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liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

49. My husband was fortunate enough to make it to that point at one point during his career.

Wed Dec 3, 2014, 05:16 PM

Dec 2014

We actually were putting 1% into a 401(k), but still didn't have much left over. We were trying to live in neighborhoods with good schools so our autistic son could get the occupational and speech therapy he needed. We couldn't afford to pay for occupational or speech therapy ourselves, but we could at least put him in schools where he would get the services he needed. Now my husband is disabled. We get disability from both the government and from his employer but it is not nearly what he used to earn. Now we don't make any contributions to our 401(k) and we have had to take loans from our 401(k) just to survive. Most people who make over $100,000 never really know what it is to take such a hit that there is virtually no way to make it back to where you were. And once you take that hit, it is hard to pay for just the basic fundamental things in life like paying for a roof over your head and food on the table.

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Bernie Sanders: Do you know why millions of our people are stressed out? [View all] Playinghardball Dec 2014 OP

Yup bigwillq Dec 2014 #1

Maybe they should save more? taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #2

How do you save more Drale Dec 2014 #3

exactly. wages stagnent for over 30 years now. TheNutcracker Dec 2014 #6

Real wages are stagnant taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #13

Your right, nominal wages are increasing ... aggiesal Dec 2014 #37

You are correct. The last five years have sucked for wages taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #53

Hmm, the .01% seems to have recovered X 1000 from all the charts I have seen. Live and Learn Dec 2014 #90

Not correct, in 40 years workers as an average have LOST $, bigtime...look it up. drynberg Dec 2014 #99

Sort of Both, Patience ProfessorGAC Dec 2014 #107

THIS ^^^^ volstork Dec 2014 #20

is THAT really true of 50% of the population hfojvt Dec 2014 #48

Thank you. SheilaT Dec 2014 #86

your perspective on students loans is wildly unrealistic. redruddyred Dec 2014 #104

I don't think my perspective on student loans is wildly unrealistic. SheilaT Dec 2014 #110

I think that you are wrong. in fact I know it. redruddyred Dec 2014 #111

Dear Lord, how could I've been so blind..... daleanime Dec 2014 #92

who has "less"? hfojvt Dec 2014 #108

American CEOs make 475 times what the average employee makes. Initech Dec 2014 #4

You just forgot the "sarcasm" smilie, right? MANative Dec 2014 #5

Save more? HappyMe Dec 2014 #9

All they need is a little bootstrapping Orrex Dec 2014 #10

Probably creating a budget taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #15

Ah, yes. The old "you should simply have more money" strategy. Orrex Dec 2014 #17

I think you need to review the TBF Dec 2014 #18

I think I'll fast 1 day a week and put the $ not spent on food into savings. Oops, a tooth went bad, uppityperson Dec 2014 #22

+1000 silverweb Dec 2014 #56

Why do I get the feeling that you have never endured real Jackpine Radical Dec 2014 #25

Or conservative ideology. louis-t Dec 2014 #41

Hey, why don't the poors just get a loan from dad? Marr Dec 2014 #45

Or, heck, make some speeches at Goldman Sachs? They pay well, don't they? closeupready Dec 2014 #59

They are proud azmom Dec 2014 #100

This can only reflect astonishing naivete hifiguy Dec 2014 #26

I know someone who is one of those irritating types that saved from their first job.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2014 #31

cost of rent, groceries, natural gas for heating, education, taxes, health care, liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #43

hey, maybe they can do that in their car before clocking into their third job.. frylock Dec 2014 #47

You gotta be kidding right? abelenkpe Dec 2014 #24

Completely serious taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #33

60 yrs old nurse and never made 90k a yr. uppityperson Dec 2014 #57

You're really stuck on that 90k aren't you? taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #60

uh. huh. I am sorry you miss the point that saying "budget, save" is rather condescending to most of uppityperson Dec 2014 #64

Median household income in the US is 52k - You are wrong. taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #79

This message was self-deleted by its author uppityperson Dec 2014 #82

you aren't worth is. eom uppityperson Dec 2014 #83

Median household income isn't comparable to personal income. NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #112

oh, my god. How oblivious can you be? Do you not comprehend that 95% of Americans liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #67

99.4% /nt Ash_F Dec 2014 #75

Oh yeah, the old I'm making $90k a year so everyone must be draa Dec 2014 #69

17 posts in five years and this is what you comment on? taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #78

Hey draa, don't mind posers here. You understood perfectly RiverLover Dec 2014 #87

I have a PhD and a good job and I'll never make that. a la izquierda Dec 2014 #98

You are truly special Ash_F Dec 2014 #34

So you disagree that there are millions of Americans who could be saving taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #35

