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F!S Anon Meme (the Fifth)

Secrets, rants, opinions, anything you want to say about your fandom or a fandom or fandom in general, do it here! Anonymously, of course. Get it all off your chest.

(LJ's still lagging here and there, good luck.)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I just got approved for SSI and I'm going to be spending a sizable chunk of it on video games.

And I know the Internet would judge me so hard and there would be so much wank.

...but what else am I supposed to do with $5000+ in back payments that I have to spend by the end of the year?

[(Anonymous)]

Charity? There are plenty of organizations (good ones where the profits actually go to where they're intended to be) that could use the funds.

To each their own, though.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not selfless enough to celebrate not being honestly, depressingly poor by giving my newfound money to other people. :(

[(Anonymous)]

um.

might i suggest sending some money to an organization that will help with the famine in Somalia? like, tiny children are eating dirt and thousands of people are dying.

i'd kind of think that maybe you could send a "sizable chunk" of that money to save lives rather than buy video games, but that's just me. (and yes, i am kind of judging you here - i mean, i get the whole getting what you want thing and i get wanting things....but.)

[(Anonymous)]

What is so horrible about having money for, basically, the first time in my life and wanting to spend it on... me? Just me?

[(Anonymous)]

It's easy to kind of think things like that when it's someone else's money, isn't it?

How about you donate your money to charity if you want and shut the fuck up about what other people spend theirs on because it isn't your goddamn business. You get to start judging people once you've cut all the luxuries out of your own life in favor of saving starving Somalians. Until then, YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE.

[(Anonymous)]

If you don't have any other essentials that you need to spend it on (rent, food, utilities, etc.), then I...don't really see why anyone would judge you (other than straight-up jealousy that you have that much cash to burn). The ones that I judge are those that spend it on fandom luxuries and then bitch and whine that they have no money for stuff they need (I had a roommate who did that with unemployment checks, and it drove me up the fucking wall).

Though I would suggest that if you have any kind of debt, use a sizeable chunk of the money to pay that off first before buying any games. Not judging if you don't, just saying it's a smart idea to get rid of any debt before you start spending money on non-essentials. And if you can spare it after your video-game spree, look into local (or national) charities to donate to.

[(Anonymous)]

If I had any debt I would absolutely be prioritizing that first. And essentials come first too - I can buy clothes for myself, holy shit...

But aside from clothes!! and rent to my parents... and I just want to spend money on myself for basically the first time in my life. /: Not charity, just... me. Is that a bad thing...?

[(Anonymous)]

Which video games?

[(Anonymous)]

Catherine, definitely. (I don't actually have a console that can play it, so that's the largest expense, and what I really feel guilty about.) The remakes of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (only like $11 together so that's not so bad). Super Scribblenauts because it would make my kid brother's year. The PSP Persona remakes...

That's it, I think.

[(Anonymous)]

idgi. You get SSI if you're disabled with limited resources. .... How did you get SSI if you don't need that money to buy things necessary to LIVE on (like shelter, food, etc.)? You got SSI money and you're spending it on entertainment? If this is SSI back payments, how were you living if you had such limited resources? Was someone else paying? Did you have savings? DId you take out loans?

Ok like.... this pisses me off. This is what my taxes are going towards?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm dependent on my parents, who, before my SSI, made just enough to keep us okay. With my SSI, because I'm paying a fair amount of rent, we suddenly bounced up to "stable with room for luxuries".

...not even going to touch that last line.

[(Anonymous)]

Back payments!= do not need that money to buy necessities NOW, especially if they're trying to pick up the slack and be something vaguely resembling self-supporting instead of having their family foot the bill entirely. Back payments are basically the government's way of saying "oh, we should have been paying for you to support yourself for a while now".

The problem is that SSI's rules mean they're not supposed to pay you if you've got any real assets- including assets that you only have because of SSI. You're not really allowed to save up money in case of emergencies (unless you've got a trust fund that other people access for you), so if you take in too much more money than is going into necessities on any particular month, you need to spend it on something so that you don't wind up having those funds taken away for when you DO need it for necessaries.

