FRUGAL LIVING 8
EMPLOYMENT
I used to be in retail management. And while that is still in high demand due to low pay and high stress ( the game then as now was to promise the cream of shift workers the value of advancement and employment record padding for an on-the-job training into management. It wasn’t a bad deal, a hard slog through the trenches for those having no education. But you definitely paid for this even if it wasn’t monetary ), it isn’t something I should have made a half of career out of. It is just for the young beginner and I feel for the poor schmucks who must do it too long or too late in life. As soon as I could, I went back into minimum wage monkey work. The pay cut isn’t all that much, only 25-50%, and the stress level goes from “I’m losing hair, losing sleep and losing my stomach lining” to “screw ‘em, I can get paid just as much down the street”. I don’t care what job I’m doing during the day, because I have more important things to do afterwards like writing and reading. Now, I know you are all gasping and sputtering and quite appalled, figuring I should have traded my sanity long ago by working in middle management for the seductive promise of a lousy house and mediocre marriage, but you would be an idiot, wouldn’t you? In case you haven’t noticed, our consumerist imperial colonization and Petro-Dollar supremacist days are already over. The mopping up and final tallying are all that remain.
I used to be in retail management. And while that is still in high demand due to low pay and high stress ( the game then as now was to promise the cream of shift workers the value of advancement and employment record padding for an on-the-job training into management. It wasn’t a bad deal, a hard slog through the trenches for those having no education. But you definitely paid for this even if it wasn’t monetary ), it isn’t something I should have made a half of career out of. It is just for the young beginner and I feel for the poor schmucks who must do it too long or too late in life. As soon as I could, I went back into minimum wage monkey work. The pay cut isn’t all that much, only 25-50%, and the stress level goes from “I’m losing hair, losing sleep and losing my stomach lining” to “screw ‘em, I can get paid just as much down the street”. I don’t care what job I’m doing during the day, because I have more important things to do afterwards like writing and reading. Now, I know you are all gasping and sputtering and quite appalled, figuring I should have traded my sanity long ago by working in middle management for the seductive promise of a lousy house and mediocre marriage, but you would be an idiot, wouldn’t you? In case you haven’t noticed, our consumerist imperial colonization and Petro-Dollar supremacist days are already over. The mopping up and final tallying are all that remain.
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Which means, my confused
little friend, NONE of us have job security.
You can claw your way to the top through eighty hour work weeks, taking
on twenty years of college debt, kiss ass so professionally that you don’t even
get a smudge on your lips, and still your corporation will go the way of the
dodo bird soon enough. We all need to
work, and all of us face disruption at the end of the era of the paycheck (
which can be planned for with survivalist preps, but that is not the subject of
this book. I treat that issue quite well
in other publications. Also from a
frugal standpoint ). But if your choice
is to demote yourself and work at a minimum wage job because that is what is
available near affordable land, or to keep on with business as usual because “look
at all the money I’m making”, you are not going to be able to transition in the
coming collapse of our abundant American lifestyle. You might make bunches more, but subtract
mortgages, car payments, credit card debt, urban entertainment and services you
need because you have no time at home, plus double or triple the taxes, and while you earn a lot, you take home and
keep much less. I STILL have disposable
income working 25 hours a week minimum wage, sometimes up to 50% of my check,
because I live frugal. Wanna bet a jelly
filled donut not even a CEO puts aside 50% of his check ( investing in the
market for retirement doesn’t much count, especially given the corruption of
the markets- that is a gamble, not a savings account )? As I said, this is NOT a free lunch. You give up prestige and bragging rights and
luxuries and, yes, to some small extent, the ability to choose the direction in
life money can give you. But you also
get a lot of freedom by letting money have less of a hold on you. In a later section, I’ll cover working for
yourself.
END
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Yeah, well your 50% is only 1/5% of the CEO's. So - If you can get the CEO position for a little while ( a few years at most ) and handle the stress AND not get addicted to the fat paychecks, you can set up a super deluxe BPOD on 400 acres of asparagus farm etc. BUT one must remember that a fat paycheck is an easily acquired addiction, and living cheap is far easier than getting to be CEO - and usually less stressful and healthier.
ReplyDeleteI don't want my kids to take on a lot of college debt either (the spousal unit just assumes that a 4+ year degree is a must) So I am encouraging the kid to go to a 2 year Community College with a tech emphasis (to assuage the spouse I say it is just to start with and get income other than flipping burgers for the 4 year, but at that point it will be the kids choice and hopefully he will be willing to listen to my advise about avoiding the debt load of the 4+ year schools, instead if they want the 'experience' once they have their tech degree, they just got to rent an apartment near a University for a year or two and attend a class a semester).
I highly advise every youth who is even slightly capable of it looking at getting a basic grounding electrical, plumbing, mechanics, and sales/management/accounting, then choosing a 2 year degree and apprenticeship in at least one of them. _Pay for the 2 year degree out of pocket_ this is the real key for any young adult. The bankers love getting their hooks into the <20yr old, instant gratification is instantly addicting.
With a 2 year degree in any of those fields and a willingness to live rural-ish, the young person should be able to find a job near a piece of land they can afford.
Ah, if only I could do it all over again.
Damn wisdom comes too late, don't it?
