All week long we are bombarded by news, media and the press that the sky is falling. Is it really or just an adjustment phase we need to go through to adjust and get in sync with challenging times?
Yes, jobs are being lost, homes are being foreclosed upon and there are many who are having to learn to do more with less. Is that a bad thing really? Some countries have lived in poverty for decades, but they seem to manage when given a chance to find their niche.
Frankly, I've had periods in life when things were really good and I bought only when bargains came up and needed to replace a few things that had worn out from use.
I've also been to the other extreme where jobs were far and few between and had to get help from a local church or organizations for groceries and other basic needs. Yes, that was a very difficult time, but somehow, all the basic needs were met by folks who had the means and cared. (One of our CK'ers sent a nice $$ gift when I was at the bottom. Now that he's hit bottom, I was able to send some $$ his way to keep him afloat) I wish I had more, but every little bit counts)
Today, we see an unprecidented set of "domino-effect" bail-outs, huge corporate failures, bad home loans going south in droves and errosion of the middle class earning power. (Not to mention record profits this summer by BIG OIL)
What's wrong with this picture? IMHO, we are not thinking straight, setting jadded priorities, not living within/below our means and allowing the media to infect us with fear and consternation. The media seems to tout bad news every week and the gloom and doom changes every few days.
Now, consider this... most of us here are average working-class Americans. We are not Wall Street brokers, politicians and upscale business people. All the crap we read and see in the news does not affect many of us in the "Service Sector".
As long as we have a steady paycheck coming in, keep our debts inline w/ income and save a little along the way, is that bad? It might be for the high finance world that basically ignores us because we don't leverage our future earning power, beyond our means. But, for the average Joe/Jane American, we just adapt, adjust our lifestyles as needed and watch the storm clouds pass with little negative imact.
As long as the bills are paid, we have adequate transportation, enough food to sustain and a solid roof over our heads, who cares what's going on at Wall Street? (Only greedy investors, Wall Street Investment firms and people who leverage their lives, well beyond their means. They do not need us, nor do they count us as worthy investment material.
Okay, I ask this last question and want to hear YOUR perspective.
"With all this crap going on in the mix, (there and anywhere else), has our general quality of life changed much or not? Are we letting the media feed our fears or just living life as it comes our way and adjusting as needed?
Think it over and add your 2 cents,
Swez
PS It's coming up on Christmas soon. We just saw "Black Friday" produce $10.6 Billion in retail sales already and last years' rate was $10.2 Billion.
Yes, the bargains are out there to bring in the crowds, but do we really need to spend $1,200.00, (or more) and go in debt in the process? I THINK not! What are your thoughts? The simple life works when we apply it deliberately and have enough to spare to help a friend or relative, going through a difficult time.
One thing I have noted, when we have more seed than needed, spread it around. When we need seed, it comes back 10 fold
Replies (9)
admin on 11/29/2008 12:46:25
The way it is for me is about the same other than the boss making some employees leave and spread the extra load of work to a few of us poor suckers while others in the firm remain unchanged in the workload they have. It's not fair but hey, I've got a job and am living with-in my means. No real complaints so far.
Walt COFFEE
ttocs on 11/29/2008 14:19:30
I will read this later......... why are your posts so long :)
swez on 11/29/2008 18:19:28
Walt: Same deal here. We're 40% down from last year's manpower and the remaining crew is still pulling in good sales revenues. The hours are longer for everyone. But since we are paid on incentive, productivity and sales bonuses, most are seeing a 30%+ pay boost too. Like you, we work our butts off, but happy to have a steady job.
Ttocs: Deep thinkers tend to cover a wide swath in a topic, tend to write more details. For those who don't want/desire all the details, just skim for the key parts and respond as you see fit. How's the job market in your area?
Finally, my real thoughts here, are to figure out wants VS needs. Too many kids and adults don't know the differences.
Example: "I need a brand new car with all the bling"! Not exactly. We need a reliable ride that we can afford. We can always add some bling later if desired. The rest is optional, based on income, bills and other fixed expenses.
See da point?
Swez
cplkittle on 11/30/2008 14:43:34
The only crunch I have felt are the 10-20% increase in groceries that have not and probably will not subside even though gas has dropped $3/ gallon from what it was, and not being able to get credit.
I purchased a 60" projection TV for $100 from a family that was moving out of town last month, and have been in need of a tuner / receiver that switches audio and video to get all of my peripherials to connect to the TV. I applied for a credit card at Circuit City last week after a nice Denon unit caught my eye. DENIED! My credit score is not perfect, but I figured that low 600's would score enough credit to get the tuner. IMHO, that is the problem - denied credit. I am less than 2,000 in debt (mostly medical bills) and have not owned a credit card in 7 years. I am married, have an income of over 60k / year, I own my own home and an acre of land - no mortgage or bank note, and I have 2 paid off vehicles. Why can't I borrow $700 ? ? ? I will not borrow money against my car or home.. I shouldn't need to.
On the flipside, the company I work for is doing very well. We have lost a few big accounts, but our competitive pricing and free service are to credit for enough new business to keep me running around for awhile. This month I have had jobs in Nebraska, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Enough for 2 oil changes this month.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed
Victor on 11/30/2008 17:14:13
Being in a country with a rising economy, and one of the very few that are not badly affected by the crisis...
although this is slowly creeping into India as well...
I would see it this way...
These institutions have shown us advertises, developed advanced products that are not really our necessity, have shifted our focus from necessity and comfort towards luxury, and have made us habituated to credits.. spending the money that is not our hard earned one....
Easily available loans and credits, feels real sweet to raise our lifestyle ... but hey... imagine, if I was earning a megre amount i wouldnt have an opportunity to have an apartment of my own, well furnished with all the lifestyle products... we look at our short term gains and in the process have sunk into deep waters of credits and interests, these things have made our life so miserable that we don't really work in the right direction to get the hard earned money ...
I would always prefer spending of what i have in my pocket, rather than asking a credit company to buy something for me .....
If i have less, I spend less.
They make us dream, show us a dream that we would never dream of, ... They sell the dream to us ... then tell us hey, if u cant afford that dream, let us help you ... HELP... they could have helped us in the first place if they did'nt make us dream their custom made dream ... instead they help us with loans and interests.... An unending vicious circle...
The first thing one could do is stop taking credits .... you will notice a sudden crunch in your personal economics, you will also notice a lowering of your lifestyle... but this would be temporary, the moment you do this, you will be forced to find other means of income, your mind will start working in different directions and you will become a work horse...
then there will be a phase where your outstanding loans will start getting repaid, and you will realize that you have much more left on your hands to spend better... and then slowly and steadily you can regain a considerably comfortable lifestyle without the tensions and worries of repaying debts ...
don't spend everything and invest smartly ....
change from a debtor to an investor...
Victor....
MrBrownstone on 12/4/2008 17:33:01
Well (bad Reagan impression)
I believe the sky has fallen & we are just seeing some of the pieces of it now.
Let's put it this way, take every printed $ out of your pocket, every cash drawer til, every casino, every vending machine, etc. in America. That is around $800,000,000,000.00 which is nearly exactly what the government bailout was in September of this year.
Now, picture this, all of that money the government took from us, basically is burried in inflated real estate values and will NEVER BE RETURNED to us EVER!!!!
Repeat this process 10 times & you have our national debt.
Funny thing is, you could have either given:
1) $2,667.00 to every man woman child in the US or,
2) $250,000 in free homes to EVERY home in Foreclosure!!!
Question 1: So why did we give it to the stinking fools whom set up these loans & not the homeowner?
Question 2: So what does it mean that we currently have 1/2 of our GDP (gross domestic product) in debt owed to foreign countries?
Essentially, this recession/depression could last for 6-10 years or more much like the lovely devaluation of the US currency in the 1970s - 1986 or that of the 1930s. Why?
Do you have $63,000.00 to pony up & pay your share of the debt?
MrBrownstone on 12/4/2008 17:35:23
PS Since when did we get out of our 2001ish recession? I don't see the evidence here.
Hey Swez, those houses in Detroit still boarded up?
Save your money, stay away from non-liquid real estate, REITs or other trusts that noone will want to own.
It's not so much the indigestion, it's the fact that we have no food to replace what we threw up.
Ash on 12/4/2008 19:34:38
Interesting points being made here! I can remember in my teen years while doing some family traveling in between working a summer job, my dad stated that I was "stingy with money". I replied "yeah, but I'll always have some". Dad responded "you're right". My sisters would splurge at the malls while my lil brother would buy worthless junk. I pretty much went home with about 70% or more of what I came with.
I have pretty much kept that same attitude up til this day. I've never bought a car on credit, stay away from credit cards, and live meagerly. I still pretty much get what I want within reason when the time is right because I save, save, save, and bargain shop as much as possible! Bare in mind I have two kids that I'm helping to raise and pay my bills on time like normal. A little extreme, but it works for me.
