Washington Post---"Squeaking By" on $300,000? This is "Journalism?" (real estate, find a job)

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I'm paid lower than most of my peers in the same profession. If I were compensated more equitably for the work I do, then I'd be less inclined to be so irritable about it. How would you feel if you and your best friend both graduated from college with your Bachelor's Degrees in Education, and you found out that your friend was receiving a starting salary $10,000 higher than yours to teach in the next town over to put in the same level of work and effort everyday? That doesn't seem "unfair" to you?

I agree, so start looking for a new job!

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

At $41,000 at age 22 I'm already out-earning many 40-year-olds in Scranton. Yes, this IS a "lot of money" in my eyes, and I thank God I was able to land this job despite this incessant recession.

True, but it's relative. Cost of living in Scranton is much lower, and the women up in Scranton probably don't require BMWs, Mervis Diamond Rings, or expensive sushi dinners with cocktails.

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I'm paid lower than most of my peers in the same profession. If I were compensated more equitably for the work I do, then I'd be less inclined to be so irritable about it. How would you feel if you and your best friend both graduated from college with your Bachelor's Degrees in Education, and you found out that your friend was receiving a starting salary $10,000 higher than yours to teach in the next town over to put in the same level of work and effort everyday? That doesn't seem "unfair" to you?

Govt. jobs pay less but have amazing benefits. It's relative.

[scottfs]

Fools and their money are soon parted - high earning fools will be parted with larger amounts of money. Some people get salary increases and immediately go out and borrow all they can against it. My wife and I make much less but I'd wager we're saving MUCH more of our money than the $300k fool who purchased a mansion. My father is quite successful and makes considerably more than poor Ms. 300k, but he's no fool. He lives in a normal size house with no mortgage, drives a 5 year old Acura that's paid for, and my mom drives her 6 year old Honda that's paid for. No second homes, boats, credit card debt, maids, or lavish purchases. Mom buys most of her clothes at Kohl's and dad gets his jeans at Wal-Mart for $12. It's all about your attitude and if you're too stupid to make it on $300k you won't make it $600k either. I have no sympathy for that woman.

[Nemesis16]

Originally Posted by scottfs

Fools and their money are soon parted - high earning fools will be parted with larger amounts of money. Some people get salary increases and immediately go out and borrow all they can against it. My wife and I make much less but I'd wager we're saving MUCH more of our money than the $300k fool who purchased a mansion. My father is quite successful and makes considerably more than poor Ms. 300k, but he's no fool. He lives in a normal size house with no mortgage, drives a 5 year old Acura that's paid for, and my mom drives her 6 year old Honda that's paid for. No second homes, boats, credit card debt, maids, or lavish purchases. Mom buys most of her clothes at Kohl's and dad gets his jeans at Wal-Mart for $12. It's all about your attitude and if you're too stupid to make it on $300k you won't make it $600k either. I have no sympathy for that woman.

So what are your parents doing with all that money? If they're not gonna spend it they might as well donate it!

[scottfs]

Originally Posted by Nemesis16

So what are your parents doing with all that money? If they're not gonna spend it they might as well donate it!

I think they're saving a fair amount of it for retirement. He didn't hit the point of making that much money until the last few years and my mother stayed at home with me and my siblings as kids so they never had a dual income or much money left over when I was growing up. (Throughout my childhood we were a decidedly average family and they continue to live that way.) That said they are involved in charitable activities but so am I, we always have been.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by scottfs

Fools and their money are soon parted - high earning fools will be parted with larger amounts of money. Some people get salary increases and immediately go out and borrow all they can against it. My wife and I make much less but I'd wager we're saving MUCH more of our money than the $300k fool who purchased a mansion. My father is quite successful and makes considerably more than poor Ms. 300k, but he's no fool. He lives in a normal size house with no mortgage, drives a 5 year old Acura that's paid for, and my mom drives her 6 year old Honda that's paid for. No second homes, boats, credit card debt, maids, or lavish purchases. Mom buys most of her clothes at Kohl's and dad gets his jeans at Wal-Mart for $12. It's all about your attitude and if you're too stupid to make it on $300k you won't make it $600k either. I have no sympathy for that woman.

