Who's fooling who the politicians, the statistics  or are we trying to psych ourselves out.  I use to be what I considered middle class, having 401k adding 2% over my company's matching funds, life and health  insurance, a couple of stocks here and there, if the economy turned downward for what ever reason all i had was in jeopardy in a moments notice and this is with a household of 3 making a little over $60,000.00 annually.  After reading this article once my job was eliminated and me now on disability I see I have been fooling myself for a long time.  Oh I have been to Disneyland but not with $4000.00 to spend not even $2,000.00. I have never been materialist I drive a 2007 american made automobile only buy myself something new maybe every quarter nothing over $100.00 and a child that when she reached 16 found it necessary to get herself a job because she needed thing that I could afford once my husband passed away which left us with an income of only 47,800 yearly Our home was a modest only paying $750.00 no credit cards I did not squander money on things extravagant living or try to live as if i had money i didn't have after my husband passed i did take our daughter shopping more often than usual but again nothing extravagant, sometime we would go on our dirt cheap shopping trips. {that's when we went shopping if it was not on clearance rack  with a coupon or an additional percentage off the sales price it was off limited} with all that being said and nothing going down in price and the are salaries are not keeping up with the economy and many benefits' being taken away we can be middle class today and close to poverty the next, and oh yes I have taken a look at was will not be available to us as reductions in 2013 that will not only hurt the upper class but all classes unless one household combine themselves with a second household a lot of people will be in for a rude awaking when filing there 2013 taxes and trying to make a living and keeping there head above water through 2013.  I am now on disability and finding it hard to get any assistance, I have worked since I was 14 years on legitimate jobs sometimes 2 jobs with an associates degree in money and banking. I have never had any public assistance in my life even when I had a child out of wedlock not a penny.  Why is it now so hard for me to receive assistance I am now a widower and live alone in a 55 and older complex but I still can't  afford the luxury of a vacation and if I save anything or own anything over $5,000.00 dollars I will have to move from here.

Not all people that need assistance are lazy and looking for a handout Like I said I had worked since I was 14 years old and 33 years of my profession am I grouped in with the lazy or unfortunate people people that life of government handouts and is there a way to get around that stereotype.

P.S. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU WHO MAY FIND YOURSELF IN MY PREDICAMENT IN THE FUTURE THE MONEY YOU THINK YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE IN THIS ECONOMY DWINDLE SO FAST IT'S SCARY I KNOW I THERE

signed middle class smitter class {help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!​!}

What separates the middle class from the wealthy is that we are concerned about money.

What separates the middle class from the poor is merely the number of weeks/months we could go without a job.

Yet we feel more kinship with the rich than the poor. Envy sympathy?

What is really sad is that between my wife and I we make about 120,000 a year. But with student loans, car payments, day care, mortgage payments plus rising cost we barely make enough to cover the bills.  Just so you know that both vehicles have over  100,000 miles with one of them paid off.  We don't live extravagant and go out to eat but once a month.  My wife's student loan payment is 650 a month for the next 30 years for a job that only pays 36,000 a year.  Talk about a bad investment!!!!!!!!!  I don't see any of that mentioned in this so called middle class debate!!

My husband and I fit 4 of them.  I thought we were middle class but according to this we're not that fortunate.  Not having a Target close by I shop at Wal-Mart. He has a secure job but I don't.  We have no health insurance because the premium is too high and the deductible is ridiculously high.  We are strong Republicans because we believe in fewer government handouts, not more, and less government control, not more.  We are slowly saving for a modest retirement, but cannot help our children get an education nor can we afford a week long vacation anywhere.  To us, a vacation is a long weekend at his folks' in another state.   Should I start standing in line for free handouts now?