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Both of my sons, when they were still single, did exactly that.
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You might want to read a book by Barbara Ehrenreich called "Nickeled and Dimed in America". Barbara was a journalist who back in the late 90's (when the economy was better than it is now) decided to undertake an experiment. She decided to deliberately work low wage jobs in Maine, Minnesota, and Florida to find out how difficult it is for the working poor to support themselves. Ehrenreich's most important conclusions were as follows:
1. Very few positions that don't require education start at more than 50 cents or a $1 more than the minimum wage.
2. The fact that employers advertise jobs shouldn't be construed as meaning those jobs are actually available. What Ehrenreich found continually was that you couldn't just walk in anywhere and get a job. It was a process that usually took two to three anxious weeks. The process includes drug testing, and often a written test that seems to judge whether employees have proclivities towards stealing, joining a union, or disobeying their boss. Many stores were simply interested in gathering applications and never even called applicants in for a job interview.
3. Many people earning minimum wage have a take home pay of $1000 a month or less. Rent for a one bedroom apartment in all of the places she worked was between $600 and $700 a month. Many people end up taking second jobs (working 60 hours a week +) to try and make ends meet.
I suspect with 9.7% unemployment that getting even a minimum wage level entry position is difficult now.
I do blame young people partially for their inability to support themselves because I believe items such as IPODs, cell phones, play station, and even computers are way too common. These items should be luxuries and not "standard". These items were not available in any form when I was in college and I think, in some ways, it was better. Instead of dealing with diversions, I spent more time in the college library cracking books.
Its a tough problem. My kids will receive plenty of help before they leave home for good.
If a single wants to go real economical theres always cheap long term Motels with a kitchenette arrangement, room/basement for rent in private residences , a few people pitching in to rent a house/apartment together, or a room at a YMCA that offers such accomodations which gives you the benefit of swimming and/or fitness . Its very important for an able bodied Man and Woman to get out on their own at a certain point so they can live a fulfilled independent life with some purpose .
You can live with your parents and be independent and have purpose. Kids in many cultures do not move out until they get married it is just in this country we think we have to move out by a certain age.
Both of my sons, when they were still single, did exactly that.
.................................................. .................................................. ..
You might want to read a book by Barbara Ehrenreich called "Nickeled and Dimed in America". Barbara was a journalist who back in the late 90's (when the economy was better than it is now) decided to undertake an experiment. She decided to deliberately work low wage jobs in Maine, Minnesota, and Florida to find out how difficult it is for the working poor to support themselves. Ehrenreich's most important conclusions were as follows:
1. Very few positions that don't require education start at more than 50 cents or a $1 more than the minimum wage.
2. The fact that employers advertise jobs shouldn't be construed as meaning those jobs are actually available. What Ehrenreich found continually was that you couldn't just walk in anywhere and get a job. It was a process that usually took two to three anxious weeks. The process includes drug testing, and often a written test that seems to judge whether employees have proclivities towards stealing, joining a union, or disobeying their boss. Many stores were simply interested in gathering applications and never even called applicants in for a job interview.
3. Many people earning minimum wage have a take home pay of $1000 a month or less. Rent for a one bedroom apartment in all of the places she worked was between $600 and $700 a month. Many people end up taking second jobs (working 60 hours a week +) to try and make ends meet.
I suspect with 9.7% unemployment that getting even a minimum wage level entry position is difficult now.
I do blame young people partially for their inability to support themselves because I believe items such as IPODs, cell phones, play station, and even computers are way too common. These items should be luxuries and not "standard". These items were not available in any form when I was in college and I think, in some ways, it was better. Instead of dealing with diversions, I spent more time in the college library cracking books.
Its a tough problem. My kids will receive plenty of help before they leave home for good.
Interesting.
My daughter, after graduating early from high school and before heading to college, has been working a job where she's making between $12-$13 per hour.
Degrees have become the norm, but one can get by quite nicely without one.
"Positions that don't require an education" and "no bachelor's degree required" are not the same. All those jobs listed as not requiring a degree instead require some sort of specialized license, education, training or apprenticeship.
"Positions that don't require an education" and "no bachelor's degree required" are not the same. All those jobs listed as not requiring a degree instead require some sort of specialized license, education, training or apprenticeship.
Everybody has SOME kind of education. Extra training can put anyone into a good job.
Even with no high school diploma, a person can be trained and certified, licensed or what is needed for a lot of jobs.
I have been asking this for years on boards like this. Nobody has an answer.
In the 40s and 50s, a family of five lived on the earnings of one man with a fulltime job. Today, a family of three can barely get by on the earnings of two adults with fulltime jobs.
Why has a fulltime wage been lowered from the living costs of five people, down to the living costs of less than two people? Or, why has the cost of living per person risen from 1/5 of a fulltime wage to almost a whole fulltime wage? Without the quality of life getting any better.
I haven't read through all the replies, but I think the real estate boom of the 80's is largely to blame. There was a time when a man's weekly salary was more than what he paid in monthly rent.
Back in the early 70's my father had a good job making $300 per week. At that time, a tenement bldg in Queens or Brooklyn sold for about $35K on average. On a 30 year mortgage with no money down his payment would have been about $250 per month, less than one week's wages. Today, that same house would cost $800K, on a thirty year mortgage with no money down his payment would be $6,250 per month. How many working stiffs do you know who earn that much per week, or even per month?
Salaries have not moved along with the cost of living, particularly in many real estate markets.
Everybody has SOME kind of education. Extra training can put anyone into a good job.
Even with no high school diploma, a person can be trained and certified, licensed or what is needed for a lot of jobs.
Operations manager rise through the ranks of the company to get to that position. They aren't hired/recruited specifically for the position. They are promoted from within.
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