I know all about being thankful for what I have and I know all about looking around and seeing people who are worse off but damnit when two adults live in the richest most powerful country in the world and both adults work and have been at their jobs for several years and they don't owe credit cards or anything and don't waste money it's a damn crying shame that those two people cannot afford to leave the house. It's a damn shame that they can't afford to eat out or go on vacation or buy new clothes when the old ones don't fit anymore.

I am not looking for solutions or money saving tips (or pity). This time I just want to vent. I know that there is NOTHING you or I can do about it. I know that it's due mostly to greed on the part of those who make the decisions the rest of us have to live by.

I for once feel hopeless. I feel like even if we have Obama for President, and as far as I can see he is as different from politics as usual as anyone can be, that things won't be getting better for a long time.

The people who stand to lose their greedy profits just keep cutting things for the rest of us. The jobs keep leaving the quality of products goes down while the prices go up.

And idiots write to the local newspaper that it's good because people bought houses they cannot afford and drive their cars too much! Idiot. We bought the cheapest house we could find so we COULD afford it. And now the 12 miles to town seem like a hundred.

I am mad as hell.

Like I said I don't want any more moneysaving tips. I just want to bitch. So let's make this the complaining thread.

Are you mad? Let's hear it!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Curse the fire in my brain....stabbing me...agony...i can't take it...i won't ...i WoN't...I WON'T...I...I ...ahhhh!!! LOL!

I hear ya!

I know that usually for us, summer break means a few camping trips along with a few trips to visit family three hours away...with a bunch of free things mixed in. This summer break means sitting around and only going camping once and not visiting family.

We are also a family that chose a home that was well within our budget and we don't drive frivilously (sp?)...we don't charge things and maybe right now that is our down-fall. It seems that if we want to even have gas to get to the movie theater, we might have to charge it....(to see a free movie)

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Think about helping out with cancer...
Join the Relay for Life

I couldn't agree with you more. I feel such frustration because my husband and I have always worked, haven't lived off others, bought a house far too small because it was affordable and raised our kids in it. Now is the time things should be a little easier and instead things are harder. All that being said, I'm still gonna try and work on being more of an optimist because I can't get anywhere unless I do.

Laurie

I am mad too! It *seems* the good honest people are getting the shaft. For example, my neighbor has his house in foreclosure. He hasn't made a payment in over 2 years (he has personally told me this). His payment was about $2200 a month (again, I was told this). His bank is not making him move out until his house is old to someone. So, it's already been 2 years rent/mortgage free and up to another year or more. So, he should have over $50K right now in cash he didn't pay to the bank. Tell me how that is fair? I would LOVE to live in my house rent/mortgage free. He is using the system and profiting from it. Who knows how long he'll get to live there. Oh, and that's just one example in my neighborhood. They can buy new *toys* and go to concerts, etc and I am actually paying my bills (egads!).

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I couldn't agree more!

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Brenda

GO #24 JEFF GORDON

Okay, so this is just a gripe fest - I'm going to join in.

I'm ticked that our neighbor (allegedly until proven in court) lied to us, scammed us out of almost $160,000 while he continues to drive his Mercedes (that I am suspecting my money helped pay for- I can't prove it of course because Gino Moya refuses to show us how he used our money) while we have to struggle to pay a debt that in my opinion belongs to Humberto B. Moya. I wish the justice system worked faster but I take comfort in knowing that this will all be exposed soon (yes, Ted we are filing...join the lawsuit if you wish). I refuse to be silenced. I decided to turn from victim to advocate. I'll have my website up soon.

Okay - I feel better now; thanks for starting this theraputic thread! (maybe now none of us will go berserk in the 99 cent store) just kidding, I know none of us would do that.

__________________
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near."

I'm mad about the cost of milk(and all other groceries), and then when I do buy it at walmart, it's rancid(same day I bought it), and the expiration date is 2 weeks away. And so I have to make a special trip to take it back to the store(in between my trips to the hospital to see my son who has now been in for a month, I'll complain about gas later), and the cs lady acts like I'm an idiot for opening 3 gal of milk and bringing them all back for a refund... Then has the gall to ask if I want to just do an exchange.... Um, no, I'll get it at Costco now, THANKS... I hate grocery stores...

Oh, Anna, I'm right there with you, sister!

The Government (FAFSA) seems to think we can afford $629 (Parent Portion) a month tuition and my DS is not eligible for even the Pell Grant. Sure we can...that's why I'm still driving my '94 Ford escort, DH his '91 F150, and DS his '02 Mazda. If I had a spare $600+ a month I would have a newer car.

It's all how it looks on paper, not in "REAL LIFE".

Heck, I just paid $51.11 to fill my son's car. The gas pump kicked off at $75 (Pump Max allowed) when DH tried to fill his truck. But you all know that scenario!

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Mary

Try having 2 in college at the same time. It's like buying a new car every 6 months! My husband and I both work full time and have good jobs, but college tuition is ridiculous. And to leave that kind of burdon for the kids to pay would just be cruel. My daughter's tuition has gone up $8,000 since she started there 3 years ago. It's unreal.

I'll join in as well. I am pissed that I just spent $25 to put 6.33 gallons of gas in my car-unfortunately, it's an Expedition so that will get me maybe 100miles. I am also pissed that our rental property has gone down in city assessments $63K in ONE year. We have renters in there right now who have been working to try to buy the property, but now they cannot secure the loan due to the assessment, and we can't sell it for any less because of what we owe on it. I don't remember bending over, but somehow or another....I won't finish that sentence. So now, we have to still figure out where to get tuition $$ for our son at the last minute, and I don't know if he'll qualify for anything due to us having two mortgages, and I am totally freaking out that I may have to tell him he will have to go to the community college, when he has his heart set on going away, and has worked so hard to get into the school he wants. I am also pissed that DH's bosses have realized that several of the employees are way underpaid, and they have been talking for a couple of months that things would get better in June. It's now June 20th, and nothing. I am encouraging him to start looking elsewhere. Ok, that felt good. Thank you Anna!

Add me to the list of the dissatisfied/concerned with our economy.
And I think that my anger stems from the fact that I have done everything by the book. Worked hard, paid my bills, didn't overextend myself, yada yada yada. And yet I don't seem to be at a place where I can not rest and enjoy but I have to struggle just to maintain.

Ok now it's off to work ($9 worth of gas to get there) to earn my daily bread (less 33% taxes) so I can help boost our economy.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

I have quit buying milk & 1/2 & 1/2 for DHs coffee at WalMart - it always goes bad way before expiration. We think they don't store it cold enough - either in their coolers or in transport. I buy a ton of non-perishables there, though!

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

Hell, I can't even go to the 99 cent store...They took that away from us too!...It seems like very dollar store around here has gone out of business...three that I can think of right off the bat. The only one that has stayed in business is the Dollar Tree. The little guy can't seem to stay afloat anymore. I'm mad...give me back my dollar stores! ~Lisa

I have stopped driving due to the high gas prices. We just have to stay t home and find something to do. Our grocery bill went up $100 in the past 3 month and we are not buying anything we didn't buy then. We would LOVE to buy a house but the prices are just too high out here.

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Calling a illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."

I'll join in.
I just went to pick up ds's Rx at Walmart... $171.60
It should only be $8 with ins. but they were having trouble with my card. So I drive home call the Ins. company and their office hours are Mon -Fri 7am- 6pm. It was almost 7pm when I called. So I went back and bought the absolute min. he would need until Monday. It was almost $40.

So either I won't be driving this week, or I'll be trading in my dignity for gas money.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

What I don't understand is how the hell the policymakers the people who control things would let this happen. It's not like we're saying "oh dear I can't afford my caviar" or "darn I like driving across the street to my neighbor's house now I'll have to walk" We (Americans in general) are talking about making choices between driving to work for money to pay bills and eating or buying medicine.
What about after summer? What will happen with all those communiities that count on tourist dollars to carry them through the year?

I am so mad and tired of hearing about how "we" got "ourselves" into this situation! Have we not been encouraged fot he last fifty years to spend spend spend, charge charge charge, drive drive drive?

How do these people sleep with themselves at night? They are driving luxury cars, wearing Armani suits, living in mansions or skyscrapers. They laugh at us. Many of the rich and policymakers believe in the Calvanistic veiw that is simplistically speaking: if you are financially poor then you have done something to displease God or to deserve it.

They believe it. That's why they don't rush to help hurricane victims or help people with foreclosures. It's crap to say people are losing their homes because they are greedy. I know people who paid their mortgage for several years and when the adjustable went up NOBODY would refinance them. Now tell me how can they say that someone who has been living in the house for two or three years can't afford the payments? Greed that's how.

