Societal ills and math (the generation of NOW)
Hi all, I think we live in a generation of Now. Everybody wants what they want, and they want it right away. They don't understand the consequences of having things before they can afford them. I'm in this category. I see a great deal, a must have item, and I get sold by the consumerism. I really need this fast computer. I don't just want it. I need it with the burning passion of several suns. It will save me time, money and make me happier. Of course it will. Few people stop to do the math however - if you buy something awesome but have to buy it on credit at 17%, you end up paying far more for the privilege of NOW. Here's a quick example: I want a computer that costs $1399. It has to be the fancy mac one. You know, because it's shiny and everybody else has one. I can't afford to pay for it now, so I put down the 399 I have and have to finance 1000 at 17%. I'll do a quick breakdown of how much it would cost for 4 years, using Pe^(rt) to c