beth is a Mainer!

Gives beth the secret handshake.

I may email you later, if that's okay?

Please do. My parents are pretty proud of their house because my mom ( a 4th grade teacher) designed it and they really worked hard to keep costs down. They would love to share their experiences and answer any questions.

Which is what's so unconscionably wrong about "paycheck-cashing" businesses. They take desperate people and make them much, much more desperate.

I'd say about 60% of the bank accounts I saw were paycheck to paycheck. Another chunk (maybe 25%?) - were one to two paychecks ahead. The last little chunk of about 15% would be well ahead.

Of course, people that really have a lot of money don't keep it in a bank account. It's out working for them, making them more money. Huey Lewis had six figures in his money market account, though.

But I think that's a fairly accurate snap shot of "working class" (whatever that means in America) finances. At least in California.

we pay $869 for our smallish 2-bd duplexed house with fenced backyard and half a garage and that is a steal. We can't move.

Damn. That is impressive.

Burrell, won't Frances's costs be going down as she gets older, or have they already done that?

Yes, but not enough to offset his care. Next month she'll transition to Toddlers and her care will go from $595 to $495. But then once he begins daycare in the Fall, we'll be paying $1095 for the both of them. Plus the mortgage. Ouch.

What's a straw bale house? I'm really intrigued, and I'm assuming it's not something that would be susceptible to a Big Bad Wolf weather front.

Buffista Monkeypants has monkey pants. I love it!

Nonian, a family member was living in SoCal and working for the USPS. He got transferred to Georgia, and felt like a millionaire, because he was no longer so house poor. The thing is, there is nothing spectacular about our house. It needs a new roof, and lots of cosmetics, we've already put in a new boiler, and new electric, and it's the second we've owned, so we put down way way more than the twenty percent. The housing costs here are outrageous.

If I were in Congress, there would be a law saying that (A) all banks must cash paychecks they issue and (B) a certain sort of minimum account, WITH DEPOSIT PRIVILEGES, must be available to all comers.

Congress? Screw that. You'd have to deal with all the bureaucracy and backroom deals.

Betsy for KING!

I could take a really great guess. But I wont.

I figured that you would probably have a good clue, and I got no problem with that.

However, if you do move, I'm totally moving in and pretending they were leasing to me all along.

Our clueless landlady might not even notice.

Burrell, yeah, now you see why I haven't moved in, shit, almost 10 years!

That would be great. We're playing around with design ideas right now, which is so much fun. Their experience would be invaluable.

On a side note, I've been doing lots of the floorplan work in the Sims2, because Will Wright originally envisioned it as an architectural game, and so included a ton of options that make that possible and fun. Then I can send my customized Sims through it to see how they like it and how they move. It's really funny, the SO Sim goes straight to the piano, wherever it is, and my avatar heads into the office for the computer. So, clearly, accurate.

Looking forward to seeing monkey pants pictures.

Being self-employed for the last 17 years translates to some years doing very very well, and other years eating from home equity loans. My income and my money management skills are wild and unpredictable. One month my bank balances may total less than $20, then I'll get a check for $75,000 and pay off bunches of debt.

Mortgage payment $2250. This does not include my real estate taxes of $7000 a year, or the insurance. Painful, but the house has tripled in value over the last 5 years so I deal.

I have debt beyond my wildest dreams. About $525,000.

It is a blessing that I don't stress over such things. When I have money I spend it. I'm generous and happy to pick up the check. When I am broke I have no issue with letting others pick up the tab. I pay my parents cable/internet bill and get their prescription drugs because I am over 50 and it feels good to give back.

My friends range from struggling students to the very wealthy. Those with tend to cover for those without. It works out.