Letter to Parents Magazine, May 2010

Just thought I'd share the whole text. I sound a little angry and judgmental, but it captures how I felt as soon as I finished reading the article. I do realize that $75,000 of income for a family of four is not "rich," but it would certainly feel rich to me and many other families I know.

I literally snorted in disgust and disbelief at the article, "Secrets of Couples Who Don't Fight About Money." Truthfully, it was the subtitle that make me roll my eyes: "They're not rich...." Not rich? The lowest income in the article was $75,000/year! Try getting some advice from couples who make around $35,000 -$40,000 which is what we're lucky to pull in here in Montana. Especially during a recession. If we were bringing in $80,000, we wouldn't be fighting about money, either! The advice in the articles was generally good, but it's hard for a struggling family to take an article seriously when these families are obviously comfortable. They're renting condos in the summer and paying extra on their mortgages, while most of us are deferring school loans (again) and renting small homes. Even one more realistic representation of America would have improved the trustworthiness of this article.