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"I've paid more to rent a large studio apartment than my next door neighbor paid to own a 3BR house."
In Ohio we bought our house in 1998 and only mortgaged $45,000 since we sold our other house and was able to put a good chunk on it from the profit of that sale. Our mortgage is only $377.25. We now owe less than $4000 and it will be paid off soon. I don't apologize for living in an area that housing isn't astronomical like in California or NY. I don't know how people make it there.
If you go back somewhere and read my old first post, for which you personally thanked me, I have an update:
I just added a job for me that, If I can manage to do it despite my disabilities {which I think I can as they are giving me allowances}, will bring in full-time-just-over-minimum-wage for me.
I can sit in the office when it's not busy at the front desk, an easment to my bad deteriorating back. I will have to stand for periods of business, but once that is past, i can sit in the office.
With MOH's two part time jobs {about 30 hours between the two}, and Me working full time, we will be DINKs, and will rise squarely into middle class for our area, and no longer be "Upper Poor Class".
We will be able to save Much MUch more for retirement {remember 17 years ago I was just out of homelessness due largely to medical issues, and MOH just out of bankruptcy when we got together}. We will STILL qualify for help from the Hospital patient program that will give us at least 50% off Hospital charges not reimbursed by insurance {we now quality for 100%, may even get 75% with new income}.
We do have some bills we can pay off as well as add extra to our retirement savings, which is nowhere near where it should be for a 53{soon 54} &58 y/os to have, but I think we can clear up the house mortgage, and retire all other bills and save most if not all of my wages starting next year. Even half of this year can be saved, I think. If we can save mine entirely, we will be saving over 50% of our income and can do our retirement planning things like, pick up a rental or two in our chosen area for retirement,and rent them until we can retire down there.
I am excited for the unlimited possiblities, but it will mean losing my my SSDI entirely as full time work will do, and if I falter on the job thing, especially full time, I can always reinstate my SSDI. Even if I only stay part time, i/we will be farther ahead.
So, I may update you later after 2 weeks of work,and let you know if I am going to stay part time, or go full time, spread over two facilities at the same job. It also has room for advancement where I will still be able to work with my disabilities instead of them controlling my every move!
Have a great day every one!
If you go back somewhere and read my old first post, for which you personally thanked me, I have an update:
I just added a job for me that, If I can manage to do it despite my disabilities {which I think I can as they are giving me allowances}, will bring in full-time-just-over-minimum-wage for me.
I can sit in the office when it's not busy at the front desk, an easment to my bad deteriorating back. I will have to stand for periods of business, but once that is past, i can sit in the office.
With MOH's two part time jobs {about 30 hours between the two}, and Me working full time, we will be DINKs, and will rise squarely into middle class for our area, and no longer be "Upper Poor Class".
We will be able to save Much MUch more for retirement {remember 17 years ago I was just out of homelessness due largely to medical issues, and MOH just out of bankruptcy when we got together}. We will STILL qualify for help from the Hospital patient program that will give us at least 50% off Hospital charges not reimbursed by insurance {we now quality for 100%, may even get 75% with new income}.
We do have some bills we can pay off as well as add extra to our retirement savings, which is nowhere near where it should be for a 53{soon 54} &58 y/os to have, but I think we can clear up the house mortgage, and retire all other bills and save most if not all of my wages starting next year. Even half of this year can be saved, I think. If we can save mine entirely, we will be saving over 50% of our income and can do our retirement planning things like, pick up a rental or two in our chosen area for retirement,and rent them until we can retire down there.
I am excited for the unlimited possiblities, but it will mean losing my my SSDI entirely as full time work will do, and if I falter on the job thing, especially full time, I can always reinstate my SSDI. Even if I only stay part time, i/we will be farther ahead.
So, I may update you later after 2 weeks of work,and let you know if I am going to stay part time, or go full time, spread over two facilities at the same job. It also has room for advancement where I will still be able to work with my disabilities instead of them controlling my every move!
Have a great day every one!
Have a great day!
Wonderful! So glad to hear it! Your plan sounds very realistic. I'll be looking forward to an update.
In Ohio we bought our house in 1998 and only mortgaged $45,000 since we sold our other house and was able to put a good chunk on it from the profit of that sale. Our mortgage is only $377.25. We now owe less than $4000 and it will be paid off soon. I don't apologize for living in an area that housing isn't astronomical like in California or NY. I don't know how people make it there.
I'll just point out again that minimum wage now is not what it used to be. You have the advantage of having bought a house when the market was low. We bought around the same time. If you are now retired, you've had decades to earn and plan. You had a large down payment on that house. I'm guessing you didn't live on one min wage income for all of those years.
I can't help but think that the point of this thread was to show that min wage is fine and doesn't need to be raised. Not one poster has convinced me of that.
minimum wage isn't meant to be a career job to begin with... no one with reasonable expectations would spend decades at that job without moving up or away
minimum wage isn't meant to be a career job to begin with... no one with reasonable expectations would spend decades at that job without moving up or away
But it was always supposed to be a living wage and it currently is not.
You'd be surprised what all jobs are minimum or slightly above {defined as up to $3/hr above}, it's not all fast food and restaurant servers!
You might also be surprised what jobs are held for what $ amount BY COLLEGE grads...at minimum, or just above.
My entire area is based on minimum unless you are a Doctor, Nurse or Attorney. Even Town workers, if lucky MIGHT get $3-5 above minimum just to maintain he roads and such. Unfortunately though there are companies here with good construction jobs and municipalities required to hire local, doesn't always mean the BIG construction jobs stay here. It also doesn't mean people like ME can do the big buck construction jobs.
I still consider $1-3/hr {barely Just above}, and even $3-5/hr above minimum as being minimum based.. Even though $5hr more is 50% above our current state's minimum ($9.70-Upstate NY).
As we approach the $15 minimum, {double federal}, our local economy will STILL be minimum-based.
But it was always supposed to be a living wage and it currently is not.
When was it ever supposed to be a living wage?
To me it was always the wage you paid a high school kid for his first job (and some of us worked under the special sub-minimum wage restaurants were allowed to pay high school kids).
You worked minimum wage so when you went for another job and they asked if you had experience, you could say yes
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So glad to hear it! Your plan sounds very realistic. I'll be looking forward to an update.