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thank you for mentioning nickel and dimed…i read it a few years ago and recommend it whenever i can to people i meet…excellent read…sad but true…

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My partner MsMom and I have made huge lifestyle changes this year- she quit her job to be a stay at home mom. We have 3 kids and are getting by on my $50K/yr. We are among the lucky middle class who are not as affected by the gas prices. We have days go by without starting up a car- she walks the kids everywhere & I can easily take the bus to work. We have made sacrifices that are probably for the better anyways- she quit smoking- I quit my massive coffee & soda/caffeine addiction. I read some of the articles here about whether or not a second home is a good idea and I laugh! I guess I’m at the point where more of the hetero/family type sites almost have more pertinence in my life now- then there will be a great article or even a paragraph in a story here to keep me coming back.

My family could very easily become a bankruptcy statistic- but we budget, save, scrounge, plan ahead, garden, garbage pick, and do every damn frugal thing we can to live this life we have- all the while hopefully teaching our kids how to be resourceful. But even with all this in my own life- I know how much time and effort it takes to be this way- to not just charge any old thing up when you feel like retail therapy– and I know those who make less per annum than I working more hours than I- and maybe not having as wonderful a life partner as I- could never do all the things we do.

The article in Mother Jones this past month that outlined the differences betweens the haves and have nots clearly proves this gas gap is going to take massive tolls on our nation. I recommend it highly to anyone who sees this gap widening and wants the stats to see the proof.

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I read Nickel and Dimed, at times it was really tedious, but it was definitely illuminating and scary and I’d recommend it to anyone. The one thing I felt sure of though is that if I ever get laid off, I could find work housecleaning or waiting tables if I really needed it. I should not be a snob and take money doing honest work. So many folks think they are above manual labor and I think that’s a bad attitude to have about the masses who make our country go with the small things they do, driving trucks, cooking meals, cleaning up.

Another book you might like is Andrew Hacker’s MONEY. It’s very old now, but I loved the stats he uses to show the widening gap between rich and poor. I bet if you read the bibliography of Nickel and Dimed, his book is there.

Sorry, Nina. I have no answers. Only more statistics. I know there are living wage proponents around the country who say that’s the best thing to do, but I don’t know. I guess the main thing is to get people to save, even if it’s small amounts.

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