On the other hand I see guys at work that make better than average wage for this area squander their earnings on bling, then depend on unpromising overtime to keep creditors from knocking on their doors. I've even been ridiculed for not "keeping up with the Jones", but now I'm the one who's not worried because I didn't indulge myself to impress others. You can actually see the fear in these guys faces because in reality they have nothing except a lot of debt along with the threat of losing their job. It's sad because it's a "I told you so" situation even though I don't throw it in their faces, but I think they get the idea.
This is part of the problem as well. We have to be smart enough to foresee when trouble is ahead and make the right moves to steer clear as much as possible. This means not being caught up in the luxurious life that just isn't necessary. It's not like you're not ever going to have anything nice, but there is a time and place for everything. Not looking out for rough times is just plain ignorant. I've had a truck, sedan, sports car, and boat simultaneously at some years ago. All running & paid for with cash that I saved. Wasn't top of the line or even new, but I still had decent financial security because I did it wisely. When I save up enough cash to attain without hurting my piggy bank, I made my move. Even if I had to wait a few years...
Now it's all about how much & how fast can one incur debt. Does that really make you into someone with a high status or just a "Shallow Hal". Even people earning high wages claim they are suffering, how? Too much debt and living out of their means, that's how. Wanting it all & wanting it now is the culprit. How can one be so ignorant not to see that?!!! Everyone knows what they can actually afford as opposed to what is out of reach, what is a necessity & what is unnecessary.
It is unfortunate that the innocent may suffer some behind those with greed, but that should be a wake up call to all. Instead of idolizing those who "have it all", those who are eking and still contempt should be the example!
Ash,
swez on 12/5/2008 02:09:27
Well said Ash! CLAP
I know many people that don't save much, spend every dime and live the "Big life" on credit. Now, they are deep in debt, creditors are calling all the time and they ignore the calls to their own peril.
Keeping up with the Jones' is not an intelligent way to live. They have a lot of "bling", but are cash poor by mid-month. They don't have a savings plan or safety net if bad times hit. If one does not have a sound budget and resist splurge spending, they'll hurt bad in times like these.
As you say, live below our means. Avoid credit card debt and defer all non-essential purchases until one can afford them with cash saved over time. My Ex did not understand that premise and guess who got all the bills later? She felt "Entitled" to live like her parents raised her.
Well, it's been almost 10 years to dig out of that deep hole. But today... I only buy what I can afford and it's cash on the barrel head for things I saved a long time for to buy. Have no debt, live a very frugal lifesyle and if the job dries up, still have about 6 months savings to live on as needed.
Forget the Jones', buying the bling and sleepless nights. As my dad taught us at the very early stages of life, "A fool and his money soon part". He was right!!! (Thanks Dad... CLAP) Have learned a few lessons the hard way and now take responsibility to manage things I can control.
In a nutshell, pay the bills on time, cut up the credit cards if one cannot pay them off at the end of each month and save enough to weather a job/income loss. We are living in very troubled economic times. It may take 2 years for all this "economic shiffling" to shake out and reset at sane levels.
Those who are wealthy are losing some value in their investments. (And they whine at such losses too) But the average Joe/Jane consumer have been feeling the pinch a lot deeper and a lot longer too.
The rich complain that they cannot afford to shop as much at Macy's, Sack's and other high end retailers this year. Okay, they can't get credit for a Hummer, Mercedes or a a new Lexus this year. (SO WHAT!)
The struggling masses are now on food stamps, shop at Thrift shops or Wal-Mart and hope there's enough left to put food on the table and pay the house note. They drive older vehicles and have to make do as needed.
Oh gee, I feel bad for those who cannot get a loan to buy a vacation home in the Hampton's, Boca or indulge in lavish vacations abroad. (Too bad for them)
Try living below the poverty line, getting food stamps to feed our families and facing foreclosure on the meager homes they now live in. That's a real reality check for some.
Finally, voters had their say this year. Okay, GWB will go back to his Crawford, TX ranch with a nice pension and other perks for life. Those who got the boot in this election, will still have a solid income and perks for life. (At Tax payers expense) If the average American had 30% of that slice of the pie, we'd be living it big! (Could we be happy and such with a salary of $180,000 a year for life + perks?)
Give me a break... 30% of that is over what what most people earn in 2-3 years as a grunt. Can most people live on $60,000 a year and full benefits and do nothing? Well yeah!
