Proverbs 22:7, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
The inspired Holy Bible surprisingly has a lot to say about money. If you ever want to do an interesting Bible study, start with the Old testament book of Proverbs and do a study about lending, debt, usury and money.
My hero of the Christian faith is Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001). Brother Hyles grew up in east Texas during The Great Depression of the 1930's. It was a very difficult time for Americans. 1st Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” The moment you got saved, everything you own became God's property. You are bought with a price the Bible says. That price was the precious blood of Jesus. So when you give anything to God, you are simply letting go of what is already His. Oh, how foolish most believers are with God's money!
From listening to thousands of his sermons over the past 40 years, I have often heard Dr. Hyles often talk about what things were like as a boy. His father (Athy) and mother (Coystal) lost their grocery store business during The Great Depression. Then two of their daughters died at age 7 (one of whom never spoke a word due to a crippling disease). Back then you didn't go to the hospital when you got sick, you toughed it out at home and hoped you pulled through the illness.
Dr. Hyles' father turned to alcohol and became a wife-beating drunkard. He died in 1950. Dr. Hyles believed sadly that his father went to Hell without Jesus Christ. So tragic. Having said these things, the following 3 sermons are among my favorites by Pastor Hyles, in which he explains some of the hardships his family suffered through as a young boy. I encourage you to listen to these helpful life-changing MP3 sermons. Dr. Hyles also gives some practical advice on saving before you spend in Hasty Fruit...
Try To Avoid Paying Any Interest
This is common sense. I am shocked how foolish so many Christians are when it comes to money. I know a Christian elderly couple who are getting a divorce so they can receive more social security payments from the government individually. That is wicked and wrong! I hate the love of money and what it does to corrupt people.
Proverbs 22:7, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” I don't know about you dear friend, but I absolutely hate giving away money for free to wolves! In my mind, anybody who lends money to others are wolves! They couldn't care less about you or your family, they want you in debt to them, the more debt the better for them.
Psalms chapter 15 tells us how to never change. That is, how to protect yourself from compromising your moral character and integrity as a child of God. Please read verse five from Psalms 15:5, “He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” If you don't want to compromise yourself morally, then don't ever lend money to anyone expecting them to pay the money back with interest. If someone needs to borrow money, it is because they are likely in a jam financially. That is not the time to take advantage of someone. Sadly, that is what the ungodly banks and loan sharks do.
I hate the whole idea of paying interest. I really try to avoid it if at all possible. Obviously this is not always possible, such as with a mortgage or a business loan to get started or expand. Women and minorities in particular have many advantages over men in today's woke world.
Try To Pay Cash For A Used Car, And Avoid Taking Out A Car Loan
I am shocked that people are actually securing 10-year car loans today. That is insane! That is just plain wrong! That's like a second mortgage! Why should you pay $15,000 in interest on a depreciating investment? Listen to me, buying a car or a vehicle is one of the poorest investments you'll ever make, because it depreciates in value each year. Wear and tear also depreciates the value. Just driving it off the car lot and bringing it back a month later drops the value by $10,000 to $15,000. What a rip off! I have NEVER taken out a car loan in my life. I have always saved money and paid cash for every used vehicle I have ever had. The vehicle I drive now I saved money for 2-years and paid cash. I own it, it doesn't own me. I never have and will never buy a new car! Hey, the used car I bought was brand new 10 years ago...lol.
I am shocked how irresponsible people are with the money God gives them. Most people live at or above their means, spending everything they earn. That is foolish. Just by eating at home and avoiding restaurants you can save tons of money. I thank God I don't smoke tobacco or drink booze, which people waste thousands of dollars on. I try to live by a popular adage used during The Great Depression...
Use it up, wear it out;
make it do, do without.
Yes Sir! Yes ma'am! That is a good adage to live by. I have heard young women make the excuse that they don't know how to fix cars, and that a used car will break down; so they go into debt for $40,000 to buy a new car or SUV by securing a 7-year loan. They are in debt! I humbly don't think that is wise to do. I think a lease is a much better option, as long as you can walk away without stiff penalties. I avoid contracts like the deadly Black Plague in Europe.
In 2021, I bought a used Galaxy Note 10 Plus mobile phone from Amazon for $300. I love it! I pay $15 a month for T-Mobile phone service. I get 2.5 GB data per month (I access my COX internet on my phone when at home). With T-Mobile I get unlimited calls and texts. I like it. I pay $180 per year total for my phone, with no phone payments and no contract. I can add funds from month to month, or as much as I want. I have total control, not the company.
Don't Go Into Debt For A Wedding
I was shocked this week when I checked online to see what the average cost of a wedding is in 2024 in the United States. It is $30,000!!! Yikes! That is insane! When I got married in 1987, including the wedding rings we didn't spend more than $600 total. I mean total! I bought the two rings at JC penny for about $400 total for the set. We bought some inexpensive wedding invitations from a local stationary store and I handwrote on each to personalize them. Amazon.com sells hundreds of different styles of wedding invitation cards for under $50 for a box of 100. I am shocked that some women hire a company to do fancy calligraphy invitations for $4,000. That is crazy! I hope you are not that foolish dear reader.
Pastor Jack Hyles used to advise young couple to spend as little as possible on a wedding and use any money received as a downpayment on a home. That is good advice. If you are able to save some money before purchasing a home, that is wise, to lower your mortgage payments. Banks are predatory lenders!!! All of them ate wicked people! They are so rotten that when you miss a single payment, banks ruthlessly act fast to steal your home! I read in the news that the ungodly banks hired thousands of additional lawyers to expediate the foreclosure process, to rob people of their home before the homeowners could scrape together the money to save their home. Banks are bastards!!!!
It is impossible today for the majority of lower income Americans to buy a home. Since the bank owns the home you have to pay for fire, flood, earthquake, wind and other insurances to protect the banks asset. Then you would be wise to pay for missed mortgage payment insurance, just in case you cannot make a payment due to whatever (sickness, injury, divorce, incarceration, lay offs, being fired, et cetera). The banks fully know this and use it against homeowners, knowing that the deck of cards is stacked against you.
By the time you hopefully pay off your home's mortgage in 30 to 40 years, you may have paid upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars just in interest. And if you falter on your mortgage payment after, say, 12 years on a 30-year mortgage, the banks keeps ALL of your interest payments and you still haven't earned a single dollar of equity of the home. The banks keeps it all. Welcome to hellhole Sodom USA!
My humble non-professional advice to young people is to buy a smaller home that you can afford. There are homes all across the United States in smaller towns and cities for under $100,000. Wichita Falls, Texas has some of the least priced homes in the country. I almost moved there for that reason alone, but I chose Pensacola, Florida which is also very affordable (or expensive, depending where you choose to live). It is still possible to buy a small home for $50,000 (but I do not recommend using a realtor from Realtor.com, unless you want an immigrant who can barely speak English, and a rookie who doesn't know what they are doing. Hire a local realtor of your choosing).
Of course, you should never allow a job opportunity or better cost of living to supersede God's will for your life. I'd rather live under less than ideal circumstances, but have a great Bible-believing church to attend and a Christian school for my kids; than to move to follow a fantastic job where the cost of living is more affordable, but there are no good churches in the area and my kids end up in a public school. So definitely consider where you will attend church when making a decision where to move, if you can.
You Should Have A Savings Account At A Bank
You or your family should have a savings account at a local bank or credit union, for your next used vehicle, major repairs if you own a home, an emergency, et cetera. Saving for a vacation is okay, but ONLY if you have enough money already saved for an emergency. I read online last week that the average American is in debt for $58,000. Not me friend, over my dead body! I refuse to go into debt. I'll survive on beans and rice if need be, before I'll go into debt to some damn bank. If you are blessed to be able to live with your parents when young, you should use that opportunity to save all that you can, within reason. Make sure to pay your parents a little bit so as to not take advantage of them. Some young people rent in groups, splitting the rent, which is a popular way to save money.
The average rent in Pensacola is $1,400 a month. On Guam it is $1,700 a month. In San Francisco it is $3,500 a month! In Los Angeles it is $2,700 a month. People simply cannot afford that, even with fast food restaurants now paying $20 a hour in California. If you work full-time making $20 an hour, your take home pay is about $2,500 a month, which doesn't even cover your rent payment! No wonder hundreds of thousands of Californians are now homeless and living in their cars. You can blame the Federal Reserve Act Ponzi Scheme since 1913 for this evil. We are being robbed!
