Since Few People Actually Read My Post, Let Me Start Over
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (89267)
United States
March 11, 2020 10:51am CST
And because I was really curious to hear people's take on the larger question, and really, the whole point of my post A Coronavirus Question Worth Asking...
I decided to just keep it simple and just write the main question here.
Why are so many people going to such great lengths to be prepared for something UNLIKELY to happen (getting the Coronavirus) but do not prepare as diligently for something LIKELY to happen, like losing their job or incurring a major car repair?
I am NOT complaining few people read my post by the way. I get it. Some posts are just too long and no one wants to take the time. No worries. But I am just really interested in THIS question as opposed to the one (which the post was really not about at all) everyone else seemed to have answered.
Onward and upward.
21 people like this
23 responses
@divalounger (6063)
• United States
11 Mar 20
Many of us prepare for both--the big things and the little things like car repairs and such. But this virus is happening. It is doubling in cases every 6 -7 days.
2 people like this
@divalounger (6063)
• United States
12 Mar 20
@porwest Perhaps, but it is highly contagious, it will affect more people since there is no vaccine, it is more deadly than the flu--and there is no treatment--and the numbers double every 6-7 days--just by virtue of the math, there will be millions affected in the U.S. by June if precautions aren't taken
1 person likes this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
12 Mar 20
@divalounger I am not suggesting we take it lightly of course. Just trying to keep things in perspective. And it does seem like all that can be done IS being done. So I think we all have to just calm down and let the experts do their work and let this thing run its course.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (176652)
• United States
11 Mar 20
I'll answer the same way I did in the first post. We are always prepared for any financial crisis; and we are also stocked up and ready for the virus, should it come to our county. It's in the adjoining county right now. Stay safe and healthy!
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (176652)
• United States
11 Mar 20
@porwest No, they don't. And if there's something they want, they don't wait for it...they buy it and put it on credit. Definitely not being prepared.
1 person likes this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
11 Mar 20
Well, to be fair, while I have not had a chance to respond to your comment in the previous post yet, I KNOW you were one of the few that provided a response to the right question. Double brownie points for you, ma;am.
AS for your response. You would be one of the few. Most people never prepare for a financial crisis except to rely on payday loans and credit cards. Neither of which are being prepared.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69373)
• Germany
11 Mar 20
Since I don't know if you've read my comment on your last post, let me start over.:-)
"I can tell you why. The reason is that many people are not intelligent (to put it mildly). Besides, human beings have a lemming instinct which comes to the surface in cases of emergency. If many people buy toilet paper and noodles, then there must be a reason and it's high time I should do that, too.
If someone had started buying, say, soap and rice big time, there would be none left on the shelves of the supermarkets by now."
2 people like this
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
12 Mar 20
Because what is truly likely to happen is much more expensive to prepare for. That's the short answer. It's easy to prepare for a virus, some soap, some food, some water, stay home. Most people can cover that but can't cover a new home or job loss.
That's my very specific answer to your very specific question. Happy?
2 people like this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
12 Mar 20
Yes. Thank you. I feel much better now.
As for people not being able to cover, I just don't buy that. If you have gainful employment, just a little bit of a sense about money management, and are vigilant, one can at the very least sock away at least six months worth of income to prepare for a job loss.
I can't tell you how many times I stand before someone who says, "I have nothing to spare to save." They stand before me with a 20 ounce bottle of Coke they bought at the gas station for $1.50. I think, hmm, how many bottles could you have filled before you left the house for that same $1.50 that a 2-liter bottle costs?
Don't tell me you can't save. Just be honest and tell me you can't stop spending.
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
13 Mar 20
@porwest See your point and raise you one. I remember a time being so broke there wasn't even a 2 liter at home. No sodas, no junk food, no excess spending at all. Dry beans in the crock every morning for a lackluster dinner every evening, Wienies IF I could dredge up a few cents. Save or get a roll of cheap toilet paper? Couldn't even have saved on laundry detergent considering I washed our clothes by hand in the tub with an old piece of bar soap. Man, those were the days, lol,
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Mar 20
Very sound question and a thoughtful one people should ponder. I think people don't think about losing their job or car repairs the same way as something like a illness that can be life threatening.
Instant fear factor. And no one will learn anything from this.
2 people like this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
11 Mar 20
Unfortunately, in regard to your latter statement, you are ABSOLUTELY spot on. Once this blows over, and it will blow over, people will completely have forgotten about it and things will proceed as per the usual.
