That’s right - I am offended.  After talking to a few people about the comments made on Oprah and watching plenty of experts on this bailout, apparently it is everyone’s fault.  Well, I am offended.

Since I was a little child, I have saved.  If you don’t believe me ask my parents.  I remember being 10 and not wanting to share a curling iron with my mom and my parents suggested I take my savings and buy one.  But that was my savings!!  I actually remember that talk with my parents about using some of my money to purchase things and how it can’t be -all- savings.  I bought the curling iron, but was sad to see my precious money spent.  I remember when people would ask me what I was going to use my saved money to buy.  A car, I responded.  At 8, I had my eyes focused on the future, and I worked hard and saved hard.  By the time I graduated from college, I had enough saved to get my super hot sports car, but couldn’t justify the cost, and ended up with a small hatchback sports coupe that was reasonable and practical.  I had my saved money in a CD at the bank making 7.2%.  Because the CD was making so much in interest, I decided to take out a loan for my new car, at 3.5%.  That car will make it to 200K, that is the plan (obviously some idiot on the highway could change that, but that is the plan).

Since then, I have paid that car payment religiously each month and I have continued to save.  My furniture is from Ikea, the furniture is tasteful, yet fairly inexpensive.  My husband needed a car.  He had gotten a used car, which ended up having very serious problems (can you say losing a quart of oil every 100 miles?  And it wasn’t a leak.).  We weren’t married at the time, but were engaged, we discussed what he should do.  We agreed that he should buy a new car and keep it for 200k, just like I had done.  He took out a loan on the car.  He got a small coupe that was well within his budget and was well within our means.  Now, my car is down to the last 6 months of the loan, and my husband’s car still has awhile to go, but if tomorrow those debts were called in, we could pay them off without heartache and would still have a rainy day fund.

I may not have a flashy car, and a big fancy home, but I am living well within my means, in fact, with as much as we are trying to save, I would say we actually live well below our means.  I cook, I do the work on the cars when I can (complex rules make that difficult), Mike and I do all the cleaning, we do everything.  Yesterday, I went out and bought plumbing stuff, because one of our toilets broke - guess what?  I am going to fix it myself, just like I have always done.  Mike and I could have easily afforded to buy that house a few months ago, but God told us we should wait.  Neither of us understood at the time - well, the houses we were looking at purchasing are now 20% off.  We could have still afforded it, and without sweat, but Mike and I realized that we needed to stay well below our means, in fact, living off of a single salary.  With the exception of my car payment, we can do that - and that will be paid off soon.

I am offended that the bailout is my fault.  I am offended!  My 401K’s are mainly in conservative and some moderate investments.  Mike likes to invest.  Months ago, I had a feeling that God was warning me about the stock market.  Mike put a small amount of what he wanted to invest into the stock market.  Well, I am glad we didn’t put much.  Most of what we invested, is sitting steady, but I am convinced that we made the right decision.

When it comes to savings, I always look for the best deal.  We have two CD’s, one at 5.25% and another at 4.5%.  The 4.5% CD has a deal where if the interest rates go up, we can raise the interest rate one time.  So, that is where our savings are now and they are making money and they are safe.  We also are proud to say, we don’t keep any of our money in big banks.  We have all our money in more than one bank that are relatively small, but not your tiny, small time bank.  These banks did not fall for the sub prime mortgage scam.  In fact, I remember talking to a counselor at one of the banks about my savings and mortgages and things after I graduated, and that was the one thing he boasted about - and he actually predicted it would get many people into trouble.  Well, he was right.

I am offended.

I read all contracts before signing them.  If I don’t understand something, I make sure I get the correct answer and have full understanding before I sign anything.  Yes, that has sometimes caused things to take much time and sometimes things don’t get taken care of that day, but it was never a waste.  It was always insurance.

My money is safe.  My investments were not overly risky.  I save.  I save.  I save.  I live without the latest video game, and the latest in technology.  I save.  I am not in debt that I cannot immediately pay off.  Our credit cards are always paid off.  I save.  I didn’t sign contracts I didn’t understand.  I save.  I leave within my means, in fact, I would say we live below our means.  I do invest, but I do not invest anything I can’t afford to lose.  I take good care of what I have, including my car, my appliances, and even inexpensive things.  My car will last probably a good 10 years if not more.  I bargain shop (and boy, can I bargain shop - but I also don’t buy anything, just because it is a bargain).  I make dinners, I make freezer meals for both lunch and breakfast.  I make many of my own things - such as my Christmas tree skirt, the wreaths and floral arrangements around the house.  I save so much by doing those things.  I also believe that everything should be done in moderation erring on the side of conservative, and never extravagantly.  We don’t take expensive trips around the world for vacation.  I save.  I work a full time job along side of my husband (even though, I probably don’t need to work full time).  I educate myself before I make major purchases/decisions.  I have always believed that if it sounds too good to be true, it most definitely is.  I believe that nothing is free.  I believe in rainy days, they always come.  Did I mention I save?

With that said, I must now tell the world how I feel when I get blamed as a part of this financial crisis - I AM OFFENDED!

And now, the most offensive part - I am stuck bailing out the people who lived beyond their means, invested too aggressively and didn’t save for their retirement or for a rainy day.  I am stuck paying for everyone else’s stupidity, and I am really not happy about it.  It is not the government’s job to bail all these losers out of the deep pit they got themselves into by being so recklessly irresponsible.  Thanks a lot.  No really, thank you.  I can’t wait to pay higher taxes because of you, and I can’t wait to have the money I have preciously saved all these years to be worth less, because the dollar was trashed while our government tried to bail you out of your mess.  Thanks a lot.

I am offended.

I am offended.

Finally, I should mention.  God has blessed my husband and me so incredibly, and He has also provided the wisdom and (especially for me) the conviction of fiscal responsibility that gets reinforced over and over, time after time.  I wouldn’t be where I am if it hadn’t been for God in my life and the mercy He has poured upon me.  I am convicted that I must show my thankfulness by using what He has so lovingly given to the absolute best of my ability.  If we (the U.S.) are going to survive the next decade, it will be by the grace of God.  I guess it always is by God’s grace, but one thing I have really noticed is that we have not been thanking God for His mercy on us, and I fear that God is taking away the great blessings He has been pouring on this country.  He knows what each of us needs.  But, I am sure that God is not happy when we thank Him with irresponsibility.  There is always hope, America is becoming the prodigal son.  Will we wake up and realize what we have done, and will we run back to the Father for mercy?  I guess time will tell.  The bailout has me worried the answer is no, but I pray we will return to the mercy seat.