I am 28 years old.

My parents bought a used car for the family in 1996. I began driving that car at 16 and still do.

I decided to study engineering, a high demand field that interested me. Although my parents graciously helped me pay for school, I CHOSE to attend an out-of-state university and CHOSE to take out student loans resulting in over $40,000 of debt.

I’ve been married for two years, and although we could have easily bought a house, we instead CHOSE to stay in an apartment living off only my wife’s teaching salary allowing us to pay back the loans with my salary and become DEBT FREE.

We have recently revisited the idea of purchasing a home having saved a decent amount of money for a 10% down payment as well as enough to pay cash for a USED replacement of my aging car. After meeting with a loan officer and evaluating the options, it was clear we could swing the payments, but it would be extremely tight and probably not fiscally responsible. We are CHOOSING to stay in an apartment until we can afford a 20% down payment as well as live entirely on a single income. I was surprised how “encouraging” the loan officer was, constantly referencing how it is such a buyer’s market right now. There was no hesitation or thought of emergency funds or crisis management even though the current economic climate virtually guarantees unforeseen problems. A good investment opportunity can still be a bad investment, if you are not in a position to take advantage of it, and even minimal risk is still considered risk for a reason.

We are also CHOOSING to not have children until we set up that same long-term single income stability.

Life is about CHOICES. You CHOOSE your attitude. You CHOOSE your path. You CHOOSE how you respond to life’s circumstances.

Every single breath is a gift from God. All He promises is Himself, and He is enough.

I am the 99%, and I thank the 1% for their hard work and the opportunities they provide for the rest of us.

I am the 53%.

For those that are Occupying Wall Street: The banks didn’t put you in debt. You put yourself in debt. I agree that we shouldn’t bail out the banks, but one has nothing to do with the other. The banks’ inability to run a responsible and profitable business has no tie to you agreeing to enter into a legally binding contract for a predetermined interest rate. If you thought the rate was unfair, you were not forced to take the loan. The bank provided an opportunity you could otherwise not afford, so we should not only repay our debts, but we should do so gratefully. Get off Wall Street, and Get to Work. No job is “beneath” you. You are entitled to nothing.