I hope there is a special place in Hell for these people.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I agree totally with everything everyone is saying. You work hard all your life and start planning for retirement. Ya right this economy is scaring me to death. I can honestly say that before this year I always felt comfortable about the economy. I got my electric bill today for 369.00. I own a ranch. We bought a jhouse under what we could afford so that we would have security. No new cars and charge card debt. I can say I dont feel good about living in the U.S.A right now. Our dollar overseas sucks. What is going to make the government open there eyes. All they do is talk, talk, talk. That did feel good. Wont even get into gas prices. nancy

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

I would LOVE to complain - scream and shout about how unjust this all is....,but I am just so scared at this point...

We are nearing retirement, and I just don't see how we are going to do it. We have one son in college, and my friend who works at the student loan division in her bank said that they are pulling out of servicing student loans due to something the government has done - it is not worth it for them. She is worried about how her son is going to finance his college education. She is a single mom and "they" say she makes too much for her son to qualify for PELL or TAP. Uhmmm, I don't think so.

My son says "well the financial aid office and the bank said that, according to everything I gave them, my parents could afford to pay for my college". Oh, really....well, that could be because your father was let go during the last layoff after nearly 25 years with the same company and they gave him a "lump sum" severance - which is nowhere near what he would have gotten in retirement, and all the benefits he lost - but you just happened to start college at the same time this happened!!!

I know we will struggle through, but I was so hoping that all those years building up to retirement was suppose to be the struggle....then we get a little break.

Well, I THINK I feel a little better....lol....thanks!

In the fall we'll have 3 in college! Oldest DD decided to go back and finish up her AA after taking a year off to do the cruise ship dancer thing. She has a full scholarship at an arts college plus Fla Prepaid, so we will "only" have to worry about her room & board. That will still be about $500-600 monthly. She'll still have to get a job up there to make ends meet. The other two just graduated HS and have decided to start out at the local community college, they both have Bright Futures scholarships & Fla Prepaid college and they will live at home, otherwise we'd be in HUGE trouble.

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Come and visit the gang at TLJ
PM me for info

[quote=annadrose;3009092]What I don't understand is how the hell the policymakers the people who control things would let this happen. It's not like we're saying "oh dear I can't afford my caviar" or "darn I like driving across the street to my neighbor's house now I'll have to walk" We (Americans in general) are talking about making choices between driving to work for money to pay bills and eating or buying medicine.
What about after summer? What will happen with all those communiities that count on tourist dollars to carry them through the year?

I am so mad and tired of hearing about how "we" got "ourselves" into this situation! Have we not been encouraged fot he last fifty years to spend spend spend, charge charge charge, drive drive drive?

How do these people sleep with themselves at night? They are driving luxury cars, wearing Armani suits, living in mansions or skyscrapers. They laugh at us. Many of the rich and policymakers believe in the Calvanistic veiw that is simplistically speaking: if you are financially poor then you have done something to displease God or to deserve it.

They believe it. That's why they don't rush to help hurricane victims or help people with foreclosures. It's crap to say people are losing their homes because they are greedy. I know people who paid their mortgage for several years and when the adjustable went up NOBODY would refinance them. Now tell me how can they say that someone who has been living in the house for two or three years can't afford the payments? Greed that's how.

And I wasn't going to add this, but decided too, because I am pissed about this too, and it's just not right. When our son was sick and in treatment for a year, our insurance company probably paid well over $300K for his treatment, if not a bit more. One of Pat's drugs that he took every three weeks was $6000 per shot. That being said, we paid through the nose for co-pays, on top of what insurance paid. Given the extra expenses, we cashed in Patrick's college fund, his younger brother's college fund, and a lot of DH's 401K. And we are still in debt probably about $20K in what we owe, and still have CT scans/MRI's/visits ($500 deductible) every three mos. Yes, Patrick is fine, and I would sell myself on a street corner if it meant getting him the awesome care that he got, but when I sat in the clinic, with a single teenage mom, who bragged out loud that she had no co-pays, and was reading the Black Friday ads and making a pretty good list (out loud again) of the big electronic items she was going to buy herself for Christmas---that pisses me off too! And when I see that same hospital doing telethons, and raising huge amounts of $$, and not giving me any break at all, but still stating that they will help every child, regardless of financial situation-I just want to puke! Again, when did I bend over????


