"middle- class families feel squeezed"

[Auburn85 432]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21256709/

a 35-year-old single mother, says she’s in that third category despite a $71,000-plus annual income that places her squarely in the U.S. middle class in the eyes of most economists and far above the Miami-Dade metro area median family income of $45,200.

But by the time she pays her rent, car loan, utilities, insurance and puts a little food on the table and gas in the tank, she’s in the red or very close to it every month.

Her income includes her salary and child support for her youngest son from her second marriage, 4-year-old Ryan. The family also receives Social Security survivor benefits for eldest son Kevin, 15, and daughter Annya, 12, whose father, Suarez’s first husband, died last year.

[otterinbham 0]

Blah blah blah blah blah.

I hate this kind of lazy journalism. Basically, take the predicament of a random family, and try and apply some broad, universal truth to it without statistics.

The eroding Middle Class is a fantasy whipped up by any number of people trying to foist higher tax rates on us. However, what nobody is really talking about is how, in sheer material prosperity, the Middle Class is far better off than a generation or two ago. Take any meaningful benchmark, from size of homes to availability of television, from car ownership to education, from investments to anything else you care to name, and the Middle Class is doing quite well compared to their statistical forbears, thank you very much. Heck, my father was an architect, and we couldn't afford central air conditioning until the last 1960s.

If you look at the woman featured in this article, I can almost guarantee that she can shave a good percentage off her monthly outlays. She drives a nearly-new car and racked up an expensive family vacation on the credit cards. And now she's pinched financially? Well, duh.

My wife and I do very well for ourselves. But we don't go on vacations unless we can pay cash for them. We drove a 13-year-old and 10-year-old car until the wheels practically fell off the cotton-picking things. And when things were tight, we didn't go out. It doesn't mean our lives were fun, but that's just what you do.

What isn't said in this article is how much higher the expectations have gotten for what Middle Class is.

[Auburn85 432]

Blah blah blah blah blah.

I hate this kind of lazy journalism. Basically, take the predicament of a random family, and try and apply some broad, universal truth to it without statistics.

The eroding Middle Class is a fantasy whipped up by any number of people trying to foist higher tax rates on us. However, what nobody is really talking about is how, in sheer material prosperity, the Middle Class is far better off than a generation or two ago. Take any meaningful benchmark, from size of homes to availability of television, from car ownership to education, from investments to anything else you care to name, and the Middle Class is doing quite well compared to their statistical forbears, thank you very much. Heck, my father was an architect, and we couldn't afford central air conditioning until the last 1960s.

If you look at the woman featured in this article, I can almost guarantee that she can shave a good percentage off her monthly outlays. She drives a nearly-new car and racked up an expensive family vacation on the credit cards. And now she's pinched financially? Well, duh.

My wife and I do very well for ourselves. But we don't go on vacations unless we can pay cash for them. We drove a 13-year-old and 10-year-old car until the wheels practically fell off the cotton-picking things. And when things were tight, we didn't go out. It doesn't mean our lives were fun, but that's just what you do.

What isn't said in this article is how much higher the expectations have gotten for what Middle Class is.

that's right.

Our newest car is a 98 Toyota Camary.

I wonder how many middle-class people have a cell phone with a contract? I wonder how many middle- class people have the internet? I wonder how many people have high- speed internet? How many middle-class people have cable, satellite? If they're really squeezed, should cut those.

[CCTAU 3,350]

Blah blah blah blah blah.

I hate this kind of lazy journalism. Basically, take the predicament of a random family, and try and apply some broad, universal truth to it without statistics.

The eroding Middle Class is a fantasy whipped up by any number of people trying to foist higher tax rates on us. However, what nobody is really talking about is how, in sheer material prosperity, the Middle Class is far better off than a generation or two ago. Take any meaningful benchmark, from size of homes to availability of television, from car ownership to education, from investments to anything else you care to name, and the Middle Class is doing quite well compared to their statistical forbears, thank you very much. Heck, my father was an architect, and we couldn't afford central air conditioning until the last 1960s.

If you look at the woman featured in this article, I can almost guarantee that she can shave a good percentage off her monthly outlays. She drives a nearly-new car and racked up an expensive family vacation on the credit cards. And now she's pinched financially? Well, duh.

My wife and I do very well for ourselves. But we don't go on vacations unless we can pay cash for them. We drove a 13-year-old and 10-year-old car until the wheels practically fell off the cotton-picking things. And when things were tight, we didn't go out. It doesn't mean our lives were fun, but that's just what you do.

What isn't said in this article is how much higher the expectations have gotten for what Middle Class is.

that's right.

Our newest car is a 98 Toyota Camary.

