So in my previous post I had some questions for Marie, the 20something who is coming to grips with her family’s influence on her finances and her choices… and Marie was nice enough to answer back!
What did you think while your father was indulging you with the cars & such?
Partly because of the fact that I was still a child/adolescent and my thinking processes weren’t fully developed, I didn’t think about what it took to buy things and whether my parents were being financially responsible. The other part is that I just didn’t know any other way of life: I went to school and was friends with upper middle class children, and my extended family is financially comfortable, so I thought material possesions were the norm.
Do you think that watching his behavior made you assume that having credit card debt is okay? Growing up and when I was in undergrad, I thought credit cards could be used to buy whatever made you wanted. Now, however, I definitely do not think that carrying credit card debt is ok.
Has money affected your relationship with your father now?
Absolutely! Although my dad loves myself and my siblings immensely, because of the way he was raised he tries to use material items to show his love. And his lack of and mismanagement of money is an issue that permeates every aspect of my life. Regardless, I love him and I’ve already come to terms with the fact that I will probably be supporting him in his older age.
