America Through the Eyes of a Russian Woman Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

Speaking of money, credit cards system is something that many Russian immigrants often wonder about.

Many Russian women think that all Americans are rich and dollars are pretty much growing on trees. I though so too. Later I discovered that it was just a fabricated delusion of wealth.

Credit cards are not very popular in Eastern Europe. When you buy something, you spend cash. Even if you buy a thousand dollar coat, you have to count out a thousand in bills and hand it to someone.

In America there’s no real money: It’s all just numbers on a piece of paper where you sign away your future earnings to credit card companies. It scares me that you can spend money you don’t yet have.

The American culture is a consumer culture, as many immigrants, not only Russians, notice. There is a popular belief that in order to be respected in this society and impress your neighbors and friends you have to have a big house, the newest cell phone and one heck of a car. Different advertisements make you want things you cannot afford or you don’t need (like the Snuggie, come on!), so you get hooked and keep spending while becoming a slave of your credit company.

In Russia when someone says that they owe something, whether it is a car, or a house – it means that they owe it. Not that the bank owes it and if they stop paying for it, they will lose it. It actually means that they really owe it. So be careful when you say to your Russian bride that you owe the house and 3 cars. If she discovers that you are still paying for them, she may take it as a lie. It is a touchy subject, because Russians are scared of debt and they can’t understand how Americans who earn much more money than Russians are all in debt (mortgage is a debt too). I think that it is better not to go in details about owing stuff, unless you own it the Russian way.

I see how the American money system works, but I still don’t get it where the money go and why we have to have mortgage. It all depends, but it seems like if you save money and have a decent job, you should be able to afford to buy a house in 10 years or so. I realize that this is probably not as easy, but I am just giving you my perception as a Russian woman. I might have to take some personal finances college course in order to get it.

Russians save and then buy. Not buy and then work to pay it off. There are many reasons for it, such as mentality, or history. Don’t get upset if your Russian lady doesn’t seem to get how things in the US work. Believe me, it is hard. After 6 years I am still learning…

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