Dramatic Downsizing - Dafuq Do I Doit?

[troyguitar]

I just want to save enough money so that I can quit working and focus on muzak with a side of simulator racing.

The biggest issue I have in life is that the best music scenes only exist in crowded metro areas where you need to be rich to live. For music that I like, NYC is number one globally by far. Paris is probably number two, then London and maybe L.A.

The other LA has a rocking poverty music scene

Just grab your banjo.

One of these years I'll head down and check it out. There must be at least some less touristy places focused more on music than entertaining mardi gras folks while cosplaying Gambit, mon ami.

I'm mainly talking about places where world-class but lesser-known acts regularly show up and play in non-stadium venues, those only really exist in NYC and L.A. in this country i.e. the Blue Note or Iridium in NYC. Les Paul played every week at the Iridium for 20 years, you cannot get that kind of experience anywhere else in the world.

[Acid666]

The other LA has a rocking poverty music scene

Just grab your banjo.

I had to double take this comment because there's a local band named "The Other LA", and my god they suck. It's an 18 year old girl who sings and her dad that basically sponsors the band. She's got Aspergers and it's ALL they talk about in interviews and local magazine articles. They play crappy Pop-Punk kinds of shit, alternative 90's style of rock... And they play Evanescence's "Bring me back to life" or whatever it is EVERY DAMN SHOW.
They went on a "tour", which consisted of like, 6 shows over the course of a couple of weeks. Basically playing to the same empty venues as they would be playing for here in Louisiana.... And make it sound like it's some crazy awesome experience. But us older guys know that you're likely barely even making gas money, and it's all just funded by daddy. Booking an out of state tour is worthless if you haven't got the fan base to do it.

I'm bitter about the music scene. I'm pretty honest about my hate for it. My wife gets on me for it, but I don't back down when I say I just don't like shitty music and/or shitty musicians. Sorry not sorry.

[D Griff]

I know a few who are in grad school or masters. One (my cousin) ended up teaching and only making $2k a month, started with a job at some preschool where she ended up driving kids so all that money for that???

She finished her undergrad in psychology then she wanted to do teaching, so she ended up doing 2 masters (second as a requirement). Reasons like this is why not graduating on time is not THAT big of a deal, depending on the individuals future desires.

The funny thing about a masters in Education, at least here in Louisiana, is that it will cost you about $21-25K total for that. The pay is public so when you look it up, you see that someone teaching with a Masters is only making maybe $1-2K more per year as opposed to someone with just a regular ole B.S. That would take you 10-20 years to pretty much recoup that cost and make it profitable.
Unless you intend to use it for other purposes.

Man... My gf is in education and it can be very obnoxious hanging out with people from that world. All they do is bitch and moan about being broke and how hard it is when a) they could've looked up exactly what they'd get paid before ever pursuing that career and b) based on the months they actually work, they make more than the average monthly household income on average here.

[D Griff]

Also, I followed my dreams and got a music degree and now I sit in a cubicle and sell networking and AV equipment on the phone.

I'm in a position like 's girlfriend where I want to figure out what the hell to do with my life, but unfortunately I have to keep doing this while I figure that out because I need the money.

I don't know how people do this job over the long haul though...

[dubshow]

Also, I followed my dreams and got a music degree and now I sit in a cubicle and sell networking and AV equipment on the phone.

I'm in a position like 's girlfriend where I want to figure out what the hell to do with my life, but unfortunately I have to keep doing this while I figure that out because I need the money.

I don't know how people do this job over the long haul though...

similar feels. Was going to change the world via architecture and design.

reality:

[goIftdibrad]

Also, I followed my dreams and got a music degree and now I sit in a cubicle and sell networking and AV equipment on the phone.

I'm in a position like 's girlfriend where I want to figure out what the hell to do with my life, but unfortunately I have to keep doing this while I figure that out because I need the money.

I don't know how people do this job over the long haul though...

similar feels. Was going to change the world via architecture and design.

reality:

Americans: we want pretty, well designed, energy efficient structures!

also Americans: Fuck paying 4 dollars a square foot extra now even though its pays itself back over 3 years of energy use.

[dubshow]

similar feels. Was going to change the world via architecture and design.

reality:

Americans: we want pretty, well designed, energy efficient structures!

also Americans: Fuck paying 4 dollars a square foot extra now even though its pays itself back over 3 years of energy use.

accurate.

just the entire design business as a whole. it needs to implode and be reborn.

