Reply #10: Kudos to those who have improved themselves over last year

[liberal N proud]

But for most of us, it is worse or at best no change from last year.
Even with a promotion and descent raise, I still feel squeezed more financially than last year. With cost of Gasoline and Heating bills on top of the cost of everything else going up. My dollar just isn't doing what I had hoped it would.
One can never just get comfortable to the point where I don't have to think about when the next pay day is.

My wife wanted to help out a family this Christmas who otherwise was not going to be able to buy gifts for the kids. She asked if it was OK. I looked at her and said, we will do like any other month and pull up the strings until payday at the end of the month, but to give what ever we could to help these people.

I am glad to see that some people are doing better, we have only been able to maintain the same level while I know many (too many) who have it much worse.