anyone else feeling the crunch lately?

**predator** · 07-02-2007, 05:34 PM

man i dont knwo what it is... but lately it feels like i just am not making th money i used to be making... ive got a cheaper apt... stopped drinking at bars... gotten a 10% raise... and just tried to cut my coust in general...

but on top of all of that i just feel like i cant make it anymore... im thinking about selling the vette... my bank account is hurting mor enad more every month... whats the deal... every time i go to the store for food its like $200... gas is rediculous... its kinda depressing...

on top of it all i hate to say it, but im PISSED they are raising min wage to like $7.25... all that means is the places that i shop (which are all like grocery stores and walmart) all pay pretty much min wage... soooo that means that they will have to raise prices to pay wages... and ppl that were once barely scraping by will see a 150% raise and start buying more luxury items which will raise price due to demand...

so what does this all mean... IM JUST GONNA GET POORER!!!

i hate to be a bastard but i busted ass and tried to get a degree and a job that would allow me to do a few things in life that would be awesome compared to what my family had when i was younger... its looking like college was a fucking waste and i should have just got a shit job...

-me

**Y2KPewterSS** · 07-02-2007, 05:42 PM

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 07-02-2007, 05:50 PM

At least you get good mileage...my trucks rips through gas like it's kool and it doesn't even have any power

**ZAPFOOL!!** · 07-02-2007, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by SeVeReDiStOrTiOn

At least you get good mileage...my trucks rips through gas like it's kool and it doesn't even have any power

I dont wanna hear about the gas....the power is your own issue

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 07-02-2007, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by ZAPFOOL!!

I dont wanna hear about the gas....the power is your own issue

Hey mine didn't come with a blower damn it

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by predator

man i dont knwo what it is... but lately it feels like i just am not making th money i used to be making... ive got a cheaper apt... stopped drinking at bars... gotten a 10% raise... and just tried to cut my coust in general...

but on top of all of that i just feel like i cant make it anymore... im thinking about selling the vette... my bank account is hurting mor enad more every month... whats the deal... every time i go to the store for food its like $200... gas is rediculous... its kinda depressing...

on top of it all i hate to say it, but im PISSED they are raising min wage to like $7.25... all that means is the places that i shop (which are all like grocery stores and walmart) all pay pretty much min wage... soooo that means that they will have to raise prices to pay wages... and ppl that were once barely scraping by will see a 150% raise and start buying more luxury items which will raise price due to demand...

so what does this all mean... IM JUST GONNA GET POORER!!!

i hate to be a bastard but i busted ass and tried to get a degree and a job that would allow me to do a few things in life that would be awesome compared to what my family had when i was younger... its looking like college was a fucking waste and i should have just got a shit job...

-me

econ major? or somethign enar to that?

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 06:17 PM

you are 100% right -- Gov't should not dictate the worth of an employee.

By raising the minimum wage (thanks to all the lib hippies) all we have really done is increased the price of every day stuff.

If someone wants a raise, they need to pursue an education, and pursue the jobs that allow for growth.

The fact of the matter is the huge majority of people who were actually working for minimum wage prior to this ridiculous bill that was past, was kids in High School, and people who have more than one income in a household. ( a wife only supplementing the husbands income for example)

So now my cucumbers are going to cost more at the market, because it cost more to have them ringed up, bagged, stocked, etc.

Not to mention this bill really isn't bout raising the "minimum wage" it is about all the Lib ran Unions to obtain raises. Because it is in most every Union's contract that they make a certain percentage over the minimum wage. There for if they were making 10 bucks an hour when Minimum wage was 5.50 (or whatever it was) then now the work that they were doing for 10 bucks an hour, is not refused to be accomplished unless they are paid almost 15 bucks an hour. Making taxes go up, because construction on the roads cost more, making houses more expensive because the electricians and plumbers that likely work under a union contract got a 4 or 5 dollar raise an hour. causing the price to raise ridiculously.

All the while making Illegal immigration even more of a problem, because to keep prices down, the farms will continue to look for the Illegals to work for 3 bucks an hour. It is a nasty cycle.

Now my burger at BK is going to go up, because every snot nosed little 16 year old Sophomore in High School "needs" to make 7+ dollars an hour, so they can buy the latest and coolest name brand shoes and jeans.

What a joke..

**Mike Hawk** · 07-02-2007, 06:23 PM

hey, i got a degree too and making less at my job than 2 dudes that dropped out of highschool their senior year, I feel your pain man.

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by jrc1122

you are 100% right -- Gov't should not dictate the worth of an employee.

