Posted on 04/23/2006 7:49:45 AM PDT by SmithL
One of my readers is an underemployed 59-year-old man from among us here in the South Suburbs. Call him Harry. He works in information technology. Slowly and wearily, he says: "Once you get past 50, I swear, it gets tough, it gets really tough."
For instance, Harry applied for a job with a city of Chicago department that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He got an offer for some contract work. There were no benefits, but it was a paying job.
A woman from the city called him one Monday morning and wanted to know if he could start at midnight. Harry said he'd like to give his current employer a week's notice. That wasn't good enough. The job was gone. The caller told him: "This is a brave new world. Learn to live with it."
(Excerpt) Read more at starnewspapers.com ...
You are correct. It is very frightening.
Then don't use yesterday's circumstances to address today's challenges.
Depends. Personally I could see a far more satisfying work environment in a Christian (conservative) school than a public one. Yes, lower pay. But it beats, like one other freeper said, being a plumber for 10 hours a day at 8 an hour. I think another thing most young people dont do that contributes to problems later...staying married for life! Two incomes (40,000 a year min) and a faithful spouse who works as well: how can you go wrong with that? Divorce contributes to societal decay
I always wonder how many parents are honest when filling out college fin. aid apps where it asks: "Amount of savings?". :)
Any amount you put down will undoubtedly be deducted from your amount of aid.
I didn't. I told you , two are in college now.
I don't know. I don't think I ever filled one out. Wouldn't they ask things like income though? That is something that can be checked.
If I did it would be NOYB though.
In your case it was what he knew about who he knew.
FWIW, and old boss of mine and I are in the process of starting a company...
I felt the need to post all that because I'm taking that same server down again tonight, but this time I've got it scheduled!
I just VPN'd into the network and made an announcement that the server's going down in 2 hours! lol
Mark
"You mean Kevorkian. Anyhow, unions became obsolete when they started fighting for socialist government programs instead of better conditions for their workers."
.
..Sorry, in reality, decrying both Kevorkian's Euthanisia attitude and Krekorian's ties with Mob. Both totally unorthodox methods and risk takers. Why can't we learn that there is no perfect world?? When you've got it, flaunting it tempts thieves and murderers.
I'm 38 and just got out on my own after 10 years of corporate idiocy. But that idiocy bought me a house and a lot of savings, so it was a fair trade. Glad to be on my own now. People have to realize you can't count on anyone but yourself, and sometimes you can't even count on that!
The same applies to saving for retirement. One shouldn't wait until age 55 to start putting extra money away.
Who said I did not provide for my own children? What I did say, if you had bothered to read my entire post instead of jumping down my throat for overpopulating the planet, was that the money that I should have saved for a carefree retirement instead went into feeding and educating my children.
If I have educated them properly, and I believe that I have, then they will take care of me in my old age.
Oh and I forgot. They also know that the dog gets can dog food and not to buy her any of that cheap Ole Roy dry stuff.
Your attitude is exactly the same as hers. You have no idea why this guy at 59 may not have enough money to retire. I suspect that having his paycheck robbed to pay for government social programs over the last 40 years may have something to do with it.
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The lack of real money in circulation has the most to do with it. All these people who post about how easy it is to save up enough money to retire are not dealing with the devaluation of the dollar. I remember when $300.00 a month was considered plenty of money to live the life of Riley in retirement. Now it would take more like $300.00 a day seven days a week. I watched the Mephisto Waltz on tv a couple of days ago. I had never seen this movie but it was made in 1971 and the Alan Alda character inherits $100,000. unexpectedly and starts acting like a very rich man. How rich would you be with an extra hundred grand today? If you really want to know what has happened go and rent the Dick Van Dyke movie, "Divorce, American Style". This one was made in the mid-sixties and Van Dyke is living like a king in the early part of the film, huge house, beautiful (non-working) wife, kids etc. Pay attention and you will learn that his salary is "over six hundred dollars" a week. Nowadays that will get you little more than bare existence. In the early minutes Van Dyke is remarking to his wife how well things are going for them and says, "I bet you never thought you would live in a forty thousand dollar house". If we continue at the current "low inflation" rate, in another forty years a person will need to make $15,000. every week just to get by.
I have no idea how you stand on any issue.
You read a few paragraphs on this man and make a judgment as if you're lord and master? I know many people in his age bracket who as the article says "have been thrifty," and thought they were investing wisely -- were planning on retiring until the stock market took a dive a few years back -- they're still working -- and like me -- will most likely be working the rest of their lives. It's the brave new world -- some win (sometimes at the expense of others) and some lose. Frankly, I admire this man and woman for continuing to work at whatever work they can find.
Funny but where I work it is the younger employees who are always calling in "sick". The older people have a better attendance record.
We have been through three lay-offs. Go through that and see how much savings you have left.
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