Author Topic: How is the economy affecting you. (Read 8650 times)

shardian · « **Reply #40 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:11:06 pm »

I don't mean to give grief. I only form opinions on what I experienced. I never met a single college student that was there on their parents dime that gave a crap about school. I did meet alot of non-traditional students who attended class and worked hard like their life depended on it...I tried to get those guys as my lab partners.

Dartful Dodger · « **Reply #41 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:43:35 pm »

We're living in different times. College wasn't necessary when I was 18. My parents thought college was for people who wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer. I wasn't going to be either so if I wanted college I had to pay for it myself.

By the time our kids are 18 they won't be able to work at McDonalds without a college degree.

massive88 · « **Reply #42 on:** March 12, 2009, 05:37:41 pm »

Quote

Everyone I started college with dropped out by their Sophomore year, because they were only there since their parents put them there.

Why would she feel a desire to finish - its not like SHE has anything invested in it?

That may be true, but it doesn't imply causation. I cared about my college and education, and though I had some scholarships, I was mostly on my parents dime.

My personal fiscal investment in attending college had no affect on my drive and work ethic.

I left school with a great degree and zero debt, and I have my parents to thank for it (though shortly after I married into some student loans...). I hope to be able to get my own kids the same great start that I got.

Whether or not an 18 year old kid cares about their education for its value beyond the upfront cost is something instilled long before you get around to paying for their college or not.

daywane · « **Reply #43 on:** March 12, 2009, 08:27:40 pm »

I could not pay for my eldest daughters collage.
I did offer to let her live here for free.
room and board.
help with gas and pay what I could.
after 6 months , She Moved out and dropped out.
now she has a baby ( we watch her for free( The Grand baby)) and expecting another baby and planing on going back to collage. ( just after she got a loan for a $10.000 car!!!)

shmokes · « **Reply #44 on:** March 13, 2009, 02:32:12 am »

Pfft . . . tell yourself what you like Shardian. The VAST majority of college students get help from mom and dad. Very few of the kids in my undergrad were working their way through school and ZERO of the kids in law school are. Plenty will be (to pay back student loans), but we're not even allowed to work during our first year, and we can only work part time after that (not remotely enough to pay for tuition). You're talking to someone who has never received a single dime to of help from parents for higher education costs. Not books, food, housing, nothing. I'm just saying, very few of the people I know paid tuition out of their own pockets, and the vast majority of people I know graduated as opposed to dropping out.

Don't get me wrong. I'm impressed that you did it all yourself. I can relate. Seriously. But I'll be paying for my daughter's education, lock stock and barrel. That's all there is to it. I've no right having a kid if I don't intend on that.

Blanka · « **Reply #45 on:** March 13, 2009, 02:48:09 am »

Quote from: Level42 on March 11, 2009, 07:35:46 pm

I'm in the same business, fire alarms. Boss told us at x-mas time 2008 that seeing the orders they had at that moment for 2009, it would _already_ be a better year than 2008....
We are actually still looking for new employees.

Hire me. I will design a new line of architect-friendly fire-alarms. Dem those things screw up my projects all the time!

By the way, WTF is 401K? I know "Verplichte zorgvezekering" sounds crap too, but this is more like the name of a resistor.

patrickl · « **Reply #46 on:** March 13, 2009, 04:42:19 am »

Quote from: Blanka on March 13, 2009, 02:48:09 am

By the way, WTF is 401K? I know "Verplichte zorgvezekering" sounds crap too, but this is more like the name of a resistor.

Level42 already asked and Shardian asnwered a few posts up.

I guess it's like a "spaarloon regeling" that's put into a "lijfrentepolis"

ChadTower · « **Reply #47 on:** March 13, 2009, 10:33:49 am »

I paid my whole college bill myself as well as my wife's. Neither of us received anything from parents. Hell my mother used to "borrow" what were at the time large sums of money from me a couple times a year. When my wife graduated and I left in '98 (no I didn't graduate) we were $90k in student loan and college related credit card debt. The dot com crash whacked us later but only after it allowed me to pay off all of those loans and save the downpayment for our house.

I can see both sides of this debate. I intend to do what I can to help my sons pay for college but I'm not going to wrap my whole future around the cost. They will be pulling loans for a good amount of it. When they ask why I'll point out that mommy was home with them their whole childhood instead of out earning their college tuition while they sat in daycare.

RayB · « **Reply #48 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:29:13 pm »

Quote from: Cakemeister on March 12, 2009, 03:21:57 pm

Your parents did what they thought best for you, and I do what I think is best for my kids. Your parents obviously wanted you to have to work hard so that you would value college rather than treating it as a privilege and a constant party. I don't want my daughter to have a mountain of student loan debt when she gets out of school, so I am paying for it.

Dude, keep that a secret then. Make her value her time there, and then pay her debt AFTER she graduates. Same ends, but better "lesson" and values instilled.

