The most rediculas thing from economic Advisors on TV

[me&thegals]

I contribute to my 401K fully, too, to get as much match as possible. Nothing in life is certain, but I feel good about having another 30 years to contribute and let it grow.

I think with investing or saving, you have to just do it. We went to a financial talk way back when first married, and they talked about "paying yourself first." I think it's a lot like a new exerciser--It looks daunting, but even 5 min a day or $25/month is a start and can grow from there.

We've had times when we had to cut back (building our house, for example), but we have never stopped investing for retirement. Our only assets are the very ones I will not want to sell to live through retirement: House and land. I'm not counting on social security to be there for me.

hwillm--It's interesting that you're not counting on Canada's plan either. I think the baby boom thing is fairly worldwide, hey?

Neat to hear about your healthcare. I get sick of hearing how America could never do it because "people in Canada die while waiting in line" or "Canadians come to America to get their healthcare." I'm sure neither system is perfect (definitely not ours!!!), but it's good to at least look at other options!

 

[FarmerChick]

And you have such good free healthcare.

Free health care is wonderful... I can't imagine what my parents would have done if they had to PAY for dad's by-pass surgery... as it was the surgery and 20 weeks of re-hab and physiotherapy cost him a grand total of $0.

At least as Canadians we don't have to have back up plans for major illnesses, pregnancy, accidents, etc.... the healthcare is taken care of...

 

[Wifezilla]

Free health care is wonderful

Free? Really? TANSTAAFL

 

[me&thegals]

TANSTAAFL? Lost me on that one....

Of course we know it is not literally "free," but here we get to pay for it both ways---taxes for those who get healthcare one way or another AND increased health premiums for our own insurance for those who get their healthcare in the emergency or on an urgent basis.

 

[Wifezilla]

Of course we know it is not literally "free,"

That was my point. They are calling something free that obviously isn't. And TANSTAAFL stands for...

There
Aint
No
Such
Thing
As
A
Free
Lunch

"TANSTAAFL...indicates an acknowledgment that in reality a person or a society cannot get "something for nothing". Even if something appears to be free, there is always a cost to the person or to society as a whole even though that cost may be hidden or distributed. For example, as Heinlein has one of his characters point out, a bar offering a free lunch will likely charge more for its drinks."

 

[hikerchick]

I get free lunch - and free dinner -all the time as a mystery shopper.

 

[FarmerChick]

of course it is not FREE healthcare.....countries that take care of their simple basic healthcare for citizens up to the more involved healthcare have it paid in the tax base etc. Which for Canada as Pat has told me is MORE than reasonable for the care they get. Please OK--don't pretend our healthcare is good in this country and there is no free lunch and that mess. Pretending and play on words etc. is just a way to stop progress as I see it.

No one gets a free lunch in this life ever. NO ONE. Everyone has problems to some extent that even money can't fix. BUT one thing is basic care of a nation should happen when it is shameful like ours is heading.

 

[Wifezilla]

Remember, I am poor and uninsured. I have never been denied health care. Health care and health insurance are two different things. I really wish people would stop "helping" me by taxing me to death. Really. Universal health care will come from MY taxes as a self employed person and a business owner, which WILL go up despite my income level.

Since I can't just go out and get a job (first of all there aren't that many, and second of all I would have to hire someone to take care of my disabled son...which we can't afford...so no working outside the home), universal health care will mean me not paying ANY taxes while suddenly getting "free" health care. Oh! And I will get to pay a FINE for not having health care thorough the job I WILL NO LONGER HAVE!

How many other people are going to being the same boat?

 

[patandchickens]

This is a bit of a reversion to the original thread topic, and I don't mean to distract y'all if you want to go round and round universal health care again (uh, that might have sounded sarcastic but honestly it is not meant that way) so you can ignore this post if you want, but...

...I was vaguely thinking about this thread as I was cleaning the horse shed before dinner (cleaning the horse shed often makes me think about political threads from this forum, LOL), and what came to mind is what many, many, many Asian immigrants did when they came to America (also, I believe, a number from Europe and other locations, at least in bygone days, but what I most associate this with is Chinese and southeast asian immigrants, rightly or wrongly).

I gather that it at least used to be common for someone to scrape together the money for passage to America one way or another, and then take whatever job was available, and live an incredibly minimal life for literally *years* in many cases, years and years, spending nearly nothing on food or clothes, nothing on nonessentials, living in a boardinghouse room with other people doing the same thing, saving ABSOLUTELY EVERY CENT not needed to stay alive. Then family members could be brought over, and/or the individual could start a business, again saving EVERY THIN DIME and not spending ANYthing beyond what's needed for bare survival, til hey presto they have a considerable whack of money and a thriving business and are living in a much larger nicer house than most people who started out with many more advantages in life

My point here is not about the value of hard work, or the relative willingness of immigrants vs Americans to take unpleasant jobs with low pay and long hours...

...my point is that all these folks sound like they were about the ultimate in deferred gratification.

When I hear older people talking about *their* older relatives who came to this continent and started out that way, wow, it kind of puts this "I can't afford to save money" in perspective.

I doubt there are many folks today with less money to save than those folks*, and yet look at how disciplined and patient they were.

(* - except for those with unavoidable huge bills hanging over their heads... which I guess gets us back to universal healthcare after all... LOL)


Pat

 

[FarmerChick]

well said Pat

building values and doing without were long term for the welfare of the family. Many saw this. It is almost not like this anymore. Those times and the feelings that go with them are gone.

Now it is ME ME ME. The ME society can not win truly.



I laugh when people get disgusted that the "mexicans" in the area are "taking over"---they live 2-3 families in a home they purchase and work hard. While these values are actually smart economically and are geared at the welfare of the family, it is looked down upon here big time.

There are tons of ways to survive, just that no one wants to "do them" anymore. And no one wants others to have also--certainly not at their expense.

basic common human being situations are what is always the stick in the wheel but hey, what else have we got to work with..lol