Is it just my family or do you live pay check to paycheck with little in savings or checking accounts?

Question

Is it just my family? Growing up my parents had credit out the ying-yang, retirement funds, a few stocks/bonds, couple of cd's, reasonable savings account and so on. I don't know about you all but my family and I don't have that and it bothers me. We do fine in every day life...we have 2 vehicles, mortgage, some land, we take family vacations each summer but it always seems like we have to rob Peter to pay Paul or that shut off notice from the electric co!. Comments?

Answer 1

Oh dear I am right there with you. Me and hubby make good money have little credit card debt (less than 3000) and only one car payment. We both have good jobs that make good money but it just seems by the time payday rolls around and the bills are paid I am stressing for the next payday.
We do the same thing vacations things like that because I don't want to live miserly...but sometimes it would be nice to pay all the bills and not be stressed.

Answer 2

You have even more then I have, materially speaking. It's not just you, it's a lot of people. The cost of living is just too high were I live. Taxes are killing my family. We're seriously considering moving next year to another state.

I don't think the economy has gotten any better. We're importing more than we're exporting and we still haven't switched over to some other type of fuel in this country when we should have years ago. There's no incentive for many folks to stay at one job very long when so many businesses don't promote from within anymore. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. And since the rich are the ones in office, that won't be changing anytime soon. The gap continues to grow and that's exactly what they want.

A simple high school degree or even an Associates Degree doesn't cut it anymore. The good paying jobs are being outsourced to other countries where they can pay lower wages. Until America gets it's act together, we'll continue in a downward spiral.

Answer 3

Ugh, we don't have anything worth anything at all. 1 car we own, no mortgage, living paycheck to paycheck hoping we can make rent and groceries. We're so bad off, though, that we're living with family to make ends meet. I've seen most of the time that things do tend to work out eventually, unless you're totally irresponsible with money. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, why not look for a better job? Or get certified in a field that pays fairly well, that way you'll be more comfortable? My hubby's in a tech university right now, full time, so hopefully that will help in the longrun. It's about taking the initiative to improve your situation, not just sitting back and allowing it to continue.

Answer 4

Sound like you are digging your own cemetery. Stop right there buddy, take a seat with your family, calculate how much you all make and you should not spend more than what you have.

Make some adjustment, have allowance on monthly spending, pay utilities first, replace family vacation with family activity in the city, cut back on some credit card, soon you'll be able to pay everything without robbing anybody... Good Luck.

Answer 5

Same here but I'm considered "working poor" not middle class. I earn enough to pay the bills but thats a bout it. I was getting medicaid and a little in foodstamps, but after a .15 raise in April, they stopped both saying I make too much.
Considering now i have to pay for my medical expenses (no ins thru work) and my son is home for the summer - a growing teenager, I don't know how I'll ever get a head.

And I haven't even talked about gas prices and how that affects me.

I'm making above min wage but I'm not in the double digits either. I don't know how the people that make minimum wage do it cause I know I'm struggling and I'm a few dollars above that.

I think i need to find me a rich hubby or an obscure rich relative that will leave me something in his will.

Answer 6

Practically everyone is in this predicament. Back when out parents or grandparents were able to save there were major differences:
1.Income tax for state and federal was a lot lower.
2.Social security was a lot lower and not "broke" because congress had not yet spent the money on something else.
3.Politicians were more in touch with how everyone lived because they didn't make the huge salaries they get now plus the free stuff they vote themselves that the rest of us have to pay forr, like medical care, and massive pensions that they do not contribute much to.
4.Out-sourcing of jobs overseas was not legal because we didn't have NAFTA or GATT agreements on trade, and because there was no savings fo companies to out-source.
5.There was much less illegal immigration because the INS actually did its job and kept them out or sent them back. They don't really take jobs "Americans don't want." The reality is that if employers were not able to exploit the illegals and pay them less than legal wages, they would need to pay more and get Americans to do those jobs. Pay scales would rise for all jobs because they would really need to compete for workers.
something to think about.

Answer 7

Believe me, it not just you, join the millions out there who know what you are feeling. Just last night I was telling a friend of mine the exact same thing, having to rob Peter to pay Paul. It's only been these last 6 months that thuings have really hit bottom for me, it seems like to more money I make, the less I have to spend.

Answer 8

I know exactly what you mean. I live pay check to pay check also. And to make it even worse, I have a 6 week old baby. It seems like the bills never stop comming. I can't even afford to take a family vacation. I have one old busted car which needs a lot of work done on it. Example...A.C. And I just can't afford it. My advice to you is to just keep doing what you all are doing and you will make it. I mean you may not be living large but you doing enough to get by and even have a little fun with it.

Answer 9

I think that is a terrible way to live- you are constantly stressed out about whether you will be able to pay for the bills. If I were you, I would cut back on things that you don't need (ie- the family vacations, sell the land, etc).

I live that way too (so I know what you are talking about), but it is only because I am a student.

Answer 10

No it is definately not just your family. We constantly rob peter to pay paul. Also found out that the job market looks bleak as well. We just hang on. Most of us look stable but could fall apart at any minute. We have no savings cd's or anything. Just pray that nothing happens :0)