I think a lot of this has to do with people's sense of entitlement. Basic food, shelter, and clothing are necessities, but living the so-called "American dream," whatever that means, is something you have to earn. If you are priced out of your dream, the options are to earn more income or manage your expectations.
For example, if you find owning a house is taking up too much of your budget, you might consider moving into a condo. The purchase price will probably be lower than a single-family home, and building maintenance will be shared with the other condo owners. Also, don't pass on your expectations to your children. It's nice if you can afford to help with your kids' college expenses, but they will manage on their own if you can't.
I highly recommend living in the inner city. We have a 2 bedroom in a newly renovated building for the same price we were paying in a nicer neighborhood. We have young hip multi-cultural neighbors. From the single mom upstairs to the rock star next door, we love it. Living in the "burbs" is my nightmare. Don't knock it until you've explored the option. My husband and I are "making it" on around 72K with no children. Paid off most of our debt. We drive a 96 Nissan Sentra, and are "upgrading" this week to a 2000 Taurus. We don't have a TV. We watch our favorite shows online, and have a subscription to Netflix (we can watch DVDs on our computer). We only have cell phones, no landlines. We give away more of our income than we ever have. We're funding our pension and retirement plans. As well as saving a little for a house. If it takes us a while longer to get what we want instead of getting it now and paying interest, so be it. We're also constantly looking for ways to save money. We pack our lunches, eat in most nights. We travel a lot, but always try and fly during off seasons or find esavers. Our "American" dream is living debt free and contributing to our city. I'm not on a high horse, just starting to learn to be vocal about a different way of life.
It's not just about lifestyle, as another commenter pointed out. It's about inflation. I look to my own family as an example: My parents, who live well within their means, have been making roughly the same level of income (between $80k to $90k) for the past 15 years, and it's getting harder and harder for them to get ahead, even with both of their children grown up and out of the house. Everyone is feeling the crunch, you are not alone.
Middle class Americans are taxed to the hilt, and inflation is the "invisible tax" that devalues our currency over time while the rich stay rich, and the poor get poorer. The middle class is disappearing, and this post is just one more shred of evidence of our government's thievery in action. Six-figure incomes no longer buy what they once did because our government keeps printing more money that devalues the supply, then they tax us all and redistribute the wealth. It's a huge scam led by the Federal Reserve and it's leading our nation into ruin.
Try Ventura, CA in Southern California. And try spending less. Quit being a consumer and then complaining about barely making it on 100k/year. We have one kid, make lunch every day, cook at home most nights, eat healthy food blah blah blah. There is no high horse I'm on, just a commitment to living on less.
Oh come on Lou, you didn't include details such as the number of kids you have (even if you make lunch for your kid EVERY day, it's still going to cost you, probably more than the 1.25 they charge for school lunch daily) or where you live. Get off your high horse and understand that every family's situation is different - where you can do well with you and your wife on 60K in Podunk, USA, a family of four making 100K in a higher rent are will struggle. I hope your smugness keeps you warm at night.
That's the reason why flame wars in the personal finance blogosphere are going to get ugly. There'll always be people who struggle on $X per year and there'll always be other people who live on two shoestrings and a can of beans and are envious of the $X per year people. The latter are going to tell everyone who makes above a certain level of income to stop whining, even without knowing the specifics.
I find the fact that you are "not living paycheck to paycheck. But barely..." on 96k a year laughable. My wife and I live 60K a year (pre-tax)and are doing just fine. We have two vehicles, give generously to charity (10-15%, have date nights once a week, and are contributing to our retirement funds. Something is wrong with your spending. Instead of being so defensive, why don't you realistically look at your monthly spending and ask what you could cut. Account for every dollar. Every dollar. And you will be amazed at how you spend. It's not that there are big items, it's the little nickel and dime purchases that rack up. Shore up the little pleasures (like buying Starbucks every day) and you will find yourself flush with cash. The question is, are you willing to change your lifestyle in order to have more income in your bank account. Once you change your spending habits, it will be easy to live on 96K a year!
I'm sure this article is supposed to be a bit funny, but honestly we should all pay for extra academic help should our children need it. I was a "smart" child but still needed a math tutor as math was just something I didn't understand intuitively. If my mother had not paid for a tutor for me I would have probably failed whereas I received a B for those 3 years I met with Ms. LaBelle.
I especially like this advice. I have a business service and being a frugal person who wants to help people, I offer extremely reasonable prices. Nevertheless, a few people still want to haggle without making concessions but more importantly, without checking market rates. That should be the first step in negotiation.
