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If you ask a room full of people to raise their hands if they have enough money, you would see no hands.
Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration but I have observed this to a certain extent.
I knew a woman and her husband back when I was pregnant with my 1st born son. She was also pregnant with her 1st born and we were the same age (19). She lived in a rental house with her two siblings, her husband's brother, and her mother. It was insanely crowded and they were almost what you'd call "dirt poor".
Her husband later joined the military then got out due to disability (so he receives some sort of monthly check for that) and went into business for himself, something related to his father's family business, using skills he'd gained that way. Fast forward a few years, his business is doing well and his wife participated fully, they had another child, bought a home in a nice neighborhood, had a couple of paid off nice vehicles, kids in summer camp and other costly activities, yearly vacations, etc.
However, to hear them talk they were no better off than when we first met and they lived with umpteen relatives, had to wash cloth diapers by hand some days and hang em out due to not having enough money for the laundromat, husband was picking up cans after work at his minimum wage job dropped his hours... literally living hand to mouth but they couldn't, for some reason, SEE how far they had come and talked like they were poor folk.
I have a friend who is a single mom, one kid. She has a job with good pay, excellent benefits, an income about 2x mine and her mortgage payment is about the same as my apartment rent.. we live on about half her income and there are five of us to her two person family. I love her dearly and I am not one to take an issue with her or get into some debate about it, it's not a focus of our conversations, but I know she thinks she is "struggling" and I know she sees herself as barely making ends meet and it kind of boggles my mind. She has never truly done without so I guess it's perspective? I dunno.
I hope to one day change my financial situation dramatically and I hope that I will be able to retain some perspective and sense of frugality so that I may make 2x what I live off of now and still live a lifestyle that lets me save a ton of money, I hope I won't suddenly lose perspective once I have more money to spend... but "they" always say that the more you make, the more you spend so maybe it's just human nature.
It appears I need to give you some grocery shopping lessons, if you can not prepare a decent steak dinner for 2 for less than $25 (or more, I don't know what they charge at Outback)
This is what I was thinking. Sales tax (8.625% in my area, but no sales tax if bought in the grocery store) and tip (15% if service is decent) alone would make the steak more expensive than cooking it at home, and we haven't even gotten into the restaurant's markup yet.
How much would a USDA prime like you'd get at Outback cost you though?
the steak at outback is choice. that's how it is with the vast majority of restaurants out there selling you steak. prime is more for high end fancy steakhouses. the only store I know of around here that sells prime steaks is Costco, ill see if I can find out about how much of a premium you pay for prime over choice there.
OP has a point. I know several people who complain non-stop about being broke, yet they eat in restaurants, go to clubs, drink, smoke, have lots of new clothes, and have a big car payment for a new car.
Too many Americans think their problem is not earning enough money, when their real problem is that they can't manage a budget. I suspect it wouldn't matter how big their salary was, they would still be broke.
Yes.
I have to agree with op.
I know SOOOO many people (usually at work) who whine about finances, complain about what necessities cost, wonder aloud about how hey will pay their next bill (hint, hint), complain about how they are "poor" and I am "rich"...and they go out and buy crap waaaaay more than I do (bars, dancing, restaurants, hair/nail salon, etc)...
the steak at outback is choice. that's how it is with the vast majority of restaurants out there selling you steak. prime is more for high end fancy steakhouses. the only store I know of around here that sells prime steaks is Costco, ill see if I can find out about how much of a premium you pay for prime over choice there.
Looks like you're right. I just remember Outback advertising their USDA Prime steaks. Turns out the Porterhouse isn't one of them, although they do have a few. Really interesting, I haven't seen any Prime in Costco, but if anyone one would sell it (aside from a local butcher, which almost no one has anymore) it would be them. Every once in awhile it comes up at one grocery store here for quite a bit less than the mail order places which will sell it to you for more than a good steak at a steakhouse.
Looks like you're right. I just remember Outback advertising their USDA Prime steaks. Turns out the Porterhouse isn't one of them, although they do have a few. Really interesting, I haven't seen any Prime in Costco, but if anyone one would sell it (aside from a local butcher, which almost no one has anymore) it would be them. Every once in awhile it comes up at one grocery store here for quite a bit less than the mail order places which will sell it to you for more than a good steak at a steakhouse.
ive gotten Omaha steak gifts which are prime, but a rip off. if someone wants to do that, id suggest just getting a Costco gift card. I went to Costco today. they didn't have prime porterhouse but they had prime ribeye (13.99/lb) and prime top sirloin (7.99/lb). I should have checked the price of choice to get a % premium for the prime but I didn't think of it, id guess its about 40-50% marked up over the choice.
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