If you make over 75,000 a year, are you rich? (hell)

[Reverend Rick]

Originally Posted by Mister_T

I know you're not describing everyone...that's the problem: Everyone is having this problem. If everyone who was struggling followed what you call "pragmatic realism" because they were have a hard time trying to live here in Los Angeles, you wouldn't have a city left.

You make that sound like a bad thing T.

I know a retired lady in Westchester who lives in a 1000 square foot home with two bedrooms sitting on a postage stamp lot. Her house is worth over a million and she is struggling living on a pension and social security. In fact, she is a millionaire.

She could move elsewhere and be retired comfortably. I have spent many times on the west coast. I just don't get it.

[Mister_T]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

You make that sound like a bad thing T.

I know a retired lady in Westchester who lives in a 1000 square foot home with two bedrooms sitting on a postage stamp lot. Her house is worth over a million and she is struggling living on a pension and social security. In fact, she is a millionaire.

She could move elsewhere and be retired comfortably. I have spent many times on the west coast. I just don't get it.

Rick you're not getting it because that's not what I'm talking about: I'm not talking about long time home owners who are sitting on their equity. I'm talking about people who were attempting to buy a house after the real estate boom, which make up the majority of current California home owners. Most people like your friend, sold their home, picked up and moved out of state a long time ago, when the getting was good.


This is the group of homeowners I'm refering to: The reason so many houses were bought and are now being forclosed is because so many home owners sold their property when they realized they were millionares. The problem now though the people who bought these million dollar home have to come up with million-dollar-home-mortgage payments, property tax and interest rates which they could not afford.....which is why the average length of time on a mortagage in Califonia was 40 years. Since most homeowners in California can't afford such a thing, their houses are in forclosure.

This scenario I just described is your average California home owner Rick. Your friend is in the minority.

[Fluffy]

Originally Posted by Reverend Rick

If life gives you lemons, sell lemonade. If people say they can't afford to save, I say you can't afford not to. There is always a way out of a bad situation. If you can't afford to move, start saving for a bus ticket.

This is indeed a tried and tested method for getting yourself out of poverty.

[nutshell]

Rick, how do you save when you don't have enough to make ends meet at the end of the month?

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by nutshell

I encourage people to find and watch "30 Days: Minimum Wage"

30 Days: Minimum Wage - TV.com

Here's another description:

Minimum Wage: Working Poor for 30 Days

I really really suggest people watching this. It's entertaining and informational.

[Starfish]

We Americans are rich in the eyes of much of the world. It's good to be reminded of that. Wealth comes from what you do with your money, rather than your income.

I'm extremely rich, and my wealth has nothing to do with money.

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by Starfish

We Americans are rich in the eyes of much of the world. It's good to be reminded of that. Wealth comes from what you do with your money, rather than your income.

I'm extremely rich, and my wealth has nothing to do with money.

So does a person in the working poor class who cannot make ends meet at the end of the month extremely rich too?

[Starfish]

Originally Posted by nutshell

So does a person in the working poor class who cannot make ends meet at the end of the month extremely rich too?

Well, to someone who doesn't even have a roof over their head, or is in danger of being assaulted at any moment, you might seem so. There's always someone worse off, who would happily trade places.

When my son returned home from 2 years in Ecuador, he walked around our middle-class house in quiet awe. He said where he had been, 5 families would live in a house like ours.

[Somkid]

Well, I made more than that in Philadelphia 5 years ago it was ok money but I wasn't rich. I managed to save enough money to move to Thailand, buy a house, car, motorcycle and start my life over again in general. Now, I make about $25,000 per year here but I have national health care so I don't even pay for medications, there is no such thing as property tax so my house is free and clear, the prices of things here are with in reasonable tolerance rates as far as what something should "really" cost not Wall Streets inflated middle man prices. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm better off on $25,000 a year than $150,000 per year because the economy is with in the guidelines of realistic non-inflated prices.