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Old 09-29-2019, 08:33 AM   #61
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How about explore a good way to go paycheck to paycheck?
I used to work for the government and we had a generous pension plan. Several people I know lived cheque to cheque until the day they retired. Most of them had paid off their mortgage or downsized just before retirement....that's helpful but not a requirement.

After they retired and began drawing their pension they were living just as comfortable as when they were working.
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Old 09-30-2019, 02:14 PM   #62
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A lot of people in this country are poor...not by choice. A lot were dealt terrible hands in life. I live in a depressed area where a LOT of people are poor. Jobs are scarce. Low pay.

Yes, I do have friends who live above their means, no question there. They suck with money. They're not the ones im talking about. I couldnt care less if those people (my friends) have mountains of debt their entire lives. The people I feel for are those who are poor, and are trying to get by. Its sad.
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Old 09-30-2019, 02:20 PM   #63
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I used to work for the government and we had a generous pension plan. Several people I know lived cheque to cheque until the day they retired. Most of them had paid off their mortgage or downsized just before retirement....that's helpful but not a requirement.
+1
As they said on Princess Bride: "I don't think that word means what you think it means".

Paycheck to paycheck might be the wrong term. It implies people living on the financial edge but then again it could just be people who are getting by very nicely, saving money, staying out of debt and living conservatively.
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Old 09-30-2019, 02:28 PM   #64
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+1
As they said on Princess Bride: "I don't think that word means what you think it means".

Paycheck to paycheck might be the wrong term. It implies people living on the financial edge but then again it could just be people who are getting by very nicely, saving money, staying out of debt and living conservatively.
I guess "living paycheck to paycheck" has different meanings to different people. To me it means if I miss a paycheck I can't pay my normal bills. If I have savings to cover a temporary job loss then i'm not living paycheck to paycheck. Majority of people I know seem to fall into my definition where they would have to put there food and gas on a credit card or not pay rent if they missed a paycheck.
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Old 09-30-2019, 03:29 PM   #65
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A lot of people in this country are poor...not by choice. A lot were dealt terrible hands in life. I live in a depressed area where a LOT of people are poor. Jobs are scarce. Low pay.
I lived in a poor county in CA, where jobs were scarce, and good-paying jobs were mostly in the medical profession, or public servant jobs. I got out, moved to one big city, then another. I realize that not everyone has the physical/mental ability to deal with their lot in life. But many could do better by moving out of depressed areas. I do realize this takes some effort, but in America, bus tickets are not insurmountable costs for most.
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Old 09-30-2019, 08:03 PM   #66
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I can tell you true that moving out of Detroit in 79 was a real good thing to do.
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Old 09-30-2019, 08:53 PM   #67
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A lot of people in this country are poor...not by choice. A lot were dealt terrible hands in life. I live in a depressed area where a LOT of people are poor. Jobs are scarce. Low pay.

Yes, I do have friends who live above their means, no question there. They suck with money. They're not the ones im talking about. I couldn't care less if those people (my friends) have mountains of debt their entire lives. The people I feel for are those who are poor, and are trying to get by. Its sad.
My guess is that the same percentage of people live paycheck to paycheck in most counties. Even in 'poor' counties, there are 'rich' people.

My guess is that most people that are just trying to get by make bad choices or through no fault of their own have a lower aptitude.
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Old 09-30-2019, 09:23 PM   #68
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I understood his humor, and that prompted my tongue in cheek response...
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It's a class C, which is roomier. And I can tow a car behind to run errands.

I have been debating downsizing to a class B, but it has to be a larger one with dually rear wheels, and also with towing capacity. A new one is pricey at a low six-figure price, and used ones are not cheap either.



I do not keep water in my motorhome when it is parked, and wonder how long the water will keep. I would over-chlorinate it to be safe.

Before taking the motorhome on a trip, I sanitize the tank with bleach, and flush it. I use a cheap Brita filter during the trip for drinking water, even though I fill the tank with potable water.
My long-term plan is to get a Berkey filter. Brita filters don't filter for very many substances. I think their main purpose is to make city water, which is usually already safe to drink, taste nicer. Berkeys filter very effectively for a large number of substances, including algae. A Berkey can take stagnant pond or stream water, and render it safe to drink. I think you could be confident with a high degree of certainty, that a Berkey was making the water from your RV freshwater tank safe to drink - even if it had been sitting in there for a while.

I like my little class B, but have to admit that it is little. I'd love the greater amount of space that a class C would afford but then, I do like the ability of my van to fit into a regular parking space. One thing I don't like is the gas mileage. I get about 10mpg highway, and 5 around town, averaging about 7-8mpg overall. Ouch!
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How many Americans are really living Paycheck to Paycheck?
Old 10-01-2019, 08:14 PM   #69
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How many Americans are really living Paycheck to Paycheck?