Unless you are surviving in absolute poverty or live in California, you CAN save some money each month, and you'd be wise to do so. You'd be surprised how much money builds up by consistency with saving a little bit each month. I strongly recommend that you set up a direct deposit with your employer, so you never see the money. Out of sight out of mind. That is, you won't miss it if you don't see it. Some people will make excuses why they cannot save any money, and those are the ones to watch out for when they ask to borrow money from you.
There Are Many Ways To Save Money
You can save tons of money by maintaining your own vehicle's fluids and go easy on the gas pedal. Lead foot drivers wear out cars much faster than someone who accelerates slowly. I take car of my vehicles and they last me for 10 years. I try not to slam on the breaks and slam on the gas pedal, because your car is only a machine made of parts that do wear out.
During the winter, I put up a curtain that I ordered from Amazon to cover my doorway. This keeps the heat in my living room to reduce my gas bill in the colder months. It also keeps the air-conditioning in during the summer, which saves money. Why heat and cool the whole house? When the temperature drops below freezing 32, I turn on the HVAC (which is more expensive to run). During the summer I use a small 5,000 BTU window unit. I only use the HVAC when it gets really hot. In the winter when it's not too cold, I have a small infrared space heater. This helps to save money.
You can buy a ROKU box at Wal-Mart for $40 and watch thousands of movies for free. Plus YouTube has thousands of movies, news, sermons, how-to-do videos and documentaries all for free. So, why pay for Netflix, Amazon and all the other paid Tv platforms? My sink clogged up. I could have called a plumber for $200, but I removed the P-trap with my fingers and bought a small Snake at Home Depot. I cleared my own build-up which had clogged in the drain pipe. I only spent $20 for the Snake tool. I saved hundreds of dollars.
You can live on $20,000 like a person who spends $50,000 a year if you are smart—do without things you really don't need, eat at home, fix your own stuff, take advantage of free stuff, go to yard and garage sales, use coupons, stay home more, avoid paying interest, avoid annual contracts, don't tithe beyond what God has prospered you (i.e., don't let your pastor pressure you to give until it hurts, because I guarantee you that he's not hurting), et cetera.
Also, I like shopping at dollar stores to save money. You'd be surprised how many things for around the house and your car you can get for a dollar or two. Why pay more?
And to reiterate, I strongly discourage anyone from entering into a multi-year phone contract with a phone company. I know multiple Christians who were offered some fancy small phone from a telecom company for free, but you must sign up for a 2-years contract. What sounds like a great deal ends up costing you $1,500 or more!!! I bought a refurbished unlocked Galaxy Note 10 Plus phone with a big 6.5 screen, a removable phone pen, a built-in note pad to write notes, 5G enabled; all for $300 on Amazon. There's more if you want one! And then as I mentioned, I pay $15 a month for T-Mobile (you don't want "Metro by T-Mobile," it is inferior to T-Mobile, with less service available).
I have stopped eating at places like McDonalds. The food is garbage! The prices are ungodly! The last time I went to McDonald's the food was cold. The fries were cold and hard. The bread was crusty and dry. Just a Big Mac meal and a Fish Fillet sandwich cost me nearly $20 with tax. I can eat a Ribeye steak meal at the Outback Steakhouse for $24.99! I eat at home most of the time. I was shocked the last time I ordered food from Dominoes. It cost $82!!! If you add up all that wasted money, you'll be shocked how much you've spent at the end of the year.
Also, if you have a credit card, make sure to pay off your card each month, to avoid paying interest. I pay off my card each month. They pay me money!
I have saved so much money by learning to do things for myself instead of paying someone else to do it. Also, be diligent to ask around before you buy more expensive items. My battery went bad on my vehicle. I have a 2013 Honda FIT. I went out to start it one day and the battery was dead. I didn't know what the problem was. The first thing I did was look under the hood to make sure the serpentine belt hadn't broken which turns the alternator. It looked okay. There were no idiot lights lit on the dash board. So I figured replacing the battery was a good start. If that didn't work, then I figured I could go from there.
