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Location: Fort Worth, TX | My credit limit started out a paltry $300 which I ran up quickly replacing an iPod I couldn't exist without after losing my first one. I paid it off in three payments, thereby skipping interest payments. Just was notified my credit limit is now $1,700 and anything paid within a year is interest free.This is the finance end of PayPal and eBay. Now, I can watch for the best Ovation to snag up and know I can get it! I'll be back in the fold in no time. The two luthier built guitars, a maple/Adi OM and a Rosewood/select Sitka dread 12 fretter slothead I got from him have me set for life on guitars. But I'm a product of the 70's and MUST have an Ovation to play, if only to get the authentic sound of so much of my musical heroes back then who en mass showed up with O's at their concerts. The guitar life is good y'all. |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | $1700 ought to get you something nice. That sweet 83 Elite on the bay would set you back just a little over 1/2 of your limit. You'd have money left over to buy a Viper solid body even. Good luck on your hunt. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Dave. Please provide to us your credit score, annual income, and your sleep number so we can get a better picture of your situation... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Money for noth'in... |
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Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia | MWoody - 2014-05-10 1:15 AM
Money for noth'in...
... and the chicks are free!
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I remember when we couldn't get a credit card for anything but gas stations and Sears. Since I couldn't buy a suit for my first job at a gas station, I got one at Sears. We went from that to everyone having more credit cards than they could carry and paying off one with the other. Just save up and pay cash for any depreciating asset (which is most anything). |
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Location: Tennessee |
Just get a bunch of credit cards, get the limits way up, and go on a shopping spree for all the guitars and gear you've always wanted. Then just BK your way out of all the debt. The government will cover all the losses for the banks. You'll have a great collection at no cost to you. It's the American Way.
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Location: Jet City | This past month i paid off my last card. The Chevy's paid off, and all that's left are some student loans for the kids.
It's a good feeling not having that over your head. Un-American as it may be. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Why do we parents have student loans for our kids? Did our parents do that? Mine didn't. Fortunately for me, tuition was way cheaper then. It has far outpaced the cost of living since. Also, fortunately for me, both kids got great scholarships so the oldest had no student debt and got a job right out of college and the youngest paid off her loans within 6 months of graduating from 7 years of private school. We did help, but didn't incur any debt. Just like getting a big raise when the kids graduated and got jobs. Then we paid off the mortgage. Having no debt is just like making money. Now to downsize and retire to my guitar room, assuming I still have one when we downsize. |
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Location: closely held secret | Mark, I was just thinking about that the other day. Tuition was much lower up till the 50's and 60's. Then they started 'guilting' parents into providing for their kids college (it's your responsibility, dontcha know). Once that huge middle-income pocket was available, tuition started skyrocketing. Most of the ivy league schools have 'scholarship' fund in the billions, but barely touch them. |
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Location: Texas | An additional part of skyrