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That's some nice stereotyping there Scoop... You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Do you also chase young whippersnapers off your lawn?
I work with people who are mostly half my age.
They don't have two nickles to rub together. But they all have the latest smart phones, with the $100+/month data plan. They finance new cars and pay interest for five years. They all have college debt up the wazoo. And then they do stupid crap like buy expensive designer coffee drinks every day. Fritter and waste is the kindest way to describe their financial habits.
Of COURSE they can never get ahead. But nobody is out there telling kids to buy used cars, keep monthly expenses to a minimum, save and invest. At least I don't hear it at work.
And this is no small subset. There are nearly six thousand employees where I work. Most people aren't going to get ahead because they set themselves up to fail -- big time. No savings, loads of payments, a couple paychecks away from serious financial difficulties. What a miserable way to live.
Some options are the military, get a life/health insurance license or a securities license (6,63 or 65) and learn to sell. The thing is the military is basically a 4 year deal. You can always go back to call centers. Myself knowing what I know now I think doing the 20 and get the benefits then move on the something else isn't a bad idea. If not that consider moving to DC and check out other Gov. jobs available in that area..
One last thing to consider. Today there are many women who make some damn good incomes just looking for a good man.. Two people working toghter can do some good things and live a good life.. (I can't remember if the OP was male or female)
They don't have two nickles to rub together. But they all have the latest smart phones, with the $100+/month data plan. They finance new cars and pay interest for five years. They all have college debt up the wazoo. And then they do stupid crap like buy expensive designer coffee drinks every day. Fritter and waste is the kindest way to describe their financial habits.
Of COURSE they can never get ahead. But nobody is out there telling kids to buy used cars, keep monthly expenses to a minimum, save and invest. At least I don't hear it at work.
And this is no small subset. There are nearly six thousand employees where I work. Most people aren't going to get ahead because they set themselves up to fail -- big time. No savings, loads of payments, a couple paychecks away from serious financial difficulties. What a miserable way to live.
I'm 23 and I have an iPhone so obviously I waste money left and right. How about, my family pays for and upgrades my phone for me so they have a way to reach me (the iPhone was their idea) for the past 7+ years, and that's the only luxury I've got. I pay my bills and buy cheap groceries with my paychecks when I have work. That's all. I don't do anything fun unless its free. Why? Because fun is an expense I can't afford right now. Why do I have debt? Because I went to college and took out loans like I was told to do as a kid.
I don't even have a goddamn car and I wear 7 year old clothes.
I give up too, I have 2 worthless pieces of paper and will turn 37 this summer, I can't keep going back to college for more worthless pieces of paper. I'm risking another employment gap, which those are deadly, no one will hire you with a gap. I can't even get low-paying jobs now or retail because I'm over-qualified. I had big dreams when I got those degrees, now it breaks my heart that those were a waste of my time. I have nothing, now. College was supposed to be helpful. I don't know what to do, I'm really distraught and in a worse place now.
You can't get a job unless your family is best friends with the boss.
Are you one of those who told them life is hard? Who exactly is responsible to tell them about jobs in the trades or having majors with more promise. Apparently, these bright young people didn't dream they would truly be expected to pay back all the money they freely borrowed. Why didn't you tell them? I surely don't want my tax dollars to finance them. How many thought spending a fortune to attend one of the "prestige" schools often discussed in C-D was that important? Perhaps they would have changed their mind if they'd known repaying that debt was up to them. Poor babies. Reminds me of women who marry a man who pays child support. Oh, how awful! No one told them it was going to be this hard. But, it is hard. Just like life, no matter the era.
Anyone who actually thinks this period of time is the worst has to be too young to know better.
Life is hard. We know this. There are some poster cases of idiots borrowing $100k for a useless theater degree from an expensive private school, then spectacularly fail and have difficulty paying off their loans. That's to be expected. Anyone with half a brain who signed on the dotted line for a loan knows the obligation that a loan entails.
Many people graduated with degrees that provide tangible skills that should have real value in the marketplace, but are either unemployed or relegated to low end jobs that are not career track. Tell someone who went to a reasonably priced state school and majored in accounting, nursing, education, etc, and cannot find related work that they should have majored in something with "more promise" or that you don't want your tax dollars assisting them. Tell people who followed the advice they were given by parents, the media, and professional academic counselors to a "T," only to have any hopes for a bright future killed a few years after college.