By raising the minimum wage (thanks to all the lib hippies) all we have really done is increased the price of every day stuff.

If someone wants a raise, they need to pursue an education, and pursue the jobs that allow for growth.

The fact of the matter is the huge majority of people who were actually working for minimum wage prior to this ridiculous bill that was past, was kids in High School, and people who have more than one income in a household. ( a wife only supplementing the husbands income for example)

So now my cucumbers are going to cost more at the market, because it cost more to have them ringed up, bagged, stocked, etc.

Not to mention this bill really isn't bout raising the "minimum wage" it is about all the Lib ran Unions to obtain raises. Because it is in most every Union's contract that they make a certain percentage over the minimum wage. There for if they were making 10 bucks an hour when Minimum wage was 5.50 (or whatever it was) then now the work that they were doing for 10 bucks an hour, is not refused to be accomplished unless they are paid almost 15 bucks an hour. Making taxes go up, because construction on the roads cost more, making houses more expensive because the electricians and plumbers that likely work under a union contract got a 4 or 5 dollar raise an hour. causing the price to raise ridiculously.

All the while making Illegal immigration even more of a problem, because to keep prices down, the farms will continue to look for the Illegals to work for 3 bucks an hour. It is a nasty cycle.

Now my burger at BK is going to go up, because every snot nosed little 16 year old Sophomore in High School "needs" to make 7+ dollars an hour, so they can buy the latest and coolest name brand shoes and jeans.

What a joke..

prices go up naturally... theres no way to combat that except having the fed cut the money supply which will never happen. what you said about the education was right... the purpose of education is to get a job that is high skilled and isn't a low skilled min wage job... so if you have that high skilled job, you wont have to worry about prices going up because most salaries are adjusted for inflation anyways

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 06:28 PM

and the economy does suck because government officials that we put in office care more about getting re-elected than the welfare of the national economy

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by derrinx

prices go up naturally... theres no way to combat that except having the fed cut the money supply which will never happen. what you said about the education was right... the purpose of education is to get a job that is high skilled and isn't a low skilled min wage job... so if you have that high skilled job, you wont have to worry about prices going up because most salaries are adjusted for inflation anyways

true but raising the minimum wage (especially that much) is making large waves in this natural inflation rate increase. And as of now its true effects havent shown its ugly head. We have had contolled inflation for over a decade--- now we r going to screw it up by implementing such a ridiculous % increase all at once.

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by jrc1122

true but raising the minimum wage (especially that much) is making large waves in this natural inflation rate increase. And as of now its true effects havent shown its ugly head. We have had contolled inflation for over a decade--- now we r going to screw it up by implementing such a ridiculous % increase all at once.

not exactly... the effects wont be instant... prices will take months to two years to adjust to the new price level and during that time we will be in an economic expansion which will be better for all of us. more jobs will be made and more goods will be produced, which will create opportunities for every american to make more money... so in the short run it will be good, but in the long run it will be worse except for those who used the expansion to make more money than possible normally.. i already have some stocks in mind...

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by derrinx

not exactly... the effects wont be instant... prices will take months to two years to adjust to the new price level and during that time we will be in an economic expansion which will be better for all of us. more jobs will be made and more goods will be produced, which will create opportunities for every american to make more money... so in the short run it will be good, but in the long run it will be worse except for those who used the expansion to make more money than possible normally.. i already have some stocks in mind...

That is why Corn prices have increased substantially since the wave of Ethanol cars became the newest thing.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...-24-corn_x.htm

This is only one small example proving, when Big Government sticks it's nose too deep into economics we all feel it, and it is usually a negative impact.

**joerockhead** · 07-02-2007, 07:07 PM

Well, I think maybe you need to re-evaluate your spending.
Did the raise you got put you in a different tax bracket?
Re-Evaluate your deductions.

Do you eat out a lot? Even at the Crappy Fast food places, it adds up.
Cook for yourself and have leftover's for lunch.

Clip Coupons
Watch for Sales of stuff you need.

I believe that the current government that is going out the door has done far more for us.
The Tax cut was Real. It helped the economy grow. Prices for most things stayed pretty decent.
Sure, Gas was HIGH, and that is passed to transportation costs. And yes, the raising of the minimum wage was needed. Is it fair that other's should be paid poorly? No. Yes, some increase in overall cost was passed to the consumer, but not that much more.

I fear what it will be like in 09, when the next President enter office, raises taxes (you know they will).

