Why does everyone keep referring to this mythical ongoing "recession"? We were told it ended in 2009...

You can't fix dumb.

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The cost of fuel, the cost of food, everything just went up, everything. Now, he is just renting tires, for $45 monthly.

Clearly the poor bastard never heard of Bernanke "The Hero" or well anchored inflation expectations.

That lady spent 600 on two tires for a Camry. Ouch.

This represents the fundamental flaws in our society, in that we’ve become hardwired to think we’re entitled.

Tires are a need in order to operate your vehicle so you can get to work. If you’re having budget problems, you cut out the OTHER stuff so you can get the tires. Not the other way around.

if we've reached the point where people can't even budget money for the stuff required to live and operate, we are ****ed.

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This represents the fundamental flaws in our society, in that we’ve become hardwired to think we’re entitled. Tires are a need in order to operate your vehicle so you can get to work. If you’re having budget problems, you cut out the OTHER stuff so you can get the tires. Not the other way around.

This view only works to a point to explain the purchaser's attitude. An extreme example where this doesn't work is in parts of Brazil. Necessities like basic shoes and t shirts and underwear are so expensive, that the poor to lower middle class have to make payments to be able to purchase them. They have no place left to cut expenses! Just saying that the U.S. has a long way to go on this path.

maybe instead of $470 on lotto tickets she coulda bought tires?

Jesus...

Reminds me of a couple of families I try to advise on money matters (well, they do ask advice and half the time they do the opposite). Minute they get an extra $100, they're off to spend it. Inevitably, they ask questions when things get tight, or they have known upcoming expenses, and the advice is always the same: "Get an idea what the cost will be, divide that by the number of months out and set-aside that money in a savings account."

It is IMPOSSIBLE for them to pay annually or even quarterly for insurance. Forget about them escrowing their own taxes.

It just drops my jaw on the number of folks who have ZERO money sense.

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Gene Woodard has been a RIMCO customer for some time. The 53-year-old Snellville resident said he had been spending $150 a month on tires and wheels at the store. But he is going through a divorce, and has bills to pay. Woodard, who said he has no savings, decided late last year to return his rims. The money could be better spent, he said. Now, he is just renting tires, for $45 monthly.
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But Woodard — who likened buying rims for his 2001 Pontiac Bonneville to the feeling one gets when putting on a new suit

Wow. This dude is spending $540/yr for tires on a 2001 Bonneville. It must be just bad luck that he is poor.

First renting clothes, now tyres and rims.

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Rasheed said buying the two tires new from RIMCO would have cost her $308.99 plus tax; to pay for them over the course of a year would be $494.04 plus tax. With the addition of a fee for hazard assistance, Rasheed said, she spent close to $600 for the tires when she paid them off.

But I bet she's got an iPhone 4 in her purse and a $100/mo plan. Gawd, people are stupid.

So my auto insurance offers a discount if you pay upfront. Annualized, it's over a 20 percent return if you use it. I wonder what percent of folks pay monthly anyway? Anyone have any similar numbers they can share? I met a guy the other day and his whole job is financing insurance premiums for big companies. I was floored.

Yeah I pay 6 months at a time in order to receive a discount.

People live and spend on a monthly basis. No concept of bulk purchasing or utilizing discounts.

They can't get passed the shocked of writing a huge check, despite the fact that the banks aren't paying any interest worth a damn.

These kinds of rent a wheel stores have been around this area for over a decade in GA and FL

I am still in shock over the massive gotta-have-dem-rims-now! mindset where people actually rent wheels, rims and tyres.

That's just so much financial fail, I don't know where to begin.

Shock over rims? You'll love this happy horse****:

Rent-a-Wheel has been big since the bubble days, this is nothing new.

A couple weeks ago, I bought a pair of slightly used meats off Craigslist for thirty apiece and had 'em mounted and balanced included. Cash deal. Noticed a torn boot on a CV-axle; bought a refurb from Autozone for fifty-five and had a guy install it for a hundred. Cash deal. Pulled to a side afterwards. Had the tow set for $25 cash. I never touched a tool.