Politics aside, I’d like to make a transparent post about my own experience. I’m a working middle class father with a large family I’d say. (3+ kids) I make a little over 100k a year. Although, I can’t deny that the last couple years it just doesn’t feel like I thought it would. Between taxes, housing, fuel, automotive and utilities-I’m not really able to save anything. We eat at home most of the time, rarely use food delivery services and took a very frugal 3 day vacation this year to a near by location. I feel like we live within our means. I consider myself a fairly decent budgeter. It’s hard not be now a days with all the access we have for financial assistance online that you can attain for free or near free. We are a single income household currently. In the past, I remember a time when my grandfather made considerably less than I do. My grandmother did not work. They lived very comfortable and took most of the family on what would be considered a lavish vacation every year by today’s standards. That being said, I guess I did not expect to basically be living “paycheck to paycheck” on my income. I’m not saying that we cannot budget any tighter, or that we are absolutely struggling. I just thought working for decades, a lot of hours and sacrifices for my family, on my end and theirs, that it wouldn’t be…I dare to say “this hard”. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very grateful for what we do have. This isn’t just a rant post to assume victimhood and empathy. I’m curious as to how others are doing in this current economy that may share some relativity to my lifestyle. submitted by /u/CafeStout
Originally posted by u/CafeStout on r/AskMen