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by derrinx

not exactly... the effects wont be instant... prices will take months to two years to adjust to the new price level and during that time we will be in an economic expansion which will be better for all of us. more jobs will be made and more goods will be produced, which will create opportunities for every american to make more money... so in the short run it will be good, but in the long run it will be worse except for those who used the expansion to make more money than possible normally.. i already have some stocks in mind...

Another example would be gas prices vs Plane tickets.

Gas goes up -- ticket prices typically rise, almost instantly. Some things will take time, but for the most part, If BK starts paying out 1.50 more to every single employee they have, you better believe they aren't going to sit idley by and not raise their prices to compensate for their loss in profit. Not to mention the more things cost, the less we splurge as americans. The less we splurge (spend) the less the company makes, causing cut backs on jobs, so the "great idea of increasing Minimum wage- now doesnt look so good.

Another example--- When a company wants to create more business it doesnt raise prices, it doesn't give out Bonuses / pay raises to its employees without doing something to create more business. What do they do,,

They have a sale.. that is right they actually Cut prices, increasing appeal to their products. In the long run they make more.

If only our Government would understand that theory.. To make money you need think smartly. Raising prices doesn't promote prospering, It promotes penny pinching.

That is why Tax cuts have proven to be Great for the economy.. Did you know that the US government actually recieved more in taxes, by reducing taxes.. How you say... by using the philosophy stated above. To gain more profit, it takes lowest prices possible without taking a loss.

Whens the last time JC Penny had an Ad saying "Come on down, we are raising prices, you don't want to miss out on this opportunity"

-- I don't want you to think that I think I am always right about everything. I just feel like I have a great grasp on how economics work, and history proves through Ronald Regan, and Yes even G.W Bush (not right on alot of things, but right on tax cuts) that Lower taxes or in this case minimum wage is all for the best for Americans.

Remember the folks that were truely making $5.xx an hour, werent people trying to feed a family. It was High School students, and people who are supported by someone else. (for the most part)

In my line of work, I talk to MANY High School students, and I don't know very many that actually made minimum wage to begin with. And they are part time Fast food. or They worked at Wal-Mart of Target. And I live in one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states. Proving that the gross majority of Americans are NOT relying on "minimum wage" to make ends meet.

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by joerockhead

I believe that the current government that is going out the door has done far more for us.
The Tax cut was Real. It helped the economy grow. Prices for most things stayed pretty decent.

I fear what it will be like in 09, when the next President enter office, raises taxes (you know they will).

I agree with this 100% ( the part that I quoted you on

)

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 07:21 PM

haha man i just left summer session two days ago after taking two upper level econ classes... i need my brain to rest from this shit so i dont want to discuss this anymore haha good luck to you guys on dealing with financial shit...its never easy

p.s. tax cuts are good in the short run, bad in the long run

and p.s.s i really dont think i know much about the economy either, just trying to state what i learned from someone else... economic theories are just theories noone can really know the effects of something until it is over

**jrc1122** · 07-02-2007, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by derrinx

haha man i just left summer session two days ago after taking two upper level econ classes... i need my brain to rest from this shit so i dont want to discuss this anymore haha good luck to you guys on dealing with financial shit...its never easy

p.s. tax cuts are good in the short run, bad in the long run

and p.s.s i really dont think i know much about the economy either, just trying to state what i learned from someone else... economic theories are just theories noone can really know the effects of something until it is over

Cool, unfortunately you probably received the Liberal bias on economics. That is a whole other epidimic problem in this country.. I am not saying you didn't recieve a quality education, I am just saying you most likely heard an extremely bias version of it, (depending on what school you attended)
And history has proven when Conservative measures ) (I.E Tax cuts) are taken, the Country prospers,and when we let the Gov't dictate everything, (I.E. raising taxes, minimum wage etc) we loose.

**2MuchFun** · 07-02-2007, 07:39 PM

fine w/me if the corn price/ beef price goes up, its a win-win situation for me. Complain about food price when you are hungry. Gotta love being a farmer!!

**derrinx** · 07-02-2007, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by jrc1122

Cool, unfortunately you probably received the Liberal bias on economics. That is a whole other epidimic problem in this country.. I am not saying you didn't recieve a quality education, I am just saying you most likely heard an extremely bias version of it, (depending on what school you attended)
And history has proven when Conservative measures ) (I.E Tax cuts) are taken, the Country prospers,and when we let the Gov't dictate everything, (I.E. raising taxes, minimum wage etc) we loose.

one of the textbooks i read was written by ben bernanke, the current chairman of the FED... so i think he knows what hes talking about lol