Originally Posted by My3cents:
I don't know if parents are cheap, or just financially burdened by the times. I think many parents are just looking to save money any way they can- Takes two parents working to make ends meet.
I think of my own self- grocery shopping four bags and over a hundred dollars, and those bags are not full.
Cell phone bill- phone used to cost about ten a month, now we are talking hundreds
Taxes always going up
Mortgage, car payment.
Heat ...... its a killer and we are still colder then we should be at our home.
Electric
credit cards
health coverage
schooling
misc.
wages don't go up enough to cover the cost of everything else going up
I am not whining, but just saying most people are just looking to make it these days. You would think that childcare would be a # 1 or right up there, we are taking care of the most valuable asset.
Negotiating fee's is not an option. I have to be able to make it too.
I agree that things are more expensive, but I believe the definition of "making ends meet" has changed dramatically. What used to be a luxury is now considered a necessity. Young couples expect to start out in a home as big & nice as the one their parents worked 30 years for. They need the big SUV to haul their kids around to the $$$ activities they're involved in. Now, I'm not saying this is true for everyone, but I'm seeing it more and more.