Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck

a reply to: face23785

I don't need help. I want my husband well. One medication for a month is 800. I already know I can't keep that up. Losing your home to medical bills is just something we live with here.

a reply to: MOMof3

You do need help. Admitting that is the first step to getting it. You're not an expert on everything. Experts may know something you don't.

a reply to: face23785

Thanks for caring. But I've already seen it happen to many of my 60+ peers. I am resigned to it. I don't know what is going to happen to us after no home. Assisted living is 6000 a month and the states and feds are planning to cut Medicaid by a bunch. Perhaps many of us will have to end it sooner.

a reply to: MOMof3

You can start here

cameronscrusaders.org...

There are lots of charities out there for just about anything you can imagine. If you or your husband belong to any ethnic groups, there's probably a charity for that, even if it's just one of those white ones. Also whatever his particular medical issue(s) is/are, there is probably a charity associated with it.

There's no reason to resign to something unpleasant if you can avoid it. A lot of folks in this thread seem to be advocating wealth redistribution, which is basically forced charity. Why not take advantage of voluntary charity? People have already given money to help people just like you. Some of the money may have even come from those evil rich people.

originally posted by: Daalder
Live within our means.
Very sensible!
In fact, so sensible that I can honestly say that is the one and only solution when living paycheck to paycheck.
And that goes for any income.
I have the absolute minimum and I'm doing fine.
I even get to save up a little for rainy days.
In fact ... there's enough savings now to even start spending a little on frivolous things now (like a tv and a car).
That being said: there is light at the end of every tunnel.

I hope you got a curved, 90 inch, super 4D HD television and flying DeLorean with 5-speed flux capacitor or other people will laugh at you for being a cheapskate.

Nothing but the best!

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: face23785

I don't need help. I want my husband well. One medication for a month is 800. I already know I can't keep that up. Losing your home to medical bills is just something we live with here.

Aye, that's harsh.

I hope something works out, things are a bit different in the UK when it comes to healthcare so I can't really relate to the situation on a personal level but many of us have been affected in some way by cancer. I think in terms of this particular thread your situation is exceptional.

I think the scope of the conversation is based on the idea that, in general - people are living more on the adge and saving less. A lot of people go through financial difficulties due to exceptional circumstances that we didn't intentionally get ourselves into and have no control over.

There are people out there who just had some rotten luck. But I think they are probably a small part of the majority. Many people out there do earn enough to live a decent and comfortable life...they just don't manage their money very well. For a lot of it, it's just greed and narcissism.

Like I said earlier...certain habits are far more prevalent now than they used to be. I know a lot of young people who don't seem to care about the future. They live the life of riley for a few days a month after they're paid then spend the rest of the month racking up payday loans and indulging in retail therapy.

Many people who live like this could live not only more financially secure but happier and less stressful lives. It's a vicious cycle - they have a great weekend getting wasted once or twice a month and blow their loot. They then suffer the 2 or three week low accumulating debt so that they can comfort shop and eat themselves happier until they can have their next binge.

This isn't rare, this is supposedly a good life, It's everywhere...it's fine blaming it on big business, bankers, elitists. Nobody forces little Tommy to waste all of his pay on the latest trendy training shoes. The people who live this sort of life and are in constant debt as the ones buying into and propping up the system.

So, exceptional circumstances aside, I think it's pretty reasonable to recognise the overwhelming truth of the general statement. There is a problem with how people are living and managing their finances. And there are also external influences pushing this idea that young people are only living a fun and worthwhile life if they're partying 24/7 and have all the best of things.

It seems now that people only want to work 5 days a week simply so they can over-indulge over the following 2 days.

It genuinely amazes me sometimes...and it also fascinates me, I see this a lot in work;

In the last ten years I've probably met hundreds upon hundreds of people, waiters, waitresses, barmen, chefs, porters...you name it - who got dunk (or whatever else) regularly, all the time. Several nights a week, in some cases every night of the week.

They'd come in hung over, sometimes still drunk or not come in at all. People I knew weren't earning great wages. People who, unlike myself, could potentially end up homeless - students and nomads living renting in a foreign country who'd rather risk losing their job and also their flat than miss going out and getting drunk 'til 4AM on a Monday or something.

This isn't normal, and it's unbelievably common.

I worked with a guy who, because he admitted he had a drink problem, could not be sacked...he worked in a kitchen. He used to get drunk in work and pee himself and stuff...and we had to work with him because he had a problem.

He stole, lied...never showed up. And that's just one particular guy...there were more.

It fascinates me because I can't see the fun or pleasure in it, why? What's fun about struggling when you dont have to? Being stressed when you don't have to? People say they use substances like alcohol because it helps them cope with their problems but I think they're puttig the cart before the horse.

