DamnYankee
Loyal to the end
I was watching a "house hunters" or some such show a while back and a young couple were immigrating to the US and looking for a new house.
On the top of their list of priorities was a second master suite: rooms for her parents to live. Apparently it is their custom, not sure if it just a family custom or a regional one, is to support their parents after their retirement.
The wife and I were talking about what a huge burden this was to them. Our parents have prepared for their retirement and we don't support them at all, and we have planned as well. This couple didn't even have kids yet and had to support the old folks.
Thinking about it more, this used to be the norm in the US, where several generations would all live in the same house. That all changed with Social Security, now we as a society support the retirees by taxing the young and giving it to the old. In reality it is the same thing, just codified into law.
On the top of their list of priorities was a second master suite: rooms for her parents to live. Apparently it is their custom, not sure if it just a family custom or a regional one, is to support their parents after their retirement.
The wife and I were talking about what a huge burden this was to them. Our parents have prepared for their retirement and we don't support them at all, and we have planned as well. This couple didn't even have kids yet and had to support the old folks.
Thinking about it more, this used to be the norm in the US, where several generations would all live in the same house. That all changed with Social Security, now we as a society support the retirees by taxing the young and giving it to the old. In reality it is the same thing, just codified into law.