For those retired....what do you enjoy most?

[jaotguy]

YUP ... I drive by the local high school and the lot is full of "new" cars ..... kids at wally world show up for work in new cars ...

let's leave it at that ... none of our business how others spend their money ....( or lack of it ) ...

but there's no use in getting a degree where there's no demand for them .. AKA basket weaving 101 , navel gazing advanced level , ....

 

[Redbug]

I guess times have changed and I am not that old.

Back in the day... we graduated High School and made our way to College if so inclined and most had little to no support in doing so.

Most everyone I know was working their way through school, some had GI Bill and there were a couple with scholarships and a few where parents/grandparents wrote the checks.

Same for cars... we bought wheels and worked on keeping them on the road.

I work at a Hospital in California and I would say all parents I work with buy their kids cars and the majority buy new cars... like Honda Civic.

The majority also take out home equity loans to send their kids to college and the kids don't work... they want them to enjoy their college years.

Is America a rich country or what?

Parents want their kids to have a better life than they did. I know the job market is changing So...they buy them stuff and make life easier. That makes the kids lazy and changes their values. And now you see a culture that lives at home in their mid to late 20s with no real job, taking 1 or 2 classes a day, up all night playing internet games, with no future in sight. America is a rich country...or what...

 

[downsizingnow48]

One of the things I enjoy in retirement is having two grown daughters that both have good jobs and are not dependent on us as so many are. My parents provided the roof over our heads and the food on the table, anything beyond that (cars, college) we had to earn the money somehow. I started doing yard work at 15 and scrabbled on from there.

With our girls, given the soaring costs of college and everything else, we saw a need to provide more than that. We paid for college and walking around money for 4 years, and helped them buy their first cars (both about $5k used), and paid their car insurance for two years. After that they have paid all their own bills, including grad school. They are doing well knock on wood.

I do believe young folk need more help getting launched these days, but I don't know why.

 

[TaterinTexas]

Parents want their kids to have a better life than they did. I know the job market is changing So...they buy them stuff and make life easier. That makes the kids lazy and changes their values. And now you see a culture that lives at home in their mid to late 20s with no real job, taking 1 or 2 classes a day, up all night playing internet games, with no future in sight. America is a rich country...or what...

Yep...I am not sure we have done them any favors by wanting to give them a "better life than we had." most of us didn't have it that bad by World standards anyway.

 

[TaterinTexas]

One of the things I enjoy in retirement is having two grown daughters that both have good jobs and are not dependent on us as so many are. My parents provided the roof over our heads and the food on the table, anything beyond that (cars, college) we had to earn the money somehow. I started doing yard work at 15 and scrabbled on from there.

With our girls, given the soaring costs of college and everything else, we saw a need to provide more than that. We paid for college and walking around money for 4 years, and helped them buy their first cars (both about $5k used), and paid their car insurance for two years. After that they have paid all their own bills, including grad school. They are doing well knock on wood.

I do believe young folk need more help getting launched these days, but I don't know why.

I'll give you my opinion, Downsizing, even though not asked for...

I think it is because we have become too materialistic as a society. Too many folks seem to equate self worth or someone's value to what kind of car he drives or what kind of house he lives in. By extension, I think we seem to have the need to make sure our kids have nice stuff to make sure they are not looked down on by others.

Lord, I am about to start sounding old (heck, I am only 53), but when I was young, we bought our own cars in high school. We were just fine. I was in a middle class area, and all of us drove Junkers...we didn't seem to care. My family helped me with college tuition, books and a dorm room and I got some scholarship money, and any "walking around money" was my problem. I worked all during college and still managed to have fun. I think the way I was brought up made me appreciate the results of hard work, and I think have made me successful in my work.

My kids? Well. They're good people, and I am happy for that. My oldest daughter seems to have a good work ethic and has a 4.0 gpa in college and does work part time. But she is a lot like me...a born worrier and fretter and she also has a big streak of responsibility. My other two? Sweet young people but lazy, entitled and and I am not sure how they will turn out.

I probably should have put my foot down more about them getting spoiled, but I hate domestic fighting and that's the only way my wife knows how to resolve differences, so I just gave in. I think we did our kids a disservice by giving them so much.

 

[300UGUY]

One of the things I enjoy in retirement is having two grown daughters that both have good jobs and are not dependent on us as so many are. My parents provided the roof over our heads and the food on the table, anything beyond that (cars, college) we had to earn the money somehow. I started doing yard work at 15 and scrabbled on from there.

With our girls, given the soaring costs of college and everything else, we saw a need to provide more than that. We paid for college and walking around money for 4 years, and helped them buy their first cars (both about $5k used), and paid their car insurance for two years. After that they have paid all their own bills, including grad school. They are doing well knock on wood.

I do believe young folk need more help getting launched these days, but I don't know why.

When I went to college, in the mid 70's, my college tuition was $17 per credit hour. Now it is about $400, per credit hour. ( same school ) We used to be able to make enough with summer factory jobs to pay tuition, and room and board. The costs of just school are way higher than what we had to pay. And the summer jobs are hard to find.

 

[TaterinTexas]

When I went to college, in the mid 70's, my college tuition was $17 per credit hour. Now it is about $400, per credit hour. ( same school ) We used to be able to make enough with summer factory jobs to pay tuition, and room and board. The costs of just school are way higher than what we had to pay. And the summer jobs are hard to find.

Very true for me too. My first semester in college was $750, and that was books and tuition and lab fees. Heck that won't even pay for the books now.

You know why college costs have jacked up so much? Because they know they can get it due to student loans being so easy to get.

 

[OldMcDonald]

I agree with jaotguy, none of our business how others spend their money. It all depends on attitude. I left school at 16 (1960) with reasonable leaving results. Next step in UK from school is work or university (a college is the same thing as a university, but without the Uni status). I took an Australian university degree (business, majoring in law and accountancy part-time in my 40s).

Immediately after this it was obvious our young son was an academic and not the requisite sportsman to succeed in Australia. I was on good money contracts, but we moved back to the UK purely for his education. I have probably posted this before, so forgive me for repeating it, but he was in seven schools in three countries and both hemispheres by the time he was 11. 11 years later he had two masters degrees and was working on his Ph.D. We (and my MIL) helped him as much as we could through St Andrews for his first degree. He took out a student loan, and with some government scholarship assistance paid his own way after that.

He did not take up emloyment during term time, but worked full-time on the farm during holidays. We think we did the right thing and he repaid us through work on the farm. Not that we looked for repayment, but he did it.

 

[ultrarunner]

Most of my older friend served and took full advantage of the GI Bill for school and the VA to buy a home.

They put in the time and earned the benefit.

Seems many no longer think like this and yet wonder what has changed.

 

[jerrybob]

Both our daughters graduated from college and now have good jobs. Back when they were growing up and were getting ready to drive......we helped them with their first cars. I had them sign a contract.....they had to make a car payment to us, paid for a share of their insurance, had to maintain their grades and abide by certain rules. We adjusted their payments based on their school activities but when not involved with sports or other activities......they had part time jobs. I told them that....as far as the contract was concerned.....we were the bank.....not their parents. My youngest tested that theory once......her car was repossessed for a short time. This contract taught them responsibility and accountability. They even took care of their cars because they felt ownership. Friends of ours asked for copies of our contracts so they could do something similar. Both our daughters.....as adults....have said that the contract was a good thing and they learned from it. At the time of the contract.....neither daughter knew that we were putting all monies paid to us in a savings account for them for college. I see so many kids today handed everything on a silver platter......hard work and accountability are not taught.:2cents: