How do people afford to live?

[Darth K'Trava]

Thankfully, through Social Security Disability checks that are direct deposited into my joint account with my parents. It covers my food, utilities (my share of the water and cable bill) and rent. Yes rent. Though I do live with my parents, they require a large portion of the money I get every month just to let me live with them. And on top of this I have to earn part of it, by doing chores for my parents. Sigh.

Thankfully, they (my parents) will be footing my entrance fee into college next year, in full, that is if I don't join the Army first.

Ok. If you're on disability, then how could you join the Army?

And you could always move out into section 8 housing... and probably pay less than what you pay the parents... Them payin' the entrance fee to college is nice...

 

[der_kluge]

I make good money, but it seems like it's never enough, I can understand the feeling. But then, my wife has certain expectations about our lifestyle. So, for me, it's about maintaining that lifestyle.

I think with money there's a diminishing return on investment. Since, as you make more, you buy a bigger a house, a nicer car, more "stuff". There's always new tires that need to be bought, or grass seed for the yard, or whatever. It's endless, really. I think there's a lot to be said for a minimalist lifestyle. I don't think a family could live nowadays on what families lived on when we were kids. Things simply cost more money nowadays. But people have higher expectations as well. My house was twice as big as my parents house that I grew up in. I could never convince my wife that a 1500 sq. foot was big enough for her.

So, I think the morale of this story is that women are the root of all evil, and if you want to retire wealthy, never marry.

 

[RangerWickett]

Algebra is fun.

A thesis.

Women take time and money. (women = time * money)

Time is money. (time = money)

Therefore women take money and money. (women = money^2)

Money is the root of all evil. (money = squareroot of evil; if we square both sides of the equation, we get: money ^2 = evil)

Therefore women are evil. (women = evil)

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Ok. If you're on disability, then how could you join the Army?

I don't have a physical or any major mental disabilities. I do have Mosaic Downsyndrome, whch allows me to collect SSD, but doesn't forbid me from joining a branch of military service.

And you could always move out into section 8 housing... and probably pay less than what you pay the parents...

What is section 8 housing?

Them payin' the entrance fee to college is nice...

Yeah, especially being that I tried college before and ended up getting a 'W' in most classes. So, being that I have found my pace and am determined to not throw my life away, they are being quite generous.

 

[der_kluge]

An addendum to my previous post: I love my wife, I love her a lot. Yea, women are really expensive, but I wouldn't want to live life without her. So, it's worth it.

I have a daughter, too. So, she'll grow up to be really expensive. And according to our last sonogram, we're having a second daughter (contrary to an earlier sonogram which indicated that it was a boy), so I'm still holding out hope. Add in a female dog, and a female cat, and I'm just screwed.

 

[Abstraction]

Just a postscript for those people posting that money doesn't buy happiness. They've actually done studies, you know. What they found is that above a certain income level (depending on size of family), more money indeed does not buy more happiness. It doesn't even buy a feeling of more security, since the majority of people making that money are still in debt up to their eyeballs.

However, below that margin, the less money you make, the more unhappy people are. More health problems, relationship problems, skyrocketing stress, higher levels of depression.

The point is that money doesn't buy happiness, but poverty buys a lot of unhappiness.

 

[Eeralai]

Not all women are expensive.

Anyway, to me the lifestyle that Forbes talks about is rich no matter what they say. The vacation home is what puts it in that bracket for me. What is astounding to me is realestate prices right now. We just bought a house, and even in Albuquerque, NM the prices have gone nuts. We are one of the poorest states in the country, but whole suburbs of $600,000 houses are going up by the mountains. I couldn't figure out who could afford that in our city even with a two person income. But apparently people are moving here from California because they can buy much nicer houses for the money than what they can get in their state. I guess they are willing to give up the ocean for a big house.

 

[glass]

The point is that money doesn't buy happiness, but poverty buys a lot of unhappiness.

Well said.


glass.

 

[Zappo]

The point is that money doesn't buy happiness, but poverty buys a lot of unhappiness.

Agreed. Ipods and sports car don't make you happy - but not having any free time, not being able to afford medicines, and not being able to feed your family certainly makes you unhappy. I'm not very rich, but I'm glad I'm well above that.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Algebra is fun.

A thesis.

Women take time and money. (women = time * money)

Time is money. (time = money)

Therefore women take money and money. (women = money^2)

Money is the root of all evil. (money = squareroot of evil; if we square both sides of the equation, we get: money ^2 = evil)

Therefore women are evil. (women = evil)

It is the want of money that is evil. So, it is the want of women that is evil, man is incapable of knowing the wants of women, so, man is incapable of knowing evil, so man is innocent?

Once had a women friend tell me, she had a date that weekend, so she could afford buy new shoes!

But I sound bad, women are the greatest creation on earth.