Tired of Being Poor

[Jeef]

Have you talked to your boss about moving up in your company? Does your company offer any tuition reimbursement? IF they have an hr dept talk to them.

Also, there is more money working in the trade then selling to the trade.

 

[corvetteguy78]

Have you considered signing up with a temp agency like Man Power. That's how i got started. They placed me in a job, literally in a mail room at an insurance company at 8.50 an hour, that was in 2002. 2012 im at $70k/year working in the insurance world. Only have an Assoc. Degree in Computer Information Systems from community college.

I just worked hard and learned as much as i could, i was a total team player willing to help out at any cost. I was literally your age when i started out.

 

[Bob Vila]

I think you're young as well so I'd look to go into the services. They'll pay for your college and right now having military experience is one of the best resume builders you can have...

 

[BigJ]

I think you're young as well so I'd look to go into the services. They'll pay for your college and right now having military experience is one of the best resume builders you can have...

Yeah I truly wish I did this.

 

[Briansol]

I don't.

If you wanted to join the service, you would have right at 18. IMO of course.

 

[vtecsir1]

I was in the same spot with a degree at your age....it sucked hard. I busted my ass in every shit job and got a break finally about 6 years ago.

I really think military inst a bad option like mentioned. The airforce and navy probably have a lower probability of being shot at.

keep your head up and work hard, it will happen.

 

[|Chaz|]

get a state or federal job
awesome benefits, and retirement
if i could go back i would have went in as soon as i got out of highschool
i would already have 14 of my 25-30 years in

you can try town garages to get a mechanic job, maybe corrections officer, maybe post office, take a part time job and hope to get full time if you work hard
post office is going under so i might use that as an absolute last resort

your other option would be to try and get in a union, iron workers, electric, carpenters, etc
benefits and retirement
i would advise not to waste time and money in college at this point, especially if you can only go part time
you will have huge loans and debt to pay off and it will just push back your retirement

unless you have a true desire to succeed and bust your ass when you get that degree it won't change much for you

look at your state's website for job opportunities and take any civil service exam you can qualify for
check with local unions for apprentice programs etc
and read the millionare next door
learn and skill and then work for yourself and save as much as you can

I appreciate your input. I wouldn't mind going to work for the gubment. They pay pretty well.

EDIT: There's really no formatting to this post... It's just stream on consciousness stuff.

I've only got 1 year of college myself, looking back I would have studied harder and gone right after high school as well.

But at the same time, college degrees provide less and less of an advantage today (but at the same-same time some employers won't even look at you without a degree. Funny how that works.).

I absolutely lucked out, there's no other way to put it. A friend of my Mom and her 3 children had nowhere to go and came to live with us for 8 months about 10 years ago. I couldn't take it at the time, but she changed my life forever since she found me the job I still have today. Started it at 22 with little direction in life, worked my way up and am still working there 9 years later. I even found my wife through friends and co-workers that I would never have known otherwise. It's not really that much but I'm making about $52k before taxes now and have 9 years experience to put on the resume. Yes employers will still look at folks with a degree first but 9 years experience in one field in one job is nothing to sneeze at either. The wife just hit $70k but that's with a 4 year degree in accounting, a cpa and a hell of a lot more work than I put into my job.

My only current regret is that I didn't take much advantage of my work's tuition reimbursement options... Even taking one class at a time, after 9 damn years I could have had my degree AND the experience by now.

So back on topic. The US downplays vocational schools which is the dumbest thing ever. Learning to be a welder or a plumber or a carpenter should be looked at with respect. Don't leave those options out because they don't seem as glamorous... They often earn more than the college degree office jobs do and the schooling won't bankrupt you as badly.

I agree with you on I wish I would have gone straight into college after graduating highschool. I wouldn't mind learning a trade or such. They would definitely be useful, especially so if a Celerity world ever comes into being.

There's plenty of money to be made out there without a degree, but most of it is hard, physical work. Sound slike you are doing that already. But, for $10 an hour. And you're right, you're not going to get far on what is basically min wage out there. Sorry, $80 a week more than min wage. :/

I moved out on my own when I was making 40k ($20/hr) but I also had my sti payment (530) at the time. So, Probably around the 16 /hr point is where i could have made it with a paid-for civic/etc.
money wasn't free flowing by any means, but I had what I needed.

