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How Many Buying the X but Really Cant Afford it?

tim.engen said:
I was talking about the United States which will be a thing by the end of the year. For 1,000 yes I expected to have it. That way we don't see 3G speeds when Networks are congested
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lol ok... I'm still hoping carriers can achieve > 1 MBPS in all the areas they advertise >4G coverage anytime soon. Unless I'm sitting under an LTE tower I have never seen this.

I find it silly carriers keep going crazy over these retarded link speed numbers when you can never achieve these numbers in the real world. I wish they spend their money on inferstarucutre upgrades to actually achieve even 4G speeds EVERYWHERE they advertise coverage, instead of some crazy link speed in one particular spot in a major city.
 
eyeseeyou said:
I’m late and looking for a good CC to sign up for. Which one are you using?
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Google “churning” and “The Points Guy”. The idea is credit card companies give you awesome sign on bonuses, so get a new credit card for the bonus, cancel, and in 2 years you can sign up for the bonus again. My wife and I each rotate between Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Barclaycard World Adventure Card, and I’m not sure if American Airlines still has a credit card but they flew us to Europe round trip a couple years ago for free. No point in trying to slowly build up a single credit card when the sign on bonuses can be as high as 80,000 points per card.
 
I try to stay positive with it because I want these younger people to enjoy what I felt with the iPhone 4 launch. Many of them here were still in adolescence or in high school when the 2G and 4 were launched. You're only young (and foolish) once..

I remember getting a $250 Nintendo Wii on launch and not exactly having the money for it and asking for a loan from my parents. I was already 25-years old and still being that pathetic with material things just to get it first. But I was single. No kids. Lost my job. Stupid me but I got wiser from it. Shopping is like a vice. Think gambling with clutter.

People go through phases. In 15 years, they will look back thinking how dumb this was but also how fun the Xperience was. I'm not one of these people that makes fun of a younger generation. I want these kids to experience what I felt. Make the same mistakes I made. They will have their moments, I had mine. Let them shine now.

Heck, my future wife by the time I hit 45 will probably be 25. I want to think like Al Bundy, Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin, Michael Douglas, Mick Jagger who wants YOUNGER girls than me. So when I'm 65 and retire, she is young enough to still work. So who am I to judge a younger generation when I plan on marrying one probably born in 2000.

Going to make life mistakes to learn from them. That's the only way how. Have fun, kids. ;)
 
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haqsha23 said:
How many of you are buying the X, but really shouldn't be? I'm not talking about people who choose to spend all of their extra (fun) income on the phone, I'm talking about the people who are putting it on a credit card, putting off paying important bills or getting other things that are much more needed? I'm a corporate lawyer and can comfortably afford the iPhone X (albeit somewhat barely). I'm also aware of carrier subsidies and layaway plans, but the point still stands as you end up paying the full price of the device one way or another.

I just have this suspicion that the hordes of people crying about how expensive it is will still, absent better judgment, fall into the Apple trap and buy one anyways and think about the consequences later.

Just as a side note, i'm not sure what the demand for the iPhone X is actually going to be. I haven't heard about anyone I know who is planning on buying this phone. And in fact, if i don't actively search out information, i don't hear about it much at all. I'm starting to think this is an Apple strategy of deliberately constricting supply to induce scarcity thus upticking demand.
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Are there no new car dealerships or shopping malls where you live? Cross out iPhone X and put any expensive consumer product in it's place. Apple strategy? seems you have an agenda with Apple.
 
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Hieveryone said:
I have a genuine question.

What would be an example of someone who CAN afford it?

Like what would the financial situation have to be like?
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In my opinion, where by paying in full, you wouldn't even know it affected your account balance as you couldn't pinpoint off top of head to the nearest 1000 you have.

Or, if you have a monthly budget and you are saving (after expenses) at a rate that well exceeds the cost of the phone in full

This is AFTER you have paid into your retirement, have your own house, and no consumer debt imo.
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KingslayerG5 said:
I can afford a new phone every few months because my overhead is so low. My monthly bills is nearly half on what a 256GB iPhone X costs.

Rent: It's a room in a house but only $400. The 79-year old landlady is very nice to me.

Car: $7K used Mitsubishi Mirage with 40mpg from Hertz. Only $155 monthly.

T-Mobile: $81

Free Medi-Cal and nearly $200 on my EBT loaded every month.

Sign up for Section 8 in two years.

Monthly is only $626. I make between $1600-$2000 monthly doing DoorDash in a beautiful area where my parents lived since 2003 - Yorba Linda.

I'm basically self-employed not dealing with annoying bosses, co-workers, and schedules. Could take a vacation anytime I want. Being poor in America rocks. You just gotta know the loopholes and read the fine print.

My Mom has lupus, gets monthly disability checks, and knows all the angles. And her and my stepdad used to have an annual combined income of $400K in real estate together. They're in France right now enjoying life.

No advantage being some corporate slave. Be your own boss. Life's Good, baby.

