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Hitting Homes…

I was just reading this story on CNNMoney.com about folks having a hard time making ends meet.  Their stories tell of financial hardships due to fuel costs, mortgages, etc.  As I read through them, I find that in a few cases, maybe they were living a life that they couldn’t afford in the first place.  Others seem to be on the right track.

“As for me, I’m moving out of the dorms and into an apartment with some friends to save money, and instead of taking an internship in Washington, D.C. this summer like I had planned, I’m going to have to stay here in Chicago and work full-time to pay rent and save money for next year. “

This girl is a student at the University of Chicago.  Her parents are considering selling their home and living in an RV. I actually applaud the fact that, instead of taking an internship, she’s doing the right thing by getting a job to make some money to finance that education of hers.  I don’t happen to be one of these people that feel like their parents owe them a college education.  Working your way through college won’t hurt you.

“We have two kids we are TRYING to keep in private school. [Like] most working couples, we want the best education for our children, because not just “the rich” deserve private school. … We don’t own a house. We are about to lose our vehicle.”

I have a problem with this. Sure, private school is nice, but if you’re about to lose your car and can’t afford a house, do the kids really need to be in private school? It’s not just for the rich, but it IS for the people that can afford it without living on the street in a cardboard box.  Send the kids to public school and spend a little extra time with them outside of school educating them about the real world.

Gas is on average $3.25 a gallon here in North Florida. The prices at the grocery store are getting outrageous. My husband and I have a combined income to only place us in the lower middle class so there is no help in sight for the people in my class. … We have five children between us and it is hard to live paycheck to paycheck.

I’m sure you can figure out where this is going to go.  Five children.  If you’re living paycheck to paycheck and can barely scrape two dimes together to afford groceries, maybe some family planning should have been put into place.  Sorry, but I’d rather have one kid that I can spoil than to have five that get hand-me-down clothes and some ramen for dinner. People get it into their minds that they have to have lots of kids—they want a big family.  Yet, they can’t afford it so everyone ends up suffering.

My home went on the market in one of the worst housing markets I’ve seen in my lifetime. The funny thing, though, is it was a good year. I’m extremely grateful that I had the retirement account, the equity in my home, the credit available and the supportive friends to be able to tap into when immersed in a desperate situation.

Even though she had to sell her home in a bad market, she’d obviously done some planning ahead.  Having a good retirement account, some equity and some credit available are all things that help ride out a tough economy.  Just live within your means and you’ll be alright.

People are still lining up to purchase entry-level properties, and paying absurd amounts, up to $700 per buildable square foot. And this is not an ocean view, just plain Main Street type land. When I ask them why, they still say it’s the Palisades and it can’t go down.

People are stupid. They want to live in a glamorous area and make all of their family and friends think that they have it all going on—that they are yuppies.  I don’t payday loan store chicago [1]1 hour payday loan [2]payday loan fast no fax [3]loan online payday quick [4]ameriloan loan payday [5]america cash loan payday [6]loan milwaukee payday store [7]low interest payday loan,low interest rate payday loan,interest loan low payday [8]faxing loan no payday,faxing loan no overnight payday,no faxing instant payday loan [9]debt get loan payday [10]guaranteed no fax payday loan [11]quick faxless payday loan,low fee faxless payday loan,faxless loan payday [12]advance? cash loan online payday ? [13]emergency loan payday [14]faxing loan no payday required [15]advance cash loan payday today,advance cash loan payday,payday payday loan cash advance loan [16]loan until payday [17]100 loan online payday [18]payday loan without fax,fax less payday loan,fax payday loan [19]alabama loan payday store,payday loan store in chicago,loan payday store [20]approval guaranteed loan payday,guaranteed loan payday,faxless guaranteed loan payday [21]quick payday advance loan [22]low cost payday loan [23]24 hour loan payday [24]hour loan one payday,hour in loan one payday,faxless hour loan one payday [25]calculator loan payday [26]one hour payday loan [27]calgary payday loan,calgary loan payday [28]hour loan online payday [29]1000 payday loan no teletrack,loan no payday teletrack,200 loan no payday teletrack [30]cash advance loan [31]cash america payday loan,cash loan payday,1000.com advance cash loan payday [32]quick cash payday loan [33]advance cash loan military,cash in advance loan,cash advance loan idaho [34]online casino cash advance,online cash advance,cash advance online no faxing [35]cash advance service [36]advance cash loan payday quick [37]advance cash line loan,budget line cash advance,advance cash on line [38]advance cash overnight [39]get payday cash advance fast online loan,fast cash advance,advance cash fast get [40]advance cash faxing money no now,no faxing cash advance,advance cash faxing no payday [41]national cash advance [42]cash advance now [43]payday cash advance utah,payday cash advance,advance cash payday ringtone [44]advance cash check credit no,cash advance no credit check,advance cash check credit no online [45]advance advance america cash [46]advance bad cash credit loan payday,cash advance for people with bad credit,bad credit cash advance [47]advance card cash credit [48]payday us fast cash loan,fast cash payday loan [49]first southern cash advance,first cash advance,first time cash advance [50] understand what people are thinking.  What makes that 2-bedroom house worth $700K??

I accepted a job in February 2007 that required relocation so we packed up and moved to Alabama. We had not gone through this before. We purchased another home in Alabama and we were sure that our house in Three Rivers, MI would sell. Not the case. Not only could we not sell our Michigan house but my husband could not find work in Alabama. So we made the decision to have him go back to Michigan to work as a temp in September 2007.

So they bought a new house before they sold their old one.  Erm.  And why would you do that? Why not rent an apartment until the old house sold? God forbid you live in an apartment. You’re homeowners, not apartment people.  Ugh.  Now you own nothing. There are so many things wrong here.

With huge energy bills in our house that almost equaled our monthly mortgage payment, my husband and I had to let our house go last year. We’ve lost our house and canceled our vehicle insurance.

I don’t know that background here, but what kind of house has energy bills that are equal to one’s monthly mortgage. We used to wrap ourselves in blankets and burn wood for heat at times growing up. I know that energy bills are going up, but something doesn’t quite seem right here.