Dartful Dodger · « **Reply #49 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:45:26 pm »

This has gone off topic, but keeping with the new topic:

I paid for my own education. Since I was going to college full time I had to work nights and weekends.

I was going to an art/design school and the students who weren't working had more time to put into their projects and it showed.

having your kids working for their education isn't really teaching them to value their education, it's teaching them their education isn't worth 100% of their attention.

If you want your kids to value an education it's up to you to teach them that while they are in grammar and high school.

RayB · « **Reply #50 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:56:52 pm »

Who said anything about work?

Dartful Dodger · « **Reply #51 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:31:32 pm »

Quote from: RayB on March 13, 2009, 03:56:52 pm

Who said anything about work?

Quote from: shardian on March 12, 2009, 02:49:46 pm

Quote from: Cakemeister on March 12, 2009, 11:41:28 am
My daughter will be starting college next fall so I have to find a way to pay for it.
Why? Loans, grants, work study, scholarships...

Quote from: RayB on March 13, 2009, 03:29:13 pm

Quote from: Cakemeister on March 12, 2009, 03:21:57 pm
Your parents did what they thought best for you, and I do what I think is best for my kids. Your parents obviously wanted you to have to work hard so that you would value college rather than treating it as a privilege and a constant party. I don't want my daughter to have a mountain of student loan debt when she gets out of school, so I am paying for it.
Dude, keep that a secret then. Make her value her time there, and then pay her debt AFTER she graduates. Same ends, but better "lesson" and values instilled.

Quote from: pinballjim on March 13, 2009, 10:14:04 am

I don't think it's even possible to pay your way through undergrad as you attend. Schools are starting to impose penalties for taking too long to graduate... the place I went is up to $20k/yr for instate students. If you're working part time and can spare $20k, you need to quit college and take on that job full time.

danny_galaga · « **Reply #52 on:** March 14, 2009, 03:34:40 am »

Quote from: Level42 on March 12, 2009, 03:36:55 pm

What is a 401k ?

its called superannuation here

danny_galaga · « **Reply #53 on:** March 14, 2009, 03:45:32 am »

Quote from: Dartful Dodger on March 12, 2009, 04:43:35 pm

We're living in different times. College wasn't necessary when I was 18. My parents thought college was for people who wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer. I wasn't going to be either so if I wanted college I had to pay for it myself.

By the time our kids are 18 they won't be able to work at McDonalds without a college degree.

Which of course is the first port of call once you've graduated

hulkster · « **Reply #54 on:** March 14, 2009, 09:35:10 am »

well i counted myself fortunate to have a job a few weeks ago (i'm a network admin)...

and then i got a promotion with higher pay

....meanwhile my friends are losing their jobs left and right. so now im counting myself REALLY fortunate.

but as far as how the recession has effected me....on a much lower level of significance....im cutting out comcast cable!

got a media center pc and getting hd through an antenna + netflix and i'm good to go. saving $100 a month.

ChadTower · « **Reply #55 on:** March 14, 2009, 09:48:08 am »

You were spending a hundred dollars a month on cable? Is that what cable really costs now?!

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #56 on:** March 14, 2009, 10:02:50 am »

My Sat bill is about $100 (OK, that C$100), but for that I get all channels except for the pr0n, including HD and multiple locations (so that includes as many receivers as I want at both home and cottage), so it isn't that bad.

Sad thing is that *I* watch about 4 hours of broadcast TV a week (House, BSG, 24 and Survivor), but it works well for the rest of the family.

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #57 on:** March 14, 2009, 02:38:24 pm »

Back on the original topic, things had been real tight for me for the past one or two years, but a couple months ago I got a new job in a new career, which has been working out quite well. I'm actually still working my old job part time, so in total I'm working 50-60 hours a week, but for the first time in 2 years I'm able to start paying off my credit card bills instead of slowly building them up.

hulkster · « **Reply #58 on:** March 15, 2009, 04:46:42 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on March 14, 2009, 09:48:08 am

You were spending a hundred dollars a month on cable? Is that what cable really costs now?!

yeah its crazy. i didnt realize how much i was spending until i sat down and looked at it.

Quote from: CheffoJeffo on March 14, 2009, 10:02:50 am

My Sat bill is about $100 (OK, that C$100), but for that I get all channels except for the pr0n, including HD and multiple locations (so that includes as many receivers as I want at both home and cottage), so it isn't that bad.

Sad thing is that *I* watch about 4 hours of broadcast TV a week (House, BSG, 24 and Survivor), but it works well for the rest of the family.

yeah i was paying $100 for lots and lots of channels, so the "value" was there, but most of the stuff i watched (heroes, lost, supernatural, etc) were all on the OTA networks anyway. the only thing i miss out on is sports. everything else can be had online for free. until cable offers an ala carte thing, im sticking with no cable.

