How do you afford life?

[CWMMA]

Some people want the biggest and newest thing, that stuff costs waaaay to much. I really don’t care about that stuff. I have spent a small fortune traveling though.

Isn’t the majority of middle America in some sort of crippling debt?

 

[I Am Legion]

TS is totally right. I don’t know how people today do it....I think they just live in debt. The company I started for in 1995 hired me at 28k to start. Now it’s 35k to start....but my apartment back then was 1000 a month. Same one now is 2100. My house a few years later was 290k. Now it’s 590k. My wife’s Altima back then was 15k. Now same model is 29660. I make great money now but I’m not starting out now. I’m established. And where I live taxes are nuts as well.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

It’s not like wages stayed the same as they were in the 90s but prices increased. Both increased. However, due to fewer and fewer union jobs, among other things, wages have not increased proportionally along with everything else.

What did I do? First, you have to go to college. A college degree now is basically what a high school diploma was in the 50s. It isn’t something that guarantees you a great career. But you have to get one because nobody will hire you if you don’t. And don’t have kids. That’s what I did.

 

[FyrFytr998]

dont live in California for starters

/endthread.

As the old adage goes location, location, location. Where I live in my state the house values are almost double where some of my coworkers live, but they also have hour to hour and a half long commutes one way. Where my commute is less than 10 minutes.

Just need to ride it out to retirement. I can currently buy a house bigger than mine for half the price in the states I’m looking to move to.

 

[I Am Legion]

It’s not like wages stayed the same as they were in the 90s but prices increased. Both increased. However, due to fewer and fewer union jobs, among other things, wages have not increased proportionally along with everything else.

What did I do? First, you have to go to college. A college degree now is basically what a high school diploma was in the 50s. It isn’t something that guarantees you a great career. But you have to get one because nobody will hire you if you don’t. And don’t have kids. That’s what I did.

Oh yeah. The Return on investment on College unless it’s IVY League and very career specific Is terrible. Not to mention more and more companies would rather experience. My company could give a shit where you went to school as long a seat you did. And if you very little work experience? Bye bye.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

Oh yeah. The Return on investment on College unless it’s IVY League and very career specific Is terrible. Not to mention more and more companies would rather experience. My company could give a shit where you went to school as long a seat you did. And if you very little work experience? Bye bye.

No, the roi for college is very good. Of course, it varies greatly depending on what you study. But if you get nearly any degree, you will still likely be much better off than you were without it. The whole point of my post is that college is more important now than it ever was before. That’s because the US has shifted from a manufacturing economy to a service based economy, as many countries do the more developed they become. And service based industry generally requires higher education for its employees.

 

[MaureenCretis]

buy me some stuff, and I'll teach you about the joy of giving.

I give everything to my family already, sorry bud.

 

[IIIIIIII]

exactly. alot of people need to better differentiate NEED to have and NICE to have. i am going to try and go without shopping (for bullshit items) this year and see how long i can last. only purchase food and necessities.

or if you're going to buy something you don't need, at least don't break the bank for it.

 

[MaureenCretis]

What exactly do you do?

IT architecture & operations. On paper, at least. In truth, I've done about 20 hours actual work in the past 6 months, and not much more for the 6 months (and 5 years) before that.

 

[CerebralKnievel]

I don't get it. I remember in the 90's...

• A brand new Ninja style 750 or so street bike cost about $7,500.
• A brand new Chevy Z71 truck cost about $25,000.
• A brand new really nice house with a good yard... depends on the state but maybe $350,000?

But now a new street bike can cost you $13,000. A new truck can cost near $60,000 or more. That's like the price of a condo from the 90's. But yet, I don't see wages and raises keeping up with the cost of things. A new truck costs $60,000 but I think a person is really lucky to be making $100,000/year.

How the heck do people afford all this crap these days? What about in another 20 years when a new Ford Raptor costs $100,000 but people's wages are the same.

/rant

Marketing and advertising brainwash people into an insecure conviction that they must obtain these things in order to be living the status quo, and the majority of people are living beyond their means in unsustainable economic habits to get it done.

There are plenty of people earning 6 figures plus, who can reasonably afford this lifestyle, and then losers who just mooch off their parents into their 40s, but the majority of people are living on borrowed cash/time.

 

[Robocok]

I live in my car and cook a lot of my meals on a portable camping stove. My bills are:
Child support
Phone/internet
Food
Storage unit
Gym
Gas + maintenance for car

I'm saving money right now.

 

[fordman7795]

Damn $350,000 for a house in the nineties? We bought our house 5 years ago. It was 10 years old at the time. 2250 sq ft, 4 bed, 3 bath two story. Full finished basement and 1 acre yard. We paid $205,000. And it wasn’t a steal or anything. It’s just the housing market here. If you transplant my house to California it’s probably 2 mill.

 

[Merlotte's]

1) Gain new skills
2) Execute on those skills
3) Make more money
​

Having said that, most people don't do the above. Instead they max their credit cards and take out loans. They appear to live like kings and queens while rotting from the inside out.

Didn't you make love to a man that you thought was a woman?

 

[j123]

By posting on Sherdog

 

[badascan]

worked 86 hours this week, i guess that's how...

 

[blaseblah]

Buying a new car is throwing your money away. Especially a truck.

 

[Bay Area]

I don't get it. I remember in the 90's...

• A brand new Ninja style 750 or so street bike cost about $7,500.
• A brand new Chevy Z71 truck cost about $25,000.
• A brand new really nice house with a good yard... depends on the state but maybe $350,000?

But now a new street bike can cost you $13,000. A new truck can cost near $60,000 or more. That's like the price of a condo from the 90's. But yet, I don't see wages and raises keeping up with the cost of things. A new truck costs $60,000 but I think a person is really lucky to be making $100,000/year.

How the heck do people afford all this crap these days? What about in another 20 years when a new Ford Raptor costs $100,000 but people's wages are the same.

/rant

Blame the Federal Reserve. Inflation is ruining this country

 

[Bay Area]

Inflation, standard of living, and minimum wage. Salaries also go up with inflation.

Wages have for the most part stayed stagnant

 

[gonads20]

Trucks seem to be a lot bigger now than they were in the 90's.

 

[Nimrod]

i make a decent salary and have no debt. oh, and i'm single. on the other hand, during this time of year i do envy those who have their own children.

You Could always use other people's children..