So, I contacted Auto Zone to get a price quote for the car battery. They wanted $450 for a standard battery replacement. I felt numb and shocked! I said I'd have to think about it, but I really wanted to see if I could find a battery cheaper elsewhere. Sure enough, of all places Wal-Mart sells new batteries for $150. Amen and amen! So, I got a jump start after church and drove down to Wal-Mart. I looked up the make and model of my vehicle in the little book by the batteries at Wal-Mart to see what number of battery I needed, and I found it easily. I bought the battery and replaced the old one. Walla, that fixed the problem! I saved $300, praise God!!! I took the old defective battery to Auto Zone to dispose of and they gave me $15 store credit for it. Nice! This is one example of how I saved $300 by shopping around.
You can find Do-It-Yourself (DIY) help videos on YouTube for just about anything. I replaced a defective light bulb in my freezer myself. I went to the Whirlpool website and they wanted $116 for the LED light display module. So, I went to Amazon.com and bought an aftermarket one there instead for $12.98. It works great! I saved $100.
I saw $500 to $1,000 propane barbeques on sale at Lowes. That is insane! I saw really great looking charcoal barbeques on sale at Wal-Mart for $99. I enjoy cooking over charcoal better for the flavor and experience, but for convenience and practicality I use propane. It's just easier for me to deal with, especially in winter when it's cold outside. My favorite steaks are Skirt Steak (Carna Asada), which sells for about half the price of Ribeye, which is my second choice. Beef prices have been all over the place this past year.
In Pensacola at Wal-Mart, I've seen Ribeye prices vary between $9 to $18 a pound in 2023. I've noticed that buying bigger packs of Ribeye for $40 to $50 always sells for less per pound, which saves you more money in the long run if you are a steal lover (plus you get thicker cuts of beef which makes it easier to cook them medium-rare, the way I love them done). But in general I usually just get Carna Asada, which tastes awesome on the barbeque (better than Ribeye I humbly think). I love potatoes with my steak. I enjoy homemade deep-fried potato wedges. I just cut up Russet potatoes and deep fry them (skin and all) in oil at 350 degrees until they float (i.e., until they are done). Great stuff!
I encourage you to shop wisely and avoid all the business traps today. When I moved to Pensacola in 2021, and finally settled down with my own place in 2022, I needed a bed. I went to a few local bed stores, like the Mattress Showroom. They wanted $5,000 for a bed frame and mattress. I tried not to laugh myself to tear before leaving the store. I went on Amazon.com and ordered an electric bed with a built-in massager unit for $1,100. It has USB ports on both sides for charging my mobile phone, a light underneath to illuminate the floor, and I can raise up my feet and/or head as needed. I love it! And I paid $300 for a comfortable 14" mattress. I got free shipping from Amazon, delivered right to my front door! Screw the Mattress Showroom! And they wanted $75 for delivery. If you're rich like Jeff Redlin at PCC (he gets a sickening 6-digit salary), great, you can be wasteful in your spending; but I'm not spoiled rich, so guys like me have to improvise and shop wisely.
When I lived on Guam I purchased cases of bottled water to drink, because the tap water on Guam is about as close as you can get to toxic waste. Guam really sucks as a place to live! I have a water filter on my refrigerator now, which does a great job. I should have looked into investing in a good water filtration system on Guam, instead of spending $500 a year on bottled water for 15 years. My bad. But I'll never buy bottled water again. I recommend getting a good filtration system. Tap water is not good for you. The chlorine and fluoride are toxic poison. I haven't always been wise with my money, but I am learning as I go. I'll be 57 years old in March and by God's grace I plan to be a lot more careful with the money God blesses me with. The past is forever gone, and tomorrow may not come.
Having said that, to clarify, I don't think it is good to try to save so much money that you don't enjoy life. You should spend money on your spouse and family while you have them. I've known some people to eat Ramen noodles to save money, instead of eating a nice meal. Please don't do that!
Beware Of Insurance Companies
I really hate insurance companies because they are so dishonest and shady. If you purchase Life Insurance, there are good odds that if you die you're family won't ever see a penny. Please check your Home Owner Insurance. You likely have been misled to think that if your home burns down the insurance company will replace it with another home, but you'd be wrong! The insurance companies know a dirty little secret, which none of them will ever tell you. The secret is that unless you pay extra for what is called a "Replacement Clause," they won't replace your home if it burns down! They'll pay for a reduced depreciated amount, just as they would on a depreciated car. So, if your $270,000 home that is 75 years old burns down, you'll be fortunate if the insurance company writes you a check for $90,000. I'm telling you, they are crooks and thieves! You need to read your contract very carefully and ask questions. The internet can help you understand the lingo.
