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Old 03-09-2013, 07:17 PM
 
6,345 posts, read 8,059,466 times
Reputation: 8784

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I was wasting away as a shipping clerk for 3 years. Then, they announced the company was shutting down and laying off everybody.

Roommates were not an option. I must have my privacy and don't like sharing the TV and fridge. I wasn't about to move back with my parents either. Homeless shelter is not an option either. It's not cool at all. I lived for several months in a shelter before. I had nightmares of going back.

Enough was enough. I started attending job hunting classes twice a week, during the 60 day layoff notice period. 4 months later, I had a better resume and interviewed better. I went from $11-12/hr to $50k.
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Old 03-09-2013, 08:32 PM
 
Location: Anchorage
4,061 posts, read 9,840,594 times
Reputation: 2350
Having roommates when you have kids can be an iffy situation too. Even if they are decent people, I can imagine all the arguments about what the kids did or what the roommate might have exposed the kids to....ugh. And you'd still need just as much room for the kids.
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Old 03-09-2013, 08:43 PM
FBJ
 
Location: Tall Building down by the river
39,605 posts, read 58,786,865 times
Reputation: 9451
Quote:
Originally Posted by gobrien View Post
Having roommates when you have kids can be an iffy situation too. Even if they are decent people, I can imagine all the arguments about what the kids did or what the roommate might have exposed the kids to....ugh. And you'd still need just as much room for the kids.

I thought only single people had roomates unless it was someone living with a mate
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Old 03-09-2013, 09:41 PM
 
Location: Australia
432 posts, read 1,223,416 times
Reputation: 690
Years ago as a single parent I struggled on the low wages raising kids (without any government welfare support) and yeah felt like it wasn't really worth the job I was doing as it barely paid the bills.

It's only been since my youngest daughter moved out of the house and over the years at this job with pay rises that I was able to start saving some money. So I guess it was worth the crappy job as my kids have turned out really good and now I have enough saved to move on to newer and hopefully a better future for me.

Ever since living on my own I could not think of getting a roommate to share living costs.
I would look for a cheaper place to live instead of getting a roommate.

One of my children came back to live with me after traveling around the world for 3 years. It was for 6 months too long. It wasn't that we were in each other's way or had tv/music too loud and we got on fine.

It was the silly privacy things like hearing the front door opening and waking me up in the night. It is being able to walk from my bedroom to the shower without having to get dressed to walk 10 feet down the hall. It was walking into the kitchen to see someone's dirty dishes in the sink or the toilet paper roll being empty. I am set in my ways so I'd rather downsize and struggle some to have my freedom and space.
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Old 03-09-2013, 11:42 PM
 
273 posts, read 1,059,227 times
Reputation: 444
roommates can also kill you while on a cocaine or meth binge, and obviously steal from you, bring home criminals, leave crumbs to invite mice (if you live in cities), make noise all night, etc. etc.

i have lived with roommates before but they were almost never home so i was lucky. i wouldn't do that unless it was really necessary. i'd rather get a run down studio apt. and be by myself. the security, lack of noise, and peace of mind are valuable.

and don't count on your kids helping or liking you in the future. they can also die randomly in an accident, or disease, etc. live for yourself and then others. the kids thing is a luxury, not a necessity, and certainly not some type of failsafe fallback in your old age.
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Old 03-10-2013, 04:23 PM
 
Location: The Valley of the Sun
1,479 posts, read 2,707,675 times
Reputation: 1534
Said person who is living paycheck to paycheck like that should probably consider some night classes or even quitting and living off of financial aid while in school. Being broke all the time really sucks, so some schooling or training should be that persons priority.
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Old 03-11-2013, 02:44 PM
 
2,682 posts, read 4,464,929 times
Reputation: 1343
In the very least the person on min wages needs to get a second min wage job. These days you have to hussle. You can't sit around making $7.75 and whine. You either need to do everything you can to move up in that job, get a second job and do the same, and if the jobs aren't moving you up, you leave. I'm talking about retail/hospitality jobs here...there are tons of those out there.

Times are tough out there, but I notice people are lazy these days. You need to prioritize. You don't need a cell phone and cable, or a car if you can't afford it. People just forgot how to hussle I think.

With that being said, and I do make decent money, but it sucks. I feel like each one of my paychecks is being sucked out of me twice a month. Every time I turn around, there is an increase in an expense or another expense. Granted, I'm still paying on a car and student loans but these are a necessity for work (transportation and degree).
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Old 03-11-2013, 02:45 PM
 
Location: southern california
61,290 posts, read 87,087,136 times
Reputation: 55549
a few times when i was dead ended i felt that way but one day the clouds broke and the sun came out, i escaped got a better job and moved on, it happens.
the race goes to the long distance runner something y generation has a terrible time grasping.
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Old 03-11-2013, 03:35 PM
 
2,696 posts, read 3,751,131 times
Reputation: 3080
When I was younger, in my 20s, I preferred living with roommates than with my parents. I had deadbeat roommates (and some reliable ones). It was annoying to deal with this, as I had low wage jobs for years out of college while paying on student loans.

You just have to do what you have to to cut costs or find a better job, or work more than 1 job. Work on a goal and try to reach it. In today's economy, it takes a lot of effort and creativity to stand out from the crowd.
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Old 03-11-2013, 04:37 PM
 
1,003 posts, read 1,604,403 times
Reputation: 1316
To answer the OP's question: YES! It feels like I'm treading water...and for what??!! It's all pointless.
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