Reply #80: well we lived together for 3 years before we got married

[Heddi]

and have been married for 3 years. 6 years total, and we started saving about 2 years into living together.

I do agree that being in a relationship and living with someone makes it much easier. I've had roommates, and you're correct--you can't share a car, or a bedroom, or combine bills in anything other than a 50-50 type of way.

And I do agree with you that it's difficult for other people to do the same---my mom and grandma live together---mom's 47, granny's 66 or so...they have NO savings. Just SSI and mom's paycheck, which isn't a healthy sum. Even though they live together, again, they have the 2 cars, and everything is split 50/50 instead of being 'communal' like it is in a marraige. They have no savings because they cannot AFFORD to save. That penny is stretched to the max.

We were able to make it work, but many people are not. Because of that, I feel that there should be SOME government responsibility regarding retirement.

As of now, my mom has worked for her shitty company for about 15 years. She makes $10 an hour. Has never been promoted, and this is a VERY small company--under 50 employees. Everyone is treated like shit, but my mom has no education except for HS and is only capable of doing the job that she's currently doing. She can't afford to go to school because she can't afford to lose her job.

Her Co. offers *NO* retirement whatsoever. Do I think companies should be REQUIRED to do so? Well, I think that if someone has worked for you for 20 years, they deserve SOMETHING, especially if the boss has been a tight-ass and only gives 5-cent-raises every 2 or 3 years and doesn't OFFER any kind of employee contribution plan---not that she could afford to contribute anything to it anyways.

I think it sucks that people AREN'T able to save money. It's a basic human right to 'save' what you earn. Today, though, you can't make it with what you earn, much less have any left over. WE're lucky that we do, and I'm very thankful for that, and I understand that not everyone can do it, and that makes me very, very sad.