There are roughly 1.5 million people out of 250 million wage earners who make over 90k. Ash_F Dec 2014 #36

My husband was fortunate enough to make it to that point at one point during his career. liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #49

Thank you for sharing your experience. /nt Ash_F Dec 2014 #74

Oh, there you go again with your numbers and statistics. uppityperson Dec 2014 #58

Why are you calling this a "fact" when it seems to be your opinion? RadiationTherapy Dec 2014 #55

We saved. The interest rate is far less than the inflation rate and that's in this time of low JDPriestly Dec 2014 #40

You may have heard of Elizabeth Warren? Or do you think she is lying when she points out that jtuck004 Dec 2014 #50

Or be part of the lucky sperm club? NoJusticeNoPeace Dec 2014 #51

Are you out of you mind .. step into reality. People don't have any money to put away .. get it? YOHABLO Dec 2014 #68

Median household income in the US is 52k taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #80

I am sure you are well aware that median income is basically meaningless since living costs Live and Learn Dec 2014 #91

Personal responsibility... LawDeeDah Dec 2014 #73

But what if there is no money to save? Just go get another job right? Rex Dec 2014 #76

save more? demigoddess Dec 2014 #77

Yeah. If they are out of bread let them eat cake. GoneFishin Dec 2014 #84

that's right, I posted before reading the replies eShirl Dec 2014 #94

One of my fb friends featured a local ad for arikara Dec 2014 #89

Don't get a 1bd taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #105

"Until you are making more money" Wow. You really just don't get it. liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #106

And if they have no bread, maybe they should eat cake? eShirl Dec 2014 #93

When has this ever NOT been the case? Indydem Dec 2014 #7

My grandparents were farmers. They did not have "savings" sitting around, but they owned JDPriestly Dec 2014 #46

Good post LiberalLovinLug Dec 2014 #109

And the last 15 years the billionaires extreme greed has reached catastrophic levels. Initech Dec 2014 #8

31 years, the Reagan revolution ruined the New Deal intentionally. Dont call me Shirley Dec 2014 #11

I agree, but many on DU seem to think Reagan economics were not so bad, currently many DUers Bluenorthwest Dec 2014 #23

Sit down for this statistic. hifiguy Dec 2014 #12

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?????? Initech Dec 2014 #16

They are begging for the guillotine at this point. hifiguy Dec 2014 #19

When the revolution happens I don't want to be them. Initech Dec 2014 #21

They should reflect on the fates of the Ceaucescus, hifiguy Dec 2014 #28

Neither did the French Revolution, former9thward Dec 2014 #38

"Poor people will rise up and take what's theirs" Tracy Chapman Dont call me Shirley Dec 2014 #30

We have no retirement. We are trying to pay off our house before retirement so we have a roof over Dont call me Shirley Dec 2014 #14

Kick,kick,kicked&Recommended! butterfly77 Dec 2014 #27

I'm surprised it's even anywhere near 50%. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #29

Especially because 23% of the population is below 18 and not even working taught_me_patience Dec 2014 #44

There is some truth in your post. JDPriestly Dec 2014 #66

Great post covering a lot of matters. truedelphi Dec 2014 #71

Great post, you were so babylonsister Dec 2014 #85

yes, impressive nt steve2470 Dec 2014 #97

The average American 401(k) has around $80,000 in it. liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #70

Those of us who understand what the disparity in wealth could do not just to individuals who lose JDPriestly Dec 2014 #88

K&R. JDPriestly Dec 2014 #32

kick for Bernie. 840high Dec 2014 #39

Imagine the country we'd have if even a third of our leaders were on the same page as Sanders. k&r polichick Dec 2014 #42

'Cause we're poor shenmue Dec 2014 #52

Ten thousand? TEN THOUSAND?? In SAVINGS!? BAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA RadiationTherapy Dec 2014 #54

The text is too small to read, but let me hazard a guess: Quantess Dec 2014 #61

Bernie is right to a point......... RationalMan Dec 2014 #62

Sorry but just like white people will never be able to understand being black, those liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #65

You missed the point of my post..... RationalMan Dec 2014 #96

My husband made a good living for a while and made some friends that have a good liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #101

Because.. mvd Dec 2014 #63

One of the most revealing quotes ever: hifiguy Dec 2014 #72

K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations! Enthusiast Dec 2014 #81

WE THE PEOPLE, not I the people aspirant Dec 2014 #95

I know why millions of OUR people are "stressed out" ... 1StrongBlackMan Dec 2014 #102

K & R! lonestarnot Dec 2014 #103

K&R A representative of the people woo me with science Dec 2014 #113

It's a reality that interferes with the illusion of being middle class...nt Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #114