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My phone bill with Boost is $30 a month tax included unlimited talk/text 3 gb 4g data. Home wi-fi is $45 a month, but if I didn't mind slower speeds I could go with AT&T DSL for around $25 a month. What's your point?
My point a monthly smart phone data plan isn't an insignificant expense, but since your own anecdotal experience muddies the topic enough to confuse you look here:
In 2012 the average smart phone plan ran over $3,400 for two years, or $141 per month. For someone making minimum wage that is over 20 hours or work per month. I'm not saying people shouldn't have phones, I'm just pointing out that to dismiss the cost of owning a smart phone as insignificant since some people have cheaper models or some plans include a phone ignores the obvious ongoing costs associated with owning one.
We'll be sure to let you know when 2sleepy is the only data point we're interested in when estimating average smart phone costs.
My point a monthly smart phone data plan isn't an insignificant expense, but since your own anecdotal experience muddies the topic enough to confuse you look here:
In 2012 the average smart phone plan ran over $3,400 for two years, or $141 per month. For someone making minimum wage that is over 20 hours or work per month. I'm not saying people shouldn't have phones, I'm just pointing out that to dismiss the cost of owning a smart phone as insignificant since some people have cheaper models or some plans include a phone ignores the obvious ongoing costs associated with owning one.
We'll be sure to let you know when 2sleepy is the only data point we're interested in when estimating average smart phone costs.
...whatever I can't find the WSJ article that your link references, the closest I can find is this from 2012 and it certainly doesn't amount to $141 a month per line, it's more like $75 per line:
Bottom line whether or not it 'irritated you' that I shared what I pay, it's absolutely stupid for anyone to pay over $50 a month for a smartphone bill, I can give you links to at least 5 providers that charge less than that with very good data plans.
Bottom line whether or not it 'irritated you' that I shared what I pay, it's absolutely stupid for anyone to pay over $50 a month for a smartphone bill, I can give you links to at least 5 providers that charge less than that with very good data plans.
It didn't irritate me, well maybe my eyes hurt a bit when they involuntarily rolled at someone who thinks since wise consumers can pay less for smart phones it somehow invalidates the point that your average monthly smart phone bill isn't an insignificant expense to a minimum wage worker.
Your own example in your giant blue quote link shows a family that were smart enough to use a family plan to save yet still pay $80/month each. $80 is not an insignificant for a min wage worker.
Again, we'll let you know when 2sleepy's opinion that people paying over $50 are stupid has anything to do with what most people actually pay. Until then keep up the good work and thanks for the cool stories about yourself! Maybe you can tell 'em again later? I'd love that!
It didn't irritate me, well maybe my eyes hurt a bit when they involuntarily rolled at someone who thinks since wise consumers can pay less for smart phones it somehow invalidates the point that your average monthly smart phone bill isn't an insignificant expense to a minimum wage worker.
Your own example in your giant blue quote link shows a family that were smart enough to use a family plan to save yet still pay $80/month each. $80 is not an insignificant for a min wage worker.
Again, we'll let you know when 2sleepy's opinion that people paying over $50 are stupid has anything to do with what most people actually pay. Until then keep up the good work and thanks for the cool stories about yourself! Maybe you can tell 'em again later? I'd love that!
You certainly don't welcome information that contradicts something you have posted do you?
Also, acceptable quality 55 inch LED TVs can go for $500 at Wal-Mart these days. RCA LED55G55R120Q 55" 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV - Walmart.com I got a high end 60-inch LG for $800 because in 2014 because it was a 2013 model. People will only buy TVs once very few years, maybe once every 7-10 years. I bought my previous TV in 2008 for the same price, but it was a 32" Samsung. So now I get twice the TV for the same price which cost me $800. If you extrapolate that over its 6 years of use is about $11.00 a month. Big whoop.
The people that say that kind of thing are people like my mom who hasn't shopped for a TV since the late 1990s. She's still using a 25-inch tube TV with a digital antenna. She also assumes that a big flat-panel TV means you are spending extravagantly and it absolutely does not mean that. Those kinds of TVs are the industry standard and the only ones you can buy now.