[D Griff]

Also, I followed my dreams and got a music degree and now I sit in a cubicle and sell networking and AV equipment on the phone.

I'm in a position like 's girlfriend where I want to figure out what the hell to do with my life, but unfortunately I have to keep doing this while I figure that out because I need the money.

I don't know how people do this job over the long haul though...

similar feels. Was going to change the world via architecture and design.

reality:

I was an idiot to leave a job I loved... I mean, not being on the road all of the time is certainly really nice in a lot of ways, but man, I miss all of that a lot.

I'm going to have dinner with my old boss tomorrow night, the Bang Bus is in Charlotte... feels weird man.

[wap]

Exactly right. Blasting straight through school does you no favors. I also found that I think I got more out of grad school being able to apply actual real world experience to the education process.

My company hired a bunch of people in a rotational program straight out of grad school. Most have zero experience outside of school and from my experience have proven to be worthless. Company axed the program as part of restructuring, which speaks volumes to their actual value.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for higher education. But I know of a few people who went that route, straight thru and ended up working in their field and hating it. Masters in Education? Have you tried working and teaching a class and not as an understudy for another teacher for what, 5 or 6 weeks? One girl I knew did that, got into teaching high school and quit 2 months later and said she realized she didn't want to teach at all after doing it. Shit. Get your degree, go find work, then decide if you want to go for more education. Unless you're in some specialized degrees where you have to have a BS in Psych or something like that and then you pick your main area of study after to further pinpoint your final destination.
After getting my career in check, I became more of an advocate for the Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs guy) style of thinking where tech schools are great foundations for tons of really good jobs and careers. In a country that over endorsed higher education, you over saturate the market with educated people with zero experience who don't want to take those good paying middle class jobs because they worked and studied for the big jobs.... But they don't exist because there's not enough of them going around, and the baby boomers in those positions aren't retiring to free them up.

[troyguitar]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

[dubshow]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

request the tweety bird be painted back onto the front door.

[troyguitar]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

request the tweety bird be painted back onto the front door.

That's the next door which is conveniently not shown in pictures because it's falling apart. Shithole city is mostly a shithole.

This one looks kind of OK but you literally have no parking available, the street parking in front of the is handicapped reserved for some reason.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/158- ... lpage=true

This one has parking but you need to park on alternating sides of the street each night. Can't park on the side 4 nights a week, can't park on the opposite side the other 3 nights.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/10-E ... lpage=true

Even a $120k still would likely end up costing more than the $1200 apartment all-in, not counting capital-intense maintenance/improvements - all with zero upside because housing doesn't appreciate up there.

[MexicanYarisTK]

The first one looks other than parking. The second is

[Desertbreh]

The funny thing about a masters in Education, at least here in Louisiana, is that it will cost you about $21-25K total for that. The pay is public so when you look it up, you see that someone teaching with a Masters is only making maybe $1-2K more per year as opposed to someone with just a regular ole B.S. That would take you 10-20 years to pretty much recoup that cost and make it profitable.
Unless you intend to use it for other purposes.

Man... My gf is in education and it can be very obnoxious hanging out with people from that world. All they do is bitch and moan about being broke and how hard it is when a) they could've looked up exactly what they'd get paid before ever pursuing that career and b) based on the months they actually work, they make more than the average monthly household income on average here.

There is a way, if you are careful about it, to crush both salary and retirement in the teacher ranks, you just have to research the school district you are entering. I have a cousin who started teaching in Omaha at age 24, he maxed out his retirement and pay in one district, and is now double dipping in another and loves his work. When he was a young man and making young man wages, doe, he painted houses in the summer to bring up his annual income, even though he actually had to work year round. (The horror!).

Conversely, I have a :millenial: niece who is working in Orange County. Because she was raised in Orange County, she of course is entitled to live and stay there for the rest of her life despite her lowly starting teacher's wages. After driving my sister in law out of her mind whilst living with them (after graduating with a master's in education) because my brother in law faciliated that and was never going to make her grow up, what happened? They have her a down payment so she could move out and get a condo. Side note, she is hotter than a thousand nuclear explosions, but that really has nothing to do with the story. What pisses me off about this story, and I'm sure Chris can relate, is that what happens when you can't afford to buy a house in California with your chose profession's starting wages? Do you move to Omaha? To Baton Rouge? No breh.
Living with strange people with snowblowers or airboats? UNIMAGINABLE. Get that handout from the parents instead.

