When you talk about families "making it" or "getting by" on extremely low incomes-- what does that mean? Does that mean they have secure housing? Do they have health insurance? What type of neighborhood do they live in? Where do their children go to school, and do they have childcare?
I'm also curious where you got the idea that low-paying jobs are easier to find. Yes, wages are based on the laws of supply and demand, but the job market is not monolithic-- there are a lot of different supplies to meet a lot of different demands. The grocery store manager isn't scoring a coup when he hires a laid-off IT professional as a cashier.
"Most employed people I know, in the US, work 60+ hours to make ends-meet with just one measly week of paid vacation each year."
It's hard to take seriously the views of people like Guest @47 when they simply make stuff up like this. If "most employed people" were working 60+ hours per week, our unemployment rate would be under 4%. Labor statistics indicate that the average work-week of full-time employees is under 40 hours a week.
As for work being "wage slavery and drudgery," yes, a certain number of jobs are repetitive and boring, and some are even dangerous. But someone's got to pick up the garbage, manage the wastewater treatment plant, service the copy machines, answer the help lines and enter the data. What's your solution? And by the way, I have one of those "exciting" jobs, and after doing it for 30 years, don't much like it myself, but so what? Plus, nobody pays me for taking time off because - surprise - I'm not doing anything for them when I'm off, so why should they pay me? We have an inalienable right to pursue happiness, not a guarantee that we'll find it.
I think maybe economist Phil Gramm, who took so much flack a few months ago for saying we were a nation of whiners, hit the nail on the head. It's one thing to be asked to sympathize with someone who's lost a job and having a hard time finding another one, but when people like Guest $47 come along, with their kvetching because not everybody has a high-paying, constantly interesting job with outstanding benefits and lots of paid time off, I realize that for some people, the only satisfaction they get out of life is whining about how it's not perfect. Wonder who does the dishes and cleans out the toilet at their house?
Xin Lu, there are better ways to deal with unemployed types who use their benefit as a vacation, rather than weakening the American Social Safety Net more than the last few administrations have.
The Canadian brought up many good points regarding American exhaustion and health care. Most employed people I know, in the US, work 60+ hours to make ends-meet with just one measly week of paid vacation each year. Also, the crappy American healthcare situation keeps far too many Americans chained to jobs they detest. Sadly, work for many in the US is a never ending cycle of wage slavery and drudgery. A 40 hour work week with adequate paid time off would be a good start.
To the poster who called the current administration socialist, I am curious why he or she is repeating this fallacy mentioned often in the corporate media and on hate-radio. Please let us know how President Obama is a socialist. And please don’t say it is because those making more than $250,000 will pay more in taxes. If this concerns you, you need to receive immediate psycho analysis into why your heart bleeds for the VERY fortunate and well-off more so than the less-fortunate. I do not see socialism here, but do see a continuation of state-sponsored capitalism that was employed during the last President’s tenure.
Yep, I did the coffee/smoking thing for quite a while as well. I had a pretty rough time breaking the smoking thing, while continuing to drink coffee/caffeine. A week after quitting coffee the smoking thing went away pretty much on its' own. Seems like the smoking/caffeine were driving each other. About 2 months after quitting coffee and smoke free, I had a coffee without thinking about it, by mistake. YEEHAW! Heart beat jumped by 20 beats, starting breathing hard and sweating. Coffee, does pack a punch for a lot of people.
I read the article in its entirety and also many of the comments. I must say that many of the Guests that called the author elitist and condescending do not quite know how to write proper English. If these guests tried to improve themselves and learned proper grammar and spelling perhaps their chances of employment would improve. Anyway, I just think there is some truth to the author's argument that the more generous unemployment benefits are the more likely people are willing to stay on it.
"My stuff isn’t noticed."
If its for utility only and not a major piece of furniture is really...
there's ways to get your older stuff noticed even if its older or not particularly the best looking.
With the right accessories and dressing, you can MAKE someone notice them to the point of making them wish they owned "that ugly end table that mom got rid of."
This is one of my favorite challenges actually. Find something extremely ugly that no one would get instantly and make them say that.
You can do alot for a cheap and/or free piece with a little hard work (it's relatively inexpensive to reupholster something for example)and it's also a fun project you can do with the family.
Objects are like people in a way.. if packaged properly you can make most anything desirable.
What a great post.
Knowing is half the battle when it comes to saving money & fashion.
I've been cutting down on some of my more pampering duties as of late.
