(Not) Keeping Up with Our Parents: Just Being Middle Class Is Becoming out of Reach

[msu17 0]

RJ, soooo true. Going into graphic design and expect a job in Detroit = Not going to happen...

[GaryC 7]

Hell, all I have is a AAS and Luz has no degree and without any trouble we will make close to $90K this year. The middle class is easy to attain, all a person has to do is make the right choices and not blame everything on America.

Congratulations!

It wasn't meant to sound braggadocios although it came out that way. I was trying to make a point that a person gets out of life what they put in it.

Gary, I think the point of the article (if you take the 'couple' out of it) is it's not quite so easy get out of life what you put into it in America as it used to be.

And that same point is where your comment struck some nerves. Including mine.

Sorry if it caused you heartburn, it wasn't meant to. The point is that America has changed from the 50's and 60's. It's expected. The American dream is still out there but not with the same formula that existed for our parents. It isn't harder, it's just different.

Gary, I think it's harder. Employers are not giving out the bennies like they used to anymore and at the moment there's no alternative equal to what was available in the 50's/60's. Health care used to be FREE to the worker with a good job. I remember when my Dad's employer decided to start asking for employee contributions. They were the LAST employer in the valley to do that and you would have thought the sky was falling. But....there's no such thing as FREE health care anymore. So that's just one thing that makes life harder.

That is one of the ways it's different today. Lets not get into the health care issue, I just don't want that argument today. But my point is this, the American dream is still there. It can be attained through the right choices. America has changed. Some for the better, some for the worst. But it is still a country that offers great opportunities to those that work hard and make good choices.

[rebeccajo 14]

Gary, I think it's harder. Employers are not giving out the bennies like they used to anymore and at the moment there's no alternative equal to what was available in the 50's/60's. Health care used to be FREE to the worker with a good job. I remember when my Dad's employer decided to start asking for employee contributions. They were the LAST employer in the valley to do that and you would have thought the sky was falling. But....there's no such thing as FREE health care anymore. So that's just one thing that makes life harder.

That is one of the ways it's different today. Lets not get into the health care issue, I just don't want that argument today. But my point is this, the American dream is still there. It can be attained through the right choices. America has changed. Some for the better, some for the worst. But it is still a country that offers great opportunities to those that work hard and make good choices.

I didn't bring up health care to argue about it. I brought it up as a fact.

Sure, life in the US is still preferable to life in many nations. Bottom line though is the American Dream isn't as readily available to as many people as it was in the past. And that was one of the things that made our Nation great.

[jundp 191]

Then they should move. This is a big country with tons of opportunity.

Maybe. It can be hard though. Employers don't want to hire non-local people unless they absolutely have to. They don't want to pay for relocation and all of that. Then no one wants to rent to you (I think in their situation, they would have no choice) without a job. So, a lot of people are stuck having to move somewhere and living in a motel for awhile while they find a job in the new area. Running two households is expensive. It is a huge gamble when you have three children to support. Some people are lucky enough to have family or friends where there is more opportunity, not everyone though. Moving sounds simple on its face, but when you have a house to sell, lots of debt, kids to support, it is something else completely.

I do think they are kind of stupid. I make half of what they do, but I am not in the poor house. I think I could live very well on their income.

It's hard to say about the choices this couple made. Too many "whatifs."

But it's difficult to understand why things are so bad for them. I have 2 kids, I'm a single mom, and I'm a teacher. I have an assload of student loans I'll be paying off for the rest of my (might be a bit dramatic) and I make almost what that couple makes. No matter where you go in this country, a high school teacher isn't going to make a ton of money, even with a master's degree and experience. But I've managed to do just fine. I have some debts besides student loans, and I've worked more than one job at times to make ends meet.

I think the real problem here is child care. It's too difficult to have children and pay for child care if you don't make a ton of money or don't have money set aside. Sometimes the financial benefits of staying home are much greater than working and (after child care) only bringing home an extra $100 or so.

That being said, yes times have changed. My dad raised 5 kids (at home) on the salary of an Air Force man. I couldn't imagine doing that now.

[Ban Hammer 14,668]

[nivesito 0]

I talked to my husband, his parents and some friends about how it was before and today and they all agreed the standard of living is lower then it was.

