What is considered a "high income" for a family in Northern VA? (house, heat pump)

[MKing]

I think becwells and VAtoNC have given some excellent advice that will serve you well Scran!

Really think about getting a roommate even if it is just for the first year. That way you can put aside more money for emergencies or have money available if your expenses prove to be more than expected. Just decide to commit to that for a year and if it is awful then get your own place.

I am sure there are opened minded people that won't give two shakes of a lambs tail if you are gay, as long as you are nice and pay the rent on time!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by becwells

ScranBarre, I like you, I really do, but, as someone who works with DCAA auditors, if I may give you a little friendly advice...You need to calm it down a little or you're not going to be well-received in your new job. The defensiveness won't get you anywhere, and you're going to spend your entire worklife arguing over the subjective instead of looking at the objective. If I had to work alongside someone with your personality, while it would surely make for some interesting discussions, I would probably pull my hair out. I'm just sayin'...

PS - have you read your copy of the FAR yet?

As I said in prior posts though I'm a completely different "cookie" in real life. I come off rather opinionated, brash, and some may even argue arrogant at times on this forum, but when I'm around someone I try to avoid conflicts wherever possible for the greater good. Over all of the years of my employment thus far the only time I can recall getting into some unpleasantness at work was with my first job where I finally called out a manager for his visible nepotism and favoritism towards relatives that were working under him while we were given the dirty work to do. Otherwise I'm generally a very agreeable and non-confrontational person.

I don't tolerate any sort of "good old boy network," so the only way I WOULD cause any sort of "shake-up" at DCAA is if I found evidence of a defense contractor greasing the palms of a superior in order to curry favor. I have a strong ethical background and would not tolerate any sort of impropriety or violation of the agency's supposedly "objective" position. I cringed before accepting my offer when I researched the agency and found out about these scandals of managers trying to persuade easily-impressionable newbies to overlook flagrant errors and to ignore "flags" during audits of favored contractors so that they could benefit themselves with kickbacks. I've grown up in an area with this old school "grease my palms" sort of mentality prevails in the political spectrum, and I'm not going to tolerate that when the tax payers are entrusting me to look out for THEIR best interests.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by ZakAttack

You are funny. But not funny ha-ha.
No elitism here my friend. I just said to not judge others for sending their kids to private school. I attended public elementary, middle, and highschools in Fairfax County, as well as attending a public university. My religious beliefs are the main concern for wanting to send my children to a private, Catholic school.
I agree that there are elitist parents, and also elitist parents who whine. But you are the biggest whiner on here, so give me a break.

Pot calling the kettle black, are we, as you are one of the few on here who continuously makes an extended effort to pick a fight with me? I've received several DMs over the past several days from a couple of NoVA members who agree with my minimalist viewpoints and who have welcomed me to the Old Dominion State. As a devout Protestant myself my faith was not compromised by attending a public school. Contrariwise it was strengthened because I had to defend my Protestantism on several occasions growing up from some Roman Catholics who thought they were the "chosen ones," if you catch my drift.

While enjoying my faith I do NOT advocate prayer, religious indoctrination, etc. in public school, and I can't believe there's actually a growing movement that supports this. Public schools are paid for through property taxes. Who pays property taxes? The overall community, which is comprised of people from ALL walks of life. Why should a Hindu family who sends their child to a public school be expected to pay $5,000 annually to help fund a public school district with a Christian overtone instead of one just just teaches their children about the sciences, math, a yearn for reading/writing, the arts, etc. with no "tilt?" I don't agree with Atheists attempting to remove "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, but they DO have a legitimate gripe with trying to keep organized religion OUT of public areas. My faith is near to me, but I do NOT attempt to ram it down the throats of others. I don't understand what benefits my fellow Christians get from chest-beating and Bible-thumping in order to draw attention to themselves. All that does is alienate more people from our faith as they become disgruntled with their lust to steer our nation towards a theocracy.

It is most certainly your own personal choice to have decided to send your children to a private school to strengthen their faith. However, I don't want anyone who DOES send their children to a parochial school instead of to a public school to start whining about struggling to pay their bills, as this was a decision derived from luxury, not necessity. Plenty of Christian children attend public schools and are still great stewards today. This is why when the cacophony of moans and groans was initiated about those "little angels" at our hometown Catholic high school now being forced to be introduced the public school "element" I started to lost respect for parochial schools as merely a status symbol to an increasing proportion of society. You're one of the FEW I've met who still sends their children to a parochial school EXCLUSIVELY to strengthen their faith. Most I know send them there because they think public schools are "beneath" private/parochial schools, and I'm here to say that's blatantly false.

