Reply #36: I have to remind myself every day I'm still better off than most on earth.

[Straight Shooter]

OTOH, I'm self-employed and it seems to get harder and harder to save money, especially when the not-so-great-house-to-begin-with begins to need desperate repairs and the property taxes go up and everyone here knows that prices on everything are rising.

Last week someone told me to start saving for my retirement because Social Security will be "poof!" by the time I'm 67.

I just looked at him and burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. He's really out of touch. He makes about $60K to $70K annually and has apparently forgotten what it's like to struggle when you're at the low end of the economic totem pole.