wages

[Fairlight]

Four score and seven years--eh, screw that!
At about Thu, Oct 27, 2005 at 02:00:28PM -0700,
Steven Waters blabbed on about:
> I am working in the San Fernando Valley. 
> Which is So. Cal / LA area. I make around 80K/yr
> and I feel like I am working paycheck to paycheck.

Like I said, California's economy is almost an entity unto itself.  My
modest cost of living is like $2500/mo here in Kentucky, and that's
including a -stiff- amount for medications and extra things that most
people don't have to deal with--things due to my anxiety disorders and
mostly my OCD.  OCD can be Very Expensive.  And still we can make it on
$35k/yr here if we have to.

Man, have times changed.  I remember my father making $36-46k/yr in
Milwaukee most of my childhood, and that was decent money back then.
Nowadays it's just sad.  

Everything about the economy has risen--except wages. :-/ Now even Wal*Mart
is pushing for an increase in the minimum wage.  I don't buy their reasons
for doing so (and in fact, it seems nuts for -them- to push for it, given
what it will do to their margins.  Minimum wage hasn't changed in a decade.

> The cheapest house listed is $300,000 and has 900 sq ft
> You can bet it is on the wrong side of the tracks.
> The house you want to live in is probably 700K+
> So maybe I need a raise also!

Or to move to somewhere with a reasonable cost of living.  I read a story
about six months ago that cited a lot of people buying up real estate in
California--people who were in Nevada, New Mexico, etc.  Not to live in,
but as investment.  I remember seeing that the bare minimum for what is
probably a $40-50k home here was like $300k out there, and thinking it was
absolutely insane--I'd leave the state.  It's not like renting is going to
be cheaper.  I have friends out there that are paying ungodly sums for just
a studio apartment.

And yet, people move there intentionally.  I don't get it.  Must be
masochists.

mark->