Anyone still feel like they belong to the middle-class? Vent...

[happyhen]

DH and I have always been able to care for our family while still able to share with others. We're far from rich but somehow always had enough to share. Middle-class.

I've been watching buying patterns in our "mixed" community the last few months. There are those with the Coach bags who still buy the shrimp, arugula, radicchio and organics using credit cards.Then there are those who buy the steak and lobster using food stamps. And then there are those who are forced to make hard choices, sometimes having to go without, the ones who seem to be the "middle-class" Americans, usually with young families or the elderly.

We're starting to feel like the "taken-for-granted" class, or just totally ignored.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Just because they have "expensive" stuff and act like so... doesn't mean they aren't in 50k of debt. I know someone who's in a heap of debt, wears expensive clothes, gets a new Coach or brand name bag like every month, but is well into debt in their early 20's.

I often feel "class" is a state of mind and way of living rather than net dollars or material goods.

 

[happyhen]

My issue exactly, we ultimately pay for their choices. Just like those who shoplift thinking the stores are "rich", they make an insurance claim and it trickles down... to us.

 

[scrapmom5]

class??? what class???? With the price of gas going up along with everything else, I thought we were the working poor. It is amazing how expensive things have gotten...and yet we still manage to raise a family and enjoy the things that really matter....each other.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

The truth is, most of those folks who're buying all that stuff are also in the middle class. The middle class is a very large group of people. Like Silkie said, the bigger question is how much they're paying for all those items? If they're buying something and charging it at 20% interest, adding up debt while they move along to the next must-have item, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're doing better than you are. I always love those stories on the Internet about the "poor" woman who cleaned offices for a living, returning each night to her tiny, modest home, then turned around and left millions to a charity at her death. Sounds good to me!

 

[CarriBrown]

Hey, my neighbor invented the bobble head. Yep, the bobble head. His wife knew they had more money than they used to, but it wasn't until he died that she found out they had 20 MILLION in the bank.

Driving down the street, you'd think they were just like everyone else. Millionare next door is where it's at!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
I agree. Who cares what others have, not sowning the ones that have very little. No one is no better than any one else. They also could have lucked up and got that bag as a gift or at a thrift store. Be careful how you look at things, it will definately bring you down.

 

[seminolewind]

I work with someone who needs a new Louis Vitton handbag every few weeks, and I am happy with my one less expensive handbag, and I don't even have to guess at who's happier.
Just because someone has money or doesn't -it's not relative to how much personal satisfaction they have, or contentment, peace, or happiness they have.

 

[amystours]

My "bag" is a $9.98 special from Wal-Mart!!! lol On a good year, I might get a new bag as a gift from Express or Victoria's Secret!

 

[love-my-wolves]

I think we live "outside the norm". My DH and I have NO credit cards. My BFF swears up and down they could never live without them. We simply don't buy it if we can't afford it. End of story. The down side - if something breaks ie: vacuum, car, lawnmower, we can't just go out and get a new one. We are considered "middle-class", but feel more like "lower-class" when we go grocery shopping, and only can spend $50/week for our family of 5. On the down-side, we just found out that our "no credit card policy" has hurt us badly. Our move to VA was supposed to be - find a house - buy a house - move. Well, we don't have enough "credit" and cannot get financed!!! This sucks!!!! So now we have to find a rental that will allow our pets!!! All of them!!! UGH!!! And with the economy the way it is, you would think they would jump threw hoops to finance anyone wanting it now-a-days. No one is buying, and those of us that have plenty of income (I am tired of being told we make "enough" to buy, but don't have enough "credit") should be able to get financed. And no one is doing lease/options, we've tried that! I just wanna break down right now!!!! Sorry, didn't mean to vent like that! Steph