Not just drugs, the retail high. The expectations that you'll be somehow highly regarded or held in high esteem if you own the most expensive, diamond encrusted phone.

People are self-medicating in so many different ways and it's pretty much being ignored. We blame the banks and big corps while we continue to sustain them by wanting more and more.

The horse goes in front of the cart.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: face23785

I don't need help. I want my husband well. One medication for a month is 800. I already know I can't keep that up. Losing your home to medical bills is just something we live with here.

And let me tell you that under a state run system like UK they will not cover rare case expensive drugs.

a reply to: LungFuMoShi

This was one of the most common things when I was counsel my junior Airmen. These guys weren't making that much money , some of them had families to support, and they're still blowing money left and right going out. I had one Airmen that was spending $200 EVERY WEEKEND at the clubs. For an E3 that's almost half his base pay per month. My dad works with similar people, making decent money for his area now but they're always broke because all their money goes to their alcohol or drug habit.

My neighbors moved to Mexico for cheaper personal care and drugs etc. Better life for them too...It is funny how the Mexicans want to come here and we want to go to Mexico...hehe

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and, as always:

Do NOT reply to this post!!

Unfortunately a lot of conversations around the topic goes this way. Just because you -could- make ends meet and save a little each month by cutting all sorts of corners.. why should people have to do this? The answer to your corporate masters making out like bandits while their workers struggle to get by isn't "spend more thriftily!" If corporations make more money.. their CEOs make bigger bonuses.. bigger paychecks.. why should their workers not see the fruits of THEIR labors?

It drives me crazy when I see topics about this, and people scoff "Omg learn how to cut corners!".. instead of addressing the actual PROBLEM.

There are other topics about bad spending.. credit cards.. homes people can't afford.. but those are different topics. This topic is about how many businesses are flourishing, but their employees are not seeing any of the windfalls of their hard work.

originally posted by: fleabit
Unfortunately a lot of conversations around the topic goes this way. Just because you -could- make ends meet and save a little each month by cutting all sorts of corners.. why should people have to do this?

I have a better question, why do you are entitled to have more than that at the expense of other people?

originally posted by: face23785

originally posted by: fleabit
Unfortunately a lot of conversations around the topic goes this way. Just because you -could- make ends meet and save a little each month by cutting all sorts of corners.. why should people have to do this?

I have a better question, why do you are entitled to have more than that at the expense of other people?

Ok I hear and have been hearing the entitled arguments for years. Thats not whats going on here. Why in the hell do the insurance firms and the HC providers feel so entitled? Oh with them its all cost related bottom line like yea BS. The citizens are being driven into economic madness by parasites.

a reply to: fleabit

This entitlement talk, in some of these contexts would have a real fan in King George. LOL "Piss ants want what?"

a reply to: Logarock

They're legally earning more money than you. If you want their money, you're entitled. Sorry if that term offends you.

As many have said, the real issue in America is income inequality and the fact that the dividends from the economy and increased production only go to the uber wealthy. It's a class war, not a race war. While race and gender issues are real on some topics, identity politics and all of this hysteria is being used to divide people and distract them from who the real masters are and the fact that 95% if not even more of us are not benefiting from real power, "privilege," etc.

a reply to: toysforadults

Without being partisan, you guys can thank deregulation and tax cuts for the rich since that time and accelerated since Reagan for all of this. It's factually linked policy wise. Like it or not, the glory days of American economy were when many of those regulations were in place and the top tax bracket paid much higher taxes. Equitable policies and regulations that ensure that more of the growth in GDP/person actually gets shared per person, is the only way to make it fairer. Not equal, but not obscene as it is now.

Wages for most groups have remained stagnant since the late 70's, adjusted for inflation. Some economists say we have even lost buying power since then. At the same time, economic production and gdp/capita has gone up. The ONLY people who have benefited from that are CEOs and the very wealthy, and it's demonstrable that their income and wages HAS gone up and basically harvested all of the benefits of the economy.

This is why I can't be right wing on the economy. Right winger policies most economists agree now basically only help the wealthy.

a reply to: seasonal

a reply to: fleabit

I think it would help if we drifted more towards Capitalism and away from Corporatism.
Under Capitalism, all parties have power at the bargaining table.
That should also include policies that corporate lobbyists write and pass off to politicians

Workers and Labor need to be part of that process.
Instead, the gains have all gone to the heads of corporations and investors and the workers have been punished

a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

Longwinded way of saying the people who take all the risk earn most of the rewards.

Gee, who'd'a thunk it?