I wonder how many middle-class people have a cell phone with a contract? I wonder how many middle- class people have the internet? I wonder how many people have high- speed internet? How many middle-class people have cable, satellite? If they're really squeezed, should cut those.

The whole idea of living within our means has been abandoned. When poverty includes TVs, VCRs, DVD players, A/C, and internet, then you have an issue. Also, the idea of actually working 2 jobs just flabbergasts people. Middle class used to mean that you are well off enough to be putting a little back. Now it just means we give a number and if you make that, you are in. What people fail to realize is that middle class is not just about the income, it's about HOW you live, not what you have. We have a lot of people in the middle class range living poverty like lifestyles by their own choices. No amount of legislation can change that.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Here's what the new Democrats are trying to say:

Wealthy people need to pay more taxes, so the middle class can add Tivo to their lineup, HD to their TV, iPhone to their mobile, and a new gas sucking SUV to cart their kids around.

Just like our government REFUSES to cut spending before raising taxes to solve a problem...they are refusing to enforce (or even suggest) fiscal responsibility for the middle class.

Why suggest fiscal responsibility to a country driven by entitlement...when you can take $ away from the people who already have what everyone else wants (read not needs)?

[TitanTiger 20,511]

You know, mine is a middle class family of four. We don't waste a bunch of money. Sure, I could shut off the cell phone and cable/internet and that would net me about $110 a month. But that would mean I'd have to get regular phone service instead of the cheap voip plan I have right now which would eat up about $25 or so of that savings, giving me about $85 extra. That's not exactly going to make a huge impact on the budget.

But things cost more than they did a few years ago. My power bill is a good bit more. Gas prices are much higher. My health insurance goes up every year. Now that I've moved back to Alabama, I have to pay income tax and the lower property taxes here aren't making up for that difference. Sales tax is the same.

Groceries are going up too. I year or so ago, I was paying about $2.99 or so for a gallon of milk. That same milk costs me $4.09 now and that's buying the store brand. When you have two kids under the age of 4, you go through the milk, believe me. And that isn't the only grocery item that has gone up as a result of fuel prices and such.

My wife drives a 7 year old Honda Odyssey that we pay $166 a month for. It'll be paid off early next year which will help. My car is a 14-year old Altima that's long since paid for.

But, the struggles we had, especially before the career change, plus a couple of near-catastrophic expenses left us saddled with some credit card debt too. That doesn't help.

Now, I've changed careers and even got a nice raise in doing so, but all these hikes in my monthly expenses ate up that raise real quick. And that's including stepping down $50k in house price from Tennessee to here to save money on the mortgage. And we bought in a slightly older neighborhood and it's just a 3 BR/2 BA, 1900 sq ft. ranch-style.

All I'm saying is, we haven't made perfect choices, but for the most part, we've been quite frugal. We were debt free before having kids but circumstances being what they are, we aren't anymore. I have a 27" TV I bought in 2001, a six-year old computer, a stereo system I've had since high school that still sounds great and we eat out maybe once a month or twice a month on average. We're not blowing money. But things are tight.

I'm not saying tax rich folks and give the money to me. The tax argument is a separate issue. My only point is that those who make blanket statements about how the middle class trying to live the high life are oversimplifying. Many of us are doing the best we can and it seems every time we think we're gonna turn a corner, something else hits us, or prices go up or something. I'm very optimistic this career change will help alleviate some of that starting next spring when I get my annual review, but not it's certainly not easy. And not everyone has the ability to easily jump into something new without spending more money they don't have to go back to school and get a new degree.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Yeah but isn't your wife a stay at home mom? Most middle class families are bringing in a good bit of scratch and living well beyond their means.

I think yours is a situation in the vast minority of middle class. One I respect, but rarely encounter.

[TitanTiger 20,511]

She is. She does some transcrption stuff from home to help us make ends meet, but that's it.

[otterinbham 0]

She is. She does some transcrption stuff from home to help us make ends meet, but that's it.

Every middle class feels the pinch from time to time. I know my wife and I have. Nevertheless, you're not racking up Disney World vacations on the credit cards without a thought towards paying them off are you? When you consider credit card interest rates, that little spending spree alone is probably costing the woman in the article about $85-$100 a month.

[Auburn85 432]

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg2064.cfm

[TexasTiger 13,032]

Here's what the new Democrats are trying to say:

Wealthy people need to pay more taxes, so the middle class can add Tivo to their lineup, HD to their TV, iPhone to their mobile, and a new gas sucking SUV to cart their kids around.

Got a link?

[CircleDrill 178]

Everybody needs to listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio and read his book.

Educate yourself on how to get financial freedom.

Pay cash. Don't use cards. Be diligent about getting rid of the cards you do have.

It's not that we middle-class folks don't have enough money, it's that we have so much debt we don't have enough "fun" money.