My dad likes to keep pointing out that there are some great condos back in Tinley Park (my hometown). I'm pretty sure he's not a fan of me living in the city - or renting, because according to people who understand economics, it's a waste of money. When you rent you're not building equity, which is what American life is apparently all about. I would probably understand the housing crisis better if I did have some kind of condo or home or mortgage, but when you're counting change for gas money or deciding how long you can let the phone bill go before it gets shut off - equity is something foreign. The only thing I'm building equity on is a small collection of records and Simpsons memorabelia, which I've started selling on ebay.

There's no question that I've fallen behind my parents and probably no question that plenty of people have. My parents probably had their fair share of hardships when they were in their early 20's, but by the time they were my age - they had a house, kids, two cars...the "American dream" - all on a single income. Granted, that didn't last very long, but I'm sure it was sweet while it did.

The solutions to personal financial crisis are as plentiful as late night infomercials, but do any of them solve anything? Every amateur and professional financial guru will tell you that the latte factor is what's pulling money out of your pockets. People often suggest to me that if I quit smoking I could potentially save thousands of dollars over time. If only I spent $20 less on beer I'd be able to pull myself out of debt and really "make it."

Thankfully, I don't buy latte's. I buy cheap coffee. If I can get it free, all the better. From my estimates, I probably spend about 52 bucks a month or so killing my lungs. If I were to choke down my last cigarette today (and not fall any deeper into debt from this moment forward) I'd be able to pull myself out of debt in approximately 17 years or so. If I were to be a little more liberal with my calculations, I might be able to pull it off in 10 years. Either way, if I quit smoking and cut back on drinking I'd be out of debt and ready to make it by the time I was 40!

My financial woes aren't nearly as bad as most Americans. In fact, mine pale in comparison to the crippling debt people are in. I can't even fathom numbers above the low five digits, let alone know what it would be to owe them to someone. I drool that one of my bosses pulls down 6 figures a year. Then again, he's got 4 kids, a wife, a house, a couple of cars, and plenty of other things tugging on his wallet. I'm sure he's probably not counting pennies to pour into his gas tank, but there's probably an analogy somewhere that would fit.

The idea of things being worse always on my mind, but let's face it - worse is perspective and perspectives change constantly. I'm much better off than a good 2/3rds of the world - I have access to clean drinking water, food, a roof over my head, and high speed internet. On the other hand, I'm lurching forward to the bottom rung of whatever economic class I fall into. That's not a comforting perspective. Those stimulus checks will help America as much as not buying a latte for a day and at the rate most people bleed money, things will get worse before they get better.

For the time being, politicians and pundits will continue to play fiddles and hand out small checks once a year in the hopes that we'll keep spending and keep things moving. Sadly though, most of us probably won't be able to afford that $5000 toilet.

(Adding insult to injury, I read this article right after I posted this)