American's Personal Financial Comfort Level?

FredHayek wrote: Per Gallup has now dropped to the lowest level in a decade since they started measuring it. 39% say they don't have enough money to live comfortably. Up from 34% a year ago and 24% in 2002. Taken from The Week. Looks like America can't "afford" four more years of Obama.

Did the poll DEFINE comfort level........."enough money to live comfortably"........WHAT criteria is being used? Can't afford an I-phone OR can't afford food? There is a HUGE variance in those factors,and from my perspective it REQUIRES A ANSWER.JMO

LadyJazzer wrote: Yeah, who else..(but a Republican)...could start with a surplus and run up $5 Trillion in debt in 8 years? And that darn Obama couldn't turn it around in 3 years... Hrrrumph...

LJ could you post this again and make it a little more clear. Most folks do not understand the difference between a yearly budget and an overall debt status over time and since you blended the two in your statement, some people may get confused.

I know you know this, but we did not have a surplus of funds as a country after Clinton, he had annual budgets which had a surplus that allowed for a very moderate pay down in debt (if that is what they used it for). When Clinton got out of office and the entire time he was in, we owed massive amounts of money and maintained debt.

Now we all know that Bush and Obama have jacked that debt up beyond control. But there is only one semi major party that is interested in eliminating the debt and it ain't the Democrats or the Republicans.

Again, annual budget surplus or deficit is different than long term debt and excess.

Imagine you made $30k in 1999 but only needed $28k to live, $2k extra right and you live in an appartment? Then in 2002 you buy a house. I could make the following statement.....

"Yeah, who else but LJ..(but a Democrat)...could start with a surplus of $2k and run up $300,000 in debt in 1 month? And that darn MR. LJ (or MRS. LJ) couldn't turn it around in 10 years... Hrrrumph..." The statement would not make sense because it is missing an enormous amount of info, just like yours.

That money was spent on all kinds of crap the people asked for, you are one of the people that asks for or says a lot of crap is absolutely needed, regardless of cost.

The debt, deficit wool is an old hat and I thought we learned a while ago not to pull it down over other people eyes. In national money discussions, that is the same as kicking someone in the balls and saying "see, I was right."

Please don't take advantage of ignorance, it is not right.

Well PE, that's 2 posts of yours I agree with...wth?

Another factor that always seems to get swept under the rug by archer and LJ, is the fact that crash was caused by the housing/credit bubble...both sides are responsible and you can't honestly blame it on any presdient. We were told over and over how more people "deserved" to own a home and very few were screaming "no they don't".

homeagain wrote:

FredHayek wrote: Per Gallup has now dropped to the lowest level in a decade since they started measuring it. 39% say they don't have enough money to live comfortably. Up from 34% a year ago and 24% in 2002. Taken from The Week. Looks like America can't "afford" four more years of Obama.

Did the poll DEFINE comfort level........."enough money to live comfortably"........WHAT criteria is being used? Can't afford an I-phone OR can't afford food? There is a HUGE variance in those factors,and from my perspective it REQUIRES A ANSWER.JMO

I would imagine that answer is going to be different for everyone. I am very risk averse and like to keep six months of wages banked. But I know others who are comfortable with mountains of debt and having only enough to pay the minimum on their credit cards.

FredHayek wrote:

homeagain wrote:

FredHayek wrote: Per Gallup has now dropped to the lowest level in a decade since they started measuring it. 39% say they don't have enough money to live comfortably. Up from 34% a year ago and 24% in 2002. Taken from The Week. Looks like America can't "afford" four more years of Obama.

Did the poll DEFINE comfort level........."enough money to live comfortably"........WHAT criteria is being used? Can't afford an I-phone OR can't afford food? There is a HUGE variance in those factors,and from my perspective it REQUIRES A ANSWER.JMO

I would imagine that answer is going to be different for everyone. I am very risk averse and like to keep six months of wages banked. But I know others who are comfortable with mountains of debt and having only enough to pay the minimum on their credit cards.

And there lies the main problem that actually got us into this mess....I hope more people learned the lesson that you already understood.