Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago

[Nym90]

My family isn't better off than it was 4 years ago; at that time, my father was still working as a teacher. Now he's paralyzed and his income was cut in half since he relies on disability pay, and had to take an early retirement thus he's not getting a full pension anymore.

As for myself personally, I make more money than I did 4 years ago (when I was still an undergrad student; now, I'm a grad student but working full time), but I also have more debt, so financially, it's about equal. Other areas of my life are much happier than 4 years ago, so on balance, I'd say I'm better off.

The responses to this question aren't going to be representative of most people, since most of us are young and thus probably make more money than we did 4 years ago due to that fact.

[Nym90]

My family isn't better off than it was 4 years ago; at that time, my father was still working as a teacher. Now he's paralyzed and his income was cut in half since he relies on disability pay, and had to take an early retirement thus he's not getting a full pension anymore.

I'm sorry to hear about your father, Nym.  My dad was partially paralyzed in a car accident in 1993.  I know how tough it can be to go through that.  He lost his ability to play music, which was the thing he loved the most.

Thanks. Yes, it was a trying time, he came down with a rare staph infection in his spine from an injury he sustained, and it was misdiagnosed and mistreated.

The sluggish economy when I graduated from college in 2001 caused me not to be able to get a job, but in retorospect, I'm probably better off because of it actually...I went back to grad school to go into a profession that I'll enjoy more.

I also met my girlfriend who I otherwise never would have met if I hadn't gone back to grad school. So...sometimes life works in strange ways.