I haven't treated myself to a pedicure or a manicure in ages and have never been to a spa before. I look forward to trying out your "homemade spa" idea later tonight. What a wonderful jumpstart to my Sunday.
p.s. the sheep is the american public. no on can divide someone else. the sheep divide themselves along lines of interest. there are many subdivisions within divisions. and both of these two posts, or most of them, are in reply to viatro and annjo (maybe others, i haven't read everyone' posts).
rule 1 of problem solving: correctly define the problem. your last paragraph hints at the real problem... it's the sheep. go ahead and waste your money mailing out the constitution. the sheep follow the path of least resistance. they resist change which includes learning something or voting idiots out of office. they may live in s***, but it's warm s***.
@Andrea: Yoda is a Jedi Grandmaster for a reason, and if he were alive today, he'd endorse Nike's motto.
@Baker: You can bet I'm going to keep bringing it up as it's constantly relevant! Agree with you totally, plus, in most human activities, there's never an absolute 100% — we like to reflect what we might've done better, even years later.
@Margaret: That's great!
@Alex: Awesome.
@Jenniferal: You know what they say about "composing a great piece happens one note at a time". Or with writing, one word. That's why I like looking at Legos and how they're assembled into bigger forms which make construction less intimidating.
Your money management approach is similar to what Ramit Sethi mentions in his book. Glad to hear of your progress.
@A: The "hedge funds" quote should be taken within context, as Sethi calls out the BS and fear that financial advisors (not all, but many popular and visible "experts") instill in the public.
Ebay has some great guide articles on how to spot fake merchandise on the site. There is a detailed on on Coach bags that shows how to spot fakes and what questions to ask or look for to tell if a bag is authentic. There are also some good deals on vintage designer bags. Coach has been around forever so some of the older leather goods go pretty cheap.
I also found some designer bags at the local Savers thrift store. They keep them in the glass cases up front. They had a Prada bag for $20 and a Tommy Hilfiger one the last time I was there.
We try to save up for vacations. We use Hotwire or Priceline to get a hotel. We usually can land a 4 star hotel for what a 2 star costs. Since we don't travel much it is a nice perk.
in my area of ny there roughly 250000 out of work and at any given time there are 10000 jobs avalible including min wage so lets see what are the other 240000 supposed to do its not that individuals are looking for a free ride its that there arent enough jobs to go around and across the country jobs keep disspearing and new ones arent being created i may not be a math major but i can see the issue here.
i understand your trying to promote disscusion but doing so in a condesending form with a let them eat cake mentality dosent help anyone the individuals who suddenly found themselves caught up in this economic storm are not jumping for joy there sitting there wondering if there going to have a roof over there head or food to eat and god forbid if they get sick its game over period.
With no disrespect to the auther ist is clear you have never felt hardship on this level your self I invite you to open up and try feeling the pain and suffering of others I think it will change your opinon of things greatly, its hard to undersatnd the veiws of others untill you walk a mile in their shoes.
Once agian I mean no ill feelings for the writer of this article.
After years of trying various things, the thing that worked the best for me was neosporine. Yes I know it's rather greasy looking, but I put it on overnight on the offending zit (just a small bit) and by the morning it is half (if not almost entirely) gone. I know I could go to a doc and get some prescription that would do the same thing- at quite a cost, but this one has worked for me so well, why mess with it? I also only exfoliate once a week and wash with mild soap once at the end of each day. But then again this it the regimen that works for my skin. I spent too much time and money on products that made my sensitive skin look and feel worse. I also don't wear makeup unless I'm going to a club or for an interview. I'm of the opinion that Makeup clogs the pores, natural or not can harbor bacteria, and can make your skin worse. In the end perhaps it's genetics or luck but I'm 31 and my face looks 25, sans expensive products and procedures.
After reading about using Brasso on scratches, I searched the house for some. My sons new Call of duty 5 was badly scratched on the xbox. I tried everything and couldnt find any brasso, but thought, cars and T Cut. T Cut is a liquid based solution used to remove scratches from cars. So I tried this as a last resort. It was either tcut or another £40 spent. T Cut did the trick, small amount on a soft cloth, circular motion on the disc and let it dry for a couple of mins. Then simple polish off in circular motions. Game works perfectly now. I would advise this as a last resort
Good one. I especially like the pocketbook recommendations. I just spent some time on the Indulgence site. I've been wanting to explore saving up for one good bag, but I had no idea where to for the bargain prices where I wouldn't get ripped off for a fake.
