Not Like It Used To Be

 By Kelly Bridgewater

istock.com

When I was a young child, my father made about $40,000 a year. When I applied for Financial Aid with the FAFSA during the 2000 Spring, which was my senior year, for college, my father made too much money for the Pell Grant.

My father made about $20 an hour.

Today, between my husband and I, we almost make double that money, but now we are eligible for Pell Grant for our children.

Gas is $5.25 a gallon in Indiana. Almost $10 in other states.

A pound of cheap hamburger is $5 a pound.

Chicken is $3.50 a pound.

Milk is $4 a gallon.

Eggs are $3.50 a gallon.

Car payments are over $800 a month for up to 8 years. $60,000 for a new car. Not a truck or SUV.

Companies no longer offer retirement matches or pension plans.

Companies want you to work 24-7 for, if lucky, $12 an hour. They want you to give up your family time and focus completely on them for under $25,000 a year.

Where is the loyalty?

Where are the benefits for the employee to stay at your company?

It is really hard for my generation to save, put money away for retirement, or take vacations without debt. Luckily, my husband and I have no debt, but it is still hard to save for anything and watching the funds that we put in retirement every month disappear. We do NOT take vacations. I want to visit Mt. Rushmore, England, Yellowstone National Park, Universal Studios . . . I could if I wanted to take on debt and pay for these vacations for years in the future. That is no fun!

College degrees are worthless. I have a Masters in Writing, and I earned $14.37 an hour to work at a university.

Disgraceful!

Wonder why our generation is so upset. Pay us more! If the older generation keeps raising prices on everything we buy, but forgets to help raise our hourly rates, then we will never retire and enjoy the relaxing life like they are right now.

Not fair!

What do you think? Am I crazy or the only one that thinks this way?