how many hours do you work

[wilheldp_PE]

How do you feed your kids on less than 100k a year, it must be very hard (unless your wife works and makes the same or close to the same as you putting your combined income above 100k, but then the day care would eat you alive unless your mom watchs them but then you are in a very percarious situation relying on 2 jobs and mom just to make ends meet). I struggle just with my condo, student loans and basic bills at 80k a year with no kids. You must live in an area that has a SIGNIFICANTLY lower cost of living.

No, you are just living above your means. You seem to be a complete ***** with your money, among other things, so even if you were to find a job making "fatty" money, you'd still have trouble making ends meet.

 

[Flyer_PE]

How do you feed your kids on less than 100k a year, it must be very hard (unless your wife works and makes the same or close to the same as you putting your combined income above 100k, but then the day care would eat you alive unless your mom watchs them but then you are in a very percarious situation relying on 2 jobs and mom just to make ends meet). I struggle just with my condo, student loans and basic bills at 80k a year with no kids. You must live in an area that has a SIGNIFICANTLY lower cost of living.

A little advanced math here:

Income = 80k

+Marital Status = Single

+Financial Status = "..struggle just with my condo, student loans and basic bills.."

= Financial acumen roughly equivalent to that of my 5 year old son.

 

[Supe]

How do you feed your kids on less than 100k a year, it must be very hard (unless your wife works and makes the same or close to the same as you putting your combined income above 100k, but then the day care would eat you alive unless your mom watchs them but then you are in a very percarious situation relying on 2 jobs and mom just to make ends meet). I struggle just with my condo, student loans and basic bills at 80k a year with no kids. You must live in an area that has a SIGNIFICANTLY lower cost of living.

What kind of toilet paper do you use? Gold leaf?

When I was still making less than $60k a year, I was living comfortably in Houston city limits (8.25% sales tax) paying rent, two car payments, insurance, "fun money", and was still banking close to 40% of what I was making.

 

[rppearso]

How do you feed your kids on less than 100k a year, it must be very hard (unless your wife works and makes the same or close to the same as you putting your combined income above 100k, but then the day care would eat you alive unless your mom watchs them but then you are in a very percarious situation relying on 2 jobs and mom just to make ends meet). I struggle just with my condo, student loans and basic bills at 80k a year with no kids. You must live in an area that has a SIGNIFICANTLY lower cost of living.

What kind of toilet paper do you use? Gold leaf?

When I was still making less than $60k a year, I was living comfortably in Houston city limits (8.25% sales tax) paying rent, two car payments, insurance, "fun money", and was still banking close to 40% of what I was making.

How much did you net a month? 2 car payments is like a minimum of 600$ a month possibly 800$/month then rent is about 1000$ a month or more and then utilities are about 400$ a month and food and gas can range from 200-300 to 500 depending on commute. That leaves a little extra to buy a vidio game or go bowling or something but thats about it. Unless your cost of living is way lower than that. The problem is that does not give you 1-2 years of safety net income which is needed in this economy, if you cant make your payments on things for at least a year or have most things paid off like car and house your going to be hurting bad if you loose your job so its more important now more than ever to really make money when you are working because jobs are not that pentiful and if you cant build that safety net your really hosed and then you have another democrat voter.

 

[Supe]

Car payments, plus rent and utilities set me back approximately $19,200 a year. Gas was maybe $120 a month. Add another $150 or so for food. Even after taxes, medical, and 401k contributions, that's still a sizable chunk of change to play with. I sure bought more than some video games...

Also, I'm not too terribly concerned with safety net income. Unless no new power plants, coal, nuclear, co-gen, or otherwise are planned, constructed, or maintained for the next 8 years or so, I'm safely nuzzled into a niche specialty area with plenty of fall backs.

 

[Ble_PE]

Hookers and blow?

 

[wilheldp_PE]

The problem is that does not give you 1-2 years of safety net income which is needed in this economy,

You really have no connection with reality, do you? Most people have a few months (6 months max) safety net, if they have anything at all. Our country as a whole had a negative savings rate for about the last decade, so the majority have a safety net of several thousand dollars worth of debt.

I think most of us have a long-term goal of having house/car/airplane/boat paid off, putting thousands away in retirement savings every month, and having a large "fun money" pool to draw from...but most of us are realistic that this isn't going to be a reality throughout much of our 20s, 30s, or even 40s or 50s. You seem to be under the illusion that this **** just happens because you have a fancy degree.

My fingers just needed some exercise. I know none of this is going to make it through your thick skull.

 

[Supe]

Hookers and blow?

Am I that easy to read?

 

[Dexman PE]

<-- has 2 kids, 2 car payments, a house payment, student loans for 3 degrees (my wife has to BS's).

We live very comfortably in a city which I have shown in another thread that has a cost of living HIGHER than Anchorage...

Sounds like you need to cut back on the hookers and blow.

 

[MechGuy]

You seem to be a complete ***** with your money, among other things, so even if you were to find a job making "fatty" money, you'd still have trouble making ends meet.

Wil -- you hit the nail on the head. What a Maroon.

 

[mizzoueng]

<---- has 2 car payments, 1 kid, lots of student loans, house, toys and could get by on my salary if I had a 3% raise. I only make a little over 60K too.

 

[rppearso]

What kind of toys have you all been able to buy? I bought a zelda video game lol. Of course I have been paying out for all the PE books, exam fees and my continuing education class as well as making balloon payments on my student loans to pay off 23k in the last year.

 

[Supe]

At the time, a new race motor for my drag car, some high-end components to build my new speakers, new TV, some furniture, etc etc.

 

[Dexman PE]

What kind of toys have you all been able to buy?

A **** job for my wife, a trip to Vegas in June, a new custom dual monitor computer...

Or are you talking for the kids? In that case, pretty much anything they ask for (we COULD buy them, but usually don't unless they earn it).

 

[Bean PE]

I'm at work 40 a week, no more no less, though there will probably be some OT (at time and a half) over the summer. After being abused at my last job (minimum 55 hours, frequent Saturdays, occasional Sundays with the promise of a huge bonus that never happened) I won't work for free again, though if I got paid the fatty money I'd consider a few extra hours here and there.

 

[ChemORME]

Paid for 40, no exceptions.
I work as many hours as needed to complete the work. Some weeks:35hrs, other weeks 60+, but I average 40-45. The office manager doesn't really care as long as 1. the work is done on time/under budget and 2. we average 40 hours. He understands that working 9-5 limits people's ability to get some personal business done (like going to the bank, dentist/doctor visits, etc), and as long as you make-up the time within a week or so, it's all good.

+1 Basically "get the job done" - may mean I'm in all weekend, but the next week I'm off two days...it all balances.

 

[engineergurl]

Work usually between 40 and 50 hours a week

Actually work between 40 and 50 hours a week

I get paid for 40, no overtime, no comp time, no flex time and no benefits except 160 hours off each year weather it is sick time, time for an appointment or vacation time... it's all just leave time...

I do get my miles check on a monthly basis for using my personal truck for work, but do not get compensated for the use of my personal cell phone. I also am responsible for providing my own PPE except the first hard hat that was issued to me when I started and the majority of my office supplies are ones I've purchased myself except the computer and a field notebook.

Watercooler talk is frowned upon and if it's a problem it could cost you your position so that actually doesn't happen much, most websites are blocked from our computers so other then checking a bank balance and the weather there is no "wasting time" there. If you are not working by 7:30 am and have logged off you computer before 4:00 then it's usually noted and something will be said. I expect that eventually people will start being scrutinized for the use of smart phones, so I've been limiting my facebook posts and txt messages during the day to head that one off.

Chit-chat does occur on job-sites but usually as we are walking and preforming inspections... and usually is about hunting and fishing or peoples families and how they are doing.

We manage two house payments, two sets of utilities, one very high car payment (gotta keep those loans to less then 36 months!), my student loans, constant renovations on the houses and some months it is tight... we also both commute a total of about 60 miles a day each (round trip) and hence spend quite a bit on gas (personally I put in about $60 every three or four days, but am using the truck for work too)... we don't go out a lot, but do manage to fly home about once a year as a vacation and are able to purchase nice things if we plan for them and very rarely use the credit cards unless it's an emergency. Both our incomes total less then $100k so I don't think we are doing all that bad.

 

[Supe]

Work usually between 40 and 50 hours a weekActually work between 40 and 50 hours a week

I get paid for 40, no overtime, no comp time, no flex time and no benefits except 160 hours off each year weather it is sick time, time for an appointment or vacation time... it's all just leave time...

I do get my miles check on a monthly basis for using my personal truck for work, but do not get compensated for the use of my personal cell phone. I also am responsible for providing my own PPE except the first hard hat that was issued to me when I started and the majority of my office supplies are ones I've purchased myself except the computer and a field notebook.

Watercooler talk is frowned upon and if it's a problem it could cost you your position so that actually doesn't happen much, most websites are blocked from our computers so other then checking a bank balance and the weather there is no "wasting time" there. If you are not working by 7:30 am and have logged off you computer before 4:00 then it's usually noted and something will be said. I expect that eventually people will start being scrutinized for the use of smart phones, so I've been limiting my facebook posts and txt messages during the day to head that one off.

Chit-chat does occur on job-sites but usually as we are walking and preforming inspections... and usually is about hunting and fishing or peoples families and how they are doing.

We manage two house payments, two sets of utilities, one very high car payment (gotta keep those loans to less then 36 months!), my student loans, constant renovations on the houses and some months it is tight... we also both commute a total of about 60 miles a day each (round trip) and hence spend quite a bit on gas (personally I put in about $60 every three or four days, but am using the truck for work too)... we don't go out a lot, but do manage to fly home about once a year as a vacation and are able to purchase nice things if we plan for them and very rarely use the credit cards unless it's an emergency. Both our incomes total less then $100k so I don't think we are doing all that bad.

Is your supervisor's name Adolf?

 

[engineergurl]

Is your supervisor's name Adolf?

I guess when I take a step back and look at that, it does seem kinda stinky, huh? But it is work... We do usually get our "59's" for holiday weekends... something to look forward to!

 

[TBSS]

Paid for 40, no exceptions.
I work as many hours as needed to complete the work. Some weeks:35hrs, other weeks 60+, but I average 40-45. The office manager doesn't really care as long as 1. the work is done on time/under budget and 2. we average 40 hours. He understands that working 9-5 limits people's ability to get some personal business done (like going to the bank, dentist/doctor visits, etc), and as long as you make-up the time within a week or so, it's all good.

+1 Basically "get the job done" - may mean I'm in all weekend, but the next week I'm off two days...it all balances.

Same for me except that I am not allowed to put in less than 40 without using vacation time. I'm also not allowed to put in less than 8 per day without using vacation time. No flex time here. Anything over 40 hours does not earn extra pay, flex time, recgonition, anything. The best is when I work 4-10's and need to leave early the 5th day and have to use vacation to cover the hours for that day. So, if I work 7 hours that 5th day I need to use 1 hour vacation even though I've already worked 47 hours that week.

Yes, I know, I'm a moron. With twins, daycare, mortgage, car payments, etc... I just haven't had the courage to get my *** out of here.