Had to sell my wedding ring today

The American Dream only becomes a lie when you put Socialists in power hell bent on destroying the USA and it's economic opportunities.

My wife and I are working five jobs between the two of us, sharing one vehicle, and swimming in debt (our fault, for sure). You sound like you don't owe anything and with all the hours you're working why in the HELL would you ever have to pawn your wedding ring? You're either full of it or there's more to this than you're saying...

I don't believe that the American Dream is a lie, however I do believe that if one becomes stupidly materialistic and takes on debt, one is not a participant but rather a pawn of the system.

My grandfather had to make his "mark" in the early 1900s because he could neither read nor write.

Now, my husband and I have advanced degrees, a nice house, a vacation property, and 4 children - one in an Ivy League college, the rest in private school. I believe that hard work can still get you very far in life. (P.S. But we do drive 10 year old cars)

Sending you ma love and my prayers god bless you

....you also did all this before the Obama dictatorship came to be.

Currently....the American Dream is on LIFE SUPPORT.

You dumbasses didn't need to have 4 children. Should have recognized your poorness and had 1, two would have been plenty.

You don't get it. Computers and automation made it that less and less people can produce more and more. In the past e.g. you needed 100 people to built a car, now you need only 10. But what's with the other 90? Should they live from haircutting each other? And this problem is valid for all products and services and all over the world.
And the countries of the world react with the "race to the bottom" to this problem. Chinese workers do the job for half of the money, and if you want the job back you have to work for half the money the chinese worker get now.

It's simple: On this planet we don't have enough real work for all the people anymore. Only two solutions are available:
Either you give the expendables money for nothing or you kill them.

What's your choice?

Why? So you can buy some Chinese plastic trinkets?

This country has only recently been a cake walk. My parents got little to nothing for the holidays.

With no credit cards, car payment - and those hours, I think there's something else - something you could cut back on. That 100 hours a week between you both, even at 8/hour that's 800 a week....

I work 40 hours a week for 12/hour and hubby 40 hours a week for 10/hour. We have 3 kids, also own our car outright, rent, elec, dish, internet and cell phones are our bills, plus groceries, clothing, etc. We aren't "rich" by any means but we can certainly make it without having to sell something like that. You need to figure out what's taking so much money and work on a better budget maybe. No, 800 a week isn't exactly a "lot" but there are many families who would LOVE to have that kind of income and who struggle to get by on 400 or so a week.

I'm sorry but I have to agree - something isn't adding up.

That's typical for americans. You always blame the individual but never ever the system. The system that needs less and less people to built more and more, the system that makes few ultra-rich and all other poor slaves.
I guess you will still glorify the system and blame the individual even when 99 % of your population lead a hand-to-mouth existence.

I think I read the a stage Chinese worker makes about 10% of what Americans do. A lot of room at the bottom.....

I know an American guy living in China, working teaching English. He gets his apt. and $700/month for his work. Probably way more than the average Chinese makes, but I don't know that for a fact.

He's eating better with his $700/month and enjoying being alive more than he was able to with his job back here in the States and says he never wants to come back here.

Just saying.

fuck this god dam planet.

no one should have to work that much to have a roof and food

I do blame the system too, but if you don't realize and know that this country is pretty messed up and you don't do what you need to do to take care of you and your family, then that's your problem. And I'm sorry, but I don't have much sympathy for someone who has that kind of income coming in, yet had to pawn her wedding ring? In her OP, it said she has a low house payment, no credit card, no car payment, so unless she's buying REALLY expensive food, something isn't adding up right. There are families who only bring in 400 or so a week, and struggle. I feel very blessed that my husband and I both work full time and that, although we're not rolling in money, we have enough to pay the bills and take care of our kids. I don't spend money foolishly and anyone who does, its stupid.

For fuck sakes OP, maybe you shouldnt have cranked out
4 fucking kids in a shitty, failing economy.

You made youre bed now STFU and sleep in it.

How does a couple who BOTH work for a total of 100 hours per week and have no credit card debt, no car payment, and a low mortgage . . . have only $50 in the bank?

The other thing that jumped out in your post is your mention that the "holidays are here" . . .

WHY are people in America, 2012, still acknowledging these commercialized holidays?!

WHY are you still willing to go along with the sheeple and spend money you don't even have on some designated holiday that only makes retailers wealthier and the sheeple poorer??!

And sheesh, if you're down to $50 in the bank, I cannot imagine that you even vaguely entertain the notion of doing something for Thanksgiving.

And I sure can't imagine that you would pawn your wedding band for that reason . . . if you did it to feed your kids their regular meals it would be one thing, but if it was for this sheeple holiday, wow.

And I'll add this to my post:

WHY THE HELL does ANYONE need 4 kids?!?!

I feel for you, but honestly your husband might feel like you are blaming him for this trouble.

"We are so poor "I" had to sell my wedding ring." He should have been in on that decision. How would you feel if it had been the other way around.

Why wouldn't you tell him and Christmas is not a need, it is a "WANT", and it is teaching our kids ....well, it is a lot of propaganda to get people to consume more.

The best marriages work as a team on everything--I had figured you meant the diamond engagement ring, a gold wedding band isn't worth much used, I would think the ring would be worth more to keep.

Unless of course you are starving and have both agreed.

Christmas as a family sucks if everyone is not on board with what gets spent.

How old are you kids? It is great when they can get jobs, even babysitting. Then they can cover many of the things they want and need.