As for the question at hand, I can afford it but LATER. The bigger question is do I really need it? Short answer is NO. It's that viral excitement like Gangnam Style, Harlem Shake, Mannequin Challenge, etc where you get excited at first before it fades.

My priority is my 1099. Plus so many cool products I want -

Nintendo Switch (more avail in stores after seven months)

Microsoft Xbox One X

Apple Watch Series 2 (help with my DoorDash)

12" Apple MacBook, because I can charge it with my Android chargers, want Retina, and prefer the smaller footprint over the MBA

I will say I can't afford it now because I still have a $350+ balance with T-Mobile from the S7e. And because I am not lusting over it. If this was 7 years ago still in my 20's which is the demographic here or their teens, I would be counting the days.

Most exciting release since the 4 or even og. But that luster wore off years ago on me.
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I would argue if you have to sign up for section 8, then "afford" is not really the right term to use here.
 
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No one needs a new iPhone unless you still have a 32-bit one. It may need a new display or battery, but that's way cheaper.

Now wanting a new iPhone is completely different.
 
With carriers now getting rid of 2 year contracts and offering monthly payment plans its even easier for most people to afford a flagship phone. Plus the Number of people who pay for a phone at full retail is maybe 5-10% max, 90% of people just get it under the monthly payments since that is how the price is shown In carrier stores and its no different then paying for the phone at full retail, since they are just taking the retail price and dividing it by 24 months.
 
Do you really think that people are going to go ‘me!!! I’m homeless but still getting it?!?!’ Nope!!!
 
I am buying it and I can afford it. I don’t see the point of putting off bills for non emergency items such as a phone. And to use a credit card as an example is terrible as I use a credit every month and pay it in full every month. I hate carrying cash
 
2015Girl said:
Do you really think that people are going to go ‘me!!! I’m homeless but still getting it?!?!’ Nope!!!
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You would be surprised at the real answer to that question.

I tried to find the actual statistic, but much like the "$1000 in the bank" one, most (so more than 50%!) of people that are considered to be below the poverty line now have smartphones (it didn't specify iPhones, in fairness). There was another statistic regarding the homeless owning them too, and while the percentage was low, it wasn't zero...

And hey: if you like living in debt that's AWESOME. It really is. It employs millions of people and it makes a lot of other people RICH. 90% of the time debt is a result of bad choices, and far and away it's a result of people choosing to live beyond their means. Either because of "wants" or simple financial irresponsibility. It's still their choice though.

Being able to "afford" something is simple:

If, after all of your financial responsibilities (bills/savings/401k/etc.) you can save money for luxury items, and in time you have saved enough to purchase an item you want, you can then "afford it". Example: Ask someone if they have a "rainy day fund" for even ONE month's of expenses? If they say no, they can NOT "afford" an iPhone. That is not the same as saying they 'shouldn't have one', just that they can't "afford it". Most financial experts agree folks should have SIX months of savings (to cover all of their monthly fixed expenses) in a rainy day fund anyway... That's not "disposable income" either, that's specifically for a job loss/medical emergency/car breakdown/etc.... NOT an iPhone. But if you don't even have one month's worth, how can you even argue that you can "afford" a $1000 luxury item?

Oddly (or thankfully, for Apple at least), we don't live in a society where you have to "afford" something in order to obtain it.

If you're buying an iPhone and you don't have your bills covered, with six months in reserve, and no other "bad debt" to pay down first (including the iPhone itself), you shouldn't be offended if someone asks if you can "afford it"? You can't.

But so what if you can't? You really want it, and that's enough, right?
 
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Who knows and who cares. There are people buying cars they can't afford to impress others and those who buy phones for a certain image. I know guys who buy expensive watches and clothes to come off as wealthy in parties to girls, even though they suck with women.

How a person spends their money is up to perspective anyway. I think Warren Buffet spends his money in a dumb way. If you are that rich, you can justify spending a bit more. But to him it would be a poor investment. Someone can see the iPhone as the same way because a $300 phone will do the same job with a slightly degraded experience, especially now a days.

As living in debt, all the countries right now are running on a deficit. American and all the major European countries are running major debts that are only getting larger, so might as well follow the trend.
 
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IGotOne said:
You would be surprised at the real answer to that question.

I tried to find the actual statistic, but much like the "$1000 in the bank" one, most (so more than 50%!) of people that are considered to be below the poverty line now have smartphones (it didn't specify iPhones, in fairness). There was another statistic regarding the homeless owning them too, and while the percentage was low, it wasn't zero...

And hey: if you like living in debt that's AWESOME. It really is. It employs millions of people and it makes a lot of other people RICH. 90% of the time debt is a result of bad choices, and far and away it's a result of people choosing to live beyond their means. Either because of "wants" or simple financial irresponsibility. It's still their choice though.

