[srmanuel]

I think to some degree they are brainwashed, it’s also ignorance on basic consumer economics.

My wife and I go to the same restaurants and usually become friends with the bartenders/waitresses mainly because we leave good tips.

I’ve asked a number of them that either own a house or are thinking of owning a house, if they ever considered something like a 15-year versus a 30-year mortgage.

Universally they tell me a 15-year mortgage is more expensive and never considered it an option. Then on my phone I google a quick mortgage amortization calculator and run their numbers and compare the costs of a 15 versus 30-year mortgage, they are usually dumbfounded on the interest savings.

Then I tell them it’s ever worse for credit card and auto loan interest.

I remind them to add up the extra interest costs over a lifetime and its usually hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be theirs at retirement if they only made better consumer finance decisions.

I don’t know how many if any of them I convince I only hope it gives a few something to think about and begin to ask quesitons.

[Tell It Right]

I have similar conversations with service workers (though my wife and I rarely eat out LOL). Some of them come to my financial small group that I lead at church and do change their lives.