If you live on Guam or Florida where hurricanes and typhoons are quite common, I can guarantee you that you're not covered by wind damage for your home! Go read your contract and it will say that the insurance company won't reimburse you for any damage caused by wind. You must pay them extra money for the additional coverage, but they won't ever tell you that. The reason why is because they want to keep your money without having to pay you if you incur any severe damages. Insurance companies are dishonest crooks!!! I don't trust anybody when it comes to money. Trust no one!
When I lived in Chicago 30 years ago, I bought "Uninsured Motorist" coverage with State Farm for my vehicle years ago. Some ungodly drunken illegal alien smashed into my car (hit and run) and did $3,000 in damage. The scumbag had no insurance or driver's license. State Farm only paid me $400. What dirty thieves! They said my car was old and so they only paid me a depreciated amount. They told me (after I suffered a loss) that I would have had to purchase collector's auto insurance coverage. I absolutely hate insurance companies with a passion. They are all crooked bastards! All of them!!!
To make matters worse, the accident happened in Chicago, but the drunken man lived in Cicero (a suburb of Chicago). I followed him home to see where he lived. The lazy Cicero police refused to file a police report because the accident happened in Chicago. I told the police officer the truth, that I had literally watched that drunken man crash into a dozen parked cars while trying to get home. So I did as they said and went to the Chicago police, but the Chicago cops were so lazy that they refused to file a report because the man lives in Cicero. So, I had no choice but to go to a different Chicago police station and file a report as a hit and run, lying to them that I didn't know where the man lived. Isn't that terrible? Police are so lazy these days. Men are so ungodly! Forgive me for saying it, but I am glad that God made Hell for the wicked!!! I am like Jonah the prophet, I want people to get what they have coming to them! Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, or we'd all get what we deserve!
I have seen so much evil and injustice throughout my life. Mankind is evil, selfish, irresponsible and reckless. And now that wicked man Joe Biden has allowed another 10,000,000 illegal aliens to flood into our country between 2020 and 2024, many of whom are evildoers. But we are not that naïve, President Joe Biden is merely a puppet for the Luciferian powers operating behind the scenes in Washington DC. The blame will leave office with Joe Biden, but the illegals are here to stay; the damage is done! Criminals have hijacked our government.
Don't Have A Credit Card Unless You Have A Decent Income
No one working a minimum wage job should own a credit card. A debit card is okay. You also not own a credit card if you need to depend on it to survive, because you will end up in massive debt. The only reason I would ever have a credit card is for convenience. I didn't apply for my first credit card until I was 27 years old. I have excellent credit today, because I have faithfully paid my debts for the past 30 years, and am very careful not to create debts in the first place. I hate owing money!
I hope you will listen to Dr. Hyles' helpful sermon, "Hasty Fruit.
" In this sermon he explains that everything worthwhile in life we pay for it first, and then we enjoy it (like God's plan of marriage); but everything not worthwhile in life we enjoy it first, and then pay for it later (like the sin of fornication). I have tried to live my life by saving up money for something that I want, and then paying cash for it; rather than just charge it to my credit card, and then owe money for months or years, which creates an unnecessary burden.
Americans are spoiled brats! This ungodly generation today wants to enjoy everything now, and if they even care at all, they might pay for it later. I can assure you that YOU WILL pay for your sins later (Romans 1:32; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Galatians 6:7). There is no fear of God in today's youth, evidenced by their willingness to steal, lie, hurt, damage, fornicate, kill and blaspheme God with seeming impunity. Have you ever heard of the famous sermon by Pastor R.G. Lee (1886-1978) titled: PAYDAY SOMEDAY!!!
Don't Lend Money To People That You Aren't Willing To Lose
I have lent money to Christian friends, but they broke their promise and never paid me back, and I never asked them about it because I valued our friendship more than the lost money. But I NEVER lend money to anyone anymore, except my own family. I have had several dozen so-called "friends" hit me up for money on Facebook, but I always kindly refuse. It will be a cold day in Hell before I ever send any of them a penny. I have my own family's needs to meet, not yours too. I have had dozens of alleged orphanages in Africa beg for money on facebook. I instantly unfriend them. I have had a dozen con artists try to recruit me into some alleged government Grant Loan Program on Facebook, for which they want you to pay $40 to learn about it. I instantly unfriend them. Scammers abound on social media!!!