I hope he isn't too hurt, that can also put a real damper on the Holidays.

Good luck, and it was nice his job told everyone in advance so they didn't go and spend in anticipation. At least he wasn't laid off.

BD, you need to go back to the pawnshop, and get your ring back NOW. Trading something like that for a few dollars is horribly short-sighted.

If you guys can't live off what you make, there is NO way the tiny amount you get from pawnshops these days is going to make a spit of difference. The way your budget sounds, you are going to blow through the pawnshop money in a few days, with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Go get your ring back, tighten your belts, feed the kids first, and be as close to each other as you can.

My family has always been poor, and we make do. You guys need to be paying YOURSELVES a small percentage of what you make, and putting it into "situational improvements" such as a bag of soil, gardening tools, a sowing kit, materials for blankets, anything that will improve your situation at a low cost.

Working 100 hours a week between the two of you, with no car payments, low house payment, no frills lifestyle, and no credit cards... 4 kids or not, i dont see how you can possibly be in that bad of a situation... but what do i know im just an accountant

Sad to hear you had to make such a hard choice. I hope your husband does not take it the wrong way or personal upon himself. Glad to hear your not in Credit Card debt and living as cheap as you can. These days that's the only thing we have going is we have kept the bills down as much as we can. I hope we all can survive this second wave of recession I fear is coming.

Haha.. I realized that was my math you were talking about.. for some reason I was figuring both working at 60hrs a week. Oops. lol
Anyway.. my theory is still right on though, $800wk with practically no debt overhead.. and that is if, IF, they only make $8HR, which I can almost bet they both make more, especially if they have degrees..

um i make 600 dollars a week at $20 dollars an hour, your math is wrong for sure

you have to figure AFTER TAX RAPES YOU, thats the real money you get

yea i get like 1000 a week, after tax rape its like 600 cash money in my hand

so $10 an hour for 2 people would be 600 a week

$8 even less

but yea 60 hrs for both people would be around 800 but she did not say taht

WHAT THE FUCK NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORK 120 HOURS A WEEK BETWEEN THEM TO FUCKING GOD DAMIT FUCK THIS FUCKING PLANET

Last Edited by Daersoulkeeper on 11/16/2012 05:40 PM

You have to turn off anything you can. Get rid of the cable/satellite TV, dump the smart phones and just have one or two basic pay-as-you-go phones, try to use less electricity, don't buy any Christmas gifts for anyone, including your kids. They will understand. Use public transportation if you can and remove anything from your life other than the bare necessities.

I think you should have told your husband. He might have a tough time processing your decision and be resentful for a bit. You guys are a team and need to remember that in these tough times. Your family is the most important thing so be sure that worrying about money doesn't interfere with your relationships. I encourage you to pray; put your burdens and worries on the Lord and you will feel much better. Ask Him for guidance as well.

....or he'll feel like he's failed you.

I smell a bunch of bullshit in this thread.

You and your husband work a total of 100 hours a week, you claim you don't have credit cards, no car payments and your house payment is low.

If you cant make it on what you have than you're doing something you shouldn't be doing with your money.

Last Edited by Debauchery on 11/16/2012 05:50 PM

wrong: all it takes is to live in mass. then you throw away all money at rent

Last Edited by Daersoulkeeper on 11/16/2012 05:54 PM

You don't have to retrieve your ring right now, but be sure to constantly check with the pawn shop and every week go in and pay the loan interest in the ring and on a good week pay some of the real amount back.
That way the loan won't get out of control and you will always be able to get to afford to get your ring back.

Too many people just hock and pawn and do not realize you can pay the loan interest on it and the hock shop will re-figure the paperwork on your ring and keep renewing the loan.

This would be for someone with a very expensive ring that actually planned to buy the ring and went to a quality jewelry store and ordered the setting with the separate diamond mounted, cost about 10 grand and up usually...or an heirloom ring that means something to your family lineage.

If it is just a cheap regular wedding ring, you can usually let it go and buy a nicer one when times get better.

I used to work at a gold and diamond retail shop and lots of first bought wedding rings usually do not have great quality diamonds in them since the diamond industry realizes that many first time weddings are done by young people and the chances of them knowing a mediocre diamond from a great diamond is rare between hot young lovebirds.

Goodluck!

Also a note about the holidays, stop trying to keep up appearances with relatives or the neighbors.
It might be time to get your kids to learn how to make their own decorations and start realizing that giving thanks during thanksgiving and Christmas has nothing to do with material gifts.


Many people here do not realize yet that to skirt the new Obama healthcare, employers are going to be laying off full timers by droves and hiring masses of only part times employees in the years to come, since that makes the businesses not forced to supply healthcare now.
So not only is many people going to be forced to work multiple part time jobs just to pay bills but they will be paying through the nose for healthcare or fined out the ass for not having healthcare.

This is going to be the way of the new world and there is nothing any of us can do about it except plan to stop working and everyone go on assistance or welfare just to break the system down complete so it can be rebuilt again to encourage both workers and employers.

I have lost everything I own and worked for 4 times in my life, it is not that big of a deal.

At worst you may need to give temporary custody of your children to a family member or someone else that can afford to care for them properly, what ever you do DO NOT take the kids down the tubes with you! They need to be kids and not experience hitting bottom and all the arguments that come with it.
If your fretting about selling your ring I can imagine your already exposing your babies to negative atmosphere.