I have also been on the other side of the negotiating table and just haven't asked for discounts if I knew I was already getting a below market rate and felt that asking might jeopardize the relationship.
Still, your point of realizing that you just didn't want the item is excellent and something for business owners/sales people to remember -- your price may be great but the potential buyer just isn't really all that interested.
I read an article about a study of "luck." It was found that lucky people are those people that recognize an opportunity and able to capitalize on it. "Dumb" luck can happen to anyone.
OK, you might not believe this, but we were just discussing the tax refund episode before I logged on, and my husband quotes Julius on a regular basis. I haven't seen him be this into a sit com character since Bernie Mac.
I agree, they do deal with money in depth on that show. Cool piece, Xin!
I've been using Sandy for a few months now and can highly recommend it.
Of most use to me is its twitter integration, meaning that I can send all sorts of snippets of information I want to remember during the day via my cell phone and have it all there when I'm back at my computer or even sent back to me in sms.
I find the notes feature of most use. Give it a try, it is free after all so nothing to lose.
There's always a trade-off in the price vs. customer service spectrum. It's hardly surprising that in DeepDiscount's case, they have great prices and not-so-great customer response time. You just have to be smart on when to use a company with these attributes and when to go elsewhere. This is called common sense.
Getting offended over a minor incident such as this one is not only absurd, but hurtful to oneself as a smart consumer. Plus, common sense says after 3 or 4 days go by and you've already unsuccessfully exchanged multiple e-mails with the party in question to no avail, just go buy it from the other source!
This is hardly one to cry over, and even less one over which to stop doing business with a company. If you get this offended over minor problems such as this one, it's a surprise you and your readers find any businesses that meet your lofty expectations.
In other words, to say it simply but impolitely, get a life.
I think a lot of this has to do with people's sense of entitlement. Basic food, shelter, and clothing are necessities, but living the so-called "American dream," whatever that means, is something you have to earn. If you are priced out of your dream, the options are to earn more income or manage your expectations.
For example, if you find owning a house is taking up too much of your budget, you might consider moving into a condo. The purchase price will probably be lower than a single-family home, and building maintenance will be shared with the other condo owners. Also, don't pass on your expectations to your children. It's nice if you can afford to help with your kids' college expenses, but they will manage on their own if you can't.
I forgot to put in that we have a 2 bedroom for the same price as a 1 bedroom in a nicer neighborhood. :)
I highly recommend living in the inner city. We have a 2 bedroom in a newly renovated building for the same price we were paying in a nicer neighborhood. We have young hip multi-cultural neighbors. From the single mom upstairs to the rock star next door, we love it. Living in the "burbs" is my nightmare. Don't knock it until you've explored the option. My husband and I are "making it" on around 72K with no children. Paid off most of our debt. We drive a 96 Nissan Sentra, and are "upgrading" this week to a 2000 Taurus. We don't have a TV. We watch our favorite shows online, and have a subscription to Netflix (we can watch DVDs on our computer). We only have cell phones, no landlines. We give away more of our income than we ever have. We're funding our pension and retirement plans. As well as saving a little for a house. If it takes us a while longer to get what we want instead of getting it now and paying interest, so be it. We're also constantly looking for ways to save money. We pack our lunches, eat in most nights. We travel a lot, but always try and fly during off seasons or find esavers. Our "American" dream is living debt free and contributing to our city. I'm not on a high horse, just starting to learn to be vocal about a different way of life.
It's not just about lifestyle, as another commenter pointed out. It's about inflation. I look to my own family as an example: My parents, who live well within their means, have been making roughly the same level of income (between $80k to $90k) for the past 15 years, and it's getting harder and harder for them to get ahead, even with both of their children grown up and out of the house. Everyone is feeling the crunch, you are not alone.
Middle class Americans are taxed to the hilt, and inflation is the "invisible tax" that devalues our currency over time while the rich stay rich, and the poor get poorer. The middle class is disappearing, and this post is just one more shred of evidence of our government's thievery in action. Six-figure incomes no longer buy what they once did because our government keeps printing more money that devalues the supply, then they tax us all and redistribute the wealth. It's a huge scam led by the Federal Reserve and it's leading our nation into ruin.
Thank you! Yes, be grateful for opportunites you have had and times when people treated you kindly.
We were not all born middle class.
Anyway, Luck favors the prepared mind. Taking classes, having a good attitude, etc. will bend the odds in your favor
It's all about taking opportunities presented - being prepared to do so.
Luck, if you could attract it, change it, bend it in any way, wouldn't be Luck, it'd be called something else.
