Community Chat

[qualitygal]

learned how smart my folks were after all.

[ShowMe]

@dex......congratulations for staying out of debt.  I too am debt free....and it's a good feeling.  Today when I hear that both husband and wife have to work, and sometimes one or both hold down another part time job to make ends meet, and are still in debt up to their ears, I just wonder.  Guess being frugal is not a part of their life.  It sure is to this day a part of mine.

[Trinity11]

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@ShowMe wrote:

@dex......congratulations for staying out of debt.  I too am debt free....and it's a good feeling.  Today when I hear that both husband and wife have to work, and sometimes one or both hold down another part time job to make ends meet, and are still in debt up to their ears, I just wonder.  Guess being frugal is not a part of their life.  It sure is to this day a part of mine.

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Frugality is not necessarily why people stay out of debt. Low wages, health insurance that barely pays for anything often puts people in debt.

I feel for those struggling. Families need 2 pay checks just to stay above water. Daycare and college loans cut into wages. Add to that the high cost of housing.. I read that 47% of millennials still live with mom and dad in New Jersey.

[Trinity11]

@jubilant, I learned in high school that my own insular existence wasn't everyone's. I had a Sociology teacher who taught me to expand my horizons and think outside of the box.

My upbringing was one of intolerance and I learned that there are other ways of looking at the world. She made a real difference in my thought processes and I am eternally grateful.

[ShowMe]

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@Trinity11 wrote:

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@ShowMe wrote:

@dex......congratulations for staying out of debt.  I too am debt free....and it's a good feeling.  Today when I hear that both husband and wife have to work, and sometimes one or both hold down another part time job to make ends meet, and are still in debt up to their ears, I just wonder.  Guess being frugal is not a part of their life.  It sure is to this day a part of mine.

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Frugality is not necessarily why people stay out of debt. Low wages, health insurance that barely pays for anything often puts people in debt.

I feel for those struggling. Families need 2 pay checks just to stay above water. Daycare and college loans cut into wages. Add to that the high cost of housing.. I read that 47% of millennials still live with mom and dad in New Jersey.

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@Trinity11.....please don't get me wrong.  I too struggle month by month.  My health insurance and prescription costs over Medicare is very expensive....and have no idea how much it will be costing me in 2019.  But am sticking with what I have because it is excellent.  

My car is 20 years old.....and still running very well.  But of course the older a person gets after I think it's 70, you do pay more in insurance premiums there too.

I pay rent....and it goes up yearly with the new owners we have.....their expenses are more too and therefore we end up helping them through our rent.

And with having been so sick with this cancer, have lost a lot of weight, and therefore had to replace all (and I mean all) my clothing from inside to outdoor clothing.  That has been very expensive for me.  Now I'm needing new shoes because all my shoes are very lose on me.  Will do that when I can.

And we all know how expensive our groceries have gotten.  When I think back to eons ago when I could get my weeks groceries for about $25.  No way today.....that's a given and a big laugh.

But, I thank God that I have been able to do that.  And, it's not been easy either.  

[Trinity11]

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@ShowMe wrote:

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@Trinity11 wrote:

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@ShowMe wrote:

@dex......congratulations for staying out of debt.  I too am debt free....and it's a good feeling.  Today when I hear that both husband and wife have to work, and sometimes one or both hold down another part time job to make ends meet, and are still in debt up to their ears, I just wonder.  Guess being frugal is not a part of their life.  It sure is to this day a part of mine.

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Frugality is not necessarily why people stay out of debt. Low wages, health insurance that barely pays for anything often puts people in debt.

I feel for those struggling. Families need 2 pay checks just to stay above water. Daycare and college loans cut into wages. Add to that the high cost of housing.. I read that 47% of millennials still live with mom and dad in New Jersey.

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@Trinity11.....please don't get me wrong.  I too struggle month by month.  My health insurance and prescription costs over Medicare is very expensive....and have no idea how much it will be costing me in 2019.  But am sticking with what I have because it is excellent.  

My car is 20 years old.....and still running very well.  But of course the older a person gets after I think it's 70, you do pay more in insurance premiums there too.

I pay rent....and it goes up yearly with the new owners we have.....their expenses are more too and therefore we end up helping them through our rent.

And with having been so sick with this cancer, have lost a lot of weight, and therefore had to replace all (and I mean all) my clothing from inside to outdoor clothing.  That has been very expensive for me.  Now I'm needing new shoes because all my shoes are very lose on me.  Will do that when I can.

And we all know how expensive our groceries have gotten.  When I think back to eons ago when I could get my weeks groceries for about $25.  No way today.....that's a given and a big laugh.

But, I thank God that I have been able to do that.  And, it's not been easy either.  

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@ShowMe...I wasn't referring to seniors. I was addressing the comments about the younger generation where husband and wife have to work.

My husband just retired this past week. Thankfully, we are fine but we have had years to plan unlike some people new to the workforce who find themselves in debt through no fault of their own.

[ShowMe]

@Trinity11......Oh I know what you were referring to.  I was just giving an example of how many folks have to struggle.

But when I see where everyone has to have one or two brand new cars, individual cell phones, and the best of everything.....that is what I was referring to.  That to me is not being frugal.  I do think you can read between my lines on this subject.

And congratulations to your DH on his retirement.  You were very wise when planning for your future life upon retirement.  You will be thankful for that in the coming years.

I do realize that some are in debt through no fault of their own, and for that I feel sorry.   But many are in debt because of how they live and spend.  

[Witchy Woman]

@jubilant

I grew up in a tiny midwestern town and graduated in a class of 120 kids.  Back in the "stone age" as another poster mentioned, you were required to take certain classes.  Typing was among them, and I opted to also take shorthand.

While, looking back, my aspirations were somewhat limited (I would do things differently now), those skills took me to work for business executives, three Congressmen in Washington, DC, and a stint at the White House working for the top executives in the Carter administration.

Not many went to college back then....wrong or right, it's how it was.  Teachers and counselors were limited in their thinking, and our families were very limited financially...so, I chose the path that worked for me at the time.

It might not have been the perfect path, or best one, but it served me well.

Now, people hardly remember shorthand.  I was good and could do 120 wpm at my best.

[ShowMe]

@Witchy Woman......sounds like you had a very interesting working career and did you well.  

Yes, boys were encouraged to plan for college....not so much girls.....this was back in the early to mid 50's.  I so wanted to learn shorthand, but never did.  But, did learn to do transcription, which I was pretty good at.  In fact, loved doing it.  We had to know how to spell back in those days, today the computer checks our spelling.....and sometimes doesn't do a very good job.  Still have to proof read.  I had one boss that was a stickler....every letter that went out of the office had to be letter perfect.....he didn't care how many times it had to be retyped.....letter perfect.  

In fact, I just noticed an error my computer made.  It was when I typed at.....it made it ad.....so I corrected it.  

[dex]

@Trinity11i agree that healthcare costs are killer and if you get sick that can bankrupt you.I don’t agree that Many are struggling because of low income i think some are just not understanding their financial capabilities.My friends son lives in very expensive Seattle Washington.He works in the mail room of a larger company.He doesn’t own a car but takes public transportation or rides his bike to work.He cooks his own meals,plays community sports in free time.He buys his clothing second hand.He rents an apartment but the thing that amazes me is that he has during his three working years managed to save a fairly decent bank account.He plans to one day move to an area where housing is more affordable and buy a home.This guy is good to his mom too without breaking his budget.Mothers day he made her lunch and then washed and waxed her car.