Women having to work

[St.Blues]

*I* just do not agree at all with the ideology that the 'cost of living' has increased. Not that it hasn't gotten more expensive to do certain things and to pay certain things but our minimum wage has also gone up.

The issue that blares the brightest is the fact that individuals tend to not be able to entertain themselves without spending a fortune. Also, the price of food is excessively high if one's taste is the focus instead of their hunger.

Our tremendous concern for comfort has been our biggest enslavement. "We" cannot blame any party for such.

Ranting over dems/libs/reps/cons also may prove us to be more like petty children than responsible adults.

Knock Knock... Well hello Melissa won't you come in dear.. Please have a seat with me. Can I get you some koolaide?

 

[Moonglow]

I am almost crippled, so my wife had to go to work. The day care centers around here are abysmal, we leave our child at chosen friends when we are both working.

 

[Annie]

in a generation the employee market more than doubled. The economy adjusted accordingly, and now it takes 2 two incomes to live at the same relative standard as a single income did a generation ago. The market got flooded with employees.

It's simple supply and demand at work. The more people there are in the work force the lower the value of each.

What's worse is that not only does it take 2 people with college degress to support themselves and 2-3 kids at a middle-class level, but in addition to college employees have a lifetime of continuing education and job retraining just to stay par in income.

given the jobs skills and education, plus the huge increase in the number of workers, productivity and real wealth creation has risen exponentially.

What's even worse is that we're losing our pensions and the retirement age is going up - when it should be going down.

I'm all for women having equal opportunity and i think that pre-school is great for kids. But the american people really need to start standing up to their employers and demanding their true value. If we did, we'd all be wealthy and retiring at 40.

you are seriously claiming that 2 parents that aren't college educated or that 2 are, but don't continue education aren't able to maintain a middle class lifestyle? What planet are you from?

hello? Richard? You there?

 

[Annie]

I am almost crippled, so my wife had to go to work. The day care centers around here are abysmal, we leave our child at chosen friends when we are both working.

There are tens if not thousands of families where two incomes are necessary and no one should denigrate. In fact, I'll say that I support any family where both parents choose to work, whether their justification is necessity or to provide more for family for whatever reasons.

OTOH, is it possible for two parents to raise a family on one income? For most, yes. It involves sacrifices though. In my case we gave in to more economical vehicles, less house-though still 5 BD and 3 ba, hardly putting us in 'substandard living' since we were in top 50 richest counties in US. We didn't however take extravagant vacations, if one doesn't consider dropping $8k in Disney extravagant for family. Hubby and I dropped another $5k for our anniversary. Cash for both. Did we feel that we were sacrificing? He did more than myself, which probably aided his other choices. In any case, if both are on the same page, shouldn't be such an issue.

My hindsite position:

It seems to me that if a parent can be at home most of the time for those children under 6 and again from 11-15, lots of problems may be averted.

 

[Anachronism]

Things are too expensive these days, only the rich can have their wives sitting at home, the women have to join their husbands in the work force to afford a decent living.

Then maybe people need to change what they think of as a "decent living", H_G.

 

[Richard-H]

in a generation the employee market more than doubled. The economy adjusted accordingly, and now it takes 2 two incomes to live at the same relative standard as a single income did a generation ago. The market got flooded with employees.

It's simple supply and demand at work. The more people there are in the work force the lower the value of each.

What's worse is that not only does it take 2 people with college degress to support themselves and 2-3 kids at a middle-class level, but in addition to college employees have a lifetime of continuing education and job retraining just to stay par in income.

given the jobs skills and education, plus the huge increase in the number of workers, productivity and real wealth creation has risen exponentially.

What's even worse is that we're losing our pensions and the retirement age is going up - when it should be going down.

I'm all for women having equal opportunity and i think that pre-school is great for kids. But the american people really need to start standing up to their employers and demanding their true value. If we did, we'd all be wealthy and retiring at 40.

you are seriously claiming that 2 parents that aren't college educated or that 2 are, but don't continue education aren't able to maintain a middle class lifestyle? What planet are you from?

hello? Richard? You there?

Geez, can't anybody take a dinner break?

If your talking about a 2 family income college educated household where they are willing to aquire huge amounts of debt, then yes they can live a middle class life style, becuase anyone that can get they credit can live any lifestyle that they want.

But if your talking about living with minimal debt - $10,000 at most - then no they can't live a middle class standard.

Don't be fooled into thinking that debt is wealth. The real wealth of Americans is abysmal - they been led into a credit trap to maintain their standard of living.

 

[uscitizen]

Many women work just to support a consumeristic lifestyle.

 

[Annie]

you are seriously claiming that 2 parents that aren't college educated or that 2 are, but don't continue education aren't able to maintain a middle class lifestyle? What planet are you from?

hello? Richard? You there?

Geez, can't anybody take a dinner break?

If your talking about a 2 family income college educated household where they are willing to aquire huge amounts of debt, then yes they can live a middle class life style, becuase anyone that can get they credit can live any lifestyle that they want.

But if your talking about living with minimal debt - $10,000 at most - then no they can't live a middle class standard.

Don't be fooled into thinking that debt is wealth. The real wealth of Americans is abysmal - they been led into a credit trap to maintain their standard of living.

How about some facts to back up your claims? Seems to me that just like in 1958 or 1983 or 1990 one income earner can maintain a family in a home worth 3X his/her income, feed, clothe, and provide even some wants.

