Times is tough. At this point, we’re all working hard…and many of us are wishing we were working harder.  Getting our families the things they need is a struggle for lots of Americans.

But it might not be as bad as we think—or as bad as it’s been before. I’m not talking about the Great Depression worst case scenario here. I’m talking about 1974, when a stock market crash, rising oil prices and massive government spending from the Vietnam War created “Stagflation” (Inflation+Stagnant or slowed economic growth).

Check out how many more hours you’d be working to buy your family a TV, a vacuum cleaner or a tire for your car  in the mid-1970s: Continue reading »

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Apparently, the Olen family tooth fairy is a cheapskate. My children receive $5 for the first lost tooth, and $2 thereafter.

Our tooth fairy is, alas, behind the financial curve. Survey data from Visa reveals that the average United States child receives $3 per lost baby tooth, with more than 20% netting a stunning $5 for each lost bit of mouth enamel.

What’s going on? Continue reading »

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Ahhh yes, the news drought of the holidays is in full swing, begetting stories like this one from the unfortunately-named “The Mommy Files” blog: The Top Parenting Trends of 2009.

Okay, despite my snark, I think this is really more or less on the money. What’s writer Amy Graff’s take on what we were talking about this year?

One was recent — a New York Times magazine article from last week that talks about being married, happily, with issues. The very long article tracks a writer’s journey through various forms of marital therapy, and was actually very interesting in that many of the appraoches seemed to dredge up more problems than they actually solved. Continue reading »

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John Nelson, like so many others, was a victim of the economic meltdown our country is trying to deal with; he lost his job and was out of work for a year, before finding another, lower-paying position.  Nelson is also a divorced father, ordered to pay child support.  After he was laid off, Nelson filed for a reduction in his child support obligation, but it took more than a year to get a court date and then, when he finally did get to make his case before a judge, the judge actually increased the amount Nelson had to pay, leaving him with just $58 per week to live on.

Continue reading »

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Prepare to sob. OK, tissues ready? An eleven-year-old boy in Ohio has set up a giant sign in front of his family’s house with just two words: TOY SALE.

And every cent he earns is going back to help his unemployed dad feed the family.

Perhaps I should have issued a two-tissue warning? Continue reading »

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