Are We Rich? Part 2 of 3 (In which I whine for no good reason)

To read Part 1 of this series, click here.

So, taxes are done and filed.  We are not getting the refund I was hoping for, and actually owed a chunk I wasn't expecting.  We are able to pay it, and while home improvement projects have to be scrapped for a while, we are still in relatively good shape.

I'm just jealous of those who have more, that's all.

In the midst of trying to coordinate an outing with a friend and her son, she mentioned some of the scheduled activities that are keeping them so busy.  A leadership summer camp for her son at an exciting location, and a trip to Asia this summer too.  She is understandably excited by both opportunities.  Meantime, I was excited to learn that our children will have the chance to travel to Washington D.C. in 8th grade--hey, that's all the way across the country!  It pales in comparison to her child's annual summer continent trek.  He's been to Australia and Paris already....places that even I, in my 5th decade of life, have never been.

Another family that we know is in the midst of renovating their house.  A major structural redo, it will take many months, and they will have to camp out in their backyard and garage over the summer, having turned over most of their daily living space to a construction crew to remodel.  It will open up tons of space, and use that space more efficiently, making an ordinary home quite exceptional and lovely.  I am jealous because my hopes of just taking down a couple of trees, and installing hardwood instead of carpet are on hold.  A remodel such as they are planning is completely out of the question for our financial situation.

So, are we rich?  Heck NO!  I have to fight off the green-eyed monster as I realized that my recent raise will go directly to paying our increased real estate taxes this year, leaving me feeling no further ahead despite all my hard work.

And I do realize that I am still very, very well off compared to many other high-quality people in the world, or even neighborhood.  We don't worry about what we buy at the grocery (I do pay attention, and clip coupons, but I don't worry if we can afford meat this week).  We have good health insurance, and relatively good health (knock on wood).  The recent discussions about exchanging Medicare for vouchers does have me resigned to working for the rest of my life, though...

Even if we did have the money that our friends do, which they are investing in summer vacations around the world, or remodeling their home, DH and I are not sure we would bother.  Our remodeling friends are probably sick of hearing comments that their house is "fine the way it is".  It is fine, but the point is that it will be better when they are done.  And if they have the money and are willing to put up with the hassle of living in their garage to realize their vision, more power to them!

I have smaller, less ambitious visions.  Hopefully we'll do our withholding tax calculations right next year, and we too can make our "dreams" come true.