[Vexed]

A simple question:
Are you better off now than you were 5 years ago?

Define better anyway you want to, but I am particularly interested in the financial factor. Are you positioned (if you wanted to) to consume more now then you could have 5 years ago?

[jato]

For me the costs of most things have gone up while my salary has not increased enough to make up the difference. My wife has recently gone back to work so we can get out of debt.

[Guest]

For me, much better off.
5 years ago I was fresh out of school, went from a minimum wage job to a decent industrial job.

Since then, the industrial job turned into many other opportunities, my salary increased in the order of 75%.

I own my own home (though it is mortaged, my mortgage will be clear within 10 years). I lower my debts on a regular basis (no more student loans).

Only thing financially that is slowing me down is my family, (got some young mouths to feed). But then again, my biggest treasure are my little ones!

[Specop_007]

Lets see.
5 years ago I didnt pay taxes when I "worked", I chose my own hours and my benefits package consisted of lots of women and travelling.
Now I pay taxes and drive a desk. But I do make more money and have a better healthcare package.

Yeah, I'd say I'm better off.

[mindfarkk]

five years ago i was making 75k a year telecommuting, had full health benefits, short and long term disability, and flexible hours. i had excellent credit and a clear forward path into the future.

today the best job i can get may pay $10-15/hr without any benefits whatever. to give you an idea what that covers, my rent is $500 a month, and that's sharing a very small apartment. my share of the heating bill is about $150 a month and climbing with the price of oil. i have no disability, which means i can't get the chemotherapy i need. i have no retirement and no prospects of getting any, and pricing of housing in my area have tripled, so i have no hope of even getting equity as long as i live here, which hopefully will not be more than another year. i've spent 3/4 of the last 5 years unemployed, and i mean unable to find ANY work, skilled or not, that i'm physically capable of performing. and i'm about 60k further in debt due ot having to reeducate myself to find a new career. i've had my car repossessed during that period, which virtually destroyed my credit.

no, i would not say i'm better off today.

but hey i'm an overeducated, spoiled liberal, so what do i know?

[Laurasia]

I'm not better off than five years ago. I'm in the same job "officially" and have not received much in the way of any raises lately, but the nature of the job has changed considerably. A "package deal" was offered to the most experienced employees at the end of last year and the majority jumped at the chance and never looked back; then the same work was loaded onto the backs of those remaining, resulting in much more stress, low morale on the job, and the knowledge that with all this money saved the company is coming up smelling like roses. This is what the 'jobless recovery' looks like.

Regards,

L.

[tmazanec1]

Yes. I am working full time as opposed to part-time.

[savethehumans]

Well, yes. But that's cuz my Dad died this year, and I'm living off the life insurance money. Rotten way to be financially OK....

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('savethehumans', 'W')ell, yes. But that's cuz my Dad died this year, and I'm living off the life insurance money. Rotten way to be financially OK....

[Concerned]

Yes. I earn 50% more money and now I have no debt, my assets have increased by a factor of 3 who says the property bubble is bad In that time. I went on a 5 week trip to Africa and 6 weeks to Europe. I drive a 2nd hand car 11 years old and apart from my holidays I have far lower consumption than my peers.

I don't think there is any five year period where I have been worse of financailly than the previous 5 year period. Ask me again in five years if the PO story pans out I might have a different story to tell

[KiddieKorral]

I was 11 years old 5 years ago. I'd say I'm better off.

[The_Virginian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'i') have no disability, which means i can't get the chemotherapy i need.

[gwmss15]

money wise worse off now spent most of my money on study at uni and trips to and from asia due torip off airfares in australia $1200 return to singapore too much should only be 400 per return full non discounted peak period fare or build a high speed 10000km double track railway from melbourne to bangkok

life experance better now than 5 years ago

relationships much better now non existant 5 years ago

overall non money life is much better but on the jobs and money front its a very dark future unless i get AUD$ 2500 for a teaching cert asap so i can get a teaching job soon.

[Coolman]

I am much better off. Five years ago I was fifteen and was delusional. I was as America as everyone else and was locked into the system. I was in high school and did not have very much self confidence.

Now I am 20, and know whats going on in the world. Have very high self confidence, and don't let anyone mess with me (especially those people that say, When are you going to learn to drive?) I am much happier now.

[larrydallas]

I was 21 five years ago and was looking forward to college graduation. I was very naive in the ways of the world at that age. You could say i had planned out all of my life to live the dream with a good paying job, a house, and a family. I was working about 20-30 hours a week so with commisssions I made about $10/hr as a student. It wasn't all that bad since I lived at home during college. I do regret working so much because I never had too much fun. I'd do a summer vacation with a cross country trip and even went to Canada in 01.

I was in a position to consume more back then simply because my outlook in the future was positive. You don't go and buy a house in the suburbs and a big car if energy prices will soar in the future; know what I mean?

Since then my income has gone up 50-60% but so have my bills and expenses so I kind of feel like I am ending up the same but actually a litle worse off because PO bothers me a lot and I feel this brain drain on my mind because I hardly learn new things daily as I did in school. By the time I get home from work and take care of errands and tasks there is no time to do things for fun. I just go to sleep to do it over again the next day.

I am able to consume more by means of finnacial means but I don't want to because I know it will be in vain if I make foolish decision and get in debt. I am still VERY thankful that I owe nothing on a car or credit cards. I worked my way through school so even student loans do not exist for me. That is the most positive thing in my life which I often forget to consider.

I have a 9 year old car that is in good shape, I go shopping for clothes once every 2 years or so, I live in a good neighborhood with neighbors who are up to their ears in debt, and I rarely consume things for fun.

I am better off in terms of ability to consume but overall I am worse off due to knowledge of the future and a bad outlook on things to come.

[DomusAlbion]

Coolman said:

"Now I am 20, and know whats going on in the world"

To which I can only repy ...

What will you say when you're 25 or 30?

[Trentron]

Lets think; $500,000 five years ago, about $18,000,000 today. No thanks to government, but who's complaining.