Autumn asks: Don't you hate it when you let something bother you ALOT and you just don't know why?

I've been really, really bothered by my complete disgust and lack of willingness to even acknowledge our new president elect. After all, there have been other presidents that I didn't vote for and I moved on with a shrug of the shoulders and an "Oh well!" I believe in our system and that our differences in opinions and focus are what makes our country strong. Plus, as another link in a long line of military dependents, it has been bred into me that the President gets our support no matter what.

As I put together my Veterans Day post I realized just how often I throw out nasty comments about the Big O and his supporters. And I just couldn't quite put my finger on what was making me act bitter. What the heck???

As I was going through my daily blogs, I came across beingfrugal.net, and there is was. Below is a partial post...please click through to read the whole thing if you are interested.

"The United States is quickly moving towards a society where the government feels they need to keep things “fair”.

Example: You have person A and person B, both fresh out of college. Person A gets a job and immediately starts to waste money on big screen TVs, cars and homes he can’t afford, racks up huge amounts of debt, and basically lives way above their means. Person B on the other hand, also gets a job, lives very frugally, puts money every month in his 401k, and lives well within his means. At age 55, person B has accumulated a great deal of wealth. According to many politicians, he must be punished, taxed heavily, and the money given to person A, who has nothing saved and a huge debt load, via government programs and bailouts. All in the name of fairness. I ask this question: “What could be less fair?”

Another example happened in our house on Halloween night. My son really hustled when ‘Trick or Treating’ and had accumulated twice as much candy as my daughter. When she realized this, the first words out of her mouth were, “Daddy, that’s not fair, he has way more candy than me.” I explained to her that “it might not be equal, but it was completely fair. He went to twice as many houses as you and really worked hard at it.” I guarantee my son would not have worked so hard had he known I was going to take 40% of his candy and give it to his baby sister!"

Our family lives rather below our "means". We put money away for retirement. On a single, military salary, that is saying alot. (And when we stepped outside this we ended up in debt that we are now working HARD to eliminate.)

We don't get to take vacations like other people. Our vacations consist of going to see family, hopefully twice a year, but sometimes only once.

My daughter and I both have bottom of the line cell phones. No camera. No texting. Nothing cool - just a phone. My daughter is mortified as cells are a total status symbol to kids. But, if it keeps me from being on a dog-food diet when I'm retired, I don't really care that she suffered from having less...in such a non-essential item.

Our electronics and computers tend to be second hand or bought new and not replaced until they are beyond dead...years and years and years. They are never the "newest" thing as we'd rather watch someone else pay for all that new technology and go buy it after they have dropped the prices.

We buy a lot less house than the banks and realtors tell us we need and can afford. Peers can be rather shocked when they see the modest homes we live in. But, I will have a home when I retire that will not be a burden. I will be able to travel because of the money we put away while living in these small houses.

We almost always have used cars. We did buy my current vehicle new, but that probably won't happen ever again. I was traveling alot - 12 hours each way - and with my husband gone all the time couldn't afford a break down that he wouldn't be around to help handle.

So, now lets look at the people I know that voted for this change. And these are just ones I know personally.

Usually two income earning adults putting NOTHING away for retirement.

Latest phones with internet, texting, camera's and whatever else. And even if the phone itself was free...your paying for the stupid money plan because you CAN do all this extra crap. (And yes, some people do need this crap for work, I get that.)

They usually have two car payments...for cars bought brand new. Some of these homes have more cars than drivers.

Then there are all the after-market car things...cool rims or whatever.

Jewelry to impress the masses. Well, maybe they can hock some of this later.

House rich. Need I say more? Or at least they were house rich before the mortgage industry crash.

New clothes constantly. Not out of necessity, but out of "fashion sense" or whatever you want to call it.

They have no savings. No retirement fund. At least 10K in credit card debt. They are going to take out large student loans to get their kids through college (and let their children start their adult life with 30K in student loan debt.)

They vacation in the coolest places. Usually more than once a year.

Manicures, pedicures, expensive hair places...even when they are coming up short on paying a bill or two. This one is really beyond me. At least they look good while they are ripping off their creditors, right?

They buy DVD's, video games and equipment, the latest computers and laptops and an outrageous amount of Christmas gifts for their kids and over extend their cards....or just keep the balances so high that mom CAN'T stay home with the kids even though she desperately wants too.

And I could go on.

So, that's it in a nutshell. I'm going to get to retirement age with money to live on. Money I sacrificed for EVERY DAY. Money that was HARD to put away. Money I would rather have spent.

Money that will be taken away and given to those that did not do the work and make the sacrifices necessary to take care of themselves.

FEAR. That's what I'm feeling. Fear that all the hard work and sacrifice will have been for NOTHING. It will be taken from me to give to the greedy, over-extended "poor" people.

And yes, there are people that are truely "poor" and in need of help. We need to address that. So, how about government loans to start grocery stores (think mom and pop) and subsidize while necessary in those poor parts of town that no store wants to operate in. They NEED groceries and you can't tell me none of these people would be interested in owning a store. How about huge incentives to businesses to open up factories or whatever in these same areas to provide jobs for those with no transportation. Since companies like to get away from the 35% taxes in America and go to places like Ireland which has only 11% taxes -- give an incentive of 10% taxes to businesses that operate in our poorer areas that need these jobs so bad. And its American workers that are making the wage! With the tax incentive they can afford to pay the workers a decent wage.

Lets get rid of these stupid pork-barrel grants to things like pig research and put in into the communities that actually need help thriving. You know we have so much of that. It could be done.

And there it is. The reasons I really don't even want to deal with the new big guy. You know, the one that is so big on fixing public education....and is sending his girls to private school. Yep, that one.

You know, my husband made a joke about finding out about off shore accounts....