Like I said, the city assessment on our rental property went down $63K in one year on a $379K house, in a neighborhood where homes are still actually selling. Our house that we live in now which is over 500K, in a neighborhood where houses have been on the market well over a year, only went down about $20K-only about 3miles away-same awesome schools. . We wanted to sell the rental property, and had ready, and very willing buyers, and agreed on a price (which at that point we were still going to lose about 11K), but now we are hosed. Honestly, if our renters weren't so wonderful, at this point, I would consider just walking into the bank and handing in the keys-I am so frickin' disgusted! We do lose $$ on that house every month, but counted on selling it. I can't believe the city did that to us. We thought we were doing well when we could afford not only our dream house, but to keep an investment property as well. It really sucks right now. Those renters are only in til August, and at that point, I really do not know what's going to happen.

Linnybop, I am honestly near tears reading about your trials. Mine seems so small next to what you have gone and are going thru.

I'm so glad Patrick is doing well. Hopefully you'll be able to get new tenants in your home, or maybe even be able to sell it if that's what you want.

I do agree with you that those that could not refinance, should have made an honest effort to put something toward their payments. What did they do with the money they had been using to pay the mortgage????

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Mary

Make sure to post the website when you get it up. I'm sure everyone here hasn't heard enough of this intriguing story.

Rebecca

ITA with every single one of you!!!

I believe it's time for another revolution, sad thing is we can't dump gas in the harbor like it was tea

THANKS King george!!(name not capitalized for good reason)

If we all had the time to stand up together in protest against all this crap, we could do something. Trouble with that is we would starve to death while standing up. Thats how strangled all the middle/lower income people are right now.

I wish I knew the outcome of all this but I think it's gonna get much worse for us all before it gets any better, if it even can

I'm with you, I'm starting to get scared, because I know it's going to get worse before it starts getting better. I worry how I'm going to feed all the kids a year down the road, if our groceries have gone up almost a 100 a week now. I think policy makers just don't get it since most of them are very well off

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Nicole

Thank goodness the all knowing govt is confirming we are not in a recession, guess we all must be imagining this stuff huh! Ugh. ITA on gas, food prices, cost of living etc. It stinks and sadly I think it's just gonna get worse.

It is this type of whining entitlement attitude that makes me think this country is ripe for a takeover and no one would resist.
All I hear is gas should cost this much, groceries are too expensive boo hoo.
Well what adjustments do you make for that.
No one owes you anything including the GOVT. Just more whining the prices of things should stay where it is comfortable for me to afford things and still keep my lifestyle going.
Cable and internet are a right, I shouldn't have to give those up to get through a rocky period.
Wah wah.
My grandparents and I am sure many of your or parents lived through the depression and the WWII. Doing without was a way of life. But nobody wants to do that anymore. It is easier to sit on their fat butts and whine and complain.
I believe that if they were as soft as people have gotten now the US would never have recovered the way it did.

You have a right to your opinion. We all work hard and deserve better from our leaders. I don't see any of them giving anything up or suffering.

The fact of the matter is that the people who are our leaders PROFIT FINANCIALLY FROM THIS SITUATION

That is morally reprehensible.

And we have a right to complain.

Nobody here is asking for anything for free. We just want to have the opportunity after working our asses all year for unappreciative people who are profitting off the skin of our backs to take a vacation.

We want to buy food, fuel and clothing.

If that is a sense of entitlement you must have grown up in a horrbily impoverished place.

I was born and raised in The United States of America in the 1960s and 1970s when my father worked hard and provided a lot for his family.
When the CEO did not make 100 thousand times the wage of the guy putting the money in his pocket.
When food was safe.

So I am going to tell you that you are entitled (see how I know the different meanings of that word?) to your opinion. However you are wrong. We have a right to complain. And we are not asking for welfare we are asking for the American Dream a chance to have it.

So keep complaining on this thread and on other threads we will count our blessings and CONTINUE to help each other by posting gas saving, money saving and sanity saving tips.

And you DO have a right to be MAD as HELL.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Our electric bill is going up over 10%. They just increased our rates last year. I think things that are necessary, like electricity, there should not be big salaries for the CEOs and such. But,like everything else, it is a money making "business", and really.....what can you do??? Not like there is another company you can go to.

It is getting pretty scary with the prices of everything going up so much. I don't think we have an extravogent lifestyle, that's for sure.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Lunia24
Please walk in my shoes for a while and then post.

Couldn't have said it better Anna!!

You know, it really annoys me when people say how they "work their ass off". It makes it sound like they're working in horrible sweatshops.