Having such big back payments just means that they have that much more that they need to spend down, and if they've got any left over after rent, basic needs, and paying down any debt, it's still got to go into something that doesn't count as an asset, which usually means 'for fun' stuff.

Also, why the hell should poor/disabled/elderly people have to be miserable puritans all the time just because they're reliant on other's support? It's not like they don't pay the same sales tax as everyone else, so why not enjoy themselves a little if they've got a bit of money left over at the end of the month/year?

[(Anonymous)]

Congratulations. I bought a sewing machine and then never sewed anything.

I second the previous comment about debt, but otherwise, applying for SSI is not fun and seeing as it took you however long it takes to work up that much money in backpay you certainly deserve a just-for-fun reward at the end of it, imo.

You are now semi self-sufficient. Go free into the world and frolic.

[(Anonymous)]

Ugh, no kidding. (Women with Asperger's are fucking unicorns, apparently. @_@)

Thank you for this comment. I feel better about frolicking now. :D

[(Anonymous)]

Have medical bills that need to be paid off? And credit card bills?

Last time I checked, you can't donate money received from SSI. You also can't donate food purchased with food stamps. Even if the state fucked up and gave you more than you need and refuses to take the money back. =/

[(Anonymous)]

Loan me $500 so I don't have to choose between being homeless and crawling back to my abusive parents who've been waiting on me to fail at living alone anyway.

Yeah didn't think so.

I'm bitter and I don't even care.

[(Anonymous)]

Aaaand THIS is why you will always be fucking poor.

Oh I just got lots of money SPEND IT ON VIDEO GAMES.

How about you put most of it in, oh I dunno, a SAVINGS ACCOUNT. Jesus Christ, OP.

Or if you still want video games, might I suggest a the more frugal option of signing up for Gamefly? It's a small fee every month, like Netflix, and they send you games to play, and you return them whenever you want in exchange for more games.

HOW DO I RESPONSIBILITY O___o

[(Anonymous)]

If I put it in a savings account I won't get any money at all next year because I will be significantly over the limit. I literally have to spend most of it, and I'm only in need of so many clothes and mobility aids.

I'm planning on a Gamefly subscription, but I'm still going to buy things - because A: Gamefly doesn't do PC games, and B: I'd really like a console that people still make games for, thanks. (And C: what, only rich people can own games they like?)

[(Anonymous)]

You have to spend it by the end of the year? Bah, that sucks.

That said, I don't really see a problem with spending it on something you'll enjoy (especially since it doesn't sound like a huge amount, from your other comments). Idek, maybe you could use a bit to do something semi-educational, like a language course or a bit of travelling, if you want to, or even donate, but don't feel guilted into it.

[(Anonymous)]

How about something that would be a small investment, find an object or start a collection you know will go up in value over time? That way if you're ever in a pinch for money, you have something you can sell.

[(Anonymous)]

buy a new mattress!

srsly, they always need to be replaced and a good one will give you years of satisfaction.

how about some new paint around the house too.

budget for one game?

[(Anonymous)]

I know the feeling, I totally do, but what I think you should do is save it. Instead of one splurge, you can ensure that you won't have to worry about money for the next couple of months.

And get a Gamefly account, if they service your part of the world. Only $22 a month for two games at a time.

Hey OP

[(Anonymous)]

This is the preachy!anon from earlier thread - I'm sorry, I had no idea that with SSI you're not allowed to save or donate (which I think is fucked up, but hey! that's the system for you!) and I'm sorry for letting my own personal issues splurge all over you. I do think you deserve to have as much fun as the next person, for the record, and I totally understand needing to spend what you have so you don't lose what you will need later (I've done grant/budget management at non-profits before, I know EXACTLY how that goes) and I say go forth and spend for grate justice.

I really hope you enjoy the hell out of your video games. ♥

[(Anonymous)]

Buy a couple of games, then spend the rest on practical clothes and non-perishable food in case you have unexpected expenses later and/or the teabaggers shut down the government and tank the financial system.