Don't Buy Stuff - Saturday Night Live

What people said

FrontierPsych · 2022-12 · Strong recommendation

I understand what you're saying. However, I pretty much learned all there was to learn about them in 15 minutes when I got my first one. I read about them. I'm not the smartest person in the world, by far. If I can easily learn now, then anyone can learn this stuff on their own, in 15 minutes. It is NOT complicated. Getting information is exceptionally easy, and a LOT easier than when I got my first one. I knew from when I got my first credit card that I had to pay off the balance in full, every month. That using a credit card should be the exact same as using cash. You never buy anything unless you actually have the cash first. Then you can use the credit card and pay it off at the end of the month. It's so easy to understand. It doesn't matter about credit cards companies and their obfuscation. I didn't learn it from credit card companies. I just learned it because it was easy to learn. How difficult is it? Don't use a credit care unless you have the cash first . You pay it off in full and you don't pay interest, whatever level it is - .01% or 40% - it does not matter what the interest rates are, unless you don't pay on time. And the problem is that people don't care. They think emotionally, and don't give a crap about future ramifications. This is my favorite video that explains it all: [VIDEO]

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ezequiel-garzon · 2016-03 · Recommendation

SNL made a wonderful infomercial in 2006 about point 3: avoid debt. Depending on your location you should be able to watch it in [1] or [2]. During my years in the US it always puzzled me that, upon reaching my credit limit, it would not just increase without any interaction, but sometimes double! American "plastic", as hailed in "The Graduate", was a significant lesson for me. [1] [LINK] [2] [VIDEO]

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hn_throwaway_99 · 2026-08 · Joke / meme

While I agree with you about the level of financial illiteracy in the general population, I don't really see what AI has to add for the vast majority of the population is simple. Basic financial advice is not hard (save regularly, invest in low cost index funds, don't take on CC debt, etc.), but a lot of it goes against most human nature, especially around delayed gratification. People have known for decades that "diet and exercise" are very important for good health, yet we still have an obesity epidemic. It reminds me of that Saturday Night Live skit from decades ago, "Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford": [VIDEO]

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