That was also almost 10 years ago... and inflation has kicked in quite a bit since. Gas was $2 a gallon then and the dollar went a bit further than it does now. So, I would say somewhere around 40k is a good safe point where you can get a condo or something for about 1200 a month with hoa fees. IIRC i was taking home about 2k a month on that 40k with 1200 out the door to mortgage/hoa, a couple hundred more towards bills/utils, i still had a couple hundred left over to live. And that was in a 6% loan. You can get 3.5 these days. So, you free up another 200 ish a month probably.


If you got the g/f to move in with you and split some bills (and assuming she's not going to leave you mid way, etc) you can probably get out and live around 15-16/hr without too much issue.


What are you good at? do you have any skills?
Do you have a community college in town? They offer a lot of cheap ($300) short (1 day) programs for certification in stuff like EMT basic. You can take 2 classes and be part of an ambulance crew.

If health care isn't your thing, there's all kinda of other short classes like this to cert in something. Find job openings in your area, see what certs/classes exist, and if all else fails, become a male gigilo.

I'm actually doing what I can to get into a 12 week course that is supposed to get your foot into the door at Boeing (Which fits into what newb was saying). If I can get in at Boeing, they will pay for you to go to school and I will most certainly be taking advantage of that. And being an Boeing employee would give me the ability to work in a variety of places if I so desired to transfer to another location.

OK, so what? Get the proper loans to help pay for living expenses while you get an education. If you want to better your life you have to make sacrifices. Hard work, proper planning and the right attitude will help you succeed.

Up until 20 I was working mostly fly by night jobs, just making money with a glimmer of hope getting into the IT industry. I did enough college work to get a job as a web designer for a bit and then had an opportunity to join a large insurance company at the bottom rung of the later. I worked hard, showed my bosses what I was capable of and got put on a multi-million dollar project as a business analyst making 42k a year. I met my wife through work and kept busting ass with a few promotions here or there, wanted to get into Project Management and based on my hard work, the company paid for a full courseload in Project Management. Got that under my belt then left the company to move up and have been doing so for the past few years. I make great money for what I do, I love what I do and its attributed to hard work and focus. I now have a family, son, house and am going to school full-time at nights to finish my bachelors degree. After the degree comes the MBA as I'm not done moving up the ladder.

So again, while it may feel like you're stuck, you gotta make sacrifices in life to ultimately better your life. Put in the extra effort, make tough decisions. It'll pay off in the end.

Honestly, I respect this a lot. I've never been one to have the "gonads" to do this. I suppose I am complacent. In whatever ways Celerity put it specifically, it is my choice. I continue living the lifestyle I am because it IS easy.

I would love to do what you are doing. I am biting at the chomp to be successful, I WANT to do brilliant things. But once again its the complacent thing and I'll admit it, I'm afraid of uncertainty. I have set myself up for failure because I second guess myself and my decisions.

I was just thinking about this today. Being poor is annoying. I'm making it by just fine, but I don't have a whole lot of extra cash in case the furnace blows up. I live on a busy highway that sees at least 1300 cars a day. I thought about asking companies if they'd like to advertise in my yard for short periods of time, like a newspaper sells advertising. Not sure if it's legal for a private residence to do this or not though.

The people that be don't like it when we don't play by their rules.

1300 cars a day is a busy highway?

That's the Dunkin Donuts drive through stats per hour here. lol



Like Steve said, there are options to pay your rent/etc on top of the cost of books/school. But, you better do something that matters if you're planning to finance 4 years of your life + the school. You'll be entering the world full of debt and have the next 20 years of that looming over your shoulders.
Like, getting an MBA in basket weaving is f'ing stupid. It won't ever get you anywhere.

So, once again I ask, what do you WANT to do? It can be broad. But if you can't answer it, i wouldn't spend a dime on school. Lord knows I wasted a ton of money by not knowing what I wanted to do in school, and ended up at the wrong place for what I eventually decided I wanted to do.... which led to me dropping out. Had I had a decent guidance counsler who actually guided me and stuff, I might actually hold a degree today.