What a really cool post! I love all natural scrubs and washes. These will definitely go with my collection. The Woman's World mag for the week of Mar 30 has more spa treatments in it too( so anyone who was as excited as I was might want to check it out at their local library or give in to a $2 indulgence. Also another great site for a scrub and hair rinses is The Herbwife's kitchen.
I feel empowered when I focus on solutions.
My greatest joy in life comes from my relationships with family and friends - so I focus energy and time there.
Regarding cutting off relationships with drama queens - this includes family members.
Great, positive post, thanks!
"champagne taste and a coca-cola pocket book." I've never heard it put that way before! Thanks for the pedicure idea. I haven't painted my toenails all winter, and I scored some free nailpolish at an event yesterday, so an at-home pedicure is definitely on my to-do list today.
The work to dig up all that stuff, clean it, store it, handle it, sell it, ect, ect, is not worth your time. You are teaching your kids your addiction of (getting your values-worth). Food, objects, it’s all the same difference. This is why most poor people have weight issues. When you eat out at the local buffet you eat all you can? This is the same addiction (saving everything, ration all, get the best value) most of us grew up with because our parents and their parents came from hard times. It’s nobody’s fault until somebody helps you see the light. Spend more time seeing, touching, smelling and sharing the real things in life with family and friends.
I am someone living thru unemployment right now. My husband has been unemployed 4 times in the last 4 years. His first company closed and it took him 9 months to get another job. He is now 58 years old and is over qualified for the positions he is applying for or because he doesn't have a degree-not qualified. When he does get a job, it last 5 months and the company downsizes or closes and he is unemployed again. We had a very healthy emergency fund which through this unemployment we are needing to touch a bit because our COBRA is $850 a month and the max UE in Illinois is 2044 a month. This is with 2 dependents.He is strongly looking for work but he will not settle for a junk job. He wants something he can stay at until retirement. Ue is a life saver for us and with the economy the way it is, I am grateful for every week we can get.
And yes, these benefits are taxable income.
When you talk about families "making it" or "getting by" on extremely low incomes-- what does that mean? Does that mean they have secure housing? Do they have health insurance? What type of neighborhood do they live in? Where do their children go to school, and do they have childcare?
I'm also curious where you got the idea that low-paying jobs are easier to find. Yes, wages are based on the laws of supply and demand, but the job market is not monolithic-- there are a lot of different supplies to meet a lot of different demands. The grocery store manager isn't scoring a coup when he hires a laid-off IT professional as a cashier.
shut up you stupid retard
"Most employed people I know, in the US, work 60+ hours to make ends-meet with just one measly week of paid vacation each year."
It's hard to take seriously the views of people like Guest @47 when they simply make stuff up like this. If "most employed people" were working 60+ hours per week, our unemployment rate would be under 4%. Labor statistics indicate that the average work-week of full-time employees is under 40 hours a week.
As for work being "wage slavery and drudgery," yes, a certain number of jobs are repetitive and boring, and some are even dangerous. But someone's got to pick up the garbage, manage the wastewater treatment plant, service the copy machines, answer the help lines and enter the data. What's your solution? And by the way, I have one of those "exciting" jobs, and after doing it for 30 years, don't much like it myself, but so what? Plus, nobody pays me for taking time off because - surprise - I'm not doing anything for them when I'm off, so why should they pay me? We have an inalienable right to pursue happiness, not a guarantee that we'll find it.
I think maybe economist Phil Gramm, who took so much flack a few months ago for saying we were a nation of whiners, hit the nail on the head. It's one thing to be asked to sympathize with someone who's lost a job and having a hard time finding another one, but when people like Guest $47 come along, with their kvetching because not everybody has a high-paying, constantly interesting job with outstanding benefits and lots of paid time off, I realize that for some people, the only satisfaction they get out of life is whining about how it's not perfect. Wonder who does the dishes and cleans out the toilet at their house?
Xin Lu, there are better ways to deal with unemployed types who use their benefit as a vacation, rather than weakening the American Social Safety Net more than the last few administrations have.
The Canadian brought up many good points regarding American exhaustion and health care. Most employed people I know, in the US, work 60+ hours to make ends-meet with just one measly week of paid vacation each year. Also, the crappy American healthcare situation keeps far too many Americans chained to jobs they detest. Sadly, work for many in the US is a never ending cycle of wage slavery and drudgery. A 40 hour work week with adequate paid time off would be a good start.