[Desertbreh]

similar feels. Was going to change the world via architecture and design.

reality:

I was an idiot to leave a job I loved... I mean, not being on the road all of the time is certainly really nice in a lot of ways, but man, I miss all of that a lot.

I'm going to have dinner with my old boss tomorrow night, the Bang Bus is in Charlotte... feels weird man.

No you weren't. You are still too young, unwed, and crotchfruit free to make mistakes that are for keeps. You just jumped over to some greener grass and maybe it's looking a little brown right now. This will help crystallize exactly what is important to you in terms of future employment and what, precisely, you are willing to accept in the pay vs. work satisfaction continuum.

[Desertbreh]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

Troybro I've got some concerns about this move. I would strongly consider getting into every hockey league you can find. Do you ski? This would be an inexpensive area to learn.
Also a lot of naked twister with the Mrs. Also, it looks like the fishing in the area would be pretty outstanding. New hobby?

[Desertbreh]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

[SAWCE]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

Woah.. I've been charged for a medium drink or whatever if I asked for water when ordering a full meal, but I've never asked for just a water cup and have them charge me like that. That's some BS and I would have drove off with out the food and without paying and gone somewhere else.

[troyguitar]

This place has a McDonald's in the back yard.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/79-W ... lpage=true

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

You have to actually read the menu and order carefully to get value at fast food places.

https://www.kfc.com/menu/5-fill-ups/thr ... ers-fillup

[Desertbreh]

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

Woah.. I've been charged for a medium drink or whatever if I asked for water when ordering a full meal, but I've never asked for just a water cup and have them charge me like that. That's some BS and I would have drove off with out the food and without paying and gone somewhere else.

I was fking starving. That's why I pulled in in the first place.

[SAWCE]

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

You have to actually read the menu and order carefully to get value at fast food places.

https://www.kfc.com/menu/5-fill-ups/thr ... ers-fillup

I just don't love KFC, so I'd rather take my $5 to Taco Bell and get one of their $5 boxes, or just 5 beefy frito burritos or something else off the dollar menu.

[Desertbreh]

Also, completely off topic fast food rant. Stopped at my first fast food drive through in months.....KFC. Ordered three "Little Chickens"...or whatever they are called.....fried chicken sliders. They were 1.90 each (really?). Then I ordered a cup of water. Not fking bottled water, a cup of water. Got to the drive through window, they wanted 8.75 or some such. I said dafuq, I ordered three $1.90 items and a cup of water, how can that be 8.75?.....a "cup" of tap water is a medium sized drink that they charge $2.47 for. I told her that was ridiculous. :Millenial: teenage fast food worker gave no fucks about my opinion.

Here it is fellas.

1. Almost $10 for a mediocre fast foot meal?
2. I will never set foot in KFC again.

You have to actually read the menu and order carefully to get value at fast food places.

https://www.kfc.com/menu/5-fill-ups/thr ... ers-fillup

Perhaps but all that shit they are giving me outside of the chicken is 100% beetus fuel.

[troyguitar]

You have to actually read the menu and order carefully to get value at fast food places.

https://www.kfc.com/menu/5-fill-ups/thr ... ers-fillup

Perhaps but all that shit they are giving me outside of the chicken is 100% beetus fuel.

Calories per dollar

Anything under 400 cal/$ is territory.

[troyguitar]

This actually seems kind of OK and the taxes are "only" $4500/year instead of $7000 because it's on the other side of the river, but it's close enough to still be pretty much walking distance to stuff.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/27-H ... lpage=true

No AC though so add a full $10k in cash flushed down the drain on top of it already being one of the most expensive and nicest places in the area, so you'll never see that money back on resale.

Among 14830 homes, this home is 34.6% more expensive than the midpoint (median) home, and is priced 20.5% more per square foot.

[Desertbreh]

This actually seems kind of OK and the taxes are "only" $4500/year instead of $7000 because it's on the other side of the river, but it's close enough to still be pretty much walking distance to stuff.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/27-H ... lpage=true

No AC though so add a full $10k in cash flushed down the drain on top of it already being one of the most expensive and nicest places in the area, so you'll never see that money back on resale.

Among 14830 homes, this home is 34.6% more expensive than the midpoint (median) home, and is priced 20.5% more per square foot.

Just buy a couple of window units and say fuck it. You would only use them 2 months out of the year.