Anonymous wrote:PP again -- wanted to add, my dad retired at 67 and he and my mom are enjoying the high life. My dad is receiving his Army pension and a private company pension, plus social security, so getting an income of more than $65K per year in retirement. Their house is paid off. They are having fun and are in good health. I don't begrudge them at all.

But I can understand and sympathize with the OP -- if you are in the 99% in the 21st century, you need to be resigned to the fact that financially, we are screwed. Older generations have it made.

Anonymous wrote:I think your real issue is that you are upset they don't spend more time/money helping you out, is that right?

My parents are retired and travel. I am SO happy to see them enjoying their time. They both grew up poor, worked hard, raised great kids (if I can say so myself, ahem) and deserve every vacation they want to take while they are still able. Every time another set of plane tickets to Europe is purchased my gut reaction is "awesome! have so much fun! send me pictures!".

I guess if I felt slighted by them, maybe I'd be less enthusiastic. But they were, and are, wonderful parents. I'd never begrudge them a fun trip.

Anonymous wrote:OP, sometimes it's hard to listen to people going on about fun, relaxing times when you feel so worn down. It's fine to avoid those kinds of convos when you don't have the head space to deal with them. But, yeah, cut your mom some slack. If she did her time raising her kids, and doing it reasonably well, then she has a right to enjoy this time in her life. Eventually, it will be your turn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so obnoxious that the older generation has so much freaking money compared to their kids, who have had to spend more money and time, are deeper in debt, can barely afford a decent house, etc. It was so much easier to save $$ 30 years ago! My MIL goes on and on about how her paycheck always went straight to savings and lectures us on living paycheck to paycheck. Well guess what, your rent back then was only 1/5 of your income!! That's impossible in a decent, safe, reasonable school area now! You didn't have to go to grad school for the same level job, only to graduate and be paid (when adjusted for inflation) way less! OPs parents have the money for fancy trips, cars, houses BECAUSE their generation has made money OFF OURS! Look at the tuition increases alone. It's obscene.

So yes OP, I wouldn't be excited either.

Waaaaa! They birthed you, raised you, fed you, took you to the doctor, helped you get educated. But no need to spend a few minutes listeneing to their vacation, becuase it should have been YOUR VACATION! Waaaaaaa.

Anonymous wrote:OP, sometimes it's hard to listen to people going on about fun, relaxing times when you feel so worn down. It's fine to avoid those kinds of convos when you don't have the head space to deal with them. But, yeah, cut your mom some slack. If she did her time raising her kids, and doing it reasonably well, then she has a right to enjoy this time in her life. Eventually, it will be your turn.

Anonymous wrote:I find it so obnoxious that the older generation has so much freaking money compared to their kids, who have had to spend more money and time, are deeper in debt, can barely afford a decent house, etc. It was so much easier to save $$ 30 years ago! My MIL goes on and on about how her paycheck always went straight to savings and lectures us on living paycheck to paycheck. Well guess what, your rent back then was only 1/5 of your income!! That's impossible in a decent, safe, reasonable school area now! You didn't have to go to grad school for the same level job, only to graduate and be paid (when adjusted for inflation) way less! OPs parents have the money for fancy trips, cars, houses BECAUSE their generation has made money OFF OURS! Look at the tuition increases alone. It's obscene.

So yes OP, I wouldn't be excited either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so obnoxious that the older generation has so much freaking money compared to their kids, who have had to spend more money and time, are deeper in debt, can barely afford a decent house, etc. It was so much easier to save $$ 30 years ago! My MIL goes on and on about how her paycheck always went straight to savings and lectures us on living paycheck to paycheck. Well guess what, your rent back then was only 1/5 of your income!! That's impossible in a decent, safe, reasonable school area now! You didn't have to go to grad school for the same level job, only to graduate and be paid (when adjusted for inflation) way less! OPs parents have the money for fancy trips, cars, houses BECAUSE their generation has made money OFF OURS! Look at the tuition increases alone. It's obscene.

So yes OP, I wouldn't be excited either.

Stop the envy. It wasn't so damn easy for prior generations and they didn't have an abundance of cash while they were in the throws of child rearing--they also didn't have multiple tvs in their homes, multiple cell phones (likely just one landline phone) they they trade up every time a new model cones out, multiple computers that once again they trade up, multiple meals out a restaurants a week/month, trips to the movie theater every time their favorite star released a new film (complete with snacks and drinks), fancy vacations, cleaning ladies, frequent new cars, etc. it was a more frugal generation so yes, they deserve to enjoy themselves in their retirement.

Wait a second - did you just imply that the Boomers are a frugal generation?!?!

compared to the was people throw money around now, yes.

Are you an idiot? Do you think our generation wants to upgrade every year to the latest phone, iPad, laptop, etc. don't you realize that they don't work well if you don't upgrade? That your work hinges on them (but often work doesn't pay for them), and you are pretty much forced to upgrade? Yet another way your generation, corporate execs, are making money off ours. Even the tv! I can't not have cable or Netflix or something, I get two channels otherwise. Wheb you were in your 20s and 30s you had the option of free tv! Your big phone expense back then was how many minutes you spent on long distance ? It's a totally different, more expensive and complicated world now. We have expenses and bills your generation never dreamed of. Well actually they did, they created all these extras, slowly made them essentials and then raked in the $$$

I sit in my college classes at U of MD and listen to the upperclassmen talk about 17% chance of a job when they graduate. Wtf. So they'll graduate with 4 years of debt, be unable to get a job or the job they'll get will pay like $45,000 which is crap and not enough to live on these days. So then they'll think grad school (which is also pretty much a necessity now, thank you boomer generation), so 2-4 more years of school and even greater debt. They won't be able to start saving for retirement until they're 50.

I think most of my generation "throws money around" because you get to
a place where you realize it's all just impossible. Just charge everything in life and think about something else. Don't bother with health care (until ObamaCare thank god), because who can afford that. Never mind dental and vision.

Whatever. Boomer generation, you screwed us. So F you and your fancy trips. You should be taking your kids on trips. You should be buying them cars and helping them with mortgages. Their financial burden is due to you.

Anonymous wrote:"Oh Mom - this sounds so neat. I can only imagine when the day will come that Joe and I can do a trip like that! But then again, you probably felt the same way I do when you had a young family."