Who wants to complain about the economy with me?

I think at the end of the day we have to count ourselves lucky if we have a roof over our head and food on the table. A big house, a nice car, all those things are superficial.

 

I know it's nice to have things but there are always people way worst off than you. Know what I mean?

The economy definietly sucks! I am hoping that a few positive things come out of it: 1) we aren't so materialistic 2) we stop outsourcing and realize we need jobs in here and need to make our own quality products here! 3)we go back to a more simpiliar way of living - gardens, smaller houses, walking to the neighborhood store etc...

I agree with you 100%! And just to clarify I don't own a car or have a fancy house or anything like that. I intentionally don't own a car b/c (a) its very expensive and ( I love walking everywhere and commuting by mass transportation. Its so much better for the environment.

I am not going to pretend like it wouldn't be nice to own a house and all that jazz but I am sooooo not a materialistic person. I hope my complaining didn't come off that way. I just wondered how people are able to afford children and mortages. I am talking about basics such as paying into your healthcare and retirement funds not about vacation homes and shopping kwow what I mean?

Also I just wanted to add that the problem with this economy is that a lot of people are losing the roof over their head. So many people are foreclosing and have nowhere to go. They can't rent b/c rent prices have skyrocketted as well. As far as food goes I'm sure most of here are okay but there are a lot of low income families that cannot feed their families b/c of the increase in food prices. So just for clarification my thread is not about luxuries its about the basics like feeding and buying diapers for your children and maintaining that roof over your head.

I feel the same as all of you...and I try to remember all of this when more and more people say they can't come to my DW. Darn economy!!

Glenda I got what you meant and I think most of us do - it's not about "poor me I want a Prada bag" it's about "I want to buy gas and food and have a home". It's not that ludicrous.

 

Those of us not living on the sidewalk are lucky, no doubt about it. It could always be worse but that doesn't mean it can't be better on a basic level. Right now the economy is such that for many people these basic things that previous generations were able to afford are not possible. Period.

I've gotta tell you Glenda, your post hits home with me. As a recently new home owner with a mortgage, this is a very scary time! I have always been a saver & been able to sock away a good 25% of my net...I have reduced that to half and it's not because I have a mortgage. It's been due to the incremental increases in cost of gas and food. We just aren't getting the bang for our buck we used to. I have never worried about money, but I think about it way more these days. It sucks.

I agree and it's so scary. We haven't made any unrealistic purchases or choices in our lives. We have one car payment, one car paid off, a student loan payment and a mortgage. Trying to juggle all of this is so difficult and it's not about wanting to live outside our means or being materialistic. Everytime we go to the grocery store the prices are higher and gas is outrageous. We really want to start a family soon after our wedding and i'm wondering how people do it? The advice I keep hearing is you make it work. Unless someone knows about a secret money tree I don't know about how is that even possible? It's so depressing.

Pug3636 I hear you on the kids thing, people say you make it work but how does that literally translate into money? I guess it's one of those secrets you don't learn until you have to...lol And if you find a money tree please clue us in

I agree it's getting pretty scary out there. Yesterday i paid $1.35 for a head of lettuce when it was .88 cents 3 months ago. That over a 50% increase!!! I'm seeing the costs increase significantly in our groceries and like Christa said we're not putting away as much savings as we used to.

 

When it comes down to it, I know there are people who have gotten through much worse. For example one of our project managers at work (I work for a construction company btw) grew up living on the streets, going from orphanage to orphanage, enlisted in the military, served 25+ years, got his masters degree and now is one heck of a project manager. The other day while we were at a meeting I asked him if he was hungry and if so we should go grab a bite to eat. His reply to me; "I'm not that hungry, I've felt what hunger feels like". When I hear things like that from people I know I have a greater appreciation for what i have. I guess I don't have it that bad afterall. Sorry this was so long lol