Financial catch-up after the WTS

by Simon 49 Replies latest members marriage

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  luna2

  I have numerous regrets about JW-influenced financial decisions I've made. When I started studying with them I was about 28 and had just gone back to school. I didn't quit only because of them, there were other factors (like money), but what I was learning from the dubs made me feel better about chucking my education. What I should have done was gotten student loans and made sure I graduated so that I had more marketable skills. So stupid.

  During my time as a JW I've drifted from one crummy part time job to another, finally ending up working fulltime with my parents...mostly because it was the easiest course at the time. My father unfortunately took advantage of us, paying me less than he'd promised and using my boys as nearly unpaid part-time labor for the first couple of years. I was too meek and mild to stand up for myself and either find a better job or demand better pay (I finally did shame him into being more fair, but it took several years). Part of the problem too was that I figured that I was just marking time until the Big A arrived, so it didn't matter as much that I didn't like working with my parents and was just making ends meet...it was all going to end soon anyway.

  So here I am with no pension, a very small savings account ...more like emergency money than real savings..., and debt. I need to get a second job to pay down the debt faster and to start an IRA. I feel like such an idiot for not looking out for my own future. Certainly none of those elders and superfine pioneers who encouraged me to work in the cleaning business and pooh-pooh'd further education and work lo these 20 years are going to see to my welfare.
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  fairchild

  Much to the JW's chagrin, I always made good money with my magic shows. Haha, imagine that, leaving the KH early on a Sundy because you have to go perform a magic show. That didn't sound good with them. However, I took the sermon on the mount pretty serious, especially the part where it talks about lending money without interest. In my case, it was more like lending money, knowing nobody would ever bother to pay me back. I was extremely generous and figured out that I have over $40,000 out there somewhere, money I earned and gave away to various people who needed it more than I did. Now I have a very well paying job, but the money I earn gets saved for myself and nobody else. If I hadn't been so stupid, I'd have a nice fat piggy bank by now.
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  I quit!

  My fear is that the JW relatives who haven't planned ahead will suddenly want to know us when the realise that we have and will start pulling the "blood is thicker than water" nonsense

  I thought this was an original thought on my part. So I'm not the only one who has dubs in their family who are pennyless due to their listening to the solid advise given to them by the Watchtower.

  I was under 30 when I left but still felt the need to try to catch up to where I felt I should be. For anyone leaving leaving the tower needing to catch up I would recommend they read some books on personal finance to help them get a plan going. A book like: "Sart Late Finish Rich" by David Bach can help. There are also books by Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, Larry Burkett and lots of others.

  I agree with Terry, it is important to pay yourself first. And you might as well get started because if you wait for the right time when you have enough money to started it will never happen. Something always will come up.
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  Undecided

  Help me Simon. This has nothing to do with this subject but I can't post a topic of my own right now.

  I'm not able to see the regular format of the forum. I have an error that shows up at the bottom of Explorer that says "error: Object expected. Code 0

  Any Idea what is wrong?

  Thanks, Ken.
• 

  Simon

  Help me Simon. This has nothing to do with this subject but I can't post a topic of my own right now.

  I'm not able to see the regular format of the forum. I have an error that shows up at the bottom of Explorer that says "error: Object expected. Code 0

  Any Idea what is wrong?

  Hi Ken. Sorry you are having trouble. I did just do an update but it should not have affected viewing.

  Try doing a Ctrl + Refresh on the browser to force a full download of all the javascript files etc... and see if that helps.
• 

  Simon

  I thought this was an original thought on my part. So I'm not the only one who has dubs in their family who are pennyless due to their listening to the solid advise given to them by the Watchtower.

  Yes, I fear that the WTS may *still* end up taking MY money, just indirectly through other people.
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  jgnat

  My error was not becoming a JW, but it had a lasting financial impact anyways. I decided to get pregnant before finishing high school. What Simon says is right-on. Even if you can't do what you should, do something. My church sponsored financial management seminars for the single folks, and I felt bad for many years because there was no way I could put 10% of my meager income away. I did nothing for a long time. Then one day I told myself that doing something is far better than doing nothing. I asked myself what I could do without in a month. It was $20. I set up a payroll deduction plan so that the money was socked away, untouchable.

  My children were in their late teens when I checked my balance. I had enough for a down payment on a mortgage! Was I late? Yes. Was I better off for saving anyhow? Absolutely yes!

  So what Simon says goes. It's never too late to get smart.
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  damselfly

  I worry all the time that when my parents ( still JW ) are older that they will be penniliess. I know that they have no savings, no pension, nothing for the future. I remember as a teen I mentioned something about retirement savings or life insurance to my father and he basically qouted this at me

  "saving/preparing for retirement demonstrated a lamentable lack of faith".

  and was shocked that I would even ask. Now that I think about it, that was one of the "lightbulbs in my head" moments.

  Sadly, I live paycheck to paycheck right now and have no savings of my own, but I'm working on it! The number one reason I'm back in school is so I can get a better job that covers more then just the basics of life.

  I will probably be the sibling supporting my parents when they are elderly and I will do it out of love.

  Dams
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  Big Dog

  For me it was a little different, I went to college right out of highschool as I ran screaming from the borg with my hair on fire. But for me it wasn't financial issues, it was living issues. I was living hard, that end of the world mentality was still locked in my brain and that tape kept running which prompted me to try and live life at about twice the normal speed. Financially I am fine but I had to slow my pace down once I was able to fully deprogram myself and realize that yes life is short and you should get the most out of it, but it isn't THAT short so I needed to slow down my pace down just a little.

  I felt I was trying to catch up on the life I felt I missed growing up in the borg.
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  Ellie

  Due to having a bible study I decided not to do A levels or Uni or any of that even though I had the potential, but that was all 9 years ago and I've wasted time since then for other reasons, this year is the year that I'm really going to get my head down and do something positive, I'm putting in an application for the Police and failing that I am starting college, its not so much the money that I'm worried about but its just doing something with my life other than being a mum, I want to make my kids proud, thats a big part of it, but its about getting back the self confidence and happiness that the Watchtower stubbed out.