Instead, I worked hard and learned a ton of stuff on my own via the internet. I did a 9 month tech school, my internship hired me outright, and i've been moving up and up ever since and have more than doubled my salary that I started at 10 years ago.

I'd love to do something engineering related, computer related, defense related, etc. I've always had a hard-time choosing specifically what I want to do. And my time is up for being able to bounce around. I will have to stop being a bitch and make a decision.

Exactly. Pick a degree for a craft that is in demand. Want to write java code? Here in the silicon valley we're hiring developers like crazy. But you need a 4 year computer science degree. Internships start you off at $30 an hour while you're still in school for summer work.

Unfortunately you don't have the opportunity to dick around in college to figure out what you like (like I did). You have to pick it, stick to it no matter what and learn to love it.

I would LOVE to get an internship in silicon valley! Maybe you can point me in the direction of possible locations to look into up here in Seattle, if you know of any that is.

Join a union man. Find a trade you like and go that way. My friends that work at boeing since we got out of high school are doing quite well now. $1 a year adds up. Plus amazing benefits.

Join a service. Go to school. I wish I did that route. I wouldn't have debt and I'd of been an officer.

Start at a company that invests in your future. My company pays for a lot of school and stuff, but only half now. Used to be 100%. Our factory jobs are good, more than you make now, lots more, and invest in your future.

Find something you like, and do it better.

Learn a trade and be the best at it. My dad started siding houses when he was 19. At 21 he quit his boss, started his own company, put his ladders on the roof of his car for a year. Then got a second client. And a 3rd. He's been in business for himself for 28 years and does pretty good. Has no boss.

I have a million other stories like this. I got lucky with a roommate that helped me get my job. It isn't a dream job, but there are shit ton of doors that opened once I got some experience in combination to my management degree. I actually get linkedin messages from recruiters now.

if your local city governments hire summer help do that. i work for a city parks dept as a lead but started at 18 as a summer employee. i dont know about were you are but we pay ours very well for what they do. they work 9 mo and have 3 mo off but can collect unemployment in that 3 mo. they start around 16/hr and go up from there. even the seasonals are union here to.

you live in wa right? if you want some contact info hit me with a pm

I wouldn't mind doing that for now and going to school online or at night while working for the city. I noticed that you're even closer to me than I thought after looking on FB. I'll hit you up on there, maybe you can help me out .

Why not get a job at Boeing? You can start as an assembler for more then your making now, with no aerospace experience. Assemblers don't go through strikes like the machinist. Boeing is in the middle of a contract so you can expect to keep your job a while. If you do get laid off, you can take that experience and get jobs further down the supply chain.

With no frills, you should be able to support yourself on about $16 an hour.

Working on that currently actually. Thanks for the suggestion.

where are you guys getting this $16/hr to even function number?

im making 11.50 at one part time job, and 8.50 at the other part time job and am making enough to get by.
not living a high life or anything, but im in one of the best (read expensive) cities in my state, and its just me paying bills and working now, the wife had to stop.
if you have your priorities in check, then you can move out on much less than $16/hr and still be able to go out every once in a while.

I dunno I calculated it on a fairly detailed excel sheet. It is quite pricy to live in my area. It has been around $16 hour from what I have deduced.

I'm going to handle this in two ways. First, the Celerity Think-Tank translation engine will translate terms from "Monkey" to "holy fuck, that's the clearest thing I've ever heard." Second, some sort of solution.

CTT:
"I work 40 hours a week in a dead end job" = "I'm an idiot. Everyone knows it, because I have declared it, time and time again. No one thinks I deserve any more than this, least of all - Me. Yet here I go, a calf to the slaughter, every week like a retard because I think something will get better for no reason at all. Do not employ me. Do not take me seriously.

SSS:
Drop this shit. All of it. What you make is what you're worth. And I don't even know what you do. But either way, you're a calf on a very small farm. And you're not in a cage like the chickens, but you're still behind a fence. The fence is open, but you're not going because, for some reason, you think the world outside of the fence is worse than what's in it. You're a prisoner by your own design, and by your own choice.



CTT:
I want something. And no one has said I can't have it. Well, except me. I said i couldn't have it. You see, I like to complain about horrible things that I - you guessed it - Invented ! I've already set myself up for failure. And I do this all the time. So I stopped even trying.

SSS:
See what you did there ? You wanted, for a moment, to do something. Then you immediately shot yourself in the foot by setting up some benchmark you either can't make, or "won't make". It's total shit. The benchmark was created by you, and then you made up some stupid "Oh, but I'm BETTER than that", while the little voice in the back of your head was saying "My god. did my penis just go up inside of my groin?" Man up. Move somewhere that sucks. I lived in downtown Browntown more often than not. I mean, these places... If god gave the earth an enema, he would stick the tube in my apartment buildings. Step by the porch monkeys on the front stoop and learn to walk tall. You'll chase mice out of your shirt sleeves, you'll learn the different breeds of cockroaches and you'll learn how to make a tasty pea-soup. Apparently, you think it's below you. As I've demonstrated - in the CTT in typical CTT response times (approximately 3.2 seconds) - You're not !




CTT:
I have some toys and money and stuff. But I would give all of this away to rely on some sort of magical formula that somehow quitting that job and assuming that the gubmint will give me money to go to school... For no reason. My dad sees the folly in this. I hate him.

SSS:
You'll never see school. Because you don't even know what you want to go to school for. That's like getting all pissed off at yourself because you "want a job. Any job" and then you don't get one. That's because you don't even know what you're looking for. Like hunting, coming home with nothing, because you never once mentioned what you were hunting for. Plenty of animals crossed your path, but you didn't take them down because you couldn't even decide which you wanted. Sound about right ? Of course it does. Don't worry though. You're not alone. You an 99% of everyone else who "can't find the right girl/job/house/haircut" . You'll consider suicide because you "just can't seem to win", without realising that you can't seem to win, because you haven't identified what game you want to play. The rules will constantly change, and the score won't be understood. You can play Tennis with a ping-pong paddle, but god help you to understand how the fucked up scoring works. Only Russians can do that shit.



CTT:
I ♥ pity. I also think I'm getting how the CTT works.

SSS:
More of the same shit here, really. you've done a combo of everything in this paragraph. Setting up stupid goals that you can't reach, establishing how AWESOMELY RIGHT you are, even though you're not. (I know it shouldn't matter). Like anyone is going to say that. I guess if they do, you've prepared an answer. Normally, not a big deal. But the way that you communicate is totally, like, stupid like and like you should, you know, like, monkey.

Of course you can't solve your problems. You can't even state your problems. I'm not saying you're an idiot, but I can tell that you're ready to dangle from the shower by a rope soon. And all I can really tell you is that you keep setting up situations that you can't win, and problems that you can't solve, and questions you can't answer. No one else is doing this, you're doing this. No one else can "lift the veil", so to speak. No one else can help you here, because they didn't set you up the bomb, you did.



Read that again now.

I'm not going to address this entire post, but this particular one of yours did hit most of the nails on the head.

Appreciate your feedback, however brutal it is.

Cost of living and pay rate aren't the same every where. You gotta take that into account. Being as I live about 2 hours from Chaz, and lived on my own at $16 dollars an hour, I know that to be true for him as well.

I should say, that's $16 an hour, in a 40 hour week. Other factors would change that, obviously.

If your Dad is making upwards of $100k, why the hell are you paying him rent? EDIT: reading>me. but still, really?

If I were you, I'd sit down with your Dad and tell him how you're feeling about your situation. Strike up a deal. You go to school, he doesn't charge rent so long as you maintain grades. If he wants money because your girlfriend is staying with you, kick her out. No brainer. This is your life, time to take control and do something with it.

$300/month goes a long way at a community college. I spent nearly four years at a community college just taking classes part time. It was right around $1,200 per quarter.