Think about that and let it sink in. (Who's getting screwed in the process? The America tax payer yes?)
Swez
Yes, jobs are being lost, homes are being foreclosed upon and there are many who are having to learn to do more with less. Is that a bad thing really? Some countries have lived in poverty for decades, but they seem to manage when given a chance to find their niche.
Frankly, I've had periods in life when things were really good and I bought only when bargains came up and needed to replace a few things that had worn out from use.
I've also been to the other extreme where jobs were far and few between and had to get help from a local church or organizations for groceries and other basic needs. Yes, that was a very difficult time, but somehow, all the basic needs were met by folks who had the means and cared. (One of our CK'ers sent a nice $$ gift when I was at the bottom. Now that he's hit bottom, I was able to send some $$ his way to keep him afloat) I wish I had more, but every little bit counts)
Today, we see an unprecidented set of "domino-effect" bail-outs, huge corporate failures, bad home loans going south in droves and errosion of the middle class earning power. (Not to mention record profits this summer by BIG OIL)
What's wrong with this picture? IMHO, we are not thinking straight, setting jadded priorities, not living within/below our means and allowing the media to infect us with fear and consternation. The media seems to tout bad news every week and the gloom and doom changes every few days.
Now, consider this... most of us here are average working-class Americans. We are not Wall Street brokers, politicians and upscale business people. All the crap we read and see in the news does not affect many of us in the "Service Sector".
As long as we have a steady paycheck coming in, keep our debts inline w/ income and save a little along the way, is that bad? It might be for the high finance world that basically ignores us because we don't leverage our future earning power, beyond our means. But, for the average Joe/Jane American, we just adapt, adjust our lifestyles as needed and watch the storm clouds pass with little negative imact.
As long as the bills are paid, we have adequate transportation, enough food to sustain and a solid roof over our heads, who cares what's going on at Wall Street? (Only greedy investors, Wall Street Investment firms and people who leverage their lives, well beyond their means. They do not need us, nor do they count us as worthy investment material.
Okay, I ask this last question and want to hear YOUR perspective.
"With all this crap going on in the mix, (there and anywhere else), has our general quality of life changed much or not? Are we letting the media feed our fears or just living life as it comes our way and adjusting as needed?
Think it over and add your 2 cents,
Swez
PS It's coming up on Christmas soon. We just saw "Black Friday" produce $10.6 Billion in retail sales already and last years' rate was $10.2 Billion.
Yes, the bargains are out there to bring in the crowds, but do we really need to spend $1,200.00, (or more) and go in debt in the process? I THINK not! What are your thoughts? The simple life works when we apply it deliberately and have enough to spare to help a friend or relative, going through a difficult time.
One thing I have noted, when we have more seed than needed, spread it around. When we need seed, it comes back 10 fold
Replies (9)
admin on 11/29/2008 12:46:25
The way it is for me is about the same other than the boss making some employees leave and spread the extra load of work to a few of us poor suckers while others in the firm remain unchanged in the workload they have. It's not fair but hey, I've got a job and am living with-in my means. No real complaints so far.
Walt COFFEE
ttocs on 11/29/2008 14:19:30
I will read this later......... why are your posts so long :)
swez on 11/29/2008 18:19:28
Walt: Same deal here. We're 40% down from last year's manpower and the remaining crew is still pulling in good sales revenues. The hours are longer for everyone. But since we are paid on incentive, productivity and sales bonuses, most are seeing a 30%+ pay boost too. Like you, we work our butts off, but happy to have a steady job.
Ttocs: Deep thinkers tend to cover a wide swath in a topic, tend to write more details. For those who don't want/desire all the details, just skim for the key parts and respond as you see fit. How's the job market in your area?
Finally, my real thoughts here, are to figure out wants VS needs. Too many kids and adults don't know the differences.
Example: "I need a brand new car with all the bling"! Not exactly. We need a reliable ride that we can afford. We can always add some bling later if desired. The rest is optional, based on income, bills and other fixed expenses.
See da point?
Swez
cplkittle on 11/30/2008 14:43:34
The only crunch I have felt are the 10-20% increase in groceries that have not and probably will not subside even though gas has dropped $3/ gallon from what it was, and not being able to get credit.
