Or it could be the car is the one damned thing they have paid off, and they have no ready income right now. There was an article in the Washington Post a while back profiling families in just such circumstances. I think one was very close to being homeless.

Yeah, you just never know what someone's circumstances are. I was trying to explain that to a co-worker the other day who was complaining about unemployment benefits being extended. He thought the time you get unemployment should be shortened and that you should have savings to support you if you lost your job. And that if you hadn't found a job in a year (or whatever) you just weren't trying. @@

ION, today's xkcd is funny: Cemetery

@@ indeed. The uncertainty of Joe's unemployment continuing is why when we moved, I made damn sure we could pay everything with my paycheck alone. God knows what we'd do if I God forbid lost my job.

My point was just because you were able to easily find jobs and you are able to have enough savings to support your family doesn't mean everyone can and it doesn't make them bad people! A medical crisis can drain anyone's savings quickly even if you have decent insurance, for example.

you should have savings to support you if you lost your job

This is the sort of thing that pings me. In an ideal world, yeah, everybody would have enough income to put something aside after paying all the necessities.

Yeah, I'd like to join lisah's co-worker in that world. I just live in the real one, where things don't work out that way.

I wonder how much news that does confirm my political narrative I take without rethinking. I think I try to give things consideration, which is why I totally suck in political arguments, I don't like to assert or dismiss things unless I know my view can be backed up. I'm sure there are things I swallow too easily though.

lisah - for damn sure. I would venture to say (and of course will be wrong because I am venturing) that in these times, most of middle class families and downward do not have a years worth of savings.

And as far as finding a job, when we first moved back to Michigan, Joe sent out upwards of 200 resumes and applications and got one job. That he got through a temp agency and lost 18 months later when the economy tanked.

A medical crisis can drain anyone's savings quickly even if you have decent insurance, for example.

I tend to ask people--generally young--who are bitching about government benefits what they're going to do if they or a family member gets hit by a car and has to be in a hospital for weeks and then spends years recuperating. They all say that will never happen or that they have insurance. I laugh at them. The ones here at work know Hubby's story, and the faintest light of doubt appears in their eyes before their 20-something arrogance kicks in again.

I just live in the real one, where things don't work out that way.

Yeah, we're having trouble building any savings. We're single income so that makes it a bit difficult. But we aren't extravagant 20% of net income toward housing, no car payments. 10% of gross comes off for retirement savings so that's a big chunk but it's a responsible chunk. But one car repair, or one medical incident, or one home repair, or one vet visit (beyond a routine checkup), and whatever was going to go to savings is wiped out.