Being able to "afford" something is simple:

If, after all of your financial responsibilities (bills/savings/401k/etc.) you can save money for luxury items, and in time you have saved enough to purchase an item you want, you can then "afford it". Example: Ask someone if they have a "rainy day fund" for even ONE month's of expenses? If they say no, they can NOT "afford" an iPhone. That is not the same as saying they 'shouldn't have one', just that they can't "afford it". Most financial experts agree folks should have SIX months of savings (to cover all of their monthly fixed expenses) in a rainy day fund anyway... That's not "disposable income" either, that's specifically for a job loss/medical emergency/car breakdown/etc.... NOT an iPhone. But if you don't even have one month's worth, how can you even argue that you can "afford" a $1000 luxury item?

Oddly (or thankfully, for Apple at least), we don't live in a society where you have to "afford" something in order to obtain it.

If you're buying an iPhone and you don't have your bills covered, with six months in reserve, and no other "bad debt" to pay down first (including the iPhone itself), you shouldn't be offended if someone asks if you can "afford it"? You can't.

But so what if you can't? You really want it, and that's enough, right?
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I always hate stats like that. I’m ahead of schedule in my 401a/403b which is somewhat accessible, and I’ve got even more accessible funds in stocks, but I barely have anything in savings. If **** hits the fan, I’ll be fine, but I hate watching money sit in a savings account earn almost no interest.
 
akash.nu said:
Why’s putting something on your credit card means you can’t afford it?!

I put almost everything on credit card simply because I don’t carry cash, don’t want to use my debit card at random places and for online purchases. That really doesn’t mean I can’t afford something.
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This is the smartest thing to do with online purchases. Dealing with credit card companies about fraudulent activity is much easier than dealing with a bank.
 
akash.nu said:
Why’s putting something on your credit card means you can’t afford it?!

I put almost everything on credit card simply because I don’t carry cash, don’t want to use my debit card at random places and for online purchases. That really doesn’t mean I can’t afford something.
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Debit cards have basically if not the same protection as credit cards and generally can actually be more safe.

With a credit card. If you have an available balance of say $20,000. If the card were compromised, one could potentially rack of some significant charges before it’s flagged. Also some cards don’t show balance changes immediately so you may not even notice.

With a debit card. You can have the card linked to a specific account where only the money available can be used. I fund the account as needed.

To each their own.
 
You know, people can do what they want. If they want this iPhone, they'll get it. It doesn't matter to me, nor should it to anyone else, if someone can't afford it.
 
OneMike said:
Debit cards have basically if not the same protection as credit cards and generally can actually be more safe.

With a credit card. If you have an available balance of say $20,000. If the card were compromised, one could potentially rack of some significant charges before it’s flagged. Also some cards don’t show balance changes immediately so you may not even notice.

With a debit card. You can have the card linked to a specific account where only the money available can be used. I fund the account as needed.

To each their own.
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Last year I was a victim of identity theft, the paperwork with my bank took way more effort than dealing with my credit card companies who removed the items in question instantly with very little paperwork thereafter. I was at a loss for around $2000 with my bank until I took the correct steps through their fraud team. After going to the bank and closing, then reopening my account, the overall experience made me stick to using a credit card for online purchases. The protection may be the same, but the process is more complicated. Basically someone logged into my Sprint account, used the debit card and credit card on the account to buy 4 iPhone 6 pluses. Then they used a fake ID to pick them up in store. The total hit I took was nearly $4000.
 
IGotOne said:
You would be surprised at the real answer to that question.

I tried to find the actual statistic, but much like the "$1000 in the bank" one, most (so more than 50%!) of people that are considered to be below the poverty line now have smartphones (it didn't specify iPhones, in fairness). There was another statistic regarding the homeless owning them too, and while the percentage was low, it wasn't zero...

And hey: if you like living in debt that's AWESOME. It really is. It employs millions of people and it makes a lot of other people RICH. 90% of the time debt is a result of bad choices, and far and away it's a result of people choosing to live beyond their means. Either because of "wants" or simple financial irresponsibility. It's still their choice though.

Being able to "afford" something is simple:

If, after all of your financial responsibilities (bills/savings/401k/etc.) you can save money for luxury items, and in time you have saved enough to purchase an item you want, you can then "afford it". Example: Ask someone if they have a "rainy day fund" for even ONE month's of expenses? If they say no, they can NOT "afford" an iPhone. That is not the same as saying they 'shouldn't have one', just that they can't "afford it". Most financial experts agree folks should have SIX months of savings (to cover all of their monthly fixed expenses) in a rainy day fund anyway... That's not "disposable income" either, that's specifically for a job loss/medical emergency/car breakdown/etc.... NOT an iPhone. But if you don't even have one month's worth, how can you even argue that you can "afford" a $1000 luxury item?

Oddly (or thankfully, for Apple at least), we don't live in a society where you have to "afford" something in order to obtain it.

If you're buying an iPhone and you don't have your bills covered, with six months in reserve, and no other "bad debt" to pay down first (including the iPhone itself), you shouldn't be offended if someone asks if you can "afford it"? You can't.

But so what if you can't? You really want it, and that's enough, right?
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I agree man. I have 8 months reserved plus 2 other saving accounts. The 8 months is just for rent and bills. Gotta have reserves.
 
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