How are you financially compared to four years ago? - Page 4

Overall we are worse off. We have more in savings but not much more but have lost so much equity in our home so from that we are way behind where we were a few years ago. It is going to take a long time to make up that 200K+. I am not sure exactly where our 401K was at a few years ago but know where it is today and while it is better than it was at the lowest point it still has a way to go. We don't make much more than we did a few years ago but everything from the basics - groceries, electricity, water, gasoline, health and beauty supplies have gone up so much more. Overall we are OK but we see retirement as being further off than we would like. We don't live extravagantly or beyond our means either. It really sucks when you are doing everything right and then the economy tanks and you see so much of your hard work going out the window. 

We are worse off than we were 4 years ago by far. This time next year though we will be better off but getting there was taking the hard road and letting our house go and filing for Bk. In the end it's what needed to be done we held on for over 2 years and we probably should not have. My dh's medical problems surgeris oncologist ect then add on two kids being in the hospital as well as myself a few years ago killed us totally. When your medical bills alone are half the amount of your mortgage let me tell you your in big trouble financially and way over your head don't forget to add in small credit card debt and in 3 years your sunk.

The bright side we will move forward debt free. We learned things that only facing such a crisis could teach us. Also dh's 401k has never lost a penny in all the down turning of the economy so he must be smart enough and doing something right when he looks at it weekly and moves stuff around.