The title of this topic is "Reply in: Better off "Today" than you were 4 years ago?"

The truthful response response to that question is definitely YES, no matter who you are, or where you live.

Literally four years ago today, this week,or this month, almost all of us were sent home to try to slow the spread of the the virus, only workers identified as working jobs in "essential fields" were still working.

Don't go off on a tangent about liquor and gun dealers being classified by some governors. I'm talking about those working in the the fields such as first responders, the manufacturing of medical equipment used in hospitals and medical facilities to treat patients who were fighting the virus, as well in the manufacturing of PPE. let's not forget workers who tirelessly restocked the shelves at grocery and big box stores as well as the drivers who moved goods from producers or manufacturers to retailers.

Many businesses were quickly able to pivot their business model from their regular day to day operations, over to producing desperately needed PPE. Those who didn't have a clue about how to survive in a swiftly changing crisis unfortunately were the businesses which ended up out of luck when it came to producing an income. Basic Business 101 says that when your customer base dries up, you've got to pivot your business model to do something different to generate more income.

So don't give us the pearl clutching, hand wringing excuse that it was democratic governors who shut down the economy, when in fact it was clueless business owners who couldn't figure out how to do something different to generate income.

For example how many pizza ovens across the country began producing face shields instead of baking pizzas?

How many individuals across the country started sewing face masks to be worn by those who needed or wanted them?

Yes we're all better off today than we were exactly four years ago.

If in fact you had asked how many are better off today than they were say 60 months ago, then many could truthfully answer that they might have been doing better 60 months ago. But the question asked was four years ago, not 60 months ago.

By the way, going into debt is caused by spending beyond one's means. Basic personal finance should be that you earn it before you spend it. Everyone needs to constantly evaluate what they're spending money on, and stop shopping and spending money on "wants" instead of essentials. It's amazing how much money I ended up saving by staying out of stores during the height of the Pandemic.

Don't get me wrong, I was still having to pinch pennies to get by, but I stopped buying junk, and stuck to buying only essential groceries, not knowing how long my job was going to last.

Tell me how your “basic business 101” suggests a small mom and pop restaurant who works hard on very small margins is suppose to “pivot” when they are shuttered. I don’t recall many pizza ovens being converted to PPE production. I agree that people should not spend beyond their means but many hard working people who were surviving within their means 4 years ago are facing food prices overall 37% higher, much higher energy, fuel, housing and insurance costs regardless of the reason so perhaps some of the debt being carried is nothing more than surviving in this economy. I recently heard an analogy regarding inflation coming down to 3.5% being like a guy (who gained 90 pounds the past two years) telling his wife, “good news, I only gained 30 pounds this year!”

My quality of life is 10,000 times better under President Biden than it ever was or ever will be under trump.

If you're too blind to see that trump has only got his own best interests at stake, he doesn't care about what happens to we the people, then it's long past time for you to get your eyes examined.

Why is it that an alleged billionaire has to beg his cult minions to send him money all of the time?

Tax cuts for the uber wealthy don't trickle down to benefit the masses.

The pump and dump "truth social" stock is tanking, I hope you didn't invest too much disposable money into that scheme!

Creative math isn't your strong suit.

Go back a few posts, and you'll find the real world figure of what I'm making.

The "10,000 times better" is a figure of speech, which the trump cult is having a difficult time grasping.

It's not my fault that others aren't doing as well under President Biden as they claim that they were doing under trump.

As I stated earlier, moving, getting a better paying job, and adding more education to one's background are all ways to get ahead.

I've previously posted a link to this book, it's a great road map to getting ahead financially. This is not a get rich quickly kind of book, but a philosophy about how to get yourself ahead financially with a "you need to earn it before you spend it" mindset.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/T%20harv%20eker%20secrets%20of%20the%20Millionaire%20Mind

Here's another one job seekers should read.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/negotiating-your-salary-jack-chapman/1100489240?ean=9780931213212

They might be older books (originally published in 2005 & 2008 respectively), but the lessons they teach still hold true today.

The strategies in these books really do work.

That's pure bs propaganda.

By the way, follow the money within the trump family.

China granted 18 trademarks to trump and his family within just two months in 2018, bringing the total granted to Ivanka in 2018 to 34 by November 6 2018.

WHY were the trademarks needed just three months after Ivanka dissolved "her namesake brand to focus on government work"?

Then there's the $2 BILLION Jared Kushner got from the mastermind behind Jamaal Kashoggi's murder, MBS.

https://rollcall.com/2024/04/12/house-plans-to-send-mayorkas-impeachment-articles-to-senate-on-tuesday/