It just causes inflation is what it does; the problem is though, people's wages usually lag behind the pace of inflation.
4 Dollar Gas By Spring
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The wife and I paid everything off, save up cash for cars, etc. We live by this very simple principle...only have enough debt that if both you and your wife had to work at McDonald's you could still make it. Doesn't sound like a fun life, but we are happy driving an old Saturn and a Corolla, certainly not prestige autos by any means.
It's only going to get worse folks. Get out of debt as fast as you can and listen to Dave Ramsey who has a great personal finance show on the radio.
It's only going to get worse folks. Get out of debt as fast as you can and listen to Dave Ramsey who has a great personal finance show on the radio.
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Where is the push to succeed living a life like that? I dont want to settle for that kind of life. I want the fun life,I want the best possible life that I can afford, it does cause you greif at times, but alot of people do it and succeed. You have to push for it, Most people I seen fail, expected to be given to them. You do have to earn it and you do have to obtain it. I dont lead a bland life and Iam not. Guess what you could die tomaarrow, debt free and know what, know body cares. You may think you sound noble and alot of people on here may think you are noble, but not me, as soon as I hit the next benchmark, Iam off to the next. I paid off my first house in Pennslvania and could have stopped and lived there and drove old cars and be debt free, I sold it moved to the beach bought a bigger house and am moving to the next benchmark, and Ill keep going and keep attempting to grow until I fail or die, but its that determination, you need to have, common sense doesnt hurt. Just remmember this, the less you have, the less you can afford to lose.
I want and have a fun life too. I speak from a religious perspective about money, but I respect BITOG's rules on talking about religion.
I watch what has happened to millions of people losing their homes by buying 400K homes on a 50K yearly salary.
Kind of lost you on the "you may think you sound noble thing", by the way. Since when it is considered self-righteous to encourage others to get rid of debt. We have one of the highest credit card debt per person, and the lowest saving rate. That fact, coupled with 103 dollar + for a barrel of oil, rising food costs, etc. and there will be tough times. Your kind of thinking, that is a constant desire to upgrade the material possessions in your life, may work for you, but not for the vast majority of those folks living beyond their means.
I do have the push to succeed by the way. Made 10 bucks an hour, got fed up with having nothing to put in savings, joined the service, got the GI Bill, got a B.S. degree, and now I make about 4K a week at my job, so no I am not a deadbeat. I work in the refinery/power plant construction business and have seen many guys at age 40 able to take off a year or two without working with over a million dollars in their savings account by pinching some pennies now to enjoy better days later.
I just believe in saving for a rainy day when times aren't so good. We will have to agree to disagree this time.
I watch what has happened to millions of people losing their homes by buying 400K homes on a 50K yearly salary.
Kind of lost you on the "you may think you sound noble thing", by the way. Since when it is considered self-righteous to encourage others to get rid of debt. We have one of the highest credit card debt per person, and the lowest saving rate. That fact, coupled with 103 dollar + for a barrel of oil, rising food costs, etc. and there will be tough times. Your kind of thinking, that is a constant desire to upgrade the material possessions in your life, may work for you, but not for the vast majority of those folks living beyond their means.
I do have the push to succeed by the way. Made 10 bucks an hour, got fed up with having nothing to put in savings, joined the service, got the GI Bill, got a B.S. degree, and now I make about 4K a week at my job, so no I am not a deadbeat. I work in the refinery/power plant construction business and have seen many guys at age 40 able to take off a year or two without working with over a million dollars in their savings account by pinching some pennies now to enjoy better days later.
I just believe in saving for a rainy day when times aren't so good. We will have to agree to disagree this time.
I did say common sense helps and alot of those people losing 400k homes with 50k jobs didnt show much of it. I didnt mean to be so critical. I seen alot of people where I come from in PA, just be content with what they have, live their life and die without ever attempting to make it better and I did want more and if you try its not immpossible, but you do have to look before you plunge and alot of people that are in trouble, really didnt do their homework or plan ahead. I also see alot of people save their whole life and die and their kids blow it in two years. Guess we both got different ideas but doesnt make either them wrong.
If Saturn fan and his wife are happy, who cares whether they are "trying to make it better or not"? What does that mean anyways....to have a ton of money while racking up debt? That sounds like a credit card commercial....you, know the "you can have-it-all". If that's the only path to happiness, then the planet is doomed.
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You both have great points, I have to agree with Saturn_Fan. I watch Dave Ramsey & about 4 hours of financial shows a day almost every day. I save & invest a lot. Just got laid off (dislocated worker - job went to Ireland). Ok severance & 2 yrs of paid health care. Grant money will pay for me to go back to college, so I will (and I'm 47).
Since I saved, I can have a good life and no big deal. If I spent all of my money, I'd be scrambling.
Giving and love is what matters. Give and it will be given back to you.
Remember, whoever sows generously, will also reap generously.
Since I saved, I can have a good life and no big deal. If I spent all of my money, I'd be scrambling.
Giving and love is what matters. Give and it will be given back to you.
Remember, whoever sows generously, will also reap generously.
wasn't gas supposed to be $4 last summer (besides CA), and the summer before that, and the summer before that one too? I rememberd before I graduated (4yrs ago) we had a western civilization teacher who told us gas was going to be over $5 a gallon in 2006, etc.
Originally Posted By: Buffman
wasn't gas supposed to be $4 last summer?
It got pretty close; $3.69 a gallon. I expect it to hit $4.00 this summer for sure.
