<p>My husband is doing better than his hard-working blue-collar parents who were very proud of his accomplishments (first high school graduate in his family, then got a PhD). I am doing better than my parents out of fear that I would end up in my mother’s situation. They were upper middle class and lived well beyond their means. My father didn’t think he needed retirement savings because his children would take care of him. He died 25 years ago (young), leaving my mother (who is still living) with debts and little income.</p>
<p>Some of my friends are not doing as well financially as their parents, but they are comfortable. They also have better marriages, more fulfilling careers, and better-adjusted children. I hope that the better life we’re giving our son includes emotional health, a positive attitude, common sense, and the capacity to make wise financial decisions for the present and the future. I’m a better saver than my parents, and I would like him to be a better saver than me. (Though under the mattress appears to be the place to save it at the moment.)</p>