Have you met Americans who admit they're poor?

[norton9478]

How about graduate from college, then take an apprenticeship?

 

[StevenK]

I will say that we really are getting close to some dangerous stuff in the US workplace...

Diminishing benefits, stagnant wages, the ever growing cost of higher education...people are dropping big $$ for a degree only to hit a dead job market. If they do get a job, it is often a low pay with no real benefits.

Being a Union Electrician...I often preach our path. 3 year apprenticeship, 3 years of classes (480 hrs class time, 4800 hrs field time) that are credited college credits. If you take a few classes after you graduate the apprenticeship, you actually get an associates degree.

Current Journeyman scale for our side is $29/hr + insurance + $6/hr into a pension. The $29/hr is take home pay, insurance and retirements is on top. A first year makes $14.50 and gets raises on hours worked.

Now...no sick days, no holidays, no vacation...if you aren't turning screws you do not get paid. On top of that, I tell all of the cubs that being a commercial electrician is like being a stripper, it is good $$ as long as you body holds out. There are no 55 year old field guys...or at least very few. You'd better have a plan B.

Long story short...class is free (save book, which is about $1500 over the 3 years) and you work while you're an apprentice. A 19 year old kid can be a journeyman at 22 and making over $50K/yr + benefits.

It's not perfect...but it's often better than going to college. Hell, I've taught apprenticeship classes for 5 years now (just stated my 6th), I've had 4 guys with 4-year degrees go through my class.

I'm an ardent yankophile so there are some dreams being shattered to say this, but the alternative to all the bullshit above is to move to the right parts of europe and have a nicer life.

 

[smokehouse]

How about graduate from college, then take an apprenticeship?

I've had some guys do that...but then you're in school for 7 years, and often have a large student loan. In the end, you're still making the same as the guy next to you, who didn't go to a 4-year.

I think the best part of our system is not student loan...

Don't get me wrong, it's not cake walk nor is it a perfect job either...but it's great for a 22 year old wanting to start a career...

 

[max 330 mega]

trades are where its at. get the job, then do the college. ill have my associates of environmental science mid 2016, then i am loaded (already making more than all the kids who went straight into college from my high school by far) in comparison to everyone in and around my age group.
now does working 50 hour weeks plus going to school full time and running a household suck? of course. but i have NO chance of losing my job in the field i am in, and will have a degree which if you asked me 5 years ago i would have said i never thought i could possibly attend college due to the cost. i pay for books and my job picks up the rest, thus why i have taken on as much as possible as fast as possible for fear that may go away some day.
almost done now!

 

[Mugicha]

Good work dude. It sounds like you're doing fine, I was saying if people are living in California and not saving any money blaming it on the cost of living they should move.

That's pretty retarded. 1) It costs money to move. 2) Jobs aren't guaranteed elsewhere. It's far dumber to quit a job and move without having a job lined up.

I realize this thread has moved on a bit since these posts, but I wanted to chime in cuz basically that's what me and the wife did.

We both grew up in Az, decided to get away from our comfort zones and families, and see what life was like elsewhere so we went to San Diego. We had jobs since our company has restaurants all over. We spent a year there, and while we loved the weather, the atmosphere and everything there was to do there, we knew we couldnt afford to settle due to cost of living and home prices. We searched around for nice areas and low home prices, and ended up finding them on the other side of the country in Raleigh. Once again jobs were covered, and the house we bought is bigger, and the mortgage is a fraction of the rent we were paying in La Mesa ( San Diego). 7 years here and I don't regret the move one bit. The cross country drive with 4 cats was a pain in the ass tho...

 

[snes_collector]

How about graduate from college, then take an apprenticeship?

That is an option, but there is no guarantee of a job even after completing the apprenticeship. For me personally, I busted my tail as I went to college full time and moved myself up the ranks in my current job to a full time assistant manager position. I thought this combination of work experience + plus degree would be a lethal combination at my age, but it hasn't worked out that way. I am fortunate not to have student loans, but I know many class mates who have to take what they can get so those get paid for. I can't imagine the bills some people who from my area that went to private schools have.

 

[LoneSage]

Being an underwater welder would be a cool job.

 

[smokehouse]

That is an option, but there is no guarantee of a job even after completing the apprenticeship. For me personally, I busted my tail as I went to college full time and moved myself up the ranks in my current job to a full time assistant manager position. I thought this combination of work experience + plus degree would be a lethal combination at my age, but it hasn't worked out that way. I am fortunate not to have student loans, but I know many class mates who have to take what they can get so those get paid for. I can't imagine the bills some people who from my area that went to private schools have.

In our area, and in my part of the IBEW ("telecommunications" is what they call us), the job placement is actually very high. For a commercial electrician, it isn't. Our side takes 3-4 apprentices a year, commercial takes 30 (fucking 30...that's absurd).

Being an underwater welder would be a cool job.

By what I understand, it pays huge $$...but then there is the whole high mortality rate thing...

 

[max 330 mega]

Being an underwater welder would be a cool job.

i was internationally certified to do this. its a scam. the market is absolutely flooded with licensed divers and the actual need for underwater welding (most everything can be welded, then lowered into place) is vastly smaller than the available workers. most companies will not hire you unless you learned the trade in the navy.

 

[GregN]

Trades are great because it's something that can't be outsourced to India or China.

 

[max 330 mega]

pretty much.

 

[smokehouse]

pretty much.

Unless you're a drywall/painter...no shit, Mexicans have flooded that market here in Illinois.

 

[max 330 mega]

Unless you're a drywall/painter...no shit, Mexicans have flooded that market here in Illinois.

you can also add commercial scale brick layer to that list while you're at it.

 

[LoneSage]

Post #51:

For those of you who mentioned opting for more time to yourself and less stress (sounds great), what's the plan for retirement? As in absolute retirement where you're not working at all anymore, unlike where you see some older folks working part time jobs and have retired from their bread and butter career jobs.

I'm not knocking or trying to be negative, just curious. Retirement has always been a big thing on my mind even when I just started working career type jobs (always been a person that's nervous about "big life milestones/goals" and has to plan for the future). A big part of that is that I knew I would need to take care of my parents once they got much older. Take them in and care for them. Also my younger sister isn't the most responsible person, so I know I'd be probably funding her here and there. Then there are other relatives that I help out from time to time. On top of that the well being of my own household and hopefully being able to continue to live comfortably. So I've been planning accordingly to all those factors for many, many years.

Rising costs of living for everything all over the country (especially medical care/treatments... the right bad accident can decimate most people's funds), basically no social security left for us, market fluctuations, etc etc.. I think it's a very challenging problem that cannot be put off.

RIP, buddy. The part I bolded made me sad.

 

[@M]

Aye, RIP. Reading a deceased member's plans for the future, that will now come to pass without him, makes you think.

Yes, I meet Americans who admit, and are even proud, that they're poor all the time. Part of that is working at a thrift store where that's obviously par for the course (although affluent people shop there too). The most disturbing are the ones that have moderately good jobs/pay but are still struggling to make ends meet for various reasons (paying off college/medical debt, etc.)

 

[@M]

i was internationally certified to do this. its a scam. the market is absolutely flooded with licensed divers and the actual need for underwater welding (most everything can be welded, then lowered into place) is vastly smaller than the available workers. most companies will not hire you unless you learned the trade in the navy.

It's funny you mention that. I went to an alternative high school for a while, and there was a guy that always talked about how that was what he was going to do with his life and he planned to die young doing it too (he asserted that the fumes from the welding, and not having good ventilation underwater, quickly give you terminal health problems).

 

[Neo_Mike_81]

I'm poor.

 

[racecar]

More you make the more you spend. And it hard to adjust for most people and credit card is buy now paid later ....

Also want to add that how many home owners are house rich but cash poor. Because it’s carried a mortgage. And most will refinance and use the the house as a atm ( see that rocket mortgage commercial ? )

 

[Lagduf]

I suppose it depends on what is meant by poor?

For me poor would mean not having enough money to meet basic needs.

I’ve never been there.

 

[NeoSneth]

Post #51:

RIP, buddy. The part I bolded made me sad.

You must like torturing yourself reading stuff like this, but it's a good one to call out.

 

[Tripredacus]

I suppose it depends on what is meant by poor?

For me poor would mean not having enough money to meet basic needs.

I’ve never been there.

It is not a fun time. When you can't live on the charity of others you end up resorting to stealing food.

 

[max 330 mega]

It's funny you mention that. I went to an alternative high school for a while, and there was a guy that always talked about how that was what he was going to do with his life and he planned to die young doing it too (he asserted that the fumes from the welding, and not having good ventilation underwater, quickly give you terminal health problems).

It doesnt have to do with welding fumes, that specific type of diver breathes a trimix of gases in order to work at depth for long stints without getting too cold. Having met someone personally who did that work, yes it absolutely causes severe brain damage. You can only do it for less than a decade before you are not allowed to dive anymore. It fucks you up real bad.

 

[@M]

This was years ago, and we were both stupid teenagers high on Pixie Stix, but, I believe he described it as working dry in some kind of underwater tube/shaft, not in diving gear. Don't ask me how that would work, I'm just a kid, like Shinra.

 

[2D_mastur]

Fuck you Greg you fucking loser. You'll be making excuses for yourself until the day you die, which can't come soon enough.

HAHAHA! Just stumbled on this jewel.

Dark Sage is best Sage.

 

[ratson]

Everyone with a roof over his head and time to waste on the internet is rich. If you get bored, that's ultimate luxury.
Poor people are way to busy trying to stay alive.