Never trust anybody with a large sum of money, or you will likely be very sorry that you did. There's just something about money that once you have it, it has you. I actually had two different acquaintances, not people I would consider close friends, who tried to convince me to put their names on a joint account for my bank. I didn't have to think for more than 2 seconds to give them an answer. No way, Jose! If I had done what they creepily suggested, they could have stolen whatever money I had (I don't have much...lol) and there would have been absolutely nothing I could have done (not legally at least). I lost everything when my former wife divorced me in 2006. I mean, everything! I was literally flipping my steaks with needle nose pliers after my home and possessions were all gone. But hey, I was still eating steaks! Praise God!
I tell people the truth: I just don't lend money, sorry. I don't have it to lend. If you have a friend who is always asking to borrow me, get a different friend. I cannot tell you how many preachers I have heard say that most of all they need your prayers, but then incessantly beg for your money. They aren't very good liars! They want your money 10,000 times more than they care about or want your prayers! I have a pet peeve about giving money to churches in today's greedy American culture. I give a small amount, but I'm not digging deep for any church that doesn't aggressively go soulwinning! I mean a scheduled time that the church goes out preaching the Gospel each week to the local community. And I won't give a single penny to any church that pays its pastor a 6-digit salary (like Pensacola Christian College's Campus Church shamefully does to its senior pastor, Jeff Redlin). That is sickening!!! When did Christianity become a stinking business? I detest the PCC cult!
A Nightmare I Went Through With A Shady Business In Alabama
This true story is a bit off topic, but related. I had purchased a banjo in May of 2022 from banjo.com in Alabama. The owner misled me before I ever placed my order. I told him upfront that I didn't want to wait several months to get a banjo. He lied and assured me that the banjo would arrive from Deering in “4 to 6 weeks or sooner.” Those were his exact words to me on May 2, 2022. He also misled me by saying that since they are "the largest Deering banjo dealer in the country" they "receive first acquisition of banjos" from Deering. Boy did he lie, which I wouldn't find out until several months later.
So. I sent him $2,799 for a Deering Sierra banjo. After 4 months I hadn't heard a single word from banjo.com. I was so frustrated. It took 5 months to get the banjo, but when I received it, it was unplayable because the intonation was way off, and the instrument had a bad buzz on strings 4 and 5. So, I sent the banjo back. The owner talked me into upgrading to a Deering Golden Era for $4,899. So, I sent him another $2,100 (This is where I blame myself. Why did I continue to do business with a man who lied to me? I really wanted a banjo, that's why). The owner wouldn't give me an answer how long it would take to get the banjo, even though I asked him twice. In hindsight I regret that I didn't demand my money back. He finally received the banjo from Deering 6 months later, but told me it had a problem with it (a bad buzz on string 5). Oh boy, not again!
So, he said he'd send the banjo to a professional Luthier to have it fixed. But five more months passed without hearing a single word from banjo.com. What a terrible business! Then in September of 2023, I finally did demand my money back. The owner told me I'd need to 90 days more, so I did. After 90 days I hadn't heard a single word from banjo.com, so I had to repeatedly contact the owner to remind him of his promise to refund all my money. Finally, in January of 2024 (after 20 months of bull crap from him), he mailed me a Cashiers' Check from his bank in Alabama.
Albeit, I hadn't opened a bank account yet in Pensacola, since I moved here from the island of Guam in 2021. So I had no way to cash the check. I went to "National Check Cashing" business down the street, but they wanted to take advantage of me, wanting to charge me $245.00 (5%) to cash the check for $4,899 (not including tax). I told them forget it! So, then I learned that I could cash the check if I opened a new bank account. So, that is what I did and I deposited the check to open the savings account. Do you see how people lie, say dishonest things and try to take advantage of others? Americans are so shady these days.