Come on, how many people actually work that hard? LET ME BE VERY CLEAR: I'm not saying that SOME people don't, in fact, work very hard to make a living, especially single parents, but personally I do not know ONE single person (family, friend, neighbor, acquaintance) who complains about how hard they work. (They might not love their job, but that's a different issue.) To me, "working your ass off" implies either hard physical labor or lots of overtime hours on the job. I can't think of a single person who has a really crummy job.

It seems like most working Americans work retail in a store or in a nice, air-conditioned office, or in a hospital, or in sales, etc.

Forgot to say that I think the most serious issue facing people is the high cost of medical care. My pension is $681 a month and I pay $778 a month for medical premiums for just me

Really?

I know lots of people that work labor intensive jobs. I guess we're just lower on the social ladder than you.

Dh works in an aluminum foundry. It hot as hell in there, even in the winter, and very physically demanding. I use to worked there too. He used to get a lot of overtime time, but with the economy they've had to slow down.

It's a good paying job though, around here anyway.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

Yes, everyone has the right to complain.

And yes, it could be worse. For some posters, I can't figure out how you can't be getting along pretty well since you have no credit card debt and no other debts and both you and DH are working full time. You're in good health. You have health insurance. Where's your money going? I know the prices of things have gone up and continue to go up, but I would think if some of you are making good money (remember the poll where someone asked how much your family made?), you have no credit card debts, etc., then you still should be doing well for yourselves.

It's the folks with the high medical bills, no insurance, sickness, disabilities, high credit card debt that should be doing the hand-wringing. Those are the people who should be worried about tomorrow.

I'm sure our parents and grandparents had it much worse during the Depression. Why do you think the generations before us hoarded everything? Now we are such a wasteful society and maybe it's coming back to bite us.

Bf has a work labor intensive job.He welds 10 hrs a day , 6 days a week in a baking hot building with a helmet on surrounded by welding flames all day long.To me that would seem like pure HELL if not torture. Poor baby. This vent is for him.

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The sarcasm wasn't necessary Labor-intensive jobs have NOTHING to do with the "social ladder". Your DH OBVIOUSLY does work his ass off -- so OBVIOUSLY I was not talking about him.

I worked in an office for 36 years and DH worked in a plant so we hardly qualify as being high on the social ladder.

You missed my point entirely.

Maybe it wasn't necessary, sorry.

You said you don't know anyone that works a really hard job. I find that a bit strange, I guess. Most of the people we know do construction, factory work, ect. Different circles I guess.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

When I feel like getting mad, I take a moment and be thankful for what I have. I'm so thankful to be alive that gas prices, groceries and everything is else going up is a bump in the road. After dealing with 2 kinds of cancer, I'm thankful to be here to deal with all of this.

I agree with you here. We pay about 10K a year just on heath Ins, and still have plenty of bills left over from Co pays, deductibles, and whatever they arbitrarily decided they don't want to pay for.

We've just finally payed off the hospital from when my ds was sick in 03/04. He was seeing an ENT, plastic surgeon, and an oncologist. The all wanted different tests, lots of them. And after several stays in the hospital and 2 surgeries we were left with a mountain of bills, even with insurance.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

My husband works physical labor in a facotry. I don't work physical labor but I am out in the field in all four seasons going to peoples' houses who don't want me there. I work through holidays etc and don't get ONE SINGLE benefit of any kind-not vacation pay, not a pension, NOTHING. And I don't work for some fly by night operation I work for the federal govt who does everything they can to screw me and you know what it's still better than most of the other jobs available in my area.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I agree that the ecomony really sucks right now. With the direction that things keep heading, I don't ever see us retiring. Even DH has been very distraught with his job lately, and that's uncharacteristic him. He works his butt off 50-60 hours a week and they keep finding excuses not to give him his bonuses. And, it seems like any time we get a little money saved up, an emergency comes up or something happens that wipes it out. 1 step forward, 2 steps back. It's always a struggle just to stay afloat.

.