Even if you decide to do a trade of some sort (as mentioned above) it is better than what you're doing now. I was in a similar situation during my 1st year at community college. I worked 40 hrs/week and went to school full time. Every part of me wanted to quit school and just work. I didn't get much sleep, and I didn't have time or money for much of anything, but I knew I wanted more than to stack fucking cans at Pepsi for the rest of my life. I'm very mechanically inclined, and love Calculus and Physics, so I chose Mech. Engineering. Figure out what you want, and your current situation will be motivation to make that goal happen.

Don't get your hopes up for help and assistance, YOU have to make this happen.

I'm working on it. I've realized that life is as easy or as hard as you choose to make it. I appreciate your input.

End of thread.

My $.02. You are young and like most of the other people your age, you are lazy. I dont mean physically lazy, I mean mentally. No one is going to give you the good life. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get out there and work harder. If your job sucks, find a new one. If you are having a hard time in school because you work too much, then only take one class a semester. Move out and get a roommate or two. That should make it affordable on your current wages.

Yes, I appreciate your input as well. I am "lazy" but I prefer the term complacent .

I just need to get out of my current mindset and get some "drive." Instead of going to bed with flights of fancy in my head and then waking up and doing the same thing everyday, I need to set some goals and accomplish them.

Have you talked to your boss about moving up in your company? Does your company offer any tuition reimbursement? IF they have an hr dept talk to them.

Also, there is more money working in the trade then selling to the trade.

I actually put in for the assistant manager position at my location because it opened up. I would make more than I am currently and it would give me some "manager experience" for my resume.

Have you considered signing up with a temp agency like Man Power. That's how i got started. They placed me in a job, literally in a mail room at an insurance company at 8.50 an hour, that was in 2002. 2012 im at $70k/year working in the insurance world. Only have an Assoc. Degree in Computer Information Systems from community college.

I just worked hard and learned as much as i could, i was a total team player willing to help out at any cost. I was literally your age when i started out.

I actually have never looked into a temp agency but it definitely sounds like it's worth looking into. Stay tuned.

I think you're young as well so I'd look to go into the services. They'll pay for your college and right now having military experience is one of the best resume builders you can have...

Considered it, it's not for me. I know a lot of people believe that it's a viable choice. But I don't believe so. And I AM entitled to that opinion.

I don't.

If you wanted to join the service, you would have right at 18. IMO of course.

Exactly.


Just wanted to say I appreciate everyone's input and stay tuned.

Oh and fuck you Celerity

 

[vtecsir1]

What about getting your degree in chemical engineering, creating your own blue sky meth lol

 

[|Chaz|]

Haha RIGHT.

 

[fionntan]

Just dont forget that you have time to figure out what is best for you. It sound like you are not in too bad of a situation, so take some time to make good decisions.

 

[chadcharb]

Just dont forget that you have time to figure out what is best for you. It sound like you are not in too bad of a situation, so take some time to make good decisions.

 

[newb]

I think you're young as well so I'd look to go into the services. They'll pay for your college and right now having military experience is one of the best resume builders you can have...

I wish that was the case all the time. I haven't seen a single one of my friends get taken care of in the civilian world after leaving service. Makes me sick, but that's how it is.

 

[phunky.buddha]

http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp/

 

[phunky.buddha]

So... relating to this- all engineering schools that award actual engineering degrees are required to hold ABET accreditation credentials. As long as a school has an active ABET certification, it's a "good" engineering school. Maybe not top 10, Ivy League or whatever, but considered good enough to turn out engineers capable of serving the public good. If you're willing to go this route but are short on money, find a local state school that has engineering degrees.

Just have your discipline in check- maybe 1/3 (or less) of the people who start engineering degrees actually finish them.

 

[BigJ]

Best Undergrad College Degrees By Salary

Good ole' payscale. I actually had a professor that is director of customer support for that company.

 

[SlushboxTeggy]

I'd love to do something engineering related, computer related, defense related, etc. I've always had a hard-time choosing specifically what I want to do. And my time is up for being able to bounce around. I will have to stop being a bitch and make a decision.

If your time is up, then I've been on borrowed time for awhile. Fuck. But in all seriousness, you're better than most to not be OK with your status quo. Now you need to take the next step and make something happen.