If that owner of banjo.com in Alabama had been honest with me in the first place, by telling me that it would likely take several months for the banjo to arrive, at least then I could have made an informed decision. But he lied to me by misleading me to believe that I would have a new banjo in 4 to 6 weeks or sooner. I never would have placed an order with him, and he knew it! So, he deceived me to get my money, which I disrespect him for. That is not the Christian way to do business (and he does claim to be a Christian). For my 20 months of aggravation, frustration and waiting for an endless eternity to receive either a new banjo or my money back, I didn't receive any compensation at all from banjo.com. I will NEVER do business with them again, nor do I recommend them to anyone!
The owner tried to defend himself, denying that he lied to me. He encouraged me to contact Deering to prove that he had to wait 6 months to receive new banjos. But what does that have to do with the shameful fact that he misled me in May of 2022, when I plainly told him that I didn't want to wait several months to receive a banjo? He flat out lied to me. By assuring me that I would have a new banjo within 6 weeks, he intentionally misled me to get my money. By telling me that banjo.com receives the first acquisition of banjos from Deering, he misled me further. I don't see how I could have avoided this bad situation, since he lied to me. I trusted his word and he lied to me, plain and simple.
And to add insult to injury, neither he or anyone from banjo.com bothered to contact me at any time in all 16 months that I waited for a banjo. Every time I had to contact them to make inquiry and follow up on the progress. That is very wrong, unethical and unchristian! You don't just take someone's money and them leave them hanging in limbo in the dark. In hindsight I should have asked around and checked with the BanjoHangout forum (where I am a member) before purchasing a banjo from the banjo.com business. For now I am holding off on buying a banjo. I am so disgusted. I will keep playing me Recording King Elite-85 (maple neck). It's a good banjo, but not what I would consider a professional banjo. It was made in China. If I do buy a banjo down the road, I think I will go with Arthur Hatfield in Kentucky (I have never found a single negative comment online about the man or his thousands of banjos).
A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted
In the case of the banjo.com owner who lied to me, I cannot really blame myself. He took advantage of my kindness and trust. But I have made some unwise financial decisions in my life that cost me a lot of cheddar. I admit that I have never been good with investing and money. I'm definitely not the guy you want to ask advice from about investing. I just know that purchasing government bonds and CD's (Certificates of Deposit) are some of the only safe ways to invest. I would avoid the Stock Market like COVID-19, A.I.D.S. and Anthrax. It's crooked and rigged from top to bottom, controlled by the sharks on the inside. Whatever will cost the public the most money is what the market will be made to do! It's a fool's game. Very few people ever win at playing the Stock Market.
There is a popular adage that says: "The school of Wall Street charges high tuition." In other words, it is costly losing money while you're trying to learn how to beat the market. Very few people do. I've seen one con man after another over the years, who claim to have some special gimmick that they've figured out how to beat the market most of the time, and they usually charge about $2,500 if you want to learn their secret. But if the truth be told, they lose just as much at the market as the next guy. They get rich off suckers who purchase their garbage books and gimmicks that don't work.
Dear friend, there are no shortcuts to riches. I have never purchased a lottery ticket in my life and I never will. When I was younger co-workers used to pool their money to buy lottery tickets, agreeing to share the money equally if they ever won big. They never did! They used to pressure me to join in. They'd said things like: "Stewart, you can't win if you don't play." And I'd respond: "Yeah, and I can't lose either!" I have always hated state lotteries.
Time and time again in my lifetime, I have heard lying politicians mention how starting a state lottery will help fund nicer schools, fund the police and help better communities, but then years later those billions of dollars are used for other things and stolen by greedy thieves. The same holds true for the evils of starting casinos! Just like the serpent tricked Eve, so do those liars who want to start state lotteries and open casinos, destroy families and communities.
I have several ministry friends who are in massive debt. I can't help them out of the pit which they dug for themselves. They only way out of debt is to make a plan and then work that plan. You need to work out a payment plan with your creditors, which you can afford and they will accept. If you are so far in debt that there is no hope of ever recovering financially, then you need to contact a bankrupt attorney. Bankruptcy laws were made for people who cannot ever catch up.
You shouldn't feel bad for needing to file for bankruptcy, unless you knowingly and intentionally ran up your debts. The banks and loans companies don't care about you as a human being. Credit cards are designed by very nature to entrap you into debt. They don't print the word "FREEDOM" on credit cards for no reason. They want you to feel free to spend yourself into massive financial debt, so you will be their slave! Proverbs 22:7, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
As God's redeemed saints, we are as lambs in a world of wolves!
