Derrick Ramon, 22.

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: Spending money on video games ever since the Xbox gaming system came out. I really wanted to get it in 2001 because it carried the popular Halo game. Ever since,  I must’ve spent well over $2,000. I’ve purchased countless games, including the rest of the Halo series, and the newer Xbox 360 system. I still have all of my games, but I don’t spend much now. Still, I’m too attached to sell them. I’ve played them once or twice, and that’s it. They’re lying around doing nothing. However, I’m still going to continue and buy the Halo 4 when it comes out next year.

Kirk Herold 56

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: Four years ago, I bought an Olevia 42 inch HDTV at a Staten Island Best Buy for $599.99, a good price. The brand wasn’t top notch, and that is why the price was so low. The TV was great for about two months, then the coloring started to go and the picture wasn’t as sharp as when we first bought it. We didn’t have any warranty on it and it basically was useless with such a bad picture. I threw it in the trash. From now on I will only buy TV’s with good reviews and a trustworthy brand.

Graig Straus 30

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: About six months ago I purchased a hand-held GPS device from www.delorme.com. The device would allow me to map out hiking trails, biking trails and ski slopes and to find my way if I ever got lost. Since these devices came on the market, I’ve really wanted one. The device is called the DeLorme GPS with satellite receiver. The satellite receiver allows me to send text messages, call for help, and—most importantly–update my Facebook from every orifice on earth. I can be lost in Antarctica and still tweet it. While this sounds cool—and believe me it is—I haven’t taken it out of the box yet. So I paid $500 for a box with a cool device in it. It happens to be the best handheld GPS on the market, which only ever so slightly justifies the waste of money.

Fatima Kaba, 28

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: Back in 2007 I gave all my savings of  $5,000 to a friend. I grew up with him in the same neighborhood in the city of Conakry in Guinea-Conakry, Africa. We were like family. He came to the United States in April 2007. In November 2007, his wife back home had complications with her pregnancy. At the time, he wasn’t working and he needed money for her c-section, so I gave him my entire savings. He promised to pay it back in six months. But he refused to pay me back when I asked him to. He was avoiding my phone calls. I can’t do anything to him because of our family’s close relationship back in Guinea. You do good and you get bad in return; it is a lesson for tomorrow!

Trisha Bennett 30

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: Buying a Maltese puppy for $3,000.00 when I lived in Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale.  I really love dogs but I had no time to take good care of him. His name was Louis V. One day I was taking my niece to the fair and I allowed her to hold the puppy because I had to push the baby’s stroller. One of the clowns blew a whistle and Louis V got scared and ran out into the street and got hit by a car.  The vet was going to charge me $4,000.00 to repair the broken bones, which I couldn’t afford, so I ended up giving the dog to the vet. He probably fixed him up and sold him to someone else for a bag of money. Two years later and I still feel sad.

Maureen Herold 49

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: I own a four bedroom house with my husband. The house is in Great Kills, Staten Island. I was a nurse and had to leave my job due to a back injury, and the extra income was not there for the bills. We depended on a credit card to pay for food, bills, etc.. Before I knew it, we were struggling with $40,000 credit card debt. To crawl out of debt, I re-mortgaged my house from $1710 a month to $1600 per month, but it added an extra seven years to the mortgage. At the time, I know using the card was a mistake, but it was the only way to keep my head above water.

Natascia Bartolini  30

Q: What was your worst financial decision?

A: A year ago I paid $60 for a monthly membership to the Vanderbilt YMCA on East 47^th Street. Because I am lazy, after three months I stopped going to the gym. I wanted to cancel the membership but I had signed a contract for one year. So, I wrote a fake letter claiming that I was First Secretary of the U.N. Mission of the Republic of San Marino and that I was being transferred to the mission in Geneva, Switzerland because of a shortage of secretaries there. They let me break the contract. I just hope that they do not see me around.

Casey Herold 16

Q: What was the worst financial decision you ever made?

A: When i was 14, these brand new Jordans came out. I saw them on eBay for a good price before the release date. I was kind of skeptical, but at $90 (the new ones were going for $175), I had to buy them. When they came in the mail a few days later, I could tell right away that they were fake Jordans. I tried to contact the seller, but he deleted his account. To this day, I haven’t gotten my money back.

Kelly Johnson 49

Q: What is the worst financial mistake you ever made?

 A: In 2006, I thought I was buying my dream home at a really good price. I bought a beautiful single family home in Deer Park, Long Island for $430,000.  In 2010, I was terminated from my job. I can no longer pay the  $2,510.00 monthly mortgage. I tried to modify the mortgage but was denied because I do not  have an income.  While going through the modification process, I discovered that the house is worth only $280,000.00. I  cannot sell  because I would owe the bank $150,000.00.