As for people not being financially prepared. I will NEVER understand that.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76843)
• Germany
11 Mar 20
Maybe the earnings of most of us are just enough for our day to day expenses and no more money for saving. Maybe some just think of the enjoyment of the day and not what negative (ex. losing a job) happenings will come in our life. There are many reasons.
2 people like this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
12 Mar 20
The thing is, I never buy that. Everyone has the ability to save. It's all in what we do with our money. I often use the example of someone telling me they cannot scrape up a few bucks to set aside who stand before me telling me that with a 20 ounce bottle of Coke in their hand. That 20 ounce bottle of Coke costs about $1.50. So does a 2-liter bottle of it cost that much. You can fill three bottles with one 2-liter bottle and save $3 just by doing that. The point is that MOST of the time what squeezes people financially is NOT the bills. NOT the lack of income. It's the spending habits.
I don't care if someone earns $10 an hour or $50 an hour. Every single one can save something.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81834)
• Onaway, Michigan
11 Mar 20
It is good to prepare yourself for the bad things to come even if it is unlikely it will happen to you.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81834)
• Onaway, Michigan
11 Mar 20
@porwest Rightand a lot of people don’t prepare themselves for neither.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
13 Mar 20
I think the media play a big part in the way people react. Take our Prime Minister's speech last night. He said this is the worst public health outbreak in a generation and some of are going to lose loved ones. That probably puts the fear of god in many people.
I'm not panic buying but I am concerned. Whether my car breaks down or not is very low on my list of priorities. Keeping my family safe is high.
1 person likes this
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
11 Mar 20
Good question it’s hard to prepare for something when you don’t know when it’s going to happen. Even in life like a care repair some car repairs you will never know when it’s need or how expensive it would be. So if I had the money aside and I need to pay a bill like the lights but my car is working I’m going to use that money for the bills. Then if they car stops working yeah that sucks but I still have lights and stuff at home.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121499)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Jul 20
We were supposed to prepare for the coronavirus? Oh sh*t, I didn't get that memo. I was too busy saving and investing my money to ensure I have a better life in the future than I do right now. Meaning, I've been active in setting myself up for a nice retirement. But maybe all that's for nothing now that you have opened my eyes that I'm supposed to be worrying about coronavirus.
1 person likes this
@porwest (89267)
• United States
12 Mar 20
Yeah, the markets have taken a turn for the worst. Unfortunately it will take years to get these paper losses back. But it is what it is. Luckily while I am heavily invested, and those paper losses are steep, I have plenty of money in cash to weather it.
@Mavic123456 (21893)
• Thailand
11 Mar 20
Good point! although I am not frantic about this that much. But if such thing is happening around you would you not feel a bit worried too.Losing job and having a major car repair are some things that you can still prepare on and before it happens series of events may happen first Giving you enough time to do something about it.
@RasmaSandra (79362)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Mar 20
Hey, here in Daytona Beach if a beach full of bikers for Bikers Week can party to live concerts then I am not worried at all because I am not partying with them and going out all the streets are empty it just gets crowded on the main avenue. I still worry about my finances and I am grateful for every bit of money I get and that is what is important to me and getting new writing jobs etc.
@BearArtistLady (6037)
• United States
11 Mar 20
People look at things like losing their job or a major car repair as something that isn't going to happen to them, it happens to "poor" people. Besides if they lose their job there is always unemployment and if there is a major car repair they can either buy an old beater or rent a car until they get their car fixed or their "friend" can fix it for them.
Now with the Coronavirus, it's on the news constantly. You hear about it on the street and see about it in the newspaper. You turn on the TV and there are news breaks with updates about the virus. It's frightening people into doing things like stocking up on things like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, foods, bleach and whatever.
You don't have that kind of thing drummed at you daily even hourly about losing your job or having your car breaking down and needing a major repair. It isn't made as frightening as the possibility of your contracting the Coronavirus. You aren't going to be forced into a two week quarantine for losing your job or having your car need a major repair job. Where if you come in contact with an infected person it's off to quarantine for two weeks. Also if you have the virus it's the probability of languishing in the hospital until you're over it; or even worse, your dying from it. Either way if you contract the virus you're darned sick for a period of time. Not too many people die from losing their job or having their car need a major repair job.
So, sadly, that's the difference between the panic of the Coronavirus and preparing for losing your job or having to pay for a major car repair.
@akanetuk (2135)
•
11 Mar 20
In life anything can happen, but the important thing is how prepared are you, mentally, physically, spiritually?
@piyushbhatia1 (11695)
• India
4 Jul 20
When you expect unforseen circumstances then it is better to be prepared. This preparation should have begun way ahead of a pandemic. Now the monster is in the house. Those who did not expect it to come will be hurt the most