Our country is lazy

Random Ramblings
1

First, let me state that I am not here to debate the pros & cons of the program I am going to reference below. I am simply venting/commenting on the laziness of our country, as a whole.

Everyone wants everything but no one is inclined to actually do what is required to get all they want. For example, I learned about the Money Merge from United First Financial 2 years ago. For those that do not know, it is a debt/mortgage elimination tool. It is a very creative tool but extremely costly ($3500 last I saw). I did NOT purchase the Money Merge software. However, I implemented my own system based on what I knew. I have since created charts and spreadsheets in Excel and have actually made a fully functional spreadsheet that will perform as efficiently as the Money Merge.

All someone needs to do is take an hour or so to actually determine his monthly expenses and income then input those results into my spreadsheet (which by the way is no simple spreadsheet) and all the payment schedules and payoff dates are automatically calculated. Those calculations and schedules are constantly updated as entries are input to account for actual credits & debits.

So, all the hard work has been done by me. All anyone needs to do is use it. When I mention to people that I have a tool that can help them pay off their mortgage (or other bills) in record time and guide them to financial independence they are all excited and can’t wait to learn more. I have given the program free to at least a dozen people. Only one person has played with it. Everyone else has been too busy to sit down & figure out their numbers. Really? When I found out I could have my house paid off in 7 years & save $100,000’s in interest I was crunching all kinds of numbers.

I have been slowly marketing it for the past few months via email to about 100 acquaintances. I am not expecting to sell it for thousands as the Money Merge. I realize that this system is not right for everyone, but at this point I’d settle for someone just thanking me for helping them get on track towards financial freedom. However, the responses I get are “please don’t email me anymore about this”, or “we have our own plan to pay off our mortgage”. If that’s true, that is honestly terrific! But I find it hard to believe, in these times of record foreclosures and financial hardships, that all of a sudden everyone I talk to is a financial guru.

Furthermore, I hear coworkers, whom I have sent loads of information about my program, talking about what a relief it will be when their cars are paid off in X years. One guy snidely commented he was working on paying off his mortgage quickly, and then glanced at me. I confronted him later & told him I don’t have ANY credit card debt, 2 paid off cars (2003 & 2008 models), and my mortgage will be paid off in 5 years. His response was that he wasn’t so lucky because his wife was recently laid off. I reminded him that my wife has been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years. I’m also pretty sure his position pays higher than mine. I have substantial cash reserves in the bank, a healthy 401K, and personal investments that are doing well (also added Ford to the mix – thanks FDJake!).

If I can do this, others can too. But everyone seems to want everything done for them. When they find out I won’t actually be paying their mortgage for them they seem turned off.

Thanks for letting me rant.

2

I don’t know if Americans are lazy or not. I do know that Americans are not interested in how finances work. That leads to them doing really stupid things with their financial life. They have no idea how money works and things tend to happen to them instead of them making things happen. I tell people that all they have to do is go and get what they want but they prefer to buy books and dream instead of doing it. That is why Americans will be renters all their lives and buy one car and trade it in upside down on another car year after year.

Why do you think that the census of 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 found that that 9 out of 10 of Americans retire at or below poverty income levels? They work all their lives and they are broke. I don’t think they are lazy because they work really hard they just are not interested in finances so they are not working towards financial success. They are interested in fantasy football and Dancing with the Stars.

3

Perhaps lazy wasn’t the correct word to use…I was/am venting after all. I agree that it seems people are not interested in learning how finances work. It also comes down to people living beyond their means. I know this is nothing new…I guess I’m just tired of everyone putting themselves in these predicaments, and then complaining about their situations.

Part of my frustration is that I am dismissed when I KNOW that my system can and will help. Again, I know this system is not for everyone, but for the majority of people seeking guidance this will surely help them. Perhaps I have over-simplified the process - plugging the numbers into the program won’t be the ultimate cure-all. Naturally one needs to follow the path laid out by the program which requires discipline and commitment. Nonetheless, I would think the end goal would be truly motivating.

I too, am guilty of Fantasy Football. If only everyone put as much research into stocks/investments/their finances as they do which players will perform.

4

I’m glad their not too interested! I don’t need any more competition in the RE Investment arena and I suspect everyone else on this board agrees. I see dumb people as easy $$$ for me.

Why do you think Warren Buffet loves the government so much? It’s sorta the same idea. It’s their barriers to competition and bad public education that keeps the $$ rolling in.

5

O man I gotta check my FFL team! Thanks for the reminder lol!

Nate-WI

6

I agree completely with the LAZY AMERICAN theory.

I ALSO agree with John-in-NC…THANK GOD their out there and LAZY!!! I buy REAL ESTATE from these NIT WITS and they take the money they receive and buy NEW CARS WITH IT!!! Most of these homes were GIVEN to these geniuses…So what do they do???