I have a cousin who got her BS in accounting, passed all four parts of the CPA exam, but cannot get the credential because she is unable to find work under an active, practicing CPA, and is relegated to an outbound debt collection call center. She cannot find staff accountant work, as most of that work in this area moved to major metros. A/P, A/R clerk work is almost always temp and likely pays less than her FTE call center position. With a husband who earns even less than she does and a kid, relocating and/or retraining is not really an option. An accounting degree and passing the CPA exam in this area for my parents' generation would have meant a stable career - today you're far more likely to be stuck in low skill, low value added work than higher skill, high value work, no matter what skills you bring to the table as an individual.
Stories of young people majoring in respectable degrees and finding nothing or being grossly underemployed are echoed all over the country. It's not always an issue of individual irresponsibility. There are severe structural labor market issues in this country that are becoming entrenched over the long term.
Last edited by Serious Conversation; 06-10-2013 at 09:53 AM..
Hope and change is coming...You gotta believe in yourself....It took me 8 years after I got out of school before I got my own apartment and a Job I loved.....Believe in Obama. He may need a third term to create all those jobs he said he would... He is an honest man who is watching your back..side.
Last edited by Chaffeetrekker; 06-10-2013 at 02:26 PM..
They don't have two nickles to rub together. But they all have the latest smart phones, with the $100+/month data plan. They finance new cars and pay interest for five years. They all have college debt up the wazoo. And then they do stupid crap like buy expensive designer coffee drinks every day. Fritter and waste is the kindest way to describe their financial habits.
Of COURSE they can never get ahead. But nobody is out there telling kids to buy used cars, keep monthly expenses to a minimum, save and invest. At least I don't hear it at work.
And this is no small subset. There are nearly six thousand employees where I work. Most people aren't going to get ahead because they set themselves up to fail -- big time. No savings, loads of payments, a couple paychecks away from serious financial difficulties. What a miserable way to live.
I only went to a coffee shop because it was a part of my college's dinning program. This included a Starbucks and a standard coffee shop. I have not gotten any of it with my own money.
My phone is an SIII, I got it because it is $50 due to the new SIV. Before that I would get the free or rebated phones. Why, because they are cheaper.
As for the learned behavior, I want to hear how many of them were taught by their parents and what age cohort were their parents were a part of if you know of it. That maybe a key on why they wastefully spend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ForkInTheRoad
I'm 23 and I have an iPhone so obviously I waste money left and right. How about, my family pays for and upgrades my phone for me so they have a way to reach me (the iPhone was their idea) for the past 7+ years, and that's the only luxury I've got. I pay my bills and buy cheap groceries with my paychecks when I have work. That's all. I don't do anything fun unless its free. Why? Because fun is an expense I can't afford right now. Why do I have debt? Because I went to college and took out loans like I was told to do as a kid.
I don't even have a goddamn car and I wear 7 year old clothes.
I would rep this if I could. I agree. Not everyone in the millennial age cohort is the "entitled" people Scoop mention. There maybe a good number that are wasteful spending but did they learn it from family or friends? Let's face it, anyone born after the 50's have been jonsing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emigrations
Life is hard. We know this. There are some poster cases of idiots borrowing $100k for a useless theater degree from an expensive private school, then spectacularly fail and have difficulty paying off their loans. That's to be expected. Anyone with half a brain who signed on the dotted line for a loan knows the obligation that a loan entails.
Many people graduated with degrees that provide tangible skills that should have real value in the marketplace, but are either unemployed or relegated to low end jobs that are not career track. Tell someone who went to a reasonably priced state school and majored in accounting, nursing, education, etc, and cannot find related work that they should have majored in something with "more promise" or that you don't want your tax dollars assisting them. Tell people who followed the advice they were given by parents, the media, and professional academic counselors to a "T," only to have any hopes for a bright future killed a few years after college.
I have a cousin who got her BS in accounting, passed all four parts of the CPA exam, but cannot get the credential because she is unable to find work under an active, practicing CPA, and is relegated to an outbound debt collection call center. She cannot find staff accountant work, as most of that work in this area moved to major metros. A/P, A/R clerk work is almost always temp and likely pays less than her FTE call center position. With a husband who earns even less than she does and a kid, relocating and/or retraining is not really an option. An accounting degree and passing the CPA exam in this area for my parents' generation would have meant a stable career - today you're far more likely to be stuck in low skill, low value added work than higher skill, high value work, no matter what skills you bring to the table as an individual.
Stories of young people majoring in respectable degrees and finding nothing or being grossly underemployed are echoed all over the country. It's not always an issue of individual irresponsibility. There are severe structural labor market issues in this country that are becoming entrenched over the long term.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BraveNative
Personal anecdotes =/= a sample size of an entire generation...
Lrn2Statistics...
Same goes with correlation = causation but yet people do that.
Wow, a whole three years? Well, you gave it your best shot.
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