Help me think of some ideas to come up from poverty in Jax (Jacksonville: lease, loans)

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by LifeIsGood01

What are you spending all the money you earn on, that's how to get out of poverty, save keep your credit scores up, pay your bills and buy a small inexpensive home, you don't live in a very expensive part of the country. Buy a home where you mortgage is less than it costs to rent a one bedroom apartment, work hard pay it off with extra principal payments and then all you will owe are taxes and insurance. That's how to get out of poverty.

Let me guess, you are a baby boomer and this is how you came up back in the day?

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by kmarc

Vinny, first of all, well done on getting an interview and an offer. However, if it was me, I'd turn it down. If they want you on call 24/7, then they're basically offering you 52 cents an hour. That's ridiculous. Slavery, actually, except they don't take care of your room and board.

Take a win on getting an interview and an offer, and keep on looking.

Well, it's not like they would call me at 3am in the morning and I just HAVE to be there. However, I think they just want me to be available to work any day and this becomes a problem because this job alone is not enough to live on

[squarpeg]

I really think you need to get out of the security guard profession. I think I advised this in an earlier post. You are making the same wage as I could get if I walked into McDonalds with no experience. That has to give you pause. Your in a poor profession for making money. Think about what else you would like to do in life. That is my advice.

[gatorlyn]

Marry a rich woman. I'm serious. You're built like a security guard should be? Shouldn't be a problem finding one, plenty of fish out there. Love her and treat her with respect, and she'll help you get out of the dumps.

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by squarpeg

I really think you need to get out of the security guard profession. I think I advised this in an earlier post. You are making the same wage as I could get if I walked into McDonalds with no experience. That has to give you pause. Your in a poor profession for making money. Think about what else you would like to do in life. That is my advice.

True. I always get passed up on a management position because I am not ex-police or ex-military. There is almost an unspoken rule in security: "Those that are not ex-police or ex-military need not apply to management positions.

I seriously considering getting on with an office job or like a grocery store that pays their employees well like cost-co, Aldi, or Trader Joes. These places would start you off at a higher wage AND.....I COULD ACTUALLY ADVANCE FOR ONCE AND NOT GET CONTINUALLY PASSED UP ON PROMOTIONS BECAUSE OF NO MILITARY EXPERIENCE. That's happened 3 times now and it's getting old fast!

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by gatorlyn

Marry a rich woman. I'm serious. You're built like a security guard should be? Shouldn't be a problem finding one, plenty of fish out there. Love her and treat her with respect, and she'll help you get out of the dumps.

That was my father's game not mine. I want to be self-made not the slave to some sugar mama. When I get married, I will marry a girl because we have great chemistry, an awesome personality, is visually appetizing, and um has certain...skills. (I trust you know what I mean by this)

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Vinny Lugo

Let me guess, you are a baby boomer and this is how you came up back in the day?

I'm not a baby boomer, but a member of the silent generation. The advice Life is good gave you worked back then and it works today.

[Vinny Lugo]

Originally Posted by Southern man

I'm not a baby boomer, but a member of the silent generation. The advice Life is good gave you worked back then and it works today.

No that was terrible advice that I constantly get from baby boomers who have no clue what it's like to come up in an economy like this. I am paid so little and everything costs so much that it becomes nearly impossible to save much money.

I have recieved excellent advice on this thread from multiple people but this was not great advice. This may have worked in the 90s but its a whole new ballgame now

[LifeIsGood01]

Originally Posted by Vinny Lugo

Let me guess, you are a baby boomer and this is how you came up back in the day?

No I am Generation X and bought my house a little less than 2 and half years ago. Best thing I ever did after renting for over 20 years and throwing money away. I had to move 2 hours to an area with affordable houses. I got lucky because all those homes are gone now and prices have just about doubles on small starter homes. My mortgage is less than a rental of a 1 bedroom apartment.

Also every generation is different if you want to blame it on something other than saving as much as you can and investing in your future that's up to you. A lot of Millennials were spoiled by their hard working parents and feel entitled to things and that the world should spoil them too.

[Coffeejunkiemom]

Originally Posted by Vinny Lugo

No that was terrible advice that I constantly get from baby boomers who have no clue what it's like to come up in an economy like this. I am paid so little and everything costs so much that it becomes nearly impossible to save much money.

I have recieved excellent advice on this thread from multiple people but this was not great advice. This may have worked in the 90s but its a whole new ballgame now

My husband and I are not baby boomers. We know what it’s like to come up from nothing. My husband worked a crappy industrial job and went to school full time. He worked his butt off and helped provided for our family. He sacrificed because that’s what you do when you want something. Now his salary is 4x what it was and we are very comfortable, own one home, and are looking at purchasing another.
You said in the beginning that you live at home. While I can appreciate that it is not an ideal situation, I cannot understand why you can’t make the best of it and use that opportunity to either get your degree or learn a trade. If you want to come up out of poverty you work for it. I just read in the St Augustine paper that fast food restaurants are paying $12 an hour just to get people in the door. They will work around your school schedule. Get a job as a bar back or work in the kitchen of a chain restaurant if fast food isn’t good enough for you. They will work around your school schedule. Get a job stocking shelves at Walmart, Target, Sam’s club. They will work around your school schedule. Once you have completed school and have a better paying job, move out and have a roommate or three. Split costs so you can save money for a more dependable car. Employers recognize those that work hard and have ambition and reward those that do. Get some experience and when you have your yearly reviews ask what you can do better and then do it. Work your way up. It takes time and it takes hustle but it is achievable.
Most of all quit believing that it’s the economy that’s holding you back. You can either get mad and keep doing the same thing expecting a miracle or you can take the advice you are given and make a change. Recognize that you may have to work a job that you don’t like for a while in order to get to where you want to be. You might have to use public transit for a while. You might have to have bad roommates. You might have to work two jobs. You might not the get the job you want because someone with better qualifications comes along. You might have to trade your dream job for a crap job because the pay is better and has security. If the path in front of you has too many obstacles find a new path. Or continue to think that the economy is holding you back and make excuses for why you can’t have the life you want because -insert excuse here- Baby boomers and gen x get a lot of crap because things were “easier” for us. In some ways they were. No doubt about that. We were also taught that you have to work for what you want. You have to do for yourself because nothing will be given to you.
You have done a good thing by asking for advice. Don’t negate that by refusing to hear things that may not be comfortable.