If we worked for NorthWest Airline, we might not have needed a Lap-Band. They recently distributed a booklet to their employess who face job-cuts and salary cuts. The airline suggested that workers can take "a date for a walk along the beach or in the woods." The booklet also says the workers should not be "shy about pulling something you like out of the trash" and not to go shopping while hungry.

Gee, and I thought our economy was doing so well.

It's sad that so many of those workers are living under a cloud of uncertainly wondering if they'll have a job a month from now. While the booklet was insensitive, it makes a good point... try and save where you can because you never know when life as you know it will change.

As a single person, I force myself to live within my means as much as possible and have a forced saving plan (403b) in case of emergencies and for retirement. I read a few months ago that for the average American, the difference between being homeless and having a home is 2-4 paychecks. Scary!

The average American has negative savings and owes over $9,000 in credit card debt. If you add in the mortgage and car payments, the average American is so far in debt, that no savings plan is going to bail him out.

Belt tightening is the only answer.

It makes me wonder why removing the estate tax is so high on the agenda of the working poor.

Unfortunately, alot of the workers that went on strike last year have lost their job. My friend, John was 4 weeks and counting down to retirement when the strike happened. John lost his job AND the retirement he had worked 30 years for. And obvisously he is a little bit old to start a new retirement fund. It is just gone. John now works at Wal-Mart and as a truck driver when he can.

It is very sad to see someone work so long for a company to come up empty handed.

My friend, John was 4 weeks and counting down to retirement when the strike happened. John lost his job AND the retirement he had worked 30 years for...It is very sad to see someone work so long for a company to come up empty handed.

It is supposed to be against Federal Law to take away a pension. A strike has no bearing on a pension. There must be more to this story.

I lost much of my pension when my company went into bankruptcy (for the 3rd time) and then was bought in a bankruptcy auction by another company. My company had shorted the pension fund. The Federal government chose not to go after the executives of the company for Federal law violations, but now I will collect a reduced pension from the PBGC who collected all the money in the plan and is paying out proportionately to the short-fall.

BuSh signed a bill into law yesterday, in fact, to try to stop companies from playing these pension games in which they skim profits from the fund in good times and leave the funds under funded in bad times.

I fear that they only way to truly be in control of your retirement is to not rely on employer or government. There are many example of folks working a lifetime for a company only to be cut out of retirement due to lay-offs/bankruptcy etc.

My generation won't see Social Security. At least, not in the way it currently is set up.

What a pity that booklet is given to already depressed employees.

Shawn

I fear that they only way to truly be in control of your retirement is to not rely on employer or government. There are many example of folks working a lifetime for a company only to be cut out of retirement due to lay-offs/bankruptcy etc.

I agree, but the average American has no savings and owes $9000 in credit card debt, plus mortgage and car payments. Regrettably the average American does not have the will-power to push away from the "keep up with the Jones" TV and internet adds.

My generation won't see Social Security. At least, not in the way it currently is set up.

What a pity that booklet is given to already depressed employees.

Shawn

There is no reason why SS can not be around when you retire. Just insist that the government is not allowed to make it a game based on the stock market fluctuations. The poorer the person, the less likely he will be able to beat the market.

SS was never intended to be a "retirement plan." For most folks, on SS, it doesn't cover much of their bills but helps a bit. I do like the idea of allowing the consumer to choose whether or not to invest in the stock market. I am against gambling with our SS dollars, however, I see a better return on my investments than what is currently given. Yes, some will mismanage their money anyhow or get in "over-their-heads." There can be some safeguards involved in the choosing of investments.

So much to think about.

I do feel for the poorer folks, making ends meet, and barely able to keep up with the bills (most US). As a culture we LOVE to spend and aren't very thrifty as all. I have several friends who can't afford their homes/cars and fail to make ends-meet. Yes, they have a huge mortgage and drive luxury/sports car, but if they were fired today, they would struggle to make their mortgage payment.

It's nice to have these discussions to take our thoughts away from food and WLS!!!

Shawn

One big problem is 41% of the wealth of the world is held by 1% of the population. That means the fat cats get fatter, while the poor get poorer.

I think our culture is so enticed by MORE MORE MORE we get ourselves into very sticky situtations. We always want more than we can afford, and fail to use self control. (hey that's how I got fat...lol..)

And the poor fall by the wayside, we are too self involved to help or too broke ourselves. I know that some homeless are there because of bad choices, but so many are families and single mothers. I think minimum wage=maximum pain.

Do you think marketing has anything to do with it?

My grandson's 5th grade teacher conducted a class debate about company's responsiblities regarding cancer and obesity. Most of the class said it was the individual responsiblity of the consumer at fault.

I asked my grandson, "If so, then why do these companies spend over a Million Dollars for less than a minute add during the Super Bowl?"

Do you think marketing has anything to do with it?

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Absolutely. I actually have a Marketing degree and we are taught how to get to people. Did you know some colors can have an effect on your memory? Have you ever noticed a commercial for a men's product ALWAYS has a woman in it? Even if it is just a hand with pretty painted nails.

Millions and millions of dollars are spent just to find out what we like, and THEN the marketing begins!

We are grazing cows on over eating, over spending, over sexed (viagra ect.) but not overachieving, so it becomes incredibly hard to pay for it all.

Look at the rest of the world? Why are we the fattest? Why do they drive small, gas friendly cars and ours are GIANT gas guzzlers?

Amen my sister!!