Try Ventura, CA in Southern California. And try spending less. Quit being a consumer and then complaining about barely making it on 100k/year. We have one kid, make lunch every day, cook at home most nights, eat healthy food blah blah blah. There is no high horse I'm on, just a commitment to living on less.
Oh come on Lou, you didn't include details such as the number of kids you have (even if you make lunch for your kid EVERY day, it's still going to cost you, probably more than the 1.25 they charge for school lunch daily) or where you live. Get off your high horse and understand that every family's situation is different - where you can do well with you and your wife on 60K in Podunk, USA, a family of four making 100K in a higher rent are will struggle. I hope your smugness keeps you warm at night.
That's the reason why flame wars in the personal finance blogosphere are going to get ugly. There'll always be people who struggle on $X per year and there'll always be other people who live on two shoestrings and a can of beans and are envious of the $X per year people. The latter are going to tell everyone who makes above a certain level of income to stop whining, even without knowing the specifics.
I find the fact that you are "not living paycheck to paycheck. But barely..." on 96k a year laughable. My wife and I live 60K a year (pre-tax)and are doing just fine. We have two vehicles, give generously to charity (10-15%, have date nights once a week, and are contributing to our retirement funds. Something is wrong with your spending. Instead of being so defensive, why don't you realistically look at your monthly spending and ask what you could cut. Account for every dollar. Every dollar. And you will be amazed at how you spend. It's not that there are big items, it's the little nickel and dime purchases that rack up. Shore up the little pleasures (like buying Starbucks every day) and you will find yourself flush with cash. The question is, are you willing to change your lifestyle in order to have more income in your bank account. Once you change your spending habits, it will be easy to live on 96K a year!
Where do you live? My husband and I have all that (minus a kid, true)on less than 50,000, with no debt. But we live in Iowa.
I'm sure this article is supposed to be a bit funny, but honestly we should all pay for extra academic help should our children need it. I was a "smart" child but still needed a math tutor as math was just something I didn't understand intuitively. If my mother had not paid for a tutor for me I would have probably failed whereas I received a B for those 3 years I met with Ms. LaBelle.
I once read that "Good luck is simply the residue of good design" It was in reference to a sucsessful sports team.
I especially like this advice. I have a business service and being a frugal person who wants to help people, I offer extremely reasonable prices. Nevertheless, a few people still want to haggle without making concessions but more importantly, without checking market rates. That should be the first step in negotiation.
I have also been on the other side of the negotiating table and just haven't asked for discounts if I knew I was already getting a below market rate and felt that asking might jeopardize the relationship.
Still, your point of realizing that you just didn't want the item is excellent and something for business owners/sales people to remember -- your price may be great but the potential buyer just isn't really all that interested.
I read an article about a study of "luck." It was found that lucky people are those people that recognize an opportunity and able to capitalize on it. "Dumb" luck can happen to anyone.
I had a thought about a funny scene in Billy Crystal's movie Forget Paris.
He was referring to how in war movies, there is always one character who longs to be home with his family- and ends up dying in the next scene.
I had this strange laugh emanating from me thinking about how we're all posting about how we're all set and ready for adversity.
I don't want to consider the next scene.
(crosses fingers and spits to avoid the Jinx).
OK, you might not believe this, but we were just discussing the tax refund episode before I logged on, and my husband quotes Julius on a regular basis. I haven't seen him be this into a sit com character since Bernie Mac.
I agree, they do deal with money in depth on that show. Cool piece, Xin!
what's the point keeping link open if videos not available? waste of my time.
what's the point keeping link open if videos not available? waste of my time.
what's the point keeping link open if videos not available? waste of my time.
I've been using Sandy for a few months now and can highly recommend it.
Of most use to me is its twitter integration, meaning that I can send all sorts of snippets of information I want to remember during the day via my cell phone and have it all there when I'm back at my computer or even sent back to me in sms.
I find the notes feature of most use. Give it a try, it is free after all so nothing to lose.
thx for sharing it, will try it right now !
thx for sharing it, will try it right now !
There's always a trade-off in the price vs. customer service spectrum. It's hardly surprising that in DeepDiscount's case, they have great prices and not-so-great customer response time. You just have to be smart on when to use a company with these attributes and when to go elsewhere. This is called common sense.
Getting offended over a minor incident such as this one is not only absurd, but hurtful to oneself as a smart consumer. Plus, common sense says after 3 or 4 days go by and you've already unsuccessfully exchanged multiple e-mails with the party in question to no avail, just go buy it from the other source!
This is hardly one to cry over, and even less one over which to stop doing business with a company. If you get this offended over minor problems such as this one, it's a surprise you and your readers find any businesses that meet your lofty expectations.
In other words, to say it simply but impolitely, get a life.