A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Jiffy Lube

Let's conveniently ignore the cost of real estate, secondary education, childcare and all the ancillaries that come with it. My daycare costs exceeded my mortgage for the first 5 years of having kids, and I have cheap daycare. My childcare costs so far have exceeded my college costs, which increased nearly 40% in the time I was there alone. I was very fortunate to have a full ride, but the facts remain. But we just need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, right? /s (maybe?)

EDIT: For clarity, I'm agreeing with you 100%.

 

I get your perspective but it takes time. I worked 80 hour weeks for $4.15 an hour for years. Spent 8 years in the military then went to college and struggled a lot at times. I have had to change fields and accept jobs under my value. Worked my ass off and showed my value so they offered me what I was worth because I made myself an asset opposed to a liability. In time was able to branch out on my own and do my own thing. But I carry all the risk. Not just for myself but for my staff also. Now, I treat my staff fairly and they are paid well but I get general labor’s that have this mindset and it’s just garbage.
I don’t care what your bills add up to. I know what I can afford to pay for a position and if that is not adequate then I don’t expect you to apply. My dick did not make your kids. Thus your childcare cost are not my concern.
All that said, the housing market is total bullshit. I feel for anyone renting or trying to buy a house currently. It is almost impossible. Of course you could relocate to a better market but still. It’s though.

 

There are a lot of good paying jobs out there.... IF you pick the right career.
Learn to weld? Plumbing? Electrician? Nurse? You can earn a boat-load of $$.
Sadly, if you get a degree in '17th Century French Existential Poetry'... Well, say hello to working at Starbucks. Forever.
When I was out of high school, I worked the various min-wage jobs. I got by, but not much else. So after a few years, I decided I needed to learn something to make myself marketable. So I went to community college (night classes) for a couple years and finished all the classes I needed to become a Water Treatment Operator. (Municipal water systems) It was something that was/is in demand any and everywhere. Did that for 35 years and am now retired. But I made a very healthy living and am now enjoying a sweet pension and retirement.
Moral of the story: It's all about choices.

 

Just another tax. The great state of Texas appreciates your support.

 

Nicely put!

 

It was the hood scoop.




.

 

I'd love to tell people to go to community college but holy crap it's like $250 a credit and that's for an in county/state community college these days. $3000 a semester, that's 14 weeks of work at minimum wage, saving almost every penny.....

I remember being pissed when when my college credits went from $28.50 to $30! $30! How the hell are we supposed to go to school on those prices!

Oh I know, go into debt for ever. simple. That's today's solution anyways.

What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, free stickers, WIN!

 

Wow, out west in California our community college fees are about $1200 per semester, but there’s a grant for new high school students and they pay only about $50 per semester if they graduate.

 

Not buying it

 

Probably was his last day there brutha. Just didn’t give 2 shits is my guess.
Or
You caught him right after some bs conversation with his significant other…which makes any conversation/action shortly after completely out of the ordinary.

 

Very well said. The job pays non-skilled labor rates just like Mcdonald's or similar places. Positions that don't require higher education to perform or where a person can be trained in a day to do the work are considered entry-level and are not meant to pay a so-called "living wage."

 

Reminds me of a conversation with a customer. Looking for welders, cant find welders, all lazy, told me nobody wants to work anymore. I told him, I know a dozen welders who could start tomorrow, what cha pay? He said $12 an hour. Ah, I see, nobody wants to work for $12 an hour, start at $20 you can find some. He told me, I dont make $20.

Now mind you, his wife drives a Benz, he has a Corvette and a loaded out Raptor, they live in a 4,000 sq foot house and have a beach house down on the gulf which they fly to in a Cessna 210 when they want to take the 52 ft Bertram out fishing.

He feels he is being short changed by people wanting more than $12 and hour. Me, I feel reality is relative.

 

That's true! It's all about choices... and the dollar does not discriminate.

 

Indiana HAD inspections before, then they realized that nobody gives a shit.

So they did the right thing, canceled the whole shenanigans all together.

 

FWIW, Texas is scrapping its state inspection program, starting Jan, 2025:

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/01/texas-car-safety-inspection-changes/

If you live in one of the Big Cities that require annual emissions testing, that will continue.

 

They do a pretty thorough inspection here in PA, but it's a loss leader at $40. Shop tries to find something to pad it. Although if you live in a non-emissions county you can get someone to sticker slap it for $50. They're trying to do away with it last I heard...

 

It was over 12 years ago and things may have changed since then, but Vermont had a state inspection when I was living there. You passed the emissions test by not having a CEL on. They did put it up on a lift and checked your front end for excessive play, made sure all your bulbs were working, etc., so they did do something for their money, but not much.

 

and what happens when there simply isn't any employment that offers enough wages to cover basic expenses? that is the cruel reality that we're currently in. inflation has ran away with housing prices, and wages have stagnated the last 40 years, meaning that what little we make is even less than we were making before because all the raw costs have gone up. i like caring about what i do. but it's getting harder and harder every day when i should be making $50+/hr for my experience level, but every open position begins with insane 15+ yr experience requirements, and a $20/hr starting pay...

heck, even to rent a 1 bedroom apartment anymore is $1800/month!