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Live Within Your Means

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2008

The current economic disaster leaves me bitter. My parents grew up during the Depression, and I was inculcated with one basic financial tenet: Live within your means. Except for houses and cars, if you couldn't pay for it with cash, then you couldn't afford it. I was taught to save for emergencies, to not pay for services that I could do myself, and to value every penny. I cringe to think that I would ever need a government to bail me out because of choices that I made along the way.

Whatever happened to personal responsibility anyway? If I had gotten in over my head with a house I couldn't afford, I would certainly not expect anyone to rescue me from my poor judgment. I am deeply angered that my tax dollars and retirement savings will be spent to assist folks who believed there were short cuts to the American Dream.

GERRI ALMAND

Tampa

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