It makes me thankful that I can even do what I am.

I just can't understand how hard it can be to get ahead. Or just stay even. We all work hard and I am pretty sure that most of us live paycheck to paycheck. I have to wonder if that ever stops happening.

Still thinking that this is a three part problem.

Part one is that we're definitely in a major economic decline.

Part two is that we were foolish enough to think the economy was just going to continue to go up, up, up and never come back down.

Part three is that we've become spoiled and for some reason think we're just always supposed to have more than the generation before us did. We want it all, and we think it's our right, not our privilege.

I mean honestly, look at our lives. Look at what we have, what we spend our money on.

Digital cable, DVD's, CD's, Cell phones and talk plans that can easily cost up to $100 a month, GPS units for our cars, video game systems, it goes on and on.

Comparatively speaking, none of us here are hurting or anywhere near TRULY hurting. My grandparents didn't have any of that crap, and raised a nine child family in a two bedroom home that they struggled to pay off. They were happy. They raised an incredible family with good solid values, and their marriage lasted until death did they part.

It's amazing to me how now if we can't afford to buy a newer model car or if we're stuck renting an apartment we're somehow not getting enough out of the American dream.

I think the American dream is freedom. The possibility that any single one of us can achieve anything if we put our mind to it. People raise themselves up from the poorest of conditions to go on to great success in this country. But far more people start out from a point of greater prosperity than anyone in their families history has ever had and make little to nothing of it. Usually because they're too consumed with why they don't have more.

I'm not sure I even know where I'm going with this. Other than to say we've got a long way to backslide before the American Dream isn't still on track.

If you traveled back 50 years and offered our lives to our grandparents I'm willing to bet 99% of them would take that offer before you had a chance to realize what you were giving away.

-- Edited by Jeremy Riggs at 11:37, 2008-07-17

JD - does it still only cost $10,000 if all nine kids come out at the same time?

If she had all nine at the same time they woulda been small enough to come out without the aid of a doctor They woulda dropped outta grandma like gumballs out of a gumball machine

the hospital as in the looney hospital....

but seriously, jr really is right... we've become a very spoiled and instantly gratified society. one of the people i work with is constantly complaining that our raises aren't consistant. i finally had to put it into persepctive for this person and bring to light that we have insurance (medical / dental / vision) and that it includes spouse / family; plus we have profit sharing; paid holidays; paid vacation (even if it's only 1 week); and other benefits if we make nice with the SHE BOSS -- like 1 tank of gas a month; lunch on the company every so often...

i think if we had to spend time in places like afghanistan, iraq, or honduras and see how those families normally live day-to-day, we might see our financial situations in a whole new light and not be so readily a throw away society with an attitude of entitlement...

this is just a generalization and not meant to jab anyone. just my view on how we (our children) aren't really seeing the big picture...

we pay TOO MUCH in taxes -- "Government takes from the needy and gives to the greedy" -- Ronald Reagan.

More concerning than how much we pay in taxes is how that tax money is spent, or better said "wasted".

I would bet if we could cut out wasteful spending we could be paying today the same amount we paid in the 70's for taxes.

You'll get no argument from me on the fact that taxes are out of control. For that matter so is inflation.

But I still firmly believe we have it better today than any generation before us. Now we may finally be upon the doorstep of having the first generation that has to say "you know what, our parents had it a little better than we do".

I guess I don't see why that's such a horrible thing. To assume that for all of eternity every generation will have it better is just foolish. We could step back a long way before we truly have it bad. And if indeed we do step back a little, there's no doubt eventually we'll be stepping forward again.

Does that make any sense? I'm not saying things aren't in bad shape right now. I'm just saying we need to keep perspective on where we are, accept that we're not going to ALWAYS advance, and realize better days are still ahead.

JD - I have to think that $10k in out-of-pocket expenses to have a child is a bit outrageous and not a very good healthplan for you guys. Either the insurance company has decided to try and control the population or this is a very easy way to make some money.

One of my grandfathers liked to tease me that Grandma saved the butt of the Turkey for me to eat every thanksgiving He'd say "Grandma's cookin' you up the part that went over the fence last".

My other grandfather loved to twist his grandkids hair. You'd sit on the couch next to him, and he'd ask you how school was or whatever, the whole time using one finger to twist your hair all up. Then Mom would comb your hair later and the comb would snag and I'd scream and she'd grumbled "oh that grandpa and his hair twirling!"

good times. Sometimes when my dog sits on my lap I catch myself twiriing her hair. Good thing I don't have kids.

-- Edited by Jeremy Riggs at 13:11, 2008-07-17

I think to a large part that's where I'm at too Sandy.

Even though things didn't work out the way I'd hoped, I think this move to North Carolina completed a change in me that needed to occur. Selling off the belongings I thought I couldn't live without taught me just how easily I in fact could live without them.

Instead of worrying about a bigger apartment with more rooms and fancier furniture, my thought process has turned to a smaller apartment, with only the rooms I really need. Smaller heating bills and less furniture needed to fill it. Things like that.

A few years ago I started to realize a car gets me from point a to point b. It's not a status symbol. It doesn't impress my neighbors. It's not a symbol of who I am. it's a utility. It needs to run with minimal risk of breakdown. That's it.

That allowed me for the first time to go without car payments and go without full coverage insurance. The savings from that absolutely changed my life. The financial situation improved dramatically and has been that way for eight years now. Sure, once in awhile I'm left with a car being towed to a repair shop. But that happens with new cars too. Truth is buying a car with 90,000 miles on it today isn't all that risky.

I think I had become a slave to my belongings. I always had to have the newest cell phone. the newest tech toys. Then in six months they weren't new anymore and I was jonesing for an upgrade.

I'm finding that I'm becoming a happier and happier person with the less I concern myself with what I have.

I was spoiled Ghost. Well, I spoiled myself I should say. My first car was brand new, my second car was brand new. nearly 40% of my income went to car expenses in those days. Glad I got that out of my system.

exactly Mz!

Very true Mz. 

Your parents have to pay to send your sister to public school?  Wow, I've never heard of that. 

As for paychecks not keeping up, my husband is making the exact same amount of money today as he was 10 years ago!!  His Union lost the cost of living increase we used to get (the City took it away 10 years ago and the union didn't fight hard enough to keep it) and he also maxed out in his pay rate scale at about the same time.  So we are living with today's prices but with the exact same wages he made 10 years ago.  There are no raises in his future and his pension will be based on this.  We might be in some trouble when he's ready to retire.