Why these good times feel so bad

[sweeps]

Interesting (but long) opinion piece about why people are so anxious and pessimistic even when the economy is looking so good on paper....

Why these good times feel so bad

[Ima saver]

Well, I am happy!!

[Broken Arrow]

The author makes a good point.

All the more reason to save and invest in your own safety net.

Thanks for sharing!

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

Well, I am happy!!

I'd be happy too if I have a big house, corvettes, and a workaholic hubby that doesn't seem to want to stop making money.

[family_of_seven]

They should be talking about the opportunities that are out there. Too bad people are fixated on paying off all their toys "big house, corvettes" and acquiring more so that can't enjoy the life they have.

One more reason to stay focused on being the bank instead of the borrower!!!

[JanH]

Originally Posted by family_of_seven

They should be talking about the opportunities that are out there. Too bad people are fixated on paying off all their toys "big house, corvettes" and acquiring more so that can't enjoy the life they have.

I don't think you understand that BA was teasing Ima. She lives very frugally and wisely and has a big house and a corvette. She's not fixated on acquiring more. In fact, she is a very generous personl

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by sweeps

Interesting (but long) opinion piece about why people are so anxious and pessimistic even when the economy is looking so good on paper.

Actually, I don't feel that way at all. I'm quite happy about how the economy is doing, both personally and nationally. Stock market is hitting record highs. My portfolio has done very well in recent years. Our financial net worth climbed nicely last year. We have all that we need and we're saving aggressively for the future. No anxiety or pessimism here.

[poundwise]

I think one of the primary reasons is that for a significant portion of our population, enough is never enough. Though they might prosper, get promoted, etc. they simply spend it all and thus end up with nice cars and a nice home and nice payments out the yin-yang to go along with it.

It is possible to be content with what you have while still working to achieve more.

Most people are not content with what they have nor would they be if they had twice as much.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by poundwise

It is possible to be content with what you have while still working to achieve more.

What a great quote! A lot of people need to heed this advice.

[family_of_seven]

Sorry, I wasn't directing that comment at anyone here, just making an overall observation about my MTV generation. My apologies.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by family_of_seven

They should be talking about the opportunities that are out there. Too bad people are fixated on paying off all their toys "big house, corvettes" and acquiring more so that can't enjoy the life they have.

One more reason to stay focused on being the bank instead of the borrower!!!

Welcome to the SavingAdvice forums, family_of_seven.

And no need for your apology! You're right, of course, that there are too many people out there who are fixated on things that they can't afford, but still buy them anyway and then run into financial crisis.

However, I am happy to say that Ima isn't one of them. Yes, she has these wonderful things, but both she and her husband has worked very hard for them, and still does to this day.

Ima is a sweetie, and me? Well, I have Foot-in-mouth disease. And the only reason why I tease people is because I like them. (Which is why Price seems to get the brunt end of much of my jokes. As Garth would say, "I love you, man! No. Really. I love you!" )

So, I apologize very much if I offend anyone. I wish I could speak as eloquently some of the other posters on here. Alas, that would not seem to be the case. Perhaps this is proof of God's existence, and that she indeed has a sense of humor.

[Bookie]

Never mind.

[Broken Arrow]

I love you too, Bookiecakes!

*humps your leg like a dog*

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow

I love you too, Bookiecakes!

*humps your leg like a dog*

WOW, who slipped BA the crack this morning?

BA, no more triple espressos with sugar for you, my friend!

[Ima saver]

BA, you are too funny today!! Family of seven, I do have a big house and nice cars, but believe me they are all paid for. I haven't had a mortgage on a house in over 30 years. Thanks for taking up for me BA. And Bookiecakes, I love that![Automated by GetSmile]

[Broken Arrow]

Hehe, thanks Ima.

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

WOW, who slipped BA the crack this morning?

BA, no more triple espressos with sugar for you, my friend!

I'd tease you too, but anybody with a husband who is from the South and isn't afraid to spend money wildly on things that allow him to sit in a tree for hours with a six pack, a high-powered rifle, and deer urine on his shoes-- and call that "recreation"!-- are people I typically avoid teasing.

I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

Boy, did I derail this thread good. I guess the least I can do is try to get it back on track. The original topic may not apply to everyone, but it certainly does apply to me. Job security seems to be hard to come by nowadays.... So much so that many people (around me anyway) have come to accept this as the norm.

This may or may not be what the future holds for me. I don't know. The only thing I can count on with any certainly is what I am able to accomplish on my own. And that's why I am so determined to be debt-free (and keep it that way for as long as I can). For example, once I get rid of my student loans, that particular debt will never haunt me again. And every month after that, I get to bask in the freedom of having that monthly amount freed from my monthly budget. Can anyone take that away from me? Not really.

So yeah, I am feeling fairly pessimistic about job security. That's why it make sense to me to be as financially free as possible.

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow

I'd tease you too, but anybody with a husband who is from the South and isn't afraid to spend money wildly on things that allow him to sit in a tree for hours with a six pack, a high-powered rifle, and deer urine on his shoes-- and call that "recreation"!-- are people I typically avoid teasing. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

you've got it all wrong, BA!

there's no beer. dh goes hunting with his father, who's an independant baptist preacher, so the beer would be slightly frowned upon

as for the original topic, i must fall back on one of my family's mottos: "Expect the best, but prepare for the worst"

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

there's no beer.

But everything else is true? Comforting.

[kristinecfp]

Great thread, hijacked or not!

Back to the original topic though... my dh works in the plumbing industry, which is not enjoying the good times that our general economy is. He's been very pessimistic and down about the economy, so I have to keep reminding him that the economy itself is not doing bad, just the housing/plumbing industry. Unfortunately, it doesn't make him feel any better, but I know it could be a lot worse if we were facing a poor economy (high inflation, poor stock market returns) in addition to weakness in the housing industry.

[MarianneJ]

I admit I didn't even read the article. (I am such a bad girl). However, just as a comment on the general theme, I would say that most people don't give a crap what "the economy" is doing, they are only concerned about their own personal economy! It is nice that the markets are doing well and I do have some money in a Roth from when I was working, but since I am in school and my DH has a crappy job just to pay our bills I must admit that I am not real interested in how "the economy" is doing these days.

The reason people aren't dancing the happy dance with tears of joy running down their faces because "the economy" is booming is because they are just scraping by, are worried about losing their jobs and how the hell they are going to pay for their cancer treatments because they have no health insurance!!!