I purchased a 60" projection TV for $100 from a family that was moving out of town last month, and have been in need of a tuner / receiver that switches audio and video to get all of my peripherials to connect to the TV. I applied for a credit card at Circuit City last week after a nice Denon unit caught my eye. DENIED! My credit score is not perfect, but I figured that low 600's would score enough credit to get the tuner. IMHO, that is the problem - denied credit. I am less than 2,000 in debt (mostly medical bills) and have not owned a credit card in 7 years. I am married, have an income of over 60k / year, I own my own home and an acre of land - no mortgage or bank note, and I have 2 paid off vehicles. Why can't I borrow $700 ? ? ? I will not borrow money against my car or home.. I shouldn't need to.
On the flipside, the company I work for is doing very well. We have lost a few big accounts, but our competitive pricing and free service are to credit for enough new business to keep me running around for awhile. This month I have had jobs in Nebraska, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Enough for 2 oil changes this month.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed
Victor on 11/30/2008 17:14:13
Being in a country with a rising economy, and one of the very few that are not badly affected by the crisis...
although this is slowly creeping into India as well...
I would see it this way...
These institutions have shown us advertises, developed advanced products that are not really our necessity, have shifted our focus from necessity and comfort towards luxury, and have made us habituated to credits.. spending the money that is not our hard earned one....
Easily available loans and credits, feels real sweet to raise our lifestyle ... but hey... imagine, if I was earning a megre amount i wouldnt have an opportunity to have an apartment of my own, well furnished with all the lifestyle products... we look at our short term gains and in the process have sunk into deep waters of credits and interests, these things have made our life so miserable that we don't really work in the right direction to get the hard earned money ...
I would always prefer spending of what i have in my pocket, rather than asking a credit company to buy something for me .....
If i have less, I spend less.
They make us dream, show us a dream that we would never dream of, ... They sell the dream to us ... then tell us hey, if u cant afford that dream, let us help you ... HELP... they could have helped us in the first place if they did'nt make us dream their custom made dream ... instead they help us with loans and interests.... An unending vicious circle...
The first thing one could do is stop taking credits .... you will notice a sudden crunch in your personal economics, you will also notice a lowering of your lifestyle... but this would be temporary, the moment you do this, you will be forced to find other means of income, your mind will start working in different directions and you will become a work horse...
then there will be a phase where your outstanding loans will start getting repaid, and you will realize that you have much more left on your hands to spend better... and then slowly and steadily you can regain a considerably comfortable lifestyle without the tensions and worries of repaying debts ...
don't spend everything and invest smartly ....
change from a debtor to an investor...
Victor....
MrBrownstone on 12/4/2008 17:33:01
Well (bad Reagan impression)
I believe the sky has fallen & we are just seeing some of the pieces of it now.
Let's put it this way, take every printed $ out of your pocket, every cash drawer til, every casino, every vending machine, etc. in America. That is around $800,000,000,000.00 which is nearly exactly what the government bailout was in September of this year.
Now, picture this, all of that money the government took from us, basically is burried in inflated real estate values and will NEVER BE RETURNED to us EVER!!!!
Repeat this process 10 times & you have our national debt.
Funny thing is, you could have either given:
1) $2,667.00 to every man woman child in the US or,
2) $250,000 in free homes to EVERY home in Foreclosure!!!
Question 1: So why did we give it to the stinking fools whom set up these loans & not the homeowner?
Question 2: So what does it mean that we currently have 1/2 of our GDP (gross domestic product) in debt owed to foreign countries?
Essentially, this recession/depression could last for 6-10 years or more much like the lovely devaluation of the US currency in the 1970s - 1986 or that of the 1930s. Why?
Do you have $63,000.00 to pony up & pay your share of the debt?
MrBrownstone on 12/4/2008 17:35:23
PS Since when did we get out of our 2001ish recession? I don't see the evidence here.
Hey Swez, those houses in Detroit still boarded up?
Save your money, stay away from non-liquid real estate, REITs or other trusts that noone will want to own.
It's not so much the indigestion, it's the fact that we have no food to replace what we threw up.
Ash on 12/4/2008 19:34:38
Interesting points being made here! I can remember in my teen years while doing some family traveling in between working a summer job, my dad stated that I was "stingy with money". I replied "yeah, but I'll always have some". Dad responded "you're right". My sisters would splurge at the malls while my lil brother would buy worthless junk. I pretty much went home with about 70% or more of what I came with.
I have pretty much kept that same attitude up til this day. I've never bought a car on credit, stay away from credit cards, and live meagerly. I still pretty much get what I want within reason when the time is right because I save, save, save, and bargain shop as much as possible! Bare in mind I have two kids that I'm helping to raise and pay my bills on time like normal. A little extreme, but it works for me.
