LuAnn and Lexi, you don't have to be an inexperienced college student to rack up huge debt with easily-gotten credit cards! I know people who are otherwise seemingly successful people who are paralyzed with credit card debt that they acquired while employed. I agree that they should teach consumerism in all high schools. DGS has a "Family Living" class that he has taken for the last three years. They learn to cook, sew, balance a check book, make out a budget -- that sort of thing. At home, we ridicule the commercials (it gives us something to do till our program comes back on) and we talk about how other people manage their money and some of the dumb things they do. I do think there should be more education given about how to resist sales pitches and understanding how credit works. You both have a point in the college thing. I have worked places where they would not even read the resume of someone who was not college educated. I have been on the other side of the coin where non-degreed people were welcomed because they would never expect to be paid very highly. Some of this depends on where you live and what kind of degree you have earned. And yes you do need to have a plan and know what you want to "be", but most kids fresh out of high school have no idea unless their parents pick a career for them and we all know that usually doesn't work out in the end. If you live in an area where there are lots of office buildings then you'd be safe to get a degree in Business Admin or Accounting. If you're in oil country, a degree in Geology might work. If you're near the coast, Marine Biology. If near pharmaceutical laboratories, Chemistry. And so on. It would be so much better if a kid straight out of high school could work for a couple of years and then go to college. But by that time, most of them are married and have brought children into this world. Having a family and the responsibilities that come with it makes it really hard to go to school. Not saying it can't be done, just that it's real hard on everybody. It is up to the individual whether they seek a job that takes advantage of their degree. Anyone can go to work at a fast-food place whether they have a degree or not. And there are times when you need to take whatever job you can get to put food on the table regardless of your experience and education. But a 22-year-old has forty years in which to earn income. That's a long time and surely somewhere along the road, an opportunity is going to come along that will require a degree. As for debt collectors, yes, they're a rude and hateful bunch. But there is no difference in the debt collector trying to collect on a college loan and one trying to collect on a car you couldn't afford on a non-college educated income, or a few loans you took out when you couldn't make ends meet. As for myself, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't get a degree. For me, it would've made all the difference in the world.

I think that sounds extremely reasonable. I trade dog sitting with one of my girlfriends she has a ginormous lab & I have a small dog, a big dog & two cats. So to board costs me a fortune. I usually take longer trips than her so in addition to keeping her dog I throw her some bucks to bring her dog over here & stay with my FurKids, plus I stock the fridge, leave a CC in case of Vet emergencies, etc. We use the same Vet so that helps. I'm giving her $200 for 10 days (plus I usually get her a little gift from where ever I'm traveling), and I'm thinking thats cheap, and I'm staying at her house on the lake (sweet!) for 3 days on May. I'll bring my pups and leave the cats with 2 litter boxes and have the neighbor check them. I think $150 is reasonable/a steal for you as you wont have to worry, your pets at home and you can enjoy your time away. When you totally trust someone with your pets like that keep them happy forever! Priceless in my opinion! Yea- to the wine, it's good for the heart after all! One thing I would suggest is looking into a carecredit credit card. It's geared towards Vets/Medical, the interest is high except they offer 0% finance charges for a set time frame depending on how much. I've had to use it twice once for $200 & the second time for $150 and had 3 months interest free so that was nice. I always leave it here for her so I know that won't be an issue if she's unable to reach me and something happens. (and I can always use it for a facelift interest free if I feel the need-Ha) ~Cat

Momto4kids - Hopefully you're still following this thread. I remember way back when you got your counters rehoned on site. A couple of years ago, DD made a batch of "lemonade" on our island, squeezing an entire bottle of lemon juice on it in the process. I have lived with it, but I had a marble restoration company come out to give us a quote - we are replacing the mantle on the fireplace in our DR and need to have the slate refinished - so I figured while we were at it, we'd do the counter. I recall you saying it was fairly inexpensive to do - the first company, who apparently does a lot of work for an Ivy League college, came out and quoted us $2000 for the job (and told us it was a 2 day job). My jaw hit the floor. The next company quoted us $450 for both the fireplace and the counter and said it would take 3 hours or so. Do you mind telling me how much it cost you? I want the job done right, but I don't want to get taken, either. TIA!

I've never liked champagne, and I'm glad to see I'm in good company. I don't care for white wine either. I used to be quite fond of good reds (before I got Lyme disease and had to swear off alcohol), and I have friends with deep pockets who often pay prices I cringe at for wine, especially in restaurants, where the wine store price can be greatly inflated. I don't miss drinking wine, but I miss buying it. Our PA state stores have "Chairman's Selections," chosen by someone I used to know. He's very good at his job, and it was always exciting to find something like a highly rated malbec for under $10. I miss the hunt! (I also miss the other kinds of hunts, like at the Salvation Army. LOL)