I have a Bee in my Bonnet

Yessirree, I surely do. It’s the car commercials endorsed by all those financial advisers. (“Hey, its the guy who wrote that money book. He says I should buy this car, so I better!") I found it so hard to swallow that I figured they must be fake people, with made up books. But I checked, and they are real. They are always saying things like “Take the money you save and invest in an IRA”, or “Take the cash back and pay down some of your credit cards”. I always feel very indignant after I watch one of these commercials. I just can’t see any circumstances (no matter what the commercials say) where buying a brand new car is sound financial advice. So then that makes me think that maybe the Money Gurus were bought off. And now I have just lost all respect for them.

I'm not saying it is bad to buy a brand new car. If you can afford it, then why not? But recommending people buy a new car in the guise of a smart financial decision just seems wrong. And usually it isn't just a recommendation. If the car buyer seems hesitant, the Money Man makes fun of him. Implying that you are really dumb - and know NOTHING about money - if you don't buy a car right now.

The other thing about the commercials that is just impossible to believe is the fact that all the prospective car buyers always recognize these money authors as soon as they see them. ("Would you look at that? It's Bob Fancypants, who wrote Money is Spiffy!”) Come on. That is just ridiculous.

On a side note: if I actually did have a bee in my bonnet (I have been known to don a bonnet from time to time. Nothing weird about that.) I sure as shootin’ wouldn’t sit down and write about it. I would be running around, screaming and whacking myself in the head. Bonnets can be dangerous.