Existing on a LOWER CLASS Income

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Replies

  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,576 Member
    A degree in history? Who do you think is going to hire you?? A friend of mine has a Degree in history of war. He's written a book on the civil war, working on his 2nd and is now a substitute teacher barely scraping by. A degree in French? Music? Where do you think that will lead you? Not far! Everyone needs a back up plan if they're getting a leisurely degree.

    Excuse me? Quite presumptuous of you. "Who is going to hire you??" I have a degree in history. You know who hired me? One of the fastest growing SEC software companies in the country. So suck it, lady.

    I have a degree in Philosophy and Religion and I am not an derivatives trader. My view, Philosophy teaches you HOW to think about a problem for angles and can be transported to any industry. Religion helps you to understand people (it was also an interest of mine).
  • AuntieMC
    AuntieMC Posts: 346 Member
    bump
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
    My husband works for a small business (7 employees). There is no way his employer could ever afford to provide health insurance and the employees probably couldn't afford to kick in their share even if it was offered.

    When I get sick I pay $60 to my local urgent care. No biggie.

    ^^ This...my husband had a small business with 3 employees before he met me which he closed. When he was laid off (after we were together) we oppened it for literally 2-3 months for some contracts we had found, but switched to a large corporate job the second we could because it just wans't worth the

    A) Health insurance costs (I wasn't working so private was impossibly rediculously hard even as an employer)
    B) TAXES

    These two things helped us decide not to permanently reopen the business.
  • wow29
    wow29 Posts: 283 Member
    bump
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    I would just say on a lower income. I don't like the word "class" in references to finances.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    So either it can be done or these people are lying out their arses:

    http://thepeacefulmom.com/living-on-less-than-28000-a-year-series/

    Of course it can be done! I have lived on less than that my whole life. I have a family or four. it still sucks. (especially when the Dept of Ed takes my annual income subsidy (EITC/CTC) when they are the reason that my salary is still a pittance)

    I'm not saying it doesn't or it won't suck... but such is life... I don't have the brains (or the education) to be an engineer... thus I shouldn't be paid like one for data entry or other simple IT related things... nor should those pressing buttons with pictures of food items (that can't even count change backwards) make as much as I do with a degree in a position that requires an education... in the end, you make things work and you learn to survive. BTW, yes, I know what it's like to not have a lot of money.... that was my life growing up.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    I understand this 100%. All i wanted to do was go to college, and I had to take out loans to do so. My mom made to much money for me to qualify for a grant, yet she didn't have enough to pay 17,000 a year for college. She paid about half my first year, and the second year I was an RA (free room and board).


    I ended up getting pregnant and not even finishing that fancy University. I transfered to a CC and got my AA degree. For 2.5 years I have $20,000 in loan debt.

    Luckly I married my husband who is in the Marines, we didnt make enough so I got Pell grant to cover my school costs, and the military gives you like $7,000 just to go back to school and get a degree if ur spouse is at a certain rank.

    So I took online school and finished with my BA in 5years with the militarys help. (never would of been able to do so without it)
    I got a job in our new home with 5 employees in the office, its home health care so we have alot of caregivers but its still a small business. We do not give insurance to our caregivers, simply because we would b out of business.
    I'm on salary and thank goodness because I miss alot of days due to my daughter.
    If I was on my own with my daughter I would never b able to make ends meet with my $300 loan bill each month.

    If I could do it over, I would of gone to a CC and spend 1/3 of that $20,000 and got my AA and then transfer.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Student loans should be illegal. :tongue:

    Disagree. The companies that RUN and loan student loans and manage your loans should be disassembled and the people managing those companies should be put in jail. But the loans themselves are not bad. I have a fixed loan at 4.8% and learned my lesson on private loans. Definitely NEVER get a private loan for school. 12$% on that bad boy. It's on the fast track to repayment, that's for sure.

    My main student loan was through the Department of Education. Then it got bought out by Mohela. I was not notified via mail, email, phone call, carrier pigeon that this was done. I didn't catch it until two months later when I realized my loans weren't being taken out of my bank account. Had to buy arrears and everything. What a f'n fiasco that was.

    College is available to those that want to go. And no, a degree doesn't guarantee you a job, but it helps a great deal. And opens up your employment opportunities beyond those that just require a diploma. Even an AA or AS is better than nothing.

    Oh I totally agree here... It's ridiculous... If I had known then what I know now (I was the first in my family to go to school) I would have looked much harder and longer for student loans... as my parents were so bad off credit wise that they couldn't co-sign a loan for me... they tried and we were denied. I had to have all signiture loans and they are kicking us in the *kitten*. My husband has been working to get them all refinanced to a lower fixed rate... other than the 12% that they were/are.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    just wow, I am glad I like in the UK and don't have to worry about health care etc

    and its good to see so many caring sharing people on this thread
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    A degree in history? Who do you think is going to hire you?? A friend of mine has a Degree in history of war. He's written a book on the civil war, working on his 2nd and is now a substitute teacher barely scraping by. A degree in French? Music? Where do you think that will lead you? Not far! Everyone needs a back up plan if they're getting a leisurely degree.

    Excuse me? Quite presumptuous of you. "Who is going to hire you??" I have a degree in history. You know who hired me? One of the fastest growing SEC software companies in the country. So suck it, lady.

    I have a degree in Philosophy and Religion and I am not an derivatives trader. My view, Philosophy teaches you HOW to think about a problem for angles and can be transported to any industry. Religion helps you to understand people (it was also an interest of mine).

    If your knowledge does not surpass history, you won't have many bites. So before you tell me to "suck it", how many jobs do you think are out there for people with the sole degree in history? Not many. I seriously doubt they would have hired you if you have no knowledge of how software works.

    You lucked out, plain and simple. I guarantee you weren't the only person who applied for that job. And when they're done with you, what do you think you'll do next?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Become a nurse. Huge shortage. Good pay too.

    I would MUCH rather be poor than to deal in blood and guts!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Student loans should be illegal. :tongue:

    Disagree. The companies that RUN and loan student loans and manage your loans should be disassembled and the people managing those companies should be put in jail. But the loans themselves are not bad. I have a fixed loan at 4.8% and learned my lesson on private loans. Definitely NEVER get a private loan for school. 12$% on that bad boy. It's on the fast track to repayment, that's for sure.

    My main student loan was through the Department of Education. Then it got bought out by Mohela. I was not notified via mail, email, phone call, carrier pigeon that this was done. I didn't catch it until two months later when I realized my loans weren't being taken out of my bank account. Had to buy arrears and everything. What a f'n fiasco that was.

    College is available to those that want to go. And no, a degree doesn't guarantee you a job, but it helps a great deal. And opens up your employment opportunities beyond those that just require a diploma. Even an AA or AS is better than nothing.

    Oh I totally agree here... It's ridiculous... If I had known then what I know now (I was the first in my family to go to school) I would have looked much harder and longer for student loans... as my parents were so bad off credit wise that they couldn't co-sign a loan for me... they tried and we were denied. I had to have all signiture loans and they are kicking us in the *kitten*. My husband has been working to get them all refinanced to a lower fixed rate... other than the 12% that they were/are.

    They also don't tell you that they will cut you off once you reach a certain amount of money. That was *never* disclosed to me. I just got cut off, two semesters away from finishing.
  • Tommy
    Tommy Posts: 127 Member
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