Looking for jobs around even with a degree you’re lucky if you can get $45.000 a year. My mom makes that kind of money back in Croatia and she’s a physiotherapist.

Living in the area where monthly rent average is $1700 and average price of homes $450.000 it’s not easy. My husband makes way above average (he has a really good government job and bachelors degree) and we still need to be really careful about how we spend our money. We are not sure when we’ll be able to have kids ($1000/month day care per child!!!). We can’t afford to eat out much, we cook a lot and eat at home, and we need to be really careful about what we buy at the grocery store. If we need clothes we go to outlet stores.

I know a girl who works at the store for $6/hour which I guess according to some people is her own fault because she doesn’t have a degree but the point is it’s the same hourly wage as it was 10 years ago and prices of everything went up.

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

It's hard to say about the choices this couple made. Too many "whatifs."

But it's difficult to understand why things are so bad for them. I have 2 kids, I'm a single mom, and I'm a teacher. I have an assload of student loans I'll be paying off for the rest of my (might be a bit dramatic) and I make almost what that couple makes. No matter where you go in this country, a high school teacher isn't going to make a ton of money, even with a master's degree and experience. But I've managed to do just fine. I have some debts besides student loans, and I've worked more than one job at times to make ends meet.

LOL, maybe I should get into teaching if you make almost $75k a year at that. I guess what a 'ton of money' is is pretty relative.

[rebeccajo 14]

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

In America we call those people 'the working poor'. It's a new class of citizenry. Lots of Americans like to pretend they don't exist.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

It's hard to say about the choices this couple made. Too many "whatifs."

But it's difficult to understand why things are so bad for them. I have 2 kids, I'm a single mom, and I'm a teacher. I have an assload of student loans I'll be paying off for the rest of my (might be a bit dramatic) and I make almost what that couple makes. No matter where you go in this country, a high school teacher isn't going to make a ton of money, even with a master's degree and experience. But I've managed to do just fine. I have some debts besides student loans, and I've worked more than one job at times to make ends meet.

LOL, maybe I should get into teaching if you make almost $75k a year at that. I guess what a 'ton of money' is is pretty relative.

Though I may qualify that by saying that I haven't really heard of a district around here that didn't pay for your Master's. Most of them required it within X number of years. They don't make $75k, but the cost of living is lower here.

[GaryC 7]

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

In America we call those people 'the working poor'. It's a new class of citizenry. Lots of Americans like to pretend they don't exist.

No, they have always existed. It's just we are now more aware of them. The "good old days" were not really as good as people seem to think they were. Time and nostalgia have created a past that didn't really exist.

[rebeccajo 14]

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

In America we call those people 'the working poor'. It's a new class of citizenry. Lots of Americans like to pretend they don't exist.

No, they have always existed. It's just we are now more aware of them. The "good old days" were not really as good as people seem to think they were. Time and nostalgia have created a past that didn't really exist.

Let Them Eat Cake.

[Ban Hammer 14,668]

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

In America we call those people 'the working poor'. It's a new class of citizenry. Lots of Americans like to pretend they don't exist.

No, they have always existed. It's just we are now more aware of them. The "good old days" were not really as good as people seem to think they were. Time and nostalgia have created a past that didn't really exist.

Let Them Eat Cake.

[nivesito 0]

This is country of opportunities but if you work hard you shouldn't be poor if you have a job.

In America we call those people 'the working poor'. It's a new class of citizenry. Lots of Americans like to pretend they don't exist.

No, they have always existed. It's just we are now more aware of them. The "good old days" were not really as good as people seem to think they were. Time and nostalgia have created a past that didn't really exist.

Let Them Eat Cake.

:lol:

Ok, this is an add at temp agency site

"Recent Graduates can Earn $24,000 to $35,000 when Hired."

I was in shock!!!

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Giving up before you even get started? Great attitude sheesh.

[Lisax 0]

The following is an excerpt from "(Not) Keeping Up with Our Parents" by Nan Mooney (Beacon, 2007).

Since the 1950s, what we've considered the American experience -- be it sock-hopping, suburban

What is sock-hopping?

lol, I thought exactly the same thing, say what?