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I definitely do. In the past 4 years I met DH, fell in love, had adventures with him, got married, got pregnant and bought a house to raise our family in! 4 years ago at this time I was in a bad work environment, relationship and just felt completely stuck. I'm much better off now!

@Coco Bee: off topic, sorry! But have you thought about applying for grants when you go back to school? There are so many for young moms out there!

I was an executive for a fortune 500 company. I was making an amazing salary and hated every minute of it. I worked 80 plus hours per week and never really even got to enjoy the boat load of money I was making. I met DH and the job became even more of a downer.

I got laid off. I was devastated, but it ended being the best thing that ever happened to me.

So yes, I am better off. I met and married my husband. I gained a bonus son and had a bio-son. I lost my job and opened up my own business. I get to enjoy my family every day on my own terms. I am happier than I have ever been.

I'm happier. I am definitely better off personally. In the last 4 years. We moved out of the country, had our son, moved back to the states but to another city, had our daughter, bought a house. I love our little family. Career wise, I'm not better off. I'm only working part time now. But the choice is totally my own though the job market is a lot tougher where we are living now. I love the flexibility of being able to work at home and have time for the kids. I do want to start working on getting a full time job though.

I answered no based on economic reasons..I don't think he was getting at whether you had a baby/got married/ made some other life change, but more your general well being. Technically yes, we are better off than four years ago, but we would be much better off in the pre-recession economy,. We got lucky compared to a lot of people our age, and that being because my DH got a well paying job with benefits (and by "well paying" I mean career, he still gets paid about 20% less than he would if he started a few years earlier) but we would be doing much better for our ages had we graduated college years ago. (ETA I judge this based on people I know who had similar experiences and came out much better off..) I also thought the discussion about the next generation probably having less than we have was pretty powerful. There are lots of things I don't agree with Romney on but I liked his speech more than I thought I would.

So much better! My career, family life, health insurance, student loans, and material items have all flourished/improved over the past 4 years.

Great question. Not sure...

Yes, financially, socially... pretty much in every way.

Four years ago DH and I were both unemployed. Now we have stable careers, are financially secure, and have a baby on the way. It took a while for us to get here, and without the recession we might be better off, but we are definitely in a better place. That said, we did leave the US, which we would not have done had the job market been stronger in the states when we were looking.

Hard to say. Was he just talking about being financially better off? We had a lot more in liquid savings and disposable income 4 years ago but we also didn't have a mortgage and zero kids.

4 years ago: my hubs and I had just started renting a place and we were not even engaged, and everyday there were news stories of companies going under and layoffs. Obama took office and I think some people thought things would instantly get better. Both hubs and i had good jobs for young 20-somethings just out of college. My company faired pretty well, hubs not so much he was laid off that spring but the wheels had starting turning in late 2008.

Within 4 months of being on unemployment, hubs found a job, granted it wasn't exactly what he was looking for nor did it pay quite as much but it was a job and it was the one of the couple interviews he had in all of 2009. Since had secured employment and we were now engaged we were now in a position to buy a house taking advantage of low interest rates and housing prices and the 8k credit.

It took almost another year and a half of searching before Hubs started getting calls for interviews and offers for jobs that fit his credentials better. He's been at his job now for over a year, but keeps his resume up and gets far more calls even though he's not actively looking than he did 3 1/2 years ago.

I think we are far better off than we were 4 years ago looking back i dont think we ever thought we'd be able to buy a house let alone be living in one for almost 3 years at this point.

Yes, absolutely. But it all has to do with marrying DH--that has made me beyond happy. Financially, I am much better off than 4 years ago, but again, that's due to DH! And to be honest, while we have been very fortunate, he has not made as much in the last 4 years as he probably could have/would have if he'd been in his current position in the 4 before that.

Personally, yes. I can't imaging being happier with my DH, and we are so excited to be welcoming butterbean into our lives any day now.

Financially, no. The salary freezes and the massive hits to my savings and investments will take years to regen, and even then, the recovery will never equal what it would have been if it had progressed normally (even with just minimal interest).

@Coco Bee: I agree with Mrs. Jacks about student loans. I graduated my MBA program in 2009 in the worst market ever and took on $120k to do it, but now I'm making three times more than I did before. I was able to pay off my loan in just under 3.5 years by living very frugally during that time. Now we are so much better off and wouldn't have been had I not taken on that financial burden.

I was able to buy my first house 3 years ago and because of the First Time Homeowners tax credit, and I actually have a savings account for the first time in my adult life! I got married and got pregnant and actually feel financially stable. My then-fiancee was laid off a few years ago, but now has a better job. I paid off my car a year early and am a year away from paying off my student loans. Life is great!!

Yes, better off in every way possible, We were very lucky here in Texas, because the recession didn't hit us *quite* as hard. I am extremely lucky to have a job I love, a house bought in January, and the ability to be TTC-ing! Couldn't be more thrilled with how my life is going

family? yes. baby? yes!
money? probably not--we had difficulty adjusting to sharing money and then we moved to an area where we needed another car and a lot of driving and i left my job for baby. so no but mostly by my own choices.

I don't think he was exactly talking about family and personal life. I think he was talking about jobs and economy and whatnot. When it comes to family - its great. Things are wonderful and I'm better off.

Job wise? Not so much. My husband and I have not gotten raises in 3 years. Gas prices have gone up, food prices have gone up, our utilities have gone up but our salaries have not. Out insurance rates have tripled in 4 years. We are NOT better off.