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I'm old, old enough to be generally recognized as being in an age group with serious employability issues e.g. people losing jobs, becoming long term unemployed, and involuntarily retired, never to be employed again.
I have a worthless liberal arts degree which was obtained only because "a degree" is required to get into law school. (Can anyone explain WHY an undergraduate degree is required to get into law school? Is there a rational purpose or is it just the education industry propping itself up?) Law school had become financially out of reach as well as financially risky; I knew people coming out of law school with six figures of debt with no law job in sight, taking menial jobs to put food on the table, and rejected borrowing further up to my eyeballs - I already had undergraduate debt - to pay for law school.
So yeah, I've also been working full time since Reagan's first term, because I graduated at the bottom of a recession in the depressed Rust Belt without a marketable degree and never had a 'real' non-menial job. Five years later the economy was booming (and rents were through the roof) but - five years out, my resume abruptly became worthless as job interviews fell off a cliff to zero.
I'm not going to bash you. I mean, no point in being mean. But it does seem that you've made a series of poor choices career wise - not just one thing, but an accumulation of things, seem to have contributed to your situation now. As is usually the case.
By the way, I know a lot of people with law degrees that aren't making any money and living hand to mouth. Seems that in addition to that degree, you have to have people skills, and be able to market yourself and your services effectively. I mean, it takes a wide variety of skills to be successfully self employed - as many attorneys are. Corporate attorney positions are few and far between.
By the way, I think we're the same age. I didn't even FINISH college! But I did manage to work successfully till this past year, when my husband and I decided we'd both rather I stay home. Prior to that, I worked as an HR consultant, then in staffing, then as a realtor, and ended my working days as a bank manager. I was successful at all of the above, if I do say so myself. But it's been nice to be able to focus on more interesting things. I am very appreciative of this opportunity to get out of the corporate grind.
Now you have to worry about rent, gas (residence), electric, water, and phone bill.
You can't afford a car because you have to worry about gas, registration, maintenance, and insurance.
Also, what happens when your clothes get too ragged and your shoes get holes in them? You might as well forget any new clothes. You better get used to your work outfit.
And God forbid you get sick or injured to the point where you need to see a doctor. Your only option is to tough it out. On top of that, no girl wants to date you because you can't afford to pay for anything and she doesn't want to be seen with your broke ass.
But, hey this lifestyle is perfectly fine. Anybody could do it. Half the people on this board probably never got their hands dirty in their entire life.
Oh, and on top of all this, if you were born ugly...you can just forget about anything. Your life is already over.
Several of us have already posted in this thread that we wroked our way up from scenarios similar to the one you describe. Sacrifice, self-descipline, initiative, and motivation are required to move up and beyond that. Some will succeed in doing so. Too many others will doom themselves to a lifetime of struggle and whiny excuses for why they cannot afford the lifestyle to which they feel they're entitled.
Several of us have already posted in this thread that we wroked our way up from scenarios similar to the one you describe. Sacrifice, self-descipline, initiative, and motivation are required to move up and beyond that. Some will succeed in doing so. Too many others will doom themselves to a lifetime of struggle and whiny excuses for why they cannot afford the lifestyle to which they feel they're entitled.
Which camp will any of you whiners fall in?
Honestly, the condescending vibe you give off is that of a guy that never did a day of labor in his life.
Maybe if you would provide some insight into where you came from, and how you got to where you are today, it would allow me to see things from your perspective.
It can be done..my son is doing it.
Rent: $589 (includes cable/internet)
Food: $120
Phone:$35
Electric:$90
Total: $834
Plus, at that income you will get back all your taxes so that's a "bonus" come next April which can be used for big ticket items.
At that income one qualifies for food stamps so that saves money.
One can also go to the county health clinic or use that saved food stamp money to pay for company insurance.
Walk or take the bus is your mode of transportation.
It can be done. Hopefully you are just starting out age-wise and on your way to better opportunities that pay more. But if not, this is your lot in life and one has to ask what you were doing for the past 10-20 years ?
Honestly, the condescending vibe you give off is that of a guy that never did a day of labor in his life.
No. That's just you feeling sorry for yourself. Why should I feel badly for someone who isn't effectively and productively managing their own life?
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Maybe if you would provide some insight into where you came from, and how you got to where you are today, it would allow me to see things from your perspective.
Same as anyone else who rises above wallowing in self-pity... I worked, saved, and invested my way out of poverty. Many do it. You could be one of them. The first step is to stop feeling entitled to a lifestyle you cannot afford and stop making excuses.
That's what roommates are for. Share the cost of the rent.
Why wasn't the inventory locked up? Poor management skills. You learned the hard way.
Back when I was a student and had roommates, we lived in houses and while people generally had their own room, the rooms did not have locks. So you could secure all exterior doors and windows but not your own room. Having had bad experiences with that, for years I refused to live with roommates.
Eventually I had an income problem and did the roommate thing, but when you live in a low rent dive and have no control over who you live with - I rent a ROOM and not a severally liable share of a house - there is a high risk of getting bad apples. (Volatile drunks, druggies, thieves, SSI recipients...for a considerable time there was a couple in the house with an ongoing drinking-and-fighting drama.)
In this house, the inventory was locked up in my room, but no deadbolt as that was the only place available to store it. The perp was able to defeat the lock.
No. That's just you feeling sorry for yourself. Why should I feel badly for someone who isn't effectively and productively managing their own life?
Same as anyone else who rises above wallowing in self-pity and works, saves, and invests their way out of poverty. Many do it. You could be one of them. The first step is to stop feeling entitled and stop making excuses.
Man, you don't even know me. I have a good white collar job that I'm fortunate to have and I get paid more and work less hard than I was when I was working everyday out in the heat and cold, 10-12 hours a day doing manual labor and coming into contact with all kinds of chemicals.
Forgive me, if I have compassion, which is clearly something you lack. God help us, if you ever get in a position where your decisions affect someone else's livilihood. Did you get bullied as a kid? What's your problem?
If I could guess though, you probably came from a middleclass family, had computers growing up, food, basically a great support system.
You probably also had help from your family when you went to school, and if you worked a job, it wasn't anything where you actualy had to do any physical labor.
So where we headed? Plutocracy? Banana republic? Collapse? When do we get the guillotines out?
When I think about this I remember a line from the movie "Moscow on the Hudson" (staring Robin Williams) where his old Russian gradfather says, "After the Revultion we will build a great museum to put our leaders balls and it will have a big sign that will say these were our leaders balls".
Same as anyone else who rises above wallowing in self-pity... I worked, saved, and invested my way out of poverty. Many do it. You could be one of them. The first step is to stop feeling entitled to a lifestyle you cannot afford and stop making excuses.
Personally, I don't ask much of life and don't feel entitled to much. But as an American living under the Constitution I believe I am entitled to the property rights intended by the Framers, as opposed to having to pay inflated rents because government has regulated affordable home purchase out of the market. Every dollar I must pay in inflated rent is a dollar I cannot save and invest.
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