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Acceptable 32" tvs can be purchased for half that, saving $250, so yes, for someone at income levels Bernie is whining about, 55" is an extravagance.
Even those struggling on minimum wage have to buy necessities, and many of them somehow manage to have the latest I-phones and other expensive items. Those making a living wage of $20 and up, and those making 6 figures or more are spending freely on new cars and big screen TVs, are buying new cars at record levels, and spending $500k-1 million or more on homes. Businesses do not depend on the minimum wage worker patronage to survive, they do depend on the highest possible profits, and that means minimizing their expense, including labor.
Where was I talking about expensive stuff? Of course they can not afford I phone or cars but they buy lots of less expensive things businesses sell. You do realize that many of these businesses biggest customers is their own employees because they can usually get a discount? Businesses do not depend on any one class to survive but not having one hurts their profits badly because more money in people's hand the more they have to spend simple economics. What evidence you have that cars and homes are being bought at record price seems something you made up plus there are only so many cars and homes and big screen TV's they will buy. Lower and middle income people will spend the money in many more different places which is better for a lot more businesses and because there is more of them in the long run they are spending more money.
You certainly don't welcome information that contradicts something you have posted do you?
Well when some simpleton thinks that their knowledge of phone plans means everyone else does same despite their own link showing an average of $80/month per smart phone user than you yeah it isn't very welcome. Hey everyone 2sleepy thinks paydays loans are bad therefore nobody gets payday loans. 2sleepy doesn't have a high interest credit card balance therefore minimum wage workers cannot possibly have a high balance. Unbelievable level of stupidity.
Your ability to suspend reality and think 2sleepy's personal anecdotes applies to everyone else is again appreciated! Thanks for sharing, we'll let you know when you have any relevance.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Eagle
Where was I talking about expensive stuff? Of course they can not afford I phone or cars but they buy lots of less expensive things businesses sell. You do realize that many of these businesses biggest customers is their own employees because they can usually get a discount? Businesses do not depend on any one class to survive but not having one hurts their profits badly because more money in people's hand the more they have to spend simple economics. What evidence you have that cars and homes are being bought at record price seems something you made up plus there are only so many cars and homes and big screen TV's they will buy. Lower and middle income people will spend the money in many more different places which is better for a lot more businesses and because there is more of them in the long run they are spending more money.
I don't understand why so many of you on here are for lower wages.
No one does.
What you interpret as cheering for lower wages is, in fact, cheering for buyers & sellers of labor to negotiate a wage rate irrespective of what some bureaucrat in the state capitol or in Congress thinks.
Wages reflect marginal productivity. Where there are labor shortages, employers must either do without or offer a higher wage or somehow deploy capital (technology) to consume less labor. Where there are labor surpluses, employees must either sit on the sidelines or accept a lower wage or most importantly move to someplace where they can earn the wage they desire.
Governmental intervention via increased minimum wage is akin to just giving every student in the class a gold star regardless of merit, or giving all competitors in a sporting event a gold ribbon just for trying.
There is a corollary: the wage negotiations must be free from illegal collusion. Employers must not band together in a secret agreement not to poach each others employees. And employees must not band together in an agreement to illegally extort ill gotten gains as well.
What you interpret as cheering for lower wages is, in fact, cheering for buyers & sellers of labor to negotiate a wage rate irrespective of what some bureaucrat in the state capitol or in Congress thinks.
Wages reflect marginal productivity. Where there are labor shortages, employers must either do without or offer a higher wage or somehow deploy capital (technology) to consume less labor. Where there are labor surpluses, employees must either sit on the sidelines or accept a lower wage or most importantly move to someplace where they can earn the wage they desire.
Governmental intervention via increased minimum wage is akin to just giving every student in the class a gold star regardless of merit, or giving all competitors in a sporting event a gold ribbon just for trying.
There is a corollary: the wage negotiations must be free from illegal collusion. Employers must not band together in a secret agreement not to poach each others employees. And employees must not band together in an agreement to illegally extort ill gotten gains as well.
go live on minimum wage and tell me it's a gold ribbon.
Typical bs
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I can't find the WSJ article that your link references, the closest I can find is this from 2012 and it certainly doesn't amount to $141 a month per line, it's more like $75 per line: 
