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First of all, I wouldn't get into credit card debt in the first place, and second of all, this really didn't invoke any sympathy for me. I ended up with more than enough money.
I skipped all social/fun outings and it told me that 'high stress is common among those with low incomes'. Give me a break. Most successful people I know in my office work 70-75 hour weeks for 5-10 years to get started in their careers. Suck it up and make some sacrifices so you can have a good stream of money coming in. And what is with not having a public transit option? Or better yet, the option to bike to work? Get a bike for $50 on craigslist and you are good. I biked 13 miles each way to work for a year and a half to save money. And a $75/mo cell phone plan? Unbelievable...Even with these ridiculous constraints it was easy to have money left over at the end of the month.
Maybe these people don't have money because they see the choices given are their only options...I can't imagine making $9/hr and actually choosing to own a car.
First of all, I wouldn't get into credit card debt in the first place, and second of all, this really didn't invoke any sympathy for me. I ended up with more than enough money.
I skipped all social/fun outings and it told me that 'high stress is common among those with low incomes'. Give me a break. Most successful people I know in my office work 70-75 hour weeks for 5-10 years to get started in their careers. Suck it up and make some sacrifices so you can have a good stream of money coming in. And what is with not having a public transit option? Or better yet, the option to bike to work? Get a bike for $50 on craigslist and you are good. I biked 13 miles each way to work for a year and a half to save money. And a $75/mo cell phone plan? Unbelievable...Even with these ridiculous constraints it was easy to have money left over at the end of the month.
Maybe these people don't have money because they see the choices given are their only options...I can't imagine making $9/hr and actually choosing to own a car.
The game tries to create an overall "typical" situation which totally misses the reality of so many people.
For example, the game insists that you can't totally get rid of your car, because "over 50% of Americans" do not have good public transportation. (Right off the bat it was a bad sign that rent/transportation cost is minimized approx 30 miles from work.)
Yes, you CAN bike to work - just move real close to your job - but the game STILL insists you can't get rid of your car.
The assumptions - $7K credit card debt, a $75/mo cell phone plan - sounded plausible for someone who previously had (but lost) a good job, but not realistic for someone who normally makes $300/week. After all, if you lose your job, your credit card debt doesn't go away, and you can't get out of your cell phone contract.
The game also assumes that there is an inverse relationship between rent and proximity to work That's probably not true, and is probably especially untrue for low-wage jobs.
Probably the game could be improved considerably if there were separate versions for urban, rural, and suburban living. The one-size-fits-all assumptions don't work.
The game tries to create an overall "typical" situation which totally misses the reality of so many people.
For example, the game insists that you can't totally get rid of your car, because "over 50% of Americans" do not have good public transportation. (Right off the bat it was a bad sign that rent/transportation cost is minimized approx 30 miles from work.)
Yes, you CAN bike to work - just move real close to your job - but the game STILL insists you can't get rid of your car.
The assumptions - $7K credit card debt, a $75/mo cell phone plan - sounded plausible for someone who previously had (but lost) a good job, but not realistic for someone who normally makes $300/week. After all, if you lose your job, your credit card debt doesn't go away, and you can't get out of your cell phone contract.
The game also assumes that there is an inverse relationship between rent and proximity to work That's probably not true, and is probably especially untrue for low-wage jobs.
Probably the game could be improved considerably if there were separate versions for urban, rural, and suburban living. The one-size-fits-all assumptions don't work.
obviously one sized fits all doesn't work, but for someone who is going to be a waiter/waitress, in the area i grew up in, it would be very difficult for someone to live 10-15-20 miles from work and bike to work due to hills, climate, etc. by the time one got to work, they may be a sweaty mess and be in no shape to wait tables. maybe you get there early and wash up and cool down though.
it seems as though the game is designed to capture what this organization most commonly deals with. i agree, $75/month for a phone is ridiculous, that could easily be cut down as long as one isn't under contract. and even if they are, it may be worth paying the termination fee, or negotiating something with the provider.
but in most places i've been, you do pay higher rent to be closer to even these lower wage jobs. not all the time, but that's just been my experience.
The game tries to create an overall "typical" situation which totally misses the reality of so many people.
For example, the game insists that you can't totally get rid of your car, because "over 50% of Americans" do not have good public transportation. (Right off the bat it was a bad sign that rent/transportation cost is minimized approx 30 miles from work.)
Yes, you CAN bike to work - just move real close to your job - but the game STILL insists you can't get rid of your car.
I agree. I played the game "my way" and still came out ahead by several hundrend dollars. Also, no vegetarian option. It's a nice start, and I get their point....but more than ever I think we need to EDUCATE people. About how and where to live. How and where to get around. How and where to work. How and what to eat.
I could never pass the temp job typing test. I type fast, but often have to go back and delete a letter here/there, idk if that's why or what....restaurant job was the worst for me; i made out much better working at the factory, close to work. Paid all bills, all was working great. Moved far away & restaurant....had to skip out on bills, had my rent raised right as i moved in, hit someone's car (don't worry, i just drove away), told my whiny kids they had to suck it up and keep the free lunches & thrift store shoes, and then at the end was told i qualified for food stamps.
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