I’m skeptical of these kinds of “studies”

They never show their work or make their white paper accessible to examine their methodology and statistical methods, and it’s always backed by a financial institution that benefits from “managing your retirement”

Where are the unwashed hordes of homeless seniors wandering the streets, who lived paycheck to paycheck and now have no pay and live off social assistance?

I don’t buy it

Paid fear advertising. For ad revenue
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Old 10-09-2019, 12:41 PM   #70
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I must admit, I do find it interesting how often this topic seems to come up on the forum. The question of poor choices in life vs. bad luck. To be honest, I think it is more a rorschach test than anything else.
People with a more positive optimistic outlook on life would say that it is more important in what you choose to do in life that determines the outcome. While more pessimistic people will make the claim that the deck can be stacked against you so greatly at birth, that you will never be able to overcome that.
I tend to be an optimist I suppose. I like to think that I had a lot to do with my successes/failures in life. And I own them, both the good and bad. But I have only had my own life experience. None of us will ever know what it is like to think differently than we do...
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Old 10-09-2019, 01:16 PM   #71
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I have always been a optimistic but being a social worker gave me real life experience.
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Old 10-09-2019, 01:28 PM   #72
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I must admit, I do find it interesting how often this topic seems to come up on the forum. The question of poor choices in life vs. bad luck. To be honest, I think it is more a rorschach test than anything else.
People with a more positive optimistic outlook on life would say that it is more important in what you choose to do in life that determines the outcome. While more pessimistic people will make the claim that the deck can be stacked against you so greatly at birth, that you will never be able to overcome that.
I tend to be an optimist I suppose. I like to think that I had a lot to do with my successes/failures in life. And I own them, both the good and bad. But I have only had my own life experience. None of us will ever know what it is like to think differently than we do...
Not sure whether it is optimist versus pessimist, but whether you have an internal locus of control (life is something you do) or an external locus of control (life is something that happens to you).
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Old 10-09-2019, 01:37 PM   #73
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I've told this story before...a good friend of mine built too much house when he was 45 and could barely make the payments. He had no hope at all of paying it off before he died and he couldn't retire and still make the payments.

He was unhappy and stressed but after being under water for 10 years he got lucky and sold it for more than he was worth, paid off his debt, and moved into an apartment. But just 6 months later he retired early taking a penalty and then leased a $60k car. The car lease and his rent eat up 80% of his reduced monthly pension. Now he's living cheque to cheque again...
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Old 10-09-2019, 01:41 PM   #74
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Music, your friend is a moron. Obviously he learned nothing. I believe in a combination of internal and external locust of control.
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Old 10-10-2019, 08:26 AM   #75
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I had to look up "locus of control".

Looking back to when he was considering building a house I recall that myself and many of his friends recommended that he not do it...he was 45 and single with a modest income and would be looking at long term mortgage. But he also wanted to retire at 55 and that would be on a reduced income and likely impossible with a hefty mortgage. In spite of being intelligent enough to understand the numbers he built anyway thinking that it would just magically work out.
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Old 10-10-2019, 08:54 AM   #76
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I guess "living paycheck to paycheck" has different meanings to different people. To me it means if I miss a paycheck I can't pay my normal bills. If I have savings to cover a temporary job loss then i'm not living paycheck to paycheck. Majority of people I know seem to fall into my definition where they would have to put there food and gas on a credit card or not pay rent if they missed a paycheck.
https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/why-are-so...ected-expense/

- About 40 percent of households, spanning the income spectrum, say that they couldn’t cover a $400 unexpected expense.
- In fact, some of these households actually do have enough to cover this modest expense, but they feel constrained by credit card debt.
- Overall, the analysis finds that the vulnerable households fall into two main groups:those with low incomes, low educational levels, and/or a job loss; andthose with moderate to high incomes but with substantial debt, such as credit card balances, mortgages, and/or student loans.
- This widespread lack of precautionary savings is likely one reason why many households have trouble saving for retirement.
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Old 10-10-2019, 09:31 AM   #77
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I have always been a optimistic but being a social worker gave me real life experience.
You should be a landlord, specifically a Section 8 landlord. Then you would see how people actually live, not how they say they live.

It makes me think that some people need to be in a work camp environment. It would help them build life skills, like getting up in the morning.
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Old 10-10-2019, 10:02 AM   #78
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It makes me think that some people need to be in a work camp environment.
There you go. Put 'em in a work camp. That'll learn 'em.
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Old 10-10-2019, 10:13 AM   #79
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There you go. Put 'em in a work camp. That'll learn 'em.
They certainly need something, handouts don't work.

It's a great reason to move to a sales tax, and get rid of the income tax. Everyone can help pay their fair share.
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Old 10-10-2019, 10:41 AM   #80
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I have been a landlord and as a social worker have provided services to clients in their homes. A friend of mine was murdered by a client.
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