Originally Posted by ZakAttack

You can be heard, have opinions, fine and dandy. It's your delivery ScranBarre. Voice your opinions in a mature, respectful fashion, just like the respect you want for your life.

I am voicing my opinions in a mature fashion. You were the one to call me out with your snide elitist mark "That explains a lot" after quoting that I went to a sub-par public school as a prime example of the elitism I hope I do NOT encounter when I move to NoVA. Baiting someone into an argument with an out-of-line remark like that isn't indicative of the "maturity" you claim to have. Just because you disagree with my opinions doesn't mean I'm trolling or being disrespectful. It's called conflicting with civility. You can respect your opponent (as I do you) without condoning their ideologies.

Originally Posted by ZakAttack

A little TOO huge on full disclosure...and I wouldn't call your writing "subtle". Maybe it is the fact that you have not had an "open" relationship yet, that makes you identify your sexuality at every posting. Do you see anyone else posting that they are young heterosexual professionals? The fact is it just isn't relevant in 99% of your postings.

It is implied that being heterosexual is the "norm" to which society has become accustomed, so this would be no different than someone saying they were a "middle-class Hispanic family" or a "single African-American professional female." I have been hit on by women at regular intervals, so yes I AM "toning it up a notch" in an effort to attract some males to me instead for a change. Actually this fact is relevant to many of my postings because the adverse reaction people on certain forums have to that dreaded three-letter "gay" word is a good indicator of the social/political climate of an area to which I'm investigating. Given the mixed responses on this forum I'd assume NoVA is a socially moderate area. What if someone DID post in several different threads that they were a "young heterosexual professional." Would that draw your ire in a similar fashion? Probably not, and I'd be inclined to know why.

Originally Posted by ZakAttack

This isn't anonymous anymore for Scran Barre. He posts all his personal business, including his picture, on this site. I'm sure his new employer and bosses will love to peruse his postings. I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't already. If not, all it takes is one person you offend to send the information over to DCAA. I would not do this, but you need to be careful about what you say on the open Internet. Respectful and professional postings are fine, but I wouldn't be saying anything you don't want your whole office reading.

I'm sure they already have, as this forum is by far the most widely-read Internet message board I have seen. I haven't in any way, shape, or form yet bastardized DCAA, nor do I ever intend to. They are a quality employer breeding some of the nation's finest auditors. I did make reference to recent scandals, but these were highly-publicized by the media and are all over the Internet via search engine results, and I only alluded to them as a prime example of the unethical behavior that I will NOT tolerate as someone who wants to put the best interest of the American tax payers above his own self-interests. I griped about which branch office I was assigned to, but that was only because the Metro has been so inept in expanding to the Virginia suburbs; it was more so just airing a grievance that mass transit service in NoVA isn't at a level where I think it should be for such a heavily-populated area, especially now that so many are becoming environmentally conscious. That was a jab at local urban planners, elected officials, and developers for being asinine and not thinking ahead with multi-year strategic planning---NOT at my employer.

I have nothing to hide. I'm a very open person. I won't chit-chat about confidential information (the salary/benefits information I posted is public record open to anyone for research, as the American tax payers pay our salaries and are entitled to hold us accountable for them). I know when to keep my mouth shut and when I can feel comfortable speaking my mind. I know that I've grown to become VERY unpopular on this forum, but so be it. It was never my intention coming on here to ruffle feathers, but after reading through every reply in this thread and then watching a local news story about a man who just lost his job AND his home but was keeping a positive attitude I just couldn't handle seeing several people saying they were "struggling" on what should have been generous dual-income household budgets.

I'm thankful for what I do have, and I don't covet what I don't have. My 1999 Ford Contour pales in comparison to the brand new BMW my next-door neighbor just bought or the Mercedes-Benz a close fellow 22-year-old friend just bought, but it gets me from Point A to Point B, and that is really ALL that matters to me until it falls apart around me. I'll be happy with a small 1-bedroom apartment with no perks or frills (although since my body has trouble cooling itself during warmer weather air conditioning is the one luxury I MUST have). I'd be happy eating a plain boiled hot dog with knock-off Kraft macaroni & cheese for dinner one night after having a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch with a bowl of cereal with a sliced banana in it for breakfast. I don't need a Starbuck's latte or a fresh-cooked meal.

