible for their own advancement and that of their children.

Until a guy has actually had to meet a payroll, or even just supported himself, for a few years his pronouncements on any economic issue are pretty close to nonsense.

Once again Dave ^5

I wish the sheeple would open their eyes

 

[Pilot]

Curly Dave forgot to mention that the reimbursement rate for docs serving Medicare patients is set by the government. The only choice the docs have is to see or not see Medicare patients. That's what part of the so called tax cut debate was about, cutting another 27% out of what docs get paid. I checked my statement from Providence awhile back, I don't remember the exact numbers and it varied with the procedure, but Providence was paid by Medicare around half of what they billed. And they have to accept that as payment in full. OK,you can say Providence charges too much, but they are a nonprofit.

So you are in business, you bill a customer and he pays half, you complain & he tells you that's all you are going to get and take it or leave it. That's Medicare. Insurance companies do the same thing, but they don't cut the rates like Medicare does.

About that 40% payout in the last 6 months of life: A lot of those cases are cancer and no one knows if you will live or die. You want to write off everybody with a cancer diagnosis? Or heart disease? A couple years ago our fire chief had a heart attack. EMT's got there, it looked like he was a goner. So they were supposed to let him die because he almost did? But they saved him and sure it cost big bucks, but he is as good as ever now and his kids have a great father still earning a living and leading a good team of firefighters. There are also accidents and they try to save your life and they don't succeed, but if they had you might have made a full recovery and been a contributing member of society.

Some statistics are useful and some are not. That 40% figure is a bunch of b.s. and is worthless until you get in and looks at different types of situations and do a complete analysis.

Anther case of b.s. statistics came up with the health care debate: The assertion that our costs are the highest in the world and we die younger than Europeans do. Life expectancy is not the right statistic, what happens when you enter the health care system is what counts. What percent die of various kinds of cancer, heart disease, etc. Turns out we are better than most countries and the best for some conditions. Yes, still the most expensive, but life expectancy was a red herring and irrelevant.

 

[EddieWalker]

... But they saved him and sure it cost big bucks, ...

Right off the bat when they started the Obamacare debate, questions where brought up on how to lower the cost of medical care. Within months, it was pretty widely known that the reason it costs so much to see the doctor is because of government regulations. That is the simple way to say that everything they do makes it more expensive to treat a patient, or get paid for treating somebody.

Instead of addressing this, they made it worse. Obamacare does not fix a single problem!!!!!!!!

I also realize that it's not really called Obmacare, and the Liberals are trying to get everyone to stop calling it that. Obama signed it and made it law, so he is stuck with having his name associated with it. But in reality, it should be called Nancy Palosi Care. She wrote it, she got it passed and she knows whats in it. Obama still doesn't have a clue what the law says. Either that, or he's even a bigger lier then I give him credit for!!!!

Eddie

 

[jmanatee2]

Hopefully before the end of 2012. We are building on our rural property in SC, and doing it all out-of-pocket. If we can sell the FL house, we will be debt-free. If not, I guess we'll rent it.

This is the same for us. Hopefully by the end of 2012, We will have out NH house done and paid for, and we can sell our CT house.

Our only payment will be to the tax man every year.

 

[two_bit_score]

This is the same for us. Hopefully by the end of 2012, We will have out NH house done and paid for, and we can sell our CT house.

Our only payment will be to the tax man every year.

Congratulations!

 

[lilranch2001]

Right off the bat when they started the Obamacare debate, questions where brought up on how to lower the cost of medical care. Within months, it was pretty widely known that the reason it costs so much to see the doctor is because of government regulations. That is the simple way to say that everything they do makes it more expensive to treat a patient, or get paid for treating somebody.

Instead of addressing this, they made it worse. Obamacare does not fix a single problem!!!!!!!!

I also realize that it's not really called Obmacare, and the Liberals are trying to get everyone to stop calling it that. Obama signed it and made it law, so he is stuck with having his name associated with it. But in reality, it should be called Nancy Palosi Care. She wrote it, she got it passed and she knows whats in it. Obama still doesn't have a clue what the law says. Either that, or he's even a bigger lier then I give him credit for!!!!

Eddie

^5 Eddie, and now that it has been voted into law, we are still trying to figure out what the bill says, even after Nancy's famed statement, "you can see whats in the bill after we vote it in"

 

[riptides]

Debt is overrated.

Money is a tool, and the good thing is, it is all yours to control.

No one has any say in another’s lifestyle.

No one shares anyone else’s burdens.

The opinions on the board and positions AMAZE me.