They TRADE an APPRECIATING ASSET of a DEPRECIATING ASSET!!!

God I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!

Don’t get FRUSTRATED with these HAMPSTERS (they run on a TREAD MILL too, their’s is just made out of their weekly PAY CHECK). Have a good LAUGH to yourself and THINK about how EASY it will be to BEAT THEM in the business world. They’re bringing a PLASTIC KNIFE to a GUN FIGHT!!!

7

The reason they have no interest is because they don’t understand what is going on, and how they are being played.

This is exactly what corporations, banks, government and employers want. Employers want good little numb slaves that go to work every day, so they can be used and abused and can’t quit because they need to pay for the brand new cars they just bought and can’t afford, houses they can’t afford and credit cards maxed to the hilt.

The system is setup this way and these suckers keep taking the bait. Think about it, if most of these people woke up and realized what was going on, do you know how many business would fail? How many banks would fail? How much tax revenue the government would lose? How many of those numb slaves would go to their J.O.B’s they can’t stand?

A financially educated and responsible population is too hard to control. It’s not good for business. DEBT=CONTROL=PROFITS!!

8

I don’t feel good abt this topic but its true…I won’t add much to the lashing except to say our country has been hypnotized with handouts…Social Security…Medicare…Welfare…Food Stamps…Numerous social services…We have been taught as a society that the govt will provide for us…No wonder why we are falling behind…And don’t get me started on the unions…

9

Mattman, if you’ve mentioned it more than twice, without a very enthusiastic reception, then you are nagging.

You will never get any results from nagging except for resentment. Your coworkers aren’t interested, so leave them alone.

I don’t think that the majority of American workers are lazy. I think they are extremely risk aversive. They want what is proven and safe, and they think that is what they are doing. They do not want to try anything different because to them, anything unproven is risky and they don’t take risks.

10

PS: Plus you are meeting the fact that people are pre-conditioned to disbelieve anything that sounds good that the “seller” is claiming has worked well for him. Too much exposure to all the Amway and pyramid marketing schemes with pushy sellers.

11

I pretty much already came to that conclusion back in September & have not forwarded any more marketing to them since.

It’s mind boggling how thick people can be, though. I was truly trying to help them, but I guess it’s really not my job to save them.

Time to look out for numero uno.

12

yeah i think all are lazy including me :bobble :flush

13

mattman1968,

I got a laugh out of your rant!!! :biggrin

Not at your expense, of course. But you’re describing the challenge that all marketers face, and that’s indifference …or worse, to what you have to offer. :banghead

I wouldn’t try here to start outlining all your options on marketing, but everyone has a “hot button.” You just haven’t found that hot button in the niche you’re attempting to mine.

When thousands of people will literally camp outside Wal-Mart …and literally risk being trampled to death by fellow rabid bargain hunters trying to get to the $400 giant TV sets, we could hardly call that lazy.

I realize by percentage, this is a small group. But Wal-Mart exposes the efforts and energy pent up in people to gratify a want. Imagine what they’d do to gratify a “need.”

Your job as a marketer then is to uncover the hot button that exists with your customer (that you haven’t found yet).

Frankly, when I first marketed my Sub2 financing course late last year, I discovered that newbies were not interested in what I had to sell (at all). The few sales I had early on were to seasoned investors.

Until I figured out what the hot buttons were of my most likely customers, my sales sucked. However, once I changed up the marketing and directed it to that niche my sales lit up. I stopped pitching newbies and focused on the “business buyers.” What I really discovered was that my system was over-kill for the novices. I didn’t have a slimmed down version to offer (and still don’t).

Well, I figured out who my actual buyers were by polling the actual buyers. That’s when I discovered that even though my pitch was to newbies, the ones that really wanted what I was offering, were the professionals. Who would have known?

So, I can understand your pain. However, I would say, "It’s time to zero in on the benefits that resonate with your hottest niche of buyers, and just poke the crap out of their hot buttons. :shocked

Good post! :cool

Jay

PM me if I can be of help.

14

Hey Matt,

I think Americans are inherently dreamers. However, there is a select percentage that will put forth the effort to learn and action the knowledge they possess with fantastic results. Now, for the most part most Americans stop with the dream. I don’t know if they are paralized with the unknown or if they are just plain lazy. But I do beleieve that most of the time they are afraid of the unknown and end up taking no action.

I have to admit I have even fallen victim of dreaming, lost in what I would do with my fantasy lottery winnings. But then reality hits me square in the face when I realize that I am in traffic and not enjoying myself on some tropical Island. :banghead

I would love to see your program!!!

Thanks
Darin