Are you downwardly mobile?

[wincrasher]

I've had quite a rapid movement "up" these last three years. I expect to plateau for a while, which is not a terrible thing.

For most people, though, the chickens have come home to roost. They weren't upwardly mobile, but their spending was, and now it's time to pay the piper.

[Caoineag]

In comparison to when? We spent the past couple of years paying off debt and not splurging much. This last year we spent a lot getting our house fixed up and we are paying the last of that off and we lost a 1/3 of our income at the same time. That said, we are in pretty good shape and this year will be the first year in a long time that we will take vacations.

So maybe holding steady since I can usually afford something one at a time?

[Scanner]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scanner
I think we are going to be downwardly mobile, for the most part, in America for about a decade. Just a feel I get.

Can you explain what you mean? Looking around, I see people with cell phones, bluetooth, ipods, gps units, digital hi-def cable, ever larger plasma screens and more. Every time a store or mall or restaurant gets remodeled, it is more upscale than it was before. Low-end stores are almost gone from the landscape other than dollar stores and a couple of other places.

I see no sign of downwardly mobile anything.

DisneySteve,

I am by no means a "futurist" but I do find the field of "Futurism" interesting.

I think as someone noted we are at a crossroads in society. Essentially, you had the "Greatest Generation" - a product of the depression and WWII give birth to the Boomers. From that generation and to that one, it was essentially an "upwardly mobile" society with children doing better than their parents.

From there, the Boomers gave birth to Generation X. . .which generation you identify with is of course a matter of preference.

I think our economy has produced the realization for Gen. X (who in a way "took the reigns" with the election of Obama) that many won't do as well as their parents did. . .not necessarily because they were "slackers" (gen. X has been accused of such) but because of global/economic circumstances beyond their control.

I think the only move left for Gen. X to do is become "downwardly mobile" as easy credit will be a thing of the past.

It isn't necessarily a "bad thing" - there's the gain of "simplification" by being downwardly mobile - it just represents a departure of the American Tradition for the last few generations for kids to do better wealth-wise than their parents.

[Slug]

I think C. I finally bought a flat screen last year, and we're moving towards mostly organic foods. Does that qualify as upwardly mobile. I don't even know. If not, then it's B. But definitely nothing in my life is getting simpler.

[disneysteve]

Scanner, I guess I'm not quite sure what "upwardly" or "downwardly" mobile actually means. I've got much more than my parents did. My daughter has much more than I did at her age. Looking around, I don't see anyone living a lower standard of living than the previous generation, unless it is purely by choice.

[Beppington]

I guess I'm D. Upwardly Ignorant, as I don't even know what this question means.

(at least I was being positive & wrote upwardly, & not down)

I am very "Horizontally Mobile", though, as I have a car & my legs work great.

[am_vanquish]

I guess I'm D. Upwardly Ignorant, as I don't even know what this question means.

(at least I was being positive & wrote upwardly, & not down)

I am very "Horizontally Mobile", though, as I have a car & my legs work great.

Don't climb stairs often, huh?

[Beppington]

Don't climb stairs often, huh?

Oh crud, yeah, I'm upwardly mobile too, then! Oh, & down ... since I can go downstairs too! Weeeee ....