As far as engineering, great field, great pay, plenty of demand. But if you think you're going to work while getting this degree, I want what you are smoking. Back in college, I saw my engineering friends before classes started, for maybe 2 days after mid-terms, after finals, and anytime I cut through the engineering building. They were ALWAYS there studying.

Military is an option for some. But its not for everyone. Hell, I'd out rank all my friends if I joined with my educational background. But I'm not trying to be shot at if I don't have to be. Most of my military friends are doing great. I also have a couple that deal with serious PTSD every day. Friends that would rather be in a fire fight, because being a civilian scares the hell out of them. No thanks.

Don't put all your eggs in the education basket either. A degree doesn't equal a job. I have a masters in accounting and I work ~50 hours a week doing customer service. I make a little more than I did waiting tables. A lot of fields cut to bare bones when the economy took a shit. In doing so, they realized how bloated they in fact were. A lot of companies are running way more efficiently (read: less people doing more work) because those who are employed know there are experienced people chomping at the bit to replace them. I've actually entertained the idea of apprenticing at my dad's friend's welding business. He's getting older and there is no air to the throne. Brutally hard work, but the work and pay are there. Frankly, I don't care if my degree applies to my career.

What am I getting at with my rambling? We're fucked. Our generation as a whole. Blame the recession, blame big business, blame ourselves. Or you can bust your ass a little, take some chances, and work hard therein so it all pans out at the end of the day. Realize that you may fail, but don't let that fear cripple you into not trying things, like the rest of our generation.

Take advantage of the Boeing thing, but keep your eyes open for other opportunities too. You never know what's going to be the thing to put everything over the top. And you'll still probably be fucked. Just make sure you bring the lube and have fun with it.

 

[B16]

FYI, it is heir not air to the throne.

I think your degree is worth something if it is for a field that is in demand. I do know that since 2006 we have been hiring a lot of Java developers here. The recession didn't really affect us. We didn't have layoffs, still took bonuses and had raises. Hell, I have trouble finding developers in the area because they are in demand. We make offers to them and many times get turned down because we're competing with so many other offers.

However, it is a huge commitment. Engineering school is a lot of hard work. I was able to work and go to school at the same time. However I lived like a college student, eating ramen and bud light. Shared an apt with 6 people to keep costs low. Drove my beat up Honda around. Not to mention it took 7 years for me to finish my BS and still racked up a sizable amount of student loan debt in the process. Of course school was cheaper then. I got lucky and graduated with only $70k in debt. I had that paid off in 3 years.

 

[DarkHand]

I think your degree is worth something if it is for a field that is in demand.

My best friend just got a liberal arts bachelors in linguistics and is wondering why he can't find a job a few months after graduating. Sure there's specialized work out there for stuff like that, but you're going to look long and hard to find it.

 

[phunky.buddha]

As far as engineering, great field, great pay, plenty of demand. But if you think you're going to work while getting this degree, I want what you are smoking. Back in college, I saw my engineering friends before classes started, for maybe 2 days after mid-terms, after finals, and anytime I cut through the engineering building. They were ALWAYS there studying.

I worked 40+ hours a week and still made it through a top 10 engineering school. Most of my classmates had jobs of some sort. Fortunately, my job was IN the mechanical engineering building, so I'd guess that it was probably equivalent to a 20 hour job somewhere else in terms of the impact it had on my studies. It's nice being able to use your office as a study area and locker, as well as a place to hang your suit for interviews.

However, it is a huge commitment. Engineering school is a lot of hard work. I was able to work and go to school at the same time. However I lived like a college student, eating ramen and bud light. Shared an apt with 6 people to keep costs low. Drove my beat up Honda around. Not to mention it took 7 years for me to finish my BS and still racked up a sizable amount of student loan debt in the process. Of course school was cheaper then. I got lucky and graduated with only $70k in debt. I had that paid off in 3 years.

 

[99sidude]

Learn how to use a 3D CAD software and get proficient at it. We use Catia V5 where I work (and so does Boeing). There are hundreds guys without 4 year degrees making well over $30 an hour cranking out 3D data. Sure, the work is tedious, but it won't destroy your body, and there will always be a demand for it.