On the other hand I see guys at work that make better than average wage for this area squander their earnings on bling, then depend on unpromising overtime to keep creditors from knocking on their doors. I've even been ridiculed for not "keeping up with the Jones", but now I'm the one who's not worried because I didn't indulge myself to impress others. You can actually see the fear in these guys faces because in reality they have nothing except a lot of debt along with the threat of losing their job. It's sad because it's a "I told you so" situation even though I don't throw it in their faces, but I think they get the idea.
This is part of the problem as well. We have to be smart enough to foresee when trouble is ahead and make the right moves to steer clear as much as possible. This means not being caught up in the luxurious life that just isn't necessary. It's not like you're not ever going to have anything nice, but there is a time and place for everything. Not looking out for rough times is just plain ignorant. I've had a truck, sedan, sports car, and boat simultaneously at some years ago. All running & paid for with cash that I saved. Wasn't top of the line or even new, but I still had decent financial security because I did it wisely. When I save up enough cash to attain without hurting my piggy bank, I made my move. Even if I had to wait a few years...
Now it's all about how much & how fast can one incur debt. Does that really make you into someone with a high status or just a "Shallow Hal". Even people earning high wages claim they are suffering, how? Too much debt and living out of their means, that's how. Wanting it all & wanting it now is the culprit. How can one be so ignorant not to see that?!!! Everyone knows what they can actually afford as opposed to what is out of reach, what is a necessity & what is unnecessary.
It is unfortunate that the innocent may suffer some behind those with greed, but that should be a wake up call to all. Instead of idolizing those who "have it all", those who are eking and still contempt should be the example!
Ash,
swez on 12/5/2008 02:09:27
Well said Ash! CLAP
I know many people that don't save much, spend every dime and live the "Big life" on credit. Now, they are deep in debt, creditors are calling all the time and they ignore the calls to their own peril.
Keeping up with the Jones' is not an intelligent way to live. They have a lot of "bling", but are cash poor by mid-month. They don't have a savings plan or safety net if bad times hit. If one does not have a sound budget and resist splurge spending, they'll hurt bad in times like these.
As you say, live below our means. Avoid credit card debt and defer all non-essential purchases until one can afford them with cash saved over time. My Ex did not understand that premise and guess who got all the bills later? She felt "Entitled" to live like her parents raised her.
Well, it's been almost 10 years to dig out of that deep hole. But today... I only buy what I can afford and it's cash on the barrel head for things I saved a long time for to buy. Have no debt, live a very frugal lifesyle and if the job dries up, still have about 6 months savings to live on as needed.
Forget the Jones', buying the bling and sleepless nights. As my dad taught us at the very early stages of life, "A fool and his money soon part". He was right!!! (Thanks Dad... CLAP) Have learned a few lessons the hard way and now take responsibility to manage things I can control.
In a nutshell, pay the bills on time, cut up the credit cards if one cannot pay them off at the end of each month and save enough to weather a job/income loss. We are living in very troubled economic times. It may take 2 years for all this "economic shiffling" to shake out and reset at sane levels.
Those who are wealthy are losing some value in their investments. (And they whine at such losses too) But the average Joe/Jane consumer have been feeling the pinch a lot deeper and a lot longer too.
The rich complain that they cannot afford to shop as much at Macy's, Sack's and other high end retailers this year. Okay, they can't get credit for a Hummer, Mercedes or a a new Lexus this year. (SO WHAT!)
The struggling masses are now on food stamps, shop at Thrift shops or Wal-Mart and hope there's enough left to put food on the table and pay the house note. They drive older vehicles and have to make do as needed.
Oh gee, I feel bad for those who cannot get a loan to buy a vacation home in the Hampton's, Boca or indulge in lavish vacations abroad. (Too bad for them)
Try living below the poverty line, getting food stamps to feed our families and facing foreclosure on the meager homes they now live in. That's a real reality check for some.
Finally, voters had their say this year. Okay, GWB will go back to his Crawford, TX ranch with a nice pension and other perks for life. Those who got the boot in this election, will still have a solid income and perks for life. (At Tax payers expense) If the average American had 30% of that slice of the pie, we'd be living it big! (Could we be happy and such with a salary of $180,000 a year for life + perks?)
Give me a break... 30% of that is over what what most people earn in 2-3 years as a grunt. Can most people live on $60,000 a year and full benefits and do nothing? Well yeah!
Think about that and let it sink in. (Who's getting screwed in the process? The America tax payer yes?)
Swez
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