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It’s very sad actually that in the US my parents saved absolutely nothing for college because when my one parent that attended did it they could afford it with

It’s very sad actually that in the US my parents saved absolutely nothing for college because when my one parent that attended did it they could afford it with a summer job.

zxcmx 9y ago
Yeah except for the tons of people who help out their parents on minimum wage jobs because family is family. And those parents "contributed nothing" (except for you know, labour and care and such). It's nice when people have it together but you'll go crazy if you try to "add it up". I hope I'm lucky and consistently organised enough that my children feel entitled to believe that their success was planned for them. Working on it. They'll probably hate me for it and have some point of view where it is "stifling". Still cool, get it.
- taurath 9y ago
  To be clear, I'm not knocking my parents here, more pointing out how much the culture has changed
  - zxcmx 9y ago
    Yeah you never win or pay off "ancestor debt", and you'll never be free of the debts you owe your children. At the end of it, being an adult looks a lot like working for everyone else all of the time and it sucks. It is what is is though and it's worse to be useless. At least that's how I get through the week.
    - gghjhbb 9y ago
      Well if you don’t like it just jump off a bridge like a reasonable person.
    - taurath 9y ago
      I have a very different perspective but I also had some advantages and a particular “character roll” of genetics and upbringing (much was not positive). One thing - nobody is required to have kids!
DamonHD 9y ago
My parents (when in Canada) saved hard for a scheme that would pay for university for me. In the end the fund performed so badly compared to its promise that it just about bought me some nice textbooks 30 years ago in the UK. (I came across some of the paperwork when 'archiving' the other day.) Equally, I punt money into my kids' pensions, but at that distance it is a huge punt economically! I mean, some politician somewhere could do something stupid and destroy their value before my kids get to cash in in 50 years' time, just imagine! B^> Since governments spend in the now, maybe it's rational for parents to also.
RA_Fisher 9y ago
I think my parents ended up being really surprised that college couldn't be paid for with a summer job. I don't think Boomers realize the price increases we've seen in college tuition prices.

It’s very sad actually that in the US my parents saved absolutely nothing for college because when my one parent that attended did it they could afford it with a summer job.

zxcmx 9y ago

Yeah except for the tons of people who help out their parents on minimum wage jobs because family is family. And those parents "contributed nothing" (except for you know, labour and care and such). It's nice when people have it together but you'll go crazy if you try to "add it up". I hope I'm lucky and consistently organised enough that my children feel entitled to believe that their success was planned for them. Working on it. They'll probably hate me for it and have some point of view where it is "stifling". Still cool, get it.

taurath 9y ago
To be clear, I'm not knocking my parents here, more pointing out how much the culture has changed
- zxcmx 9y ago
  Yeah you never win or pay off "ancestor debt", and you'll never be free of the debts you owe your children. At the end of it, being an adult looks a lot like working for everyone else all of the time and it sucks. It is what is is though and it's worse to be useless. At least that's how I get through the week.
  - gghjhbb 9y ago
    Well if you don’t like it just jump off a bridge like a reasonable person.
  - taurath 9y ago
    I have a very different perspective but I also had some advantages and a particular “character roll” of genetics and upbringing (much was not positive). One thing - nobody is required to have kids!

DamonHD 9y ago

My parents (when in Canada) saved hard for a scheme that would pay for university for me. In the end the fund performed so badly compared to its promise that it just about bought me some nice textbooks 30 years ago in the UK. (I came across some of the paperwork when 'archiving' the other day.) Equally, I punt money into my kids' pensions, but at that distance it is a huge punt economically! I mean, some politician somewhere could do something stupid and destroy their value before my kids get to cash in in 50 years' time, just imagine! B^> Since governments spend in the now, maybe it's rational for parents to also.

RA_Fisher 9y ago

I think my parents ended up being really surprised that college couldn't be paid for with a summer job. I don't think Boomers realize the price increases we've seen in college tuition prices.