People wouldn't stop driving until it hit $20.00 though.
wasn't gas supposed to be $4 last summer?
It got pretty close; $3.69 a gallon. I expect it to hit $4.00 this summer for sure.
People wouldn't stop driving until it hit $20.00 though.
I figure the increase in gas is a fixed thing over the mid and long term. The Industry agrees +10%/year or something. That could be maintained until a point where alternatives come on line. Remember, when oil and gas got so high as to spur interest in alternatives, the Saudis would come in and flood the market for a while to kill start-up and investment. I don't see that happening so much any more.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
US $4.90 for regular unleaded $5.25 for diesel.
How far do you have to drive to work Shannow?
US $4.90 for regular unleaded $5.25 for diesel.
How far do you have to drive to work Shannow?
15-25km at present depending on where I'm working. One of my stints (for three months) a decade ago was 85. 15 years ago for a year was 75km (did 78,000km that year).
But currently around 200km/week for work has been average for the last few years.
But currently around 200km/week for work has been average for the last few years.
25 Kilometers = 15.53427980593335 Miles
I had to go to one of those online calculators.
That's no too bad. People here in California drive upwards to 100 miles one way to work; they almost live in their cars. I don't enjoy driving that much myself to live that far from work. I do wonder at times how the people living in the AU and UK can afford the fuel costs though.
I had to go to one of those online calculators.
That's no too bad. People here in California drive upwards to 100 miles one way to work; they almost live in their cars. I don't enjoy driving that much myself to live that far from work. I do wonder at times how the people living in the AU and UK can afford the fuel costs though.
I know it's not too bad. About half my workmates do 65km each way every day.
If I want to buy anything (even as complicated as a nice lunch with my family on Sunday, or a decent gas BBQ), I have to drive to their town.
You choose your poison.
It's the involuntary 100 mile commute that stinks. A mate's daughter is working in hospitality, where they work her casual, and split her shifts. She either drives 100 miles per day, or rents a bedsit where they employ her...if they choose her two shifts to be in the same town (and some employers don't)
If I want to buy anything (even as complicated as a nice lunch with my family on Sunday, or a decent gas BBQ), I have to drive to their town.
You choose your poison.
It's the involuntary 100 mile commute that stinks. A mate's daughter is working in hospitality, where they work her casual, and split her shifts. She either drives 100 miles per day, or rents a bedsit where they employ her...if they choose her two shifts to be in the same town (and some employers don't)
My neighbor that lives a couple of houses down works as a nurse in Monterey CA; which is about 300 miles west of here on the coastline. She started out working at the local hospital here in Clovis, but for some unknown reason, they needed her at the Monterey location. They wanted her to move to Monterey, but she told them she can't because she's a weekend parent. Her employer ended up providing her with a fully furnished apartment to live in while she's at work during the week in Monterey with all expenses fully paid.
I've heard once of that happening down here.
I was acting Contracts Manager while he was seconded elsewhere. He never cam back, as he was offered a job with another company. They rented a serviced apartment in the big smoke so that he could maintain his family, family "plot" and meet their needs.
Only other time was 15 years ago when we commissioning a power station. The companies would buy a 3 or 4 bedroom house, and house 3 or 4 engineers in it. They would charge their rent pre-tax, and they'd pay Fringe Benefits of 25% rather than their margin.
I was acting Contracts Manager while he was seconded elsewhere. He never cam back, as he was offered a job with another company. They rented a serviced apartment in the big smoke so that he could maintain his family, family "plot" and meet their needs.
Only other time was 15 years ago when we commissioning a power station. The companies would buy a 3 or 4 bedroom house, and house 3 or 4 engineers in it. They would charge their rent pre-tax, and they'd pay Fringe Benefits of 25% rather than their margin.
But when you get to that, it's an environmental disaster.
Oz moved to 5 star efficient houses, which are now populated with half what they were 25 years ago.
Start providing apartments for people who already have houses, and where do you go ?
Oz moved to 5 star efficient houses, which are now populated with half what they were 25 years ago.
Start providing apartments for people who already have houses, and where do you go ?
There is good debt, and dumb debt.
I'm 25 years old.
I own a paid off car, my girlfriend does the same.
We cut corners everywhere, and still live richly at times.
I just bought a two family house, which I am going to live in rent free when I get the lower rented out.
We have credit cards, I do not carry any balance on them. I just use them to get free airfare for our vacations.
We both work for a bank, and get 4 weeks vacation per year.
I put 6 percent into my 401k, and my employer matches it. I just moved everything over into emerging markets (overseas), and realized a gain on my 401k, when everyone elses is slumping.
I save at least 20 percent of my check in a high interest savings account, and let it sit there.
My personal finance blog (link below) pays me enough to put gas in my saturn on a monthly basis, and I enjoy posting to it. Just click the adsense links, lol.
I'm 25 years old.
I own a paid off car, my girlfriend does the same.
We cut corners everywhere, and still live richly at times.
I just bought a two family house, which I am going to live in rent free when I get the lower rented out.
We have credit cards, I do not carry any balance on them. I just use them to get free airfare for our vacations.
We both work for a bank, and get 4 weeks vacation per year.
I put 6 percent into my 401k, and my employer matches it. I just moved everything over into emerging markets (overseas), and realized a gain on my 401k, when everyone elses is slumping.
I save at least 20 percent of my check in a high interest savings account, and let it sit there.
My personal finance blog (link below) pays me enough to put gas in my saturn on a monthly basis, and I enjoy posting to it. Just click the adsense links, lol.
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