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No outfit is complete without cat hairs!

~~~MsMiser

My goodness...I am taking a burn to those of you who have popped in to let it be known that YOU don't feel we have a right to complain. If we feel like having a "pity party", why don't you just move on. We are just voicing our concerns over some very legitimate changes that have occurred recently. Since this is a shopping board, obviously we have been doing our best to make the most out of each dollar. If we are concerned as to whether we will be able to make it during these difficult times, let us voice it without having to justify whether we are working hard enough to justify it.

Jeez....we are not talking about going on welfare or food stamps...we are talking about how are we going to survive with everything going up but our paychecks.

While things are extremely expensive right now, I can't really complain.

My husband hasn't had a raise in four years as things have been very tight at his workplace - a non-profit that relies heavily on donations, which have of course been down as the economy has slowed.

Still, I feel very fortunate. When I consider images we see of genocide and starvation in Africa and other impoverished areas of the world, we have little room to complain. When I think of my Gram telling me about the time she'd been saving for ten months for a high chair - TEN MONTHS, which I can't even fathom given that I just waltzed out to WalMart and bought one when I needed it - and ended up giving that money to her sister-in-law to drive 90 miles away to a hospital to see her husband, who had been on a job site and suffered a heart attack and they had absolutely no other way for her to get there without Gram emptying the jar in her kitchen cupboard... I realize I live a very cushy life.

I think in the course of a lifetime, we have to expect there to be good economic times and bad economic times. Things were terrible in the 40's.... pretty rotten in the 70's.... and now it's our turn to work our way through tight times. I'm driving a lot less. Buying fewer clothes. Making fewer trips to WalMart 'just to check something out' and coming home with bags of stuff I really didn't need. Growing tomatoes and peppers in my yard. Cutting my dog's hair rather than having him groomed. Getting haircuts a few weeks later than we typically would. Mending clothes when in the past I'd have stuck them in the Goodwill pile and headed to the city to buy replacement jeans.

It's a set of sacrifices I'm willing to make. They pale in comparison to the days of Herbert Hoover. I think we've had it so good for so long that we really don't have great perspective about 'need vs. wants'. Cell phones. Cable. Drinking soda/juices vs. water. Living where we *want* to live and thinking we're entitled to live there at a price we can afford... which makes me again remember my Gram telling about moving from Arkansas to Missouri to Colorado in the course of five years on a train with their limited livestock and belongings, trying to find somewhere they could afford to live....

It's harder. I won't deny that. But I still think we're pretty darn blessed.

Well, I can tell from your posting history that you like to argue, so I don't think this is worth taking personally. Still, I don't think most people made it through the depression without some complaining, and I know that, and the wars, were a source of angst. People are still people, and if we'd had the chance to vent online then, I'm sure we would have taken it.

Any responsible government should exist to care for its people. Otherwise, it's negligent. Feeling that our leaders should exist to serve us isn't about feeling entitled, it's about wanting reasonable leadership. Currently, I'd say that's lacking.

I agree, I thought the original poster started this as a gripe thread, just for us to vent. I totally expect to hear lots of complaining. Misery loves company. It's a comfort to know that we're not alone and others are in the same boat.

__________________
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near."

I don't see how anyone making minimum wage can afford gas to get to work

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Well, while we are not slinging hay bales all day, or hanging out in the rice paddies with our scoops, I think a lot of us really do work hard. DH is salaried. He leaves the house around 7am, and returns home a bit before 7pm-he's got one of those really cushy jobs-in an office building that has actually has A/C- let me not even mention the beautiful view of the harbor--might make it sound like he's on vacation all day! I'll also add that he rarely takes a lunch break or even eats lunch-he is just that busy. While he may not be working his ass off, he is working his brain off, working his patience off, and has a stress level that is through the roof. I am not even going to mention the Blackberry that is on 24/7 with constant emails from his counterparts. I would totally love DH to be working his ass off-instead, he is a walking heart-attack. And I know he is not the only one. Yes, some people do work THAT hard.

Lunia24 and Keliijef (sorry about the spelling) we started this board to complain, so if you don't like it go away. Hello, it was stated up front that was what was going to be done!! My God, you can always find someone that's worse off than yourself. Yes, I work in an air conditioned building(when did that become an item of entitlement, it is 2008, not 1940's) but when I am there my mind is in full gear. Get off of here if you don't like it, because I for one know that my stress level is sky high because of all the prices. So if you are fine and perfect, did everything right along the course of your life, just sit back and pat yourself on the back. Leave us poor souls alone to whine and complain together. We have coupons to clip and gas and electrical prices to compare.

You've got a lot of nerve

I never said I was "fine and perfect". Not that it's any of your business, but my 61 year-old DH recently had a heart attack (resulting in 4 bypasses AND an emergency ulcer surgery) TWO DAYS BEFORE OUR DAUGHTER'S WEDDING. The doctors have told us that he should be dead, but he seems to be doing well right now. So don't talk to me about "stress". I wish to God that the biggest stress in my life was "high prices"