BabyBoomers Were Lucky

By Kelly Bridgewater

My husband and I have talked about this a number of times, so I thought I would share something that has been on my heart for a while.

My generation, the kids who graduated in the late 90's and early twenty-first century, are failing. No jobs want to us a living wage. Most companies barely pay anything over $10 an hour. But we are the generation with no Social Security. It won't be there when we reach our retirement age at 68. But we don't make enough money to put away for retirement. Companies don't even offer any type of retirement anymore. Let alone pension plans to help us when we have worked for their companies for years. No more loyalty to stay working for them.

It is hard to pay for $4 for a pound of hamburger. $6 for a pound of bacon. Cheese is $4 a pound. A gallon of milk is $2-3. A gallon of gas is anywhere from $2 - $4. Whatever the stupid people in charge of gas thinks to charge for the day. It changes daily.

Don't forget the electric, water, gas bills, cell phone, cable. Outrageous.

Even when we go to purchase a house, the mortgage companies screw us with a PMI payment of 10 - 15 percent of the cost of the house every month if we can't come up with 20% of a down payment.

Luckily, my husband and I have no debt and realized that if we don't have cash for it, we don't buy it. 

We luckily saved enough money to have 20% as a down payment when we purchased our home.

But bills and money are still tight. We can pay all our bills in full every month, but the money isn't really there for anything else.

I titled this blog post with Babyboomers are lucky because they have social security. They have companies that gave them huge pensions. They are retired and sitting pretty. I have a couple of family members who are traveling the entire time since they retired. They have lots of money. There houses are paid off. They drive newer cars.

My generation will work forever and have nothing to show for it.

This sucks.