OT - Holler if you're tired of being BROKE!

 I'm with you guys being broke sucks. I also thought getting my Master's would give me this huge competitive edge in the workforce and salary but NOT! I like my job and make pretty good money BUT it's a contractual position (not permanent). It always seems that my expenses out pace my salary. My grocery bill is about $1,000 a month for my family of 6. I'm sure I could spend much less if I didn't buy fresh fruit and veggies for my kids but that's really not an option. We've all seen the effects of feeding kids crappy foods. I'm glad gas has gone down a little but we still spend about $100 a week to fill up both cars and my oldest goes to private school so that's a good chunk of my money also.

Anyway, enough complaining for me. It is what it is. I'm just grateful for what I have because things could be worse. I'm sure there are people in a much worse position.

I totally feel you on this one... back when I first started working I though "oh, if my salary was this much I'd have it made" well, my salary is double that much and I'm STILL living paycheck to paycheck.
If it wasn't for all the other posters I would put it to this dang State of Maryland robbing us with fees and taxes everytime we turn around.
I was reading an article a few weeks ago about how all us working poor and middle class people are more like serfs in the USA... we work and toil all our lives and really we never even own the land our homes are on... we get screwed on vacation time and they keep raising the retirement age. By the time I'm able to retire, I'll be dead...
I have held a full time job since I was 16, never collected unemployement, always moving upward... yet still paycheck to paycheck.
Something is definitely wrong with this picture...

 my dad did it right, got a government job as an air traffic controller when he was in his early 20s. he's eligible to retire now at 51 with all his benefits, and is forced retirement at 56 (i think that's when it is). makes good money and all of us kids are in their mid-20s, so my parents still have years to enjoy themselves. and he will probably do private pilot jobs until he dies out of pure love for it, so he'll always have some income, but can pick and choose his schedule.

Than a convict.

I reduced my hours at work from 40 to 30 because I am going back to school.  Looking at my bank account I can see the effects.  Now I am wondering how I am going to pay for tuition.  Guess there are always student loans.

Christy

Amen to  that. I read your blog/bio before. We have a lot of financial parallels. I feel the pain.

It's killing me too!  I live so frugally so I can live in an area with excellent schools but my rent just went up $150.00.  I am barely making it as it is. I don't want to move because my son would have to change schools.  I'm running out of places to cut back. I got one COLA raise of 2% 5 years ago but then took a pay cut of 5%.  So really the last raise I got was 8 years ago! On the plus side I am going back to school to get another Master's degree so I can get a higher paying job.  Maybe  I can defer the loans I'm paying on now while I'm going to school.  Hopefully I can land a better job. I just worry that it will be hard to make good food choices and maintain the exercise regime while trying to be a single mom, work full time and go to school. 

 Holla!!!!! At the age of 30 I'm still a college student. So tired of trying to make the top ramin budget stretch for good proteins & supplements!

 We will in a fairly expensive part of california..pay almost 2k a month for rent in a condo. I dont work..but not really by choice..childcare for my 2 youngest would be about 1800 a month and then I would need after school care for my oldest. So I'd need to bring home more than 2k a month just to break even on childcare. We have been blessed with being about to save a fair amount but I have 5k worth of hospital bills that will wipe out almost half of what we have saved. We absolutely live paycheck to paycheck and I just wish I could help out by going back to work!