 

[uscitizen]

Ahh yes but who can afford 60K worth of status upgrade vehicles every 5 years aor so on one wage?

We are well programmed by the advertising/corporate system.

 

[ShackledNation]

In a free market economy, ultimately people will have to work less and less. Children once had to work to support a family, and now they do not (this is not because of child labor laws).

Too bad we have a bizarre mixed economy with socialist monetary policy and corporatist economic policy with the free market trying to survive in the mess.

 

[uscitizen]

Ohh the market is freeer than the consumers it has programmed. To their eager delight to be programmed into a world where self worth is determined by expensive posessions, not who/what you really are.

 

[tonystewart1]

Things are too expensive these days, only the rich can have their wives sitting at home, the women have to join their husbands in the work force to afford a decent living.

Then maybe people need to change what they think of as a "decent living", H_G.

I have been my families only source of income for 20 years. We live a good lifestyle but we avoid debt like the plague. We already own our home and our cars. When one breaks down I fix it I dont trade it. When we need to buy a big ticket item like a fridge or a stove we pay cash.

Now to be fair the cost of living in southern WV is a lot lower than say southern CA but our wages are lower also.


Most improtantly we save and save and save.

 

[Annie]

Ahh yes but who can afford 60K worth of status upgrade vehicles every 5 years aor so on one wage?

We are well programmed by the advertising/corporate system.

On this issue, we seem to see a melding of some conservatives and some liberals, though nearly all of both are likely libertarian in their general outlook.

 

[uscitizen]

Things are too expensive these days, only the rich can have their wives sitting at home, the women have to join their husbands in the work force to afford a decent living.

Then maybe people need to change what they think of as a "decent living", H_G.

I have been my families only source of income for 20 years. We live a good lifestyle but we avoid debt like the plague. We already own our home and our cars. When one breaks down I fix it I dont trade it. When we need to buy a big ticket item like a fridge or a stove we pay cash.

Now to be fair the cost of living in southern WV is a lot lower than say southern CA but our wages are lower also.


Most improtantly we save and save and save.

this nation would be in much better shape if we had more tru fiscal conservatives like you.

 

[uscitizen]

*I* just do not agree at all with the ideology that the 'cost of living' has increased. Not that it hasn't gotten more expensive to do certain things and to pay certain things but our minimum wage has also gone up.

The issue that blares the brightest is the fact that individuals tend to not be able to entertain themselves without spending a fortune. Also, the price of food is excessively high if one's taste is the focus instead of their hunger.

Our tremendous concern for comfort has been our biggest enslavement. "We" cannot blame any party for such.

Ranting over dems/libs/reps/cons also may prove us to be more like petty children than responsible adults.

We are too damn lazy as a culture to prepare food from basic ingredients and insttead eat out and buy heatem eatem foods at a much higher price and lower nutritional value.

I support food stamps, but only to be used for buying basic food stuffs. No prepared foods, pastries, pop, etc.

 

[Anachronism]

I have been my families only source of income for 20 years. We live a good lifestyle but we avoid debt like the plague. We already own our home and our cars. When one breaks down I fix it I dont trade it. When we need to buy a big ticket item like a fridge or a stove we pay cash.

Sounds very much like the home I grew up in, tony. My point was that we have a lot of people these days who feel their "needs" include: a 52" plasma tv; a $40K car (replaced every 3-4 years); and other luxury items that require both of the adults in the family to work in order to pay for them. If these people would adopt more of your philosophy and realize that many of these things are not necessary, there would not be the "need" for both adults to work anywhere near as often.

 

[tonystewart1]

I try and try to instill in my sons the same ideas. I beileve it will work. My oldest is in college and I am not paying for any of it. He works and goes to school and I tell him that when he is done he will really take a lot of pride in that diploma on the wall. I know that having to pay for my own education while working and raising him and his brothers makes me real proud of mine.

Our consumer culture is a trap that most of us have fallen into. Look at all the comercials for cell phones and pads. They actually try to make you beileve that your life is going to be better after you buy their product. What a joke.

 

[uscitizen]

I have been my families only source of income for 20 years. We live a good lifestyle but we avoid debt like the plague. We already own our home and our cars. When one breaks down I fix it I dont trade it. When we need to buy a big ticket item like a fridge or a stove we pay cash.

Sounds very much like the home I grew up in, tony. My point was that we have a lot of people these days who feel their "needs" include: a 52" plasma tv; a $40K car (replaced every 3-4 years); and other luxury items that require both of the adults in the family to work in order to pay for them. If these people would adopt more of your philosophy and realize that many of these things are not necessary, there would not be the "need" for both adults to work anywhere near as often.

Just one 40K car?
usually 2 and maybe a couple of 4 wheelers and a boat or pool.

Sad thing is most who think they have made it just borrowed it.

 

[uscitizen]

We are a nation made up of prodigal sons.

 

[saveliberty]

Things are too expensive these days, only the rich can have their wives sitting at home, the women have to join their husbands in the work force to afford a decent living.

Then maybe people need to change what they think of as a "decent living", H_G.

Things wrong with your post HG:

1. My wife doesn't sit at home. There is work to be done.
2. I own a home with a reasonable mortgage, own a vehicle out right and all my landscape equipment. I think it qualifies as decent.