Random Thoughts....

I've found that people who grew up wealthy honestly don't know how hard poor people have it because they don't recognize the incredible leg up they've been given. Take a classmate of mine from Pitt: parents funded everything, so she never had to take out a loan; vacations annually to the timeshare in Florida for Thanksgiving, as well as annual trips to France and other Euro destinations during the summer; a new Audi as a graduation present; and a house in Sewickley (the rich neighborhood where a lot of our sports players live, as well as one of two neighborhoods in the city with a Porsche dealership) after some months of gainful employment. I feel like mentioning that her job would not pay even close to enough to afford the Audi, let alone the Sewickley house, if she had to pay her own way. Her hardship in life is deciding which book to buy next.

That's impressive.

For the most part, I think when you're a kid you just assume your life is what most people experience. Maybe you have one friend whose family has significantly more or less money, but you're probably surrounded by other kids in similar situations so that one poor/rich kid is just an outlier. Kids are dumb, too bad we all have to be kids and be filled with dumb ideas for the rest of our lives.
 
Fwiw, kids who assumed that your life was absolutely perfect because you're middle class and they weren't were annoying as hell.
 
I've found that people who grew up wealthy honestly don't know how hard poor people have it because they don't recognize the incredible leg up they've been given. Take a classmate of mine from Pitt: parents funded everything, so she never had to take out a loan; vacations annually to the timeshare in Florida for Thanksgiving, as well as annual trips to France and other Euro destinations during the summer; a new Audi as a graduation present; and a house in Sewickley (the rich neighborhood where a lot of our sports players live, as well as one of two neighborhoods in the city with a Porsche dealership) after some months of gainful employment. I feel like mentioning that her job would not pay even close to enough to afford the Audi, let alone the Sewickley house, if she had to pay her own way. Her hardship in life is deciding which book to buy next.

Somebody rep him for me please.

It is not just the wealthy that have this problem. Lots of middle class kids have this same problem, they just didn't get an Audi.


And older women are some of the poorest. My advice to all is as soon as you start working, start a superannuation fund with contributions as high as you can afford. And maintain it! When you're 80 and having to make decisions about whether you can afford rent or food, it sucks.

That is a good idea for everyone regardless of sex. But, most that need it are already in a position of choosing which bills to pay and what can be put off.


Fwiw, kids who assumed that your life was absolutely perfect because you're middle class and they weren't were annoying as hell.


To a poor person, your life was pretty perfect in comparison.
 
That is not an apartment! That is a prison cell of beige!

I actually like the color scheme... :dunno:

Well you've come out you don't need one anymore :p

:lol: touch?..

A coin operated washing machine! :shock:

Yeah, I know lol. I'll likely go to the laundromat, compare prices then choose whoever is cheaper.

Not that uncommon. I've heard of coin-operated gas and electricity meters, now that is depressing.

Holy Shit....that is depressing....
 
I may have a drinking and/or burrito problem.

My combined bill for bars and a the local burrito joint for calendar year 2014 was nearly $3000.

My burrito bill was nearly $1000.
My drinking bill was nearly $2000.
 
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I may have a drinking and/or burrito problem.

My combined bill for bars and a the local burrito joint for calendar year 2014 was nearly $3000.

My burrito bill was nearly $1000.
My drinking bill was nearly $2000.

Tacos y cerveza, por favor.


Edit: Rafter is now repaired. May actually work on the Miata today since it's above freezing.
 
A coin operated washing machine! :shock:

My last two apartments had it, but they were a single shared laundry room for several separate apartments. A friend of mine lived in a house with 5 separately-rented bedrooms, and the laundry room had a pay laundry machines. Apparently, one of the previous tenant would do a light and a dark load every day of the clothing she just wore that day, even if it was just a couple pieces in each load (wasted a ton of water and electricity).
 
And I've now finished my summary of my 2014 finances.

In 2014:
I made $75265.47 at work
I made $36.60 in interest.
I paid $28921.52 in taxes that were either deducted from my pay or billed in a lump sum.
I paid $1655.05 in hidden or incremental taxes (Sales tax, fuel tax, etc.)
I was legally compelled to pay $3651.00 (health insurance, fines, licenses and registrations, legally required insurances)
I paid $24651.05 in student loans, auto loan, and mortgage.
I spent $2906.82 on various forms of motorsport (not including travel)
I spent $994.14 on personal travel.
I invested $5268.63
I spent $1928.16 on booze
I spent $1510.60 on restaurants
I spent $1347.09 on fast food
I spent so little on actual groceries that I just mixed it in with general retail.
I spent $3839.97 on general retail goods and groceries.
I spent $6497.92 on gasoline

My total effective tax rate was 40.5%
If you add compulsory expenses, it becomes 45.4%

Summing everything out, my bank balance on 1/1/2015 was $25.51 higher than it was on 1/1/2014.
 
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Of what? Milk?
 
My drinking bill was nearly $2000.

A year? That's not a drinking problem, I knew a guy who at the beginning of each month would go to his regular watering hole and drop 500 bucks telling the barlady to notify him when it ran out.....he rarely made it to the end of the month ;)

And no it was not me :p
 
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But you sat next to him. :p
 
I may have a drinking and/or burrito problem.

My combined bill for bars and a the local burrito joint for calendar year 2014 was nearly $3000.

My burrito bill was nearly $1000.
My drinking bill was nearly $2000.

People wonder how I have the money for the cars I drive, when I work the same job as them. This is the answer. I don't do this.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just a personal choice. I would rather be more boring on Saturday nights and have nicer car.
 
I use to get the same questions from people that would randomly call off work on a regular basis. They just couldn't get it through their heads that when you show up and get the whole check there would be extra monies left to do things with.
 
People wonder how I have the money for the cars I drive, when I work the same job as them. This is the answer. I don't do this.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just a personal choice. I would rather be more boring on Saturday nights and have nicer car.

I'm the same way. People wonder why I have a new truck and a stable of motorcycles. It's easy, I'm really boring. :D
 
So, in 1995 the Fugees recorded one of their most famous songs.


Meanwhile, 8 years earlier...


BAD FUGEES!
 
Meanwhile, 27 years earlier...


So? There are tons of coverversions, one is more successful than the other, that one is being remembered...
 
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