One thing I've noticed is that I've never found a tenant that did not have a better TV than me. On fact, I haven't had a TV in years. Tenants though always seem to have the big screens with the hookups on them for video gaming. They spend more hours a week on these things than at work, sleeping, and pretty much everything. Those that even work that is. In my class C units I'd say well over 50 percent are on "disability". Probably closer to 80 percent. But they all, without fail, have big tv's.

If they even took a small part of the time and money they spend on this stuff they'd be so much better off.

But hey, that's one reason they will always be tenants.

On the same sort of topic. Get a call from the local church. There giving so and so money to help pay rent. Like 800.00. So I ask the lady has anyone gone over to this place? I understand your giving with no strings attached but these people are getting hugh TV's 70' delivered to the home. Maybe the pastor should go and check.

Priorities are different.

Lower rent tenants set the highest priority to TV and delivery pizza.

On some of my move-outs, I haul away dozens and dozens of delivery pizza boxes and I know that those tenants really can't afford to spend that much of their budget on food.

I haven't noticed any enormous TV's at my higher end tenants' homes. But they could afford one, so if they have one it isn't too much of an indulgence.

I was at a rental to fix a toilet last week and the tenant was in the process of loading two kayaks onto his car. The higher rent tenants have kayaks, high end bicycles, golf clubs, and camping gear. They do sporty stuff instead of gaming.

You know what? If they OWN that TV, then great on them for actually saving up enough to buy it! My complaint is that most of mine with the big screen TVs are getting them from rent-to-own types of places where they end up spending 4x the retail price of the thing!

THAT is what I tend to see. Way too many people with no delayed gratification that are basically renting an HDTV at 4x the price.

- John...

TVs are much cheaper than they used to be, it's shocking, and if you can't afford anything else, maybe it's not so much of an indulgence...although 70" is pushing it!

Many of my tenants don't even HAVE TVs. They use streaming services on their phone or computer. My son watches the majority of programs on his phone. Sometime he and his wife sit there sharing headphones watching this tiny little screen...

I agree with John: if they can pay cash for it, great! But often I see that tell-tale sticker/label "Aaron's Rent-a-Center" or whatever.

$800 in payments for a TV you could buy at Wal-Mart for $350.

$2,500 in payments for an entry-level washer/dryer set that would run $900 at Best Buy or Lowes.

You can always tell the day after lease signing when instead of a U-Haul you see the Rent-a-Center truck in the drive way.

Btw, their nicer-than-mine cars are usually leased too. The reason many people fail to build wealth in America today is they live an aspirational lifestyle that looks good to outsiders, but the foundation is a mess of overdue payments and barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck deciding which creditor to stiff this month. Once people get a taste of the "good life" it's hard to say "No" to getting that rush again and again buying new stuff.

The sad fact is that most of these people will be 30, 40, 50+ years old and always have a negative net worth. Incredibly sad. We, as a society, must have Finance be a subject taught in our schools.

Absolutely no common sense when it comes to buying stuff, interest rates, mark ups, and wants vs. needs. They need to understand saving, investing, and compounding.

YOU all are knocking OUR clients ya know?

I have a 70 inch TV. Bought it used 4-5 yrs ago for $280 from my former housekeeper who inherited it from her uncle. It's a little dated, there's thinner ones now, but it works fine. I have a tv in the garage and in the bedroom too. One I inherited last year, the other came with the house. Am I a bad person?

I have 2 TV's. I didn't buy either one. They both came out of a rental and were left behind. I haven't bought a TV in years. I'm not sure I would have one if I hadn't got them for free. I don't really watch it that much. Doesn't seem worth the money for me.

I have no problem admitting that I own (and bought it -- not inherited it) a 70" flatscreen. My wife and I love it. We watch our favorite shows. We do some gaming now and then. Totally worth it to us. Just nice to unwind after work and watch some fun/mindless TV now and then.

- John...