It really peeves me when 'degreed' people claim they aren't necessarily making any more money than if they didn't have a degree, and they say it all the darned time.
Actually, I'm NOT making any more money with my degree than if I didn't have it, and I think I can prove it.
I earn my state minimum wage, which is pretty good evidence that I'm not making one cent more than I would make if I didn't have a degree.
Whether a degree helps you get a higher paying job or not is, I imagine, completely dependent on the line of work. You obviously can't practice medicine without several years of higher education, but High School is most likely enough to be a mechanic.
Sarah, maybe some disclosure on what your line of work is would clear up any discourse about your statements.
I wouldn't be in school if it weren't for FAFSA. I'm almost exactly half grants/scholarships and half loans. I'm in-state and at a public school, so things aren't completely terrible... but graduation will be my first experience with debt.
I'm in school to be a product designer. It can be a self-motivated field, where work produced counts more than the name of the school you went to. My chances of landing a job with a large corporation will be better thanks to a degree, but there are plenty of self-made (and also degree holding) designers working freelance and for studios. I'm convinced that, in college, I'm getting training and knowledge that I'd have a slim chance of getting on my own, but it's not impossible. So to me the debt is completely worth it.
I really enjoyed your post Sarah, thanks for sharing your experiences.
Yes, Grandma was examined for mental competency and she passed, and went on to give away more of her money. The problem with Alzheimer's disease is that it's a difficult diagnosis in the earlier stages, and there tends to be a long period where it's not clear whether the individual is suffering cognitive deficits. During this time, Grandma seemed lucid to most people, and the doctors were not able to conclusively diagnose her as mentally incompetent. The law errs on the side of competency. I think she may qualify as legally incompetent now, but it's too late.
Regarding bad check scams, that is somewhat beyond the scope of this article, and I am not really an expert, but there are a number of ways to run the scam. Grandma's legal redress in the case of the missing check is unclear, because she made a mistake in writing a check out of funds that had not yet cleared. In that case, it would have helped if her bank had put a hold on the check until it had completely cleared so that she could not draw on it. However, another twist is that typically the identity of the person who ran the scam is fake and the person is impossible to find once the deed is done. Probably the same scammer went after her again and again, so it seems like more persistent detective work could have tracked him down.
It's interesting that in talking to my Aunt, who did absolutely everything in her power to stop this from happening, she has still received a lot of feedback from people who think they know how to solve the problem. But she really did try everything. Absolutely everything. I think it's just very hard for people to believe that there is not some way to control or rescue a situation like this.
Keep in mind that it is a felony to divert someone's mail and read it for them, even if that person is very old.
Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches were a childhood favorite. Now that I'm a holier-than-thou vegetarian I have switched to peanut butter and Morningstar Farms bacon-like meat substitute (tastes exactly like bacon - provided that you haven't tasted real bacon in 14 years!)
I don't know, but perhaps a mental competency evaluation would have been useful. Obviously you don't want to take over her life, but there might have been some way to change her number and, say, get her mail sent to a P.O. box where a relative could filter it.
Education is a huge part of stopping these scams, of course, but my grandfather was a very smart man whose brain gradually died of senile dementia. Fortunately, he wasn't taken in, but he did a good job of training his kids and then of being willing to listen to their advice. I wouldn't be surprised if someone could have fooled him, had they gotten in the right position.
Next time I'll make it funny and informative just for you. Not anyone else only you. Maybe someday I'll "gradumacate" to your level and inform you and make you laugh. I'll continue to "supposedly" get paid doing what it is I love to do. I love that you hated it. You'll read it again someday maybe and realize it was either ahead of its time or you were too futuristic for it. Happy New Year btw.
I volunteered at a food bank for quite some time. Many poor people can't manage something like rice and beans because many poor people don't have luxury items like ovens and stoves. Cheap pre-made food becomes one of their few options.
More laws, new laws, changing laws are not going to fix the problem. Murder is still against the law last time I checked and that still happens. Educating the public on scams and exposing the scams is the only thing that will fix this issue.
Of course degreed people don't make more money mowing lawns or flipping burgers, but they sure have the ability to get better jobs.
I am a teacher in Arkansas, and make 48,000 dollars a year. Could I make it doing something else? Yes. Would I have the job protection and pension of a teacher? No. Could I get it without a degree? Nope.
when is a deal not a deal? Anyway, selfish is a bit odd considering I posted that deal to the whole world. I was planning to share the candy among many people, so hardly greedy or gluttonous. Opportunistic, absolutely. That's what deal hounds do. Cheap. well, I've been called worse and it bounces off me like water off a ducks back. The only question here is unethical, and while you may think my practices are such, I believe it is equally unethical not to honor an order.
Sounds weird. Western Union will not do it w/o your ID and any bank will have your photo ID and a record where the money has gone. My friend recently lost a personal check and was able to recover the name, account number, and other details of the person trying to cash it.
Cheap, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, unethical and opportunistic. When bad things happen to you, and you take these kinds of actions to others, make sure you don't complain. Try running a business sometime, and dealing with people actively out to take advantage of you at all times, instead of treating you genuinely and compassionately. All for some candy you probably wouldn't have sought out in the first place.
Thank you for the sympathy, everyone. This has me wondering how many millions of dollars have been literally stolen from senior citizens and sent overseas. It's something we should take seriously.
Thanks for your story. What a pity that nothing could be done to save your grandma from those scammers and thieves or from herself. How can you convince someone that what she was doing was harmful when all she wanted to do was help those she loved.
I'm not entirely sure what your rights are around this one, but it is my feeling that if you don't activate the card, you won't be liable for the fees.
However, they may have something on you if you clicked the ominous "I read & understand the Terms & Conditions" box when you applied online, in which the fee disclosure information may have been buried.
Real moon sand doesn't have to be revived or wet. I got all excited for nothing. Seeing that real moon sand lasts forever, I think it's cheaper to use the real deal.
It just saddens me so much to read this story because these people prey on the elderly and those who are in desperate financial situations. While my experiences have paled in comparison, when I was looking to work from home I lost some money trying to find legitimate jobs. These people know who is going to want this money badly and they look to scam those people.
I am so sorry that your family has gone through this and thank you for sharing such a personal experience.
I do use quicken with a "virtual" envelope system. I created a mock acccount called "escrow" and I put the budgeted amounts into it each month. When I need it to pay a bill, I put it back in the real account. In reality, the money is in my checking account all along, but it is not all thrown in together. When I have a large balance accumulated, I transfer it to my ING account to earn a little interest (some of the big bills are only once a year, like property taxes on my house). I wouldn't like all the cash sitting around my house doing the regular envelope system.
I think it's hard to know where to draw the line between letting an elderly relative live their own life, and making sure that they're capable of looking after themselves. Like most of us, I don't think the elderly would appreciate someone poking their nose in where it's not wanted. But equally, how do you stand back and let someone be taken advantage of like this?
As an avid rinser for years, I've done my fair share of Neti potting. Experience has taught me, however, that it's nearly impossible to keep everything sterile enough. Tap water is never truly clean... and can lead to more problems than you started with.
Over the counter *pressurized* saline is the only way to go. (Squeeze bottles can easily become infected) The only thing you have to keep clean on pressurized saline is the nib that goes into the nose, easily done with soap and water.
Yes you're essentially paying for salt water, but it's guaranteed sterile for the entire contents of the can. Worth the price in my opinion!
Guest said:
It really peeves me when 'degreed' people claim they aren't necessarily making any more money than if they didn't have a degree, and they say it all the darned time.
Actually, I'm NOT making any more money with my degree than if I didn't have it, and I think I can prove it.
I earn my state minimum wage, which is pretty good evidence that I'm not making one cent more than I would make if I didn't have a degree.
Whether a degree helps you get a higher paying job or not is, I imagine, completely dependent on the line of work. You obviously can't practice medicine without several years of higher education, but High School is most likely enough to be a mechanic.
Sarah, maybe some disclosure on what your line of work is would clear up any discourse about your statements.
I wouldn't be in school if it weren't for FAFSA. I'm almost exactly half grants/scholarships and half loans. I'm in-state and at a public school, so things aren't completely terrible... but graduation will be my first experience with debt.
I'm in school to be a product designer. It can be a self-motivated field, where work produced counts more than the name of the school you went to. My chances of landing a job with a large corporation will be better thanks to a degree, but there are plenty of self-made (and also degree holding) designers working freelance and for studios. I'm convinced that, in college, I'm getting training and knowledge that I'd have a slim chance of getting on my own, but it's not impossible. So to me the debt is completely worth it.
I really enjoyed your post Sarah, thanks for sharing your experiences.
Sometimes you have made your limit of shops and have to wait until the next quarter.
Yes, Grandma was examined for mental competency and she passed, and went on to give away more of her money. The problem with Alzheimer's disease is that it's a difficult diagnosis in the earlier stages, and there tends to be a long period where it's not clear whether the individual is suffering cognitive deficits. During this time, Grandma seemed lucid to most people, and the doctors were not able to conclusively diagnose her as mentally incompetent. The law errs on the side of competency. I think she may qualify as legally incompetent now, but it's too late.
Regarding bad check scams, that is somewhat beyond the scope of this article, and I am not really an expert, but there are a number of ways to run the scam. Grandma's legal redress in the case of the missing check is unclear, because she made a mistake in writing a check out of funds that had not yet cleared. In that case, it would have helped if her bank had put a hold on the check until it had completely cleared so that she could not draw on it. However, another twist is that typically the identity of the person who ran the scam is fake and the person is impossible to find once the deed is done. Probably the same scammer went after her again and again, so it seems like more persistent detective work could have tracked him down.
It's interesting that in talking to my Aunt, who did absolutely everything in her power to stop this from happening, she has still received a lot of feedback from people who think they know how to solve the problem. But she really did try everything. Absolutely everything. I think it's just very hard for people to believe that there is not some way to control or rescue a situation like this.
Keep in mind that it is a felony to divert someone's mail and read it for them, even if that person is very old.
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches were a childhood favorite. Now that I'm a holier-than-thou vegetarian I have switched to peanut butter and Morningstar Farms bacon-like meat substitute (tastes exactly like bacon - provided that you haven't tasted real bacon in 14 years!)
I don't know, but perhaps a mental competency evaluation would have been useful. Obviously you don't want to take over her life, but there might have been some way to change her number and, say, get her mail sent to a P.O. box where a relative could filter it.
Education is a huge part of stopping these scams, of course, but my grandfather was a very smart man whose brain gradually died of senile dementia. Fortunately, he wasn't taken in, but he did a good job of training his kids and then of being willing to listen to their advice. I wouldn't be surprised if someone could have fooled him, had they gotten in the right position.
Of course degreed people don't make more money mowing lawns or flipping burgers, but they sure have the ability to get better jobs.
I have a degree, where do I sign up for a better job?
My credit has been in the tank for several years and I can't get it out of the tank.
What would Fair, Isaac say?
Hi Kathryn,
Next time I'll make it funny and informative just for you. Not anyone else only you. Maybe someday I'll "gradumacate" to your level and inform you and make you laugh. I'll continue to "supposedly" get paid doing what it is I love to do. I love that you hated it. You'll read it again someday maybe and realize it was either ahead of its time or you were too futuristic for it. Happy New Year btw.
Jabulani Leffall
Monetary Gadfly, Common Currency
00000 Broke Blvd. Kitchenette #68 & 1/2
Lowcash, CA 90000-0000
I volunteered at a food bank for quite some time. Many poor people can't manage something like rice and beans because many poor people don't have luxury items like ovens and stoves. Cheap pre-made food becomes one of their few options.
More laws, new laws, changing laws are not going to fix the problem. Murder is still against the law last time I checked and that still happens. Educating the public on scams and exposing the scams is the only thing that will fix this issue.
Of course degreed people don't make more money mowing lawns or flipping burgers, but they sure have the ability to get better jobs.
I am a teacher in Arkansas, and make 48,000 dollars a year. Could I make it doing something else? Yes. Would I have the job protection and pension of a teacher? No. Could I get it without a degree? Nope.
when is a deal not a deal? Anyway, selfish is a bit odd considering I posted that deal to the whole world. I was planning to share the candy among many people, so hardly greedy or gluttonous. Opportunistic, absolutely. That's what deal hounds do. Cheap. well, I've been called worse and it bounces off me like water off a ducks back. The only question here is unethical, and while you may think my practices are such, I believe it is equally unethical not to honor an order.
Sounds weird. Western Union will not do it w/o your ID and any bank will have your photo ID and a record where the money has gone. My friend recently lost a personal check and was able to recover the name, account number, and other details of the person trying to cash it.
Cheap, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, unethical and opportunistic. When bad things happen to you, and you take these kinds of actions to others, make sure you don't complain. Try running a business sometime, and dealing with people actively out to take advantage of you at all times, instead of treating you genuinely and compassionately. All for some candy you probably wouldn't have sought out in the first place.
Thank you for the sympathy, everyone. This has me wondering how many millions of dollars have been literally stolen from senior citizens and sent overseas. It's something we should take seriously.
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
Thanks for your story. What a pity that nothing could be done to save your grandma from those scammers and thieves or from herself. How can you convince someone that what she was doing was harmful when all she wanted to do was help those she loved.
Hi Phil,
I'm not entirely sure what your rights are around this one, but it is my feeling that if you don't activate the card, you won't be liable for the fees.
However, they may have something on you if you clicked the ominous "I read & understand the Terms & Conditions" box when you applied online, in which the fee disclosure information may have been buried.
Does anybody else have some advice?
Awesome tips, guys! Thanks for your feedback. Keep 'em coming!
Real moon sand doesn't have to be revived or wet. I got all excited for nothing. Seeing that real moon sand lasts forever, I think it's cheaper to use the real deal.
It just saddens me so much to read this story because these people prey on the elderly and those who are in desperate financial situations. While my experiences have paled in comparison, when I was looking to work from home I lost some money trying to find legitimate jobs. These people know who is going to want this money badly and they look to scam those people.
I am so sorry that your family has gone through this and thank you for sharing such a personal experience.
I do use quicken with a "virtual" envelope system. I created a mock acccount called "escrow" and I put the budgeted amounts into it each month. When I need it to pay a bill, I put it back in the real account. In reality, the money is in my checking account all along, but it is not all thrown in together. When I have a large balance accumulated, I transfer it to my ING account to earn a little interest (some of the big bills are only once a year, like property taxes on my house). I wouldn't like all the cash sitting around my house doing the regular envelope system.
Yeah, I've wondered abotu those...
Do the cops know who has bought what? Maybe I'll have the grow lights shipped to my grandmother's house... :)
I think it's hard to know where to draw the line between letting an elderly relative live their own life, and making sure that they're capable of looking after themselves. Like most of us, I don't think the elderly would appreciate someone poking their nose in where it's not wanted. But equally, how do you stand back and let someone be taken advantage of like this?
As an avid rinser for years, I've done my fair share of Neti potting. Experience has taught me, however, that it's nearly impossible to keep everything sterile enough. Tap water is never truly clean... and can lead to more problems than you started with.
Over the counter *pressurized* saline is the only way to go. (Squeeze bottles can easily become infected) The only thing you have to keep clean on pressurized saline is the nib that goes into the nose, easily done with soap and water.
Yes you're essentially paying for salt water, but it's guaranteed sterile for the entire contents of the can. Worth the price in my opinion!