Middle Class Blues

"Been singin' for my rent and singin' for my supper,

I'm above the below and below the upper.

I'm stuck in the middle where money gets tight

But I guess I'm doin' alright."

"Doin' Alright" as sung by Jo Dee Messina

I had myself all psyched to move to a two bedroom apartment and to solicit perfect strangers to be my roommate in order to save exorbitant sums of money when I was dealt a shocking blow while I was shopping online for health insurance. I figured that taking on a roommate would give me an extra $400 - $500 a month giving me a little room to breath, a chance to save some money and the means to visit my grandkids a couple times a year. That's before I learned that the cheapest monthly premium is nearly $300 and that's with a $6,000 deductible! Of course, I could lower that deductible to $2,000 by paying $400 a month in premiums. Having no health insurance is not an option for me given my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

I'm not exactly sure how this qualifies as "affordable" health care. It was much more affordable when I was living with Mom, making $14,000 a year and paying no premiums with only a $500 deductible. I know I can't be the only one who feels this economic pinch and my boss wonders why people aren't spending as much money on Christmas paraphernalia. Who can afford it?

My friends say I need a better job. I'm not so sure. The more I make, the more I'll have to spend on taxes and health insurance premiums. I don't think I'll come out any further ahead by making more money. No, I firmly think the solution is more affordable housing and apparently the notion of living in communal conditions should be looked upon as the new normal. Of course, immigrants have been doing  it for years and that's how so many of them have saved money.

It's not what I would consider the American dream, but maybe the dream has truly died. And apparently, it's time for one huge paradigm shift on my part.