DeleteYes, wisdom from experience does, and the bulk of most young peoples lives is spent surrounded by equally clueless peers and being indoctrinated by brainwashed union patsies (most teachers).
DeleteHomeschooling your children is the ONLY way to go if you have some of your own. When my child can out read, out cipher, and out think 90% of the public school age peers, while also being able to out shoot, out fight, and out run 90% of the remaining 10% I judge it a success- And is also better socialized with other age groups (from senior citizens to infants) AND willing to usually listen to the explained wisdom of parents who have lived through the learning by experience. Might be a little too attached to the parental units compared to the age peers, but teenage hood should take care of much of that.
My spouse and I learned the hard way that the public schools are for patsy's and have sacrificed for the future of our child.
When Social security isn't around for us, our child probably will be.
I feel I got ripped off. Love my kids, but I'm sure they won't be there for me in retirement. Their mother spewed enough poison for it to be at subconcious ( they really are one in a million kids, making all ya'all's kids look bad-so I don't mean anything against them ).
DeleteYou were ripped off by your choice of mates to procreate with. Don't worry most people get as bad or worse. That is the one and only thing I can thank my younger self for - not getting permanently blood-bound to an intolerable nut case. It took far to many years and false starts before I found my love, and took a long time and lots of effort to ensure that we could be together for the very long term.
Delete"intolerable nut case". So, you've met ex #2?
DeleteJust curious James? Since the wife has left, how do you deal with the loneliness issue? Seems to be more males than females in that state? Must be tough for a single guy there? Serious question.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't like Alaska- we can still escape elsewhere after winter starts :). No, genders seem pretty even. Here, with the mines, it is just that bitches cross their legs until they find someone with a miners wage. Even the fat and ugly ones. Ten years ago I'd be insane without the wife. I'd probably have already moved. But now that I'm 50 and the sex drive is low enough I can actually negotiate with the Little Brain rather than being his slave, I can ignore it most of the time. Before, it was sex before food or money. Now, giving it up is like quitting smoking. Once you get over the discomfort of cold turkey you only have the occassional craving.
DeleteI was just going by the demographics charts James. It shows less females overall than Males, unless the figures are somehow skewed? I only inquire because I've actually considered Nevada before since it's close by (I'm in CA). CA's about the same, and unless you have a 6 figure income, or something else special going for you, even the less attractive ones are particular.
DeleteI guess I should say, "no decernable differance in the ratio". Good to know it isn't just the mines here, but everywhere. No need to move. Modern hiring trends favoring females, plus natural female distain ( used strategically ) for sex after a certain age, plus getting older, equals no sex. Bummer. Oh, well, what can you do?
Delete
Delete"No need to move. Modern hiring trends favoring females"
True James. The primary reason for moving would be to try and go somewhere where one had at least a few more rights than CA. However I'd like to try and avoid relocating to a sausagefest situation as well. Not looking to get married; the feminists destroyed that institution long ago, rendering it impractical for a man to sign up for, but don't want to live like a monk either.
Here is a no BS solution. For the price of regular crack/booze you can have some nice gals. I just really hate wearing rubbers, so I don't have that option.
DeleteProbably some of the better advice that I've received James. But alas, sexual inflation has gone through the roof! The ladies are no longer so affordable for the average working stiff (No pun intended). Ok, pun intended :D
DeleteI should have said "nice LOOKING" gals. Obviously if they need crack or booze regularly they have other issues. You must be trying to date the coke addicts if price is an issue.
DeleteAhh; I misunderstood James? I thought that you were referring to legal Nevada prostitution, in which the going rates have gone up considerably since I was lad. The street gals with such issues I would be afraid to roll the dice on?
DeleteI'm just talking about regular gals at your work or in the Food Stamp line, not pros or semi-pros. Just hang out with the addicts and as soon as they know you have disposable income you are in like Flyn.
DeleteNo gals at my place of employment. But you've given me some food for thought? Time to scout the food stamp lines! :D
DeleteDon't forget to start hanging out regular at one bar. You'll find out who the fem bar flyettes are. Ply them with alcohol.
DeleteOccasionally I have to agree with you so you won't cancel my membership in the Bison's Fan Club and Hair Club for Men! After 40 years of being a wage whore,doing whatever it took to feed the wife and kids on a regular basis, I must confess that being old enough for government cheese and sucking the social security titty sure beats busting ass! I will enjoy it for as long as it lasts without the slightest guilt or shame. good post.
ReplyDeleteI bust seniors asses for being on the teet, but really, what does it matter? It isn't like you are living directly off of another taxpayer. That hasn't happened since about the 80's. Now, it is ALL deficit spending so any welfare is just printing money out of thin air just like the central bankers do. When Glen Beck and Rush bloviate about their being victims because their taxes support non-workers, I want to strangle them. Idiots. The government bribes us to divide so they can conquer, you might as well cash the check and prep for the crash on the government dime. Hmm. Might be an article.
DeleteI think that would be a good article.
DeleteThe bankers on wall street are getting their fake dollars, why shouldn't we on main street get some too?
You'all have almost talked me into it.
Deleteunless you have been paying for everything with gold and silver, you bought everything you currently own with fiat money anyway! Perhaps you had the illusion it was real money at the time but in reality it was paper credits.
DeleteI like "company store chits" rather than "paper credits".
Delete