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #59 on:** March 15, 2009, 11:11:18 pm »

Quote from: pinballjim on March 15, 2009, 11:00:10 pm

Ah well, the antenna works for most stuff, and I divx the rest a season at a time.

I didn't realize that rental format was still around, especially since Circuit City is gone.

and yes I know what you were actually referring to

ChadTower · « **Reply #60 on:** March 16, 2009, 08:57:30 am »

I'm getting closer and closer to doing the same thing outside of the NFL regular season... can't really get NFL any other way, though, especially if you want to watch a team other than your local team.

shardian · « **Reply #61 on:** March 16, 2009, 09:28:01 am »

I just have digital rabbit ears and I get 15 channels. The channels cover everything that a very basic cable package would cover for free. Even if I could afford $100 on TV, I wouldn't do it. The mere thought of paying $100 a month on TV makes me sick. Just like when I had netflix, I would feel obligated and enslaved to get 'my moneys worth'.

RayB · « **Reply #62 on:** March 16, 2009, 12:11:43 pm »

I tried to ditch sat or cable. Bought a $60 VHF/UHF/HD/FM antenae and got jack all. 1 fuzzy channel.

shardian · « **Reply #63 on:** March 16, 2009, 03:23:43 pm »

Quote from: RayB on March 16, 2009, 12:11:43 pm

I tried to ditch sat or cable. Bought a $60 VHF/UHF/HD/FM antenae and got jack all. 1 fuzzy channel.

Here's the thing about the digital conversion: If you got crap before, you'll get crap now reception wise. Personally, my reception drastically improved with digital.

Oh, and store bought antennas suck. Build your own with metal coat hangers and a block of wood.

ChadTower · « **Reply #64 on:** March 16, 2009, 03:26:57 pm »

The digital signals are harder to watch with iffy reception. Where a person before could get away with a snowy pic the digital signal breaks up, pauses, skips and you can't watch it at all. You need better reception now than you did before. I'm working on that with my mother now as I just set up her converter box a couple weeks ago.

shardian · « **Reply #65 on:** March 16, 2009, 03:57:32 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on March 16, 2009, 03:26:57 pm

The digital signals are harder to watch with iffy reception. Where a person before could get away with a snowy pic the digital signal breaks up, pauses, skips and you can't watch it at all. You need better reception now than you did before. I'm working on that with my mother now as I just set up her converter box a couple weeks ago.

It's largely dependent on your distance from towers. I think eventually the government will have to step in and foot the bill for new towers.

The big downside like you said is that if you get anything below 40% or so signal, you get nothing. It's just shocking that this was not considered for emergency situation safety. In the end I think they will have no choice but to keep at least one analog signal active for emergency response.

ChadTower · « **Reply #66 on:** March 16, 2009, 04:04:16 pm »

Quote from: shardian on March 16, 2009, 03:57:32 pm

It's largely dependent on your distance from towers. I think eventually the government will have to step in and foot the bill for new towers.

I'm pretty sure my mother has the Tower thing covered. The last thing I need is for the gov't to jam its nose into making more Towers.

Ummon · « **Reply #67 on:** March 16, 2009, 05:57:42 pm »

In Europe, and definitely Asian countries, they're getting free WiFi (and the services that will succeed WiFi) for free, because the government is involved. Eventually, there may be no need to pay for service, because it'll be ubiquitous, but America will be one of the last to get there, and be dreadfully behind in ways because of it. Agencies in the government can already get at you, if necessary.

Kevin Mullins · « **Reply #68 on:** March 16, 2009, 06:58:19 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on March 16, 2009, 04:04:16 pm

Quote from: shardian on March 16, 2009, 03:57:32 pm
It's largely dependent on your distance from towers. I think eventually the government will have to step in and foot the bill for new towers.

I'm pretty sure my mother has the Tower thing covered. The last thing I need is for the gov't to jam its nose into making more Towers.

ChadTower · « **Reply #69 on:** March 16, 2009, 07:33:06 pm »

Quote from: Ummon on March 16, 2009, 05:57:42 pm

In Europe, and definitely Asian countries, they're getting free WiFi (and the services that will succeed WiFi) for free, because the government is involved.

Getting free wifi for free does sound like the way the gov't would do it.

I tried to sign up for it but the free wifi won't fit in my basement.


Main	Restorations	Software	Audio/Jukebox/MP3	Everything Else	Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements	Monitor/Video	GroovyMAME	Merit/JVL Touchscreen	Meet Up	Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing	Woodworking	Software Support Forums	Consoles	Project Arcade	Reviews
Automated Projects	Artwork	Frontend Support Forums	Pinball	Forum Discussion	Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board	controls.dat	Linux	Miscellaneous Arcade	Wiki Discussion	Old Archives
Lightguns	Arcade1Up	Try the site in https mode		Site News


Unread posts \| New Replies \| Recent posts \| Rules \| Chatroom \| Wiki \| File Repository \| RSS \| Submit news