It's totally offbase to call this woman a "fool."

Fools don't move up in the corporate world and make the money that she makes or build the successful career that she built, coming from a middle class/conservative family.

In case you didn't read the article, she and her husband at the time bought the house together as a couple.

As she said clearly, divorce was not in her plans.

And as she also said, she will make it through this.

Anyone who has no compassion for people, don't deserve compassion themselves when they fall from grace.

[Nemesis16]

The only foolish qualities I see in this woman is to: 1. sell the house and move somewhere cheaper ( her kids are young enough where it won't be as psychologically damaging) 2. stop paying for luxury things and buy just the essentials

[vegaspilgrim]

I just have to chime in here in ScranBarre's defense... read all 10 pages. ScranBarre is very lucky just to have a job right now-- and is damn lucky to be making $41,000 a year-- even with the high cost of living. And lucky to have been recruited to a whole different region, right out of college. I'm a recent college grad too-- with a Master's in Accounting AND a Bachelor's (back to back programs), 3.9 GPA. I live in Denver, and I've been searching for a job the last 3 months and haven't found anything yet. I've had a number of interviews, though. Most recent one was a large, well-known, international, privately held company here, where they were telling me to expect frequent 15 hour days, especially around monthly closings. Which is fine, I'm willing to work as hard & long as necessary. But when they asked me for my desired salary, I said around $30,000, which I feel is low but probably around the market rate for new college grads in corporate accounting, and certainly not too much to ask for a company that expects workaholics-- and their response was, "that MIGHT be doable if everything else works out," as if that's asking a lot!

At first I targeted every public accounting firm I could get my hands on in 6 different states, but not one firm is hiring entry level staff accountants right now. So I've focussed my job search on corporate accounting-- where at least some companies are hiring. Public accounting, especially with the Big 4 firms, have some of the most bureaucratic and arbitrary hiring process I've ever heard of-- basically, if for whatever reason they don't immediately select you during campus recruiting fall of your senior year, you are locked out of working for them. I'm not sure what the Big 4 pay on the east coast, but I can tell you exactly what the Big 4 pay for entry-level positions in Los Angeles (that's where I went to school)-- it's exactly $52,000 a year. In a city like Denver, figure about $48-50 a year. The smaller the accounting firm, the lower the pay. ScranBarre, making $41k working for a government agency isn't bad, not bad at all. I hope I find a job in accounting-- and right now, salary isn't even the issue. In fact, I'd be willing to work for free for a whole year just to get experience on my resume. So lay off of ScranBarre please!

Right now anybody who has a full time job with full medical benefits with a salary that's enough to live on should be grateful for what they have-- not snubbing their nose down at new grads just starting to make their way in the world, calling them "slumming." You just never know-- you might be next on the layoff list! If you think that just because you have a lot of education, experience, or credentials, that means you are immune to having face the job market yourself and possibly take a huge cut in salary-- think again. This recession is affecting people at every stage in life.

Either that or the DC area has such a spectacular job market compared to just about everywhere else where they give out high paying jobs like it's candy.

[Badger21]

In case you didn't read the article, she and her husband at the time bought the house together as a couple.

As she said clearly, divorce was not in her plans.

And in case you didn't read the article, living within your means is apart of life. When life changes, you make sacrifices. She isn't complaining no, but the tone of the article is empathy. People don't "feel" for a woman who makes more than 98% of other households in America when they're struggling just as much as she is. The fact that she doesn't acknowledge what other people in THIS country are going through is unbelievable...I'd have a hard time thinking that the writer and editor of the column would neglect to include her thoughts on Americans less fortunate than she is if they had been offered...