We need to get back to the basics. We have to start asking ourselves do I need this or do I merely want this. Nobody "needs" anything besides the bare sustenance required for survival. Anything greater is "gravy" that you should be very thankful to have and purchase in moderation.

[ZakAttack]

Mr. PL the II, I don't think this new "area" is going to solve your problems.
Dude, slow your roll and take it easy.

[claremarie]

It's ironic that someone who whiningly demands respect and tolerance for his lifestyle choices is so incredibly judgmental and condescending towards the lifestyle choices of others.

Try switching this:

"You're one of the FEW I've met who still sends their children to a parochial school EXCLUSIVELY to strengthen their faith. Most I know send them there because they think public schools are "beneath" private/parochial schools, and I'm here to say that's blatantly false."

With this:

"You're one of the few homosexual men I know who still has a healthy relationship with his biological father. Most I've met were raised by single moms with no appropriate and loving male role model in the household, or had a father/stepfather who was abusive, distant, or absent."

[FindingZen]

There's no need for everyone to get worked up. This is just entertainment.

Granted, some of the discussion may indeed be more appropriate for the Finance forum or Frugal Living sub-forum.

I'm sure many people in this area are re-evaluating their financial priorities these days. Those that haven't made any visible changes could be a testament to the resliency of the local economy.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by claremarie

It's ironic that someone who whiningly demands respect and tolerance for his lifestyle choices is so incredibly judgmental and condescending towards the lifestyle choices of others.

Try switching this:

"You're one of the FEW I've met who still sends their children to a parochial school EXCLUSIVELY to strengthen their faith. Most I know send them there because they think public schools are "beneath" private/parochial schools, and I'm here to say that's blatantly false."

With this:

"You're one of the few homosexual men I know who still has a healthy relationship with his biological father. Most I've met were raised by single moms with no appropriate and loving male role model in the household, or had a father/stepfather who was abusive, distant, or absent."

The latter doesn't by any means offend me though, nor would it offend any other gay male I know. There's more truth to that than fiction, as evidenced by the strained paternal relationships associated with many whom I know. My own father and I don't have a very strong relationship, even though I love and respect him I don't think he respects me much because I think he still feels as if one's sexual orientation is a "choice." There is also evidence to support my own comment that you quoted. Ask most parents in my area why they send their children to private school instead of to public school, and I can GUARANTEE most will tell you "Private schooling is better." I'm all for being politically correct, but sometimes you can't sugar-coat things SO much that you start to be misleading. Far too many won't even give public schooling a chance.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Tone509

There's no need for everyone to get worked up. This is just entertainment.

Granted, some of the discussion may indeed be more appropriate for the Finance forum or Frugal Living sub-forum.

I'm sure many people in this area are re-evaluating their financial priorities these days. Those that haven't made any visible changes could be a testament to the resliency of the local economy.

Sorry! I'm going to spend some much-needed time away from this forum soon to give everyone a break from me. I understand that I'm often controversial and generate a "love me" or "hate me" reaction from a lot of people, so I'm going to just diffuse the situation by bowing out from this discussion. I stand by my minimalist sentiments though. I'm not saying everyone has to go back to wearing togas and not bathing to conserve water, but society in general has become very "entitled." Today most people's definition of "middle-class" would have been "affluent" by the terms of former generations.

[normie]

Originally Posted by Tone509

There's no need for everyone to get worked up. This is just entertainment.

Granted, some of the discussion may indeed be more appropriate for the Finance forum or Frugal Living sub-forum.

I'm sure many people in this area are re-evaluating their financial priorities these days. Those that haven't made any visible changes could be a testament to the resliency of the local economy.

Beautifully stated, Tone. I've been trying to figure out what to say, and got stuck after the words "chill out." You put it perfectly.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Today most people's definition of "middle-class" would have been "affluent" by the terms of former generations.

That's the way it has been through the decades. What matters is that "today's" population is determining what middle class is versus affluent--not our former generations.