To the poster who called the current administration socialist, I am curious why he or she is repeating this fallacy mentioned often in the corporate media and on hate-radio. Please let us know how President Obama is a socialist. And please don’t say it is because those making more than $250,000 will pay more in taxes. If this concerns you, you need to receive immediate psycho analysis into why your heart bleeds for the VERY fortunate and well-off more so than the less-fortunate. I do not see socialism here, but do see a continuation of state-sponsored capitalism that was employed during the last President’s tenure.
Yep, I did the coffee/smoking thing for quite a while as well. I had a pretty rough time breaking the smoking thing, while continuing to drink coffee/caffeine. A week after quitting coffee the smoking thing went away pretty much on its' own. Seems like the smoking/caffeine were driving each other. About 2 months after quitting coffee and smoke free, I had a coffee without thinking about it, by mistake. YEEHAW! Heart beat jumped by 20 beats, starting breathing hard and sweating. Coffee, does pack a punch for a lot of people.
I read the article in its entirety and also many of the comments. I must say that many of the Guests that called the author elitist and condescending do not quite know how to write proper English. If these guests tried to improve themselves and learned proper grammar and spelling perhaps their chances of employment would improve. Anyway, I just think there is some truth to the author's argument that the more generous unemployment benefits are the more likely people are willing to stay on it.
"My stuff isn’t noticed."
If its for utility only and not a major piece of furniture is really...
there's ways to get your older stuff noticed even if its older or not particularly the best looking.
With the right accessories and dressing, you can MAKE someone notice them to the point of making them wish they owned "that ugly end table that mom got rid of."
This is one of my favorite challenges actually. Find something extremely ugly that no one would get instantly and make them say that.
You can do alot for a cheap and/or free piece with a little hard work (it's relatively inexpensive to reupholster something for example)and it's also a fun project you can do with the family.
Objects are like people in a way.. if packaged properly you can make most anything desirable.
What a great post.
Knowing is half the battle when it comes to saving money & fashion.
I've been cutting down on some of my more pampering duties as of late.
I haven't treated myself to a pedicure or a manicure in ages and have never been to a spa before. I look forward to trying out your "homemade spa" idea later tonight. What a wonderful jumpstart to my Sunday.
p.s. the sheep is the american public. no on can divide someone else. the sheep divide themselves along lines of interest. there are many subdivisions within divisions. and both of these two posts, or most of them, are in reply to viatro and annjo (maybe others, i haven't read everyone' posts).
rule 1 of problem solving: correctly define the problem. your last paragraph hints at the real problem... it's the sheep. go ahead and waste your money mailing out the constitution. the sheep follow the path of least resistance. they resist change which includes learning something or voting idiots out of office. they may live in s***, but it's warm s***.
Preparation H (yes, for hemmorhoids)is great for zits. It reduces swelling and inflammation. Be warned it doesn't smell good :(
@Guest: Thrilled you did!
@Andrea: Yoda is a Jedi Grandmaster for a reason, and if he were alive today, he'd endorse Nike's motto.
@Baker: You can bet I'm going to keep bringing it up as it's constantly relevant! Agree with you totally, plus, in most human activities, there's never an absolute 100% — we like to reflect what we might've done better, even years later.
@Margaret: That's great!
@Alex: Awesome.
@Jenniferal: You know what they say about "composing a great piece happens one note at a time". Or with writing, one word. That's why I like looking at Legos and how they're assembled into bigger forms which make construction less intimidating.
Your money management approach is similar to what Ramit Sethi mentions in his book. Glad to hear of your progress.
@A: The "hedge funds" quote should be taken within context, as Sethi calls out the BS and fear that financial advisors (not all, but many popular and visible "experts") instill in the public.
Ebay has some great guide articles on how to spot fake merchandise on the site. There is a detailed on on Coach bags that shows how to spot fakes and what questions to ask or look for to tell if a bag is authentic. There are also some good deals on vintage designer bags. Coach has been around forever so some of the older leather goods go pretty cheap.
I also found some designer bags at the local Savers thrift store. They keep them in the glass cases up front. They had a Prada bag for $20 and a Tommy Hilfiger one the last time I was there.
We try to save up for vacations. We use Hotwire or Priceline to get a hotel. We usually can land a 4 star hotel for what a 2 star costs. Since we don't travel much it is a nice perk.
in my area of ny there roughly 250000 out of work and at any given time there are 10000 jobs avalible including min wage so lets see what are the other 240000 supposed to do its not that individuals are looking for a free ride its that there arent enough jobs to go around and across the country jobs keep disspearing and new ones arent being created i may not be a math major but i can see the issue here.
i understand your trying to promote disscusion but doing so in a condesending form with a let them eat cake mentality dosent help anyone the individuals who suddenly found themselves caught up in this economic storm are not jumping for joy there sitting there wondering if there going to have a roof over there head or food to eat and god forbid if they get sick its game over period.
With no disrespect to the auther ist is clear you have never felt hardship on this level your self I invite you to open up and try feeling the pain and suffering of others I think it will change your opinon of things greatly, its hard to undersatnd the veiws of others untill you walk a mile in their shoes.
Once agian I mean no ill feelings for the writer of this article.
After years of trying various things, the thing that worked the best for me was neosporine. Yes I know it's rather greasy looking, but I put it on overnight on the offending zit (just a small bit) and by the morning it is half (if not almost entirely) gone. I know I could go to a doc and get some prescription that would do the same thing- at quite a cost, but this one has worked for me so well, why mess with it? I also only exfoliate once a week and wash with mild soap once at the end of each day. But then again this it the regimen that works for my skin. I spent too much time and money on products that made my sensitive skin look and feel worse. I also don't wear makeup unless I'm going to a club or for an interview. I'm of the opinion that Makeup clogs the pores, natural or not can harbor bacteria, and can make your skin worse. In the end perhaps it's genetics or luck but I'm 31 and my face looks 25, sans expensive products and procedures.
After reading about using Brasso on scratches, I searched the house for some. My sons new Call of duty 5 was badly scratched on the xbox. I tried everything and couldnt find any brasso, but thought, cars and T Cut. T Cut is a liquid based solution used to remove scratches from cars. So I tried this as a last resort. It was either tcut or another £40 spent. T Cut did the trick, small amount on a soft cloth, circular motion on the disc and let it dry for a couple of mins. Then simple polish off in circular motions. Game works perfectly now. I would advise this as a last resort
Good one. I especially like the pocketbook recommendations. I just spent some time on the Indulgence site. I've been wanting to explore saving up for one good bag, but I had no idea where to for the bargain prices where I wouldn't get ripped off for a fake.
What a really cool post! I love all natural scrubs and washes. These will definitely go with my collection. The Woman's World mag for the week of Mar 30 has more spa treatments in it too( so anyone who was as excited as I was might want to check it out at their local library or give in to a $2 indulgence. Also another great site for a scrub and hair rinses is The Herbwife's kitchen.
Thanks again
I read all your posts, and love your writing style.
Thanks for sharing this success.
I feel empowered when I focus on solutions.
My greatest joy in life comes from my relationships with family and friends - so I focus energy and time there.
Regarding cutting off relationships with drama queens - this includes family members.
Great, positive post, thanks!
"champagne taste and a coca-cola pocket book." I've never heard it put that way before! Thanks for the pedicure idea. I haven't painted my toenails all winter, and I scored some free nailpolish at an event yesterday, so an at-home pedicure is definitely on my to-do list today.
Think?
Stop watching that garbage!
Throw out the TV! REALY!!!
Most of your common sense will return. Your discussion/participation puts you exactly where they (they=any media=bad) want you.
The realm of controversy via the media is nothing but sour.
Get rid of everything.
Now you are free to do anything!
The work to dig up all that stuff, clean it, store it, handle it, sell it, ect, ect, is not worth your time. You are teaching your kids your addiction of (getting your values-worth). Food, objects, it’s all the same difference. This is why most poor people have weight issues. When you eat out at the local buffet you eat all you can? This is the same addiction (saving everything, ration all, get the best value) most of us grew up with because our parents and their parents came from hard times. It’s nobody’s fault until somebody helps you see the light. Spend more time seeing, touching, smelling and sharing the real things in life with family and friends.
I am someone living thru unemployment right now. My husband has been unemployed 4 times in the last 4 years. His first company closed and it took him 9 months to get another job. He is now 58 years old and is over qualified for the positions he is applying for or because he doesn't have a degree-not qualified. When he does get a job, it last 5 months and the company downsizes or closes and he is unemployed again. We had a very healthy emergency fund which through this unemployment we are needing to touch a bit because our COBRA is $850 a month and the max UE in Illinois is 2044 a month. This is with 2 dependents.He is strongly looking for work but he will not settle for a junk job. He wants something he can stay at until retirement. Ue is a life saver for us and with the economy the way it is, I am grateful for every week we can get.
And yes, these benefits are taxable income.