I saw a TV commercial recently that portrayed a young couple, seemingly with dual incomes, raving about their ability to cash their paychecks at Wal-Mart.  This was wrong on so many levels.  My first thought was:

Don’t they have a bank account?

My second thought was:

If they do have a bank account, why aren’t they taking advantage of direct deposit?

Of course!  It finally dawned on me.  They didn’t have a bank account!  But they could still buy inexpensive, foreign-made stuff at Wal-Mart.  What a country!  Who needs to plan for the future anyway?  Consumption is all about now.  Living in the moment.  Besides, Wal-Mart only charges a $3 maximum per paycheck, and you can load the check value onto a Wal-Mart MoneyCard.  Just head to the nearest register.  How convenient!  Don’t forget the overdraft fees when the money runs out.

A fool and his money…

So, Wal-Mart has made conspicuous consumption even easier.  I don’t know about you, but my paycheck has to cover other expenses, too.  Sundry items, like electricity, heat, and gasoline.  Car insurance.  Property taxes.  I wonder how the couple will pay for those items.  A Wal-Mart Visa Card, perhaps?  Looks like it’s time for…

…An Intervention

Someone should grab that couple and shake them.  Drag them down to the nearest bank and have them open a checking account.  Set them up for direct deposit.  Have them allocate a portion of their earnings to an automated savings account.  Buy them a copy of Your Money or Your Life:

Apparently, Wal-Mart has exploited a certain niche of its customers.  It must have taken some soul-searching to greenlight this scheme.  What’s the next step in this natural evolution?  Payday loans?

Hopefully, the couple will come upon a Dave Ramsey book while they’re blowing their paycheck.  Maybe they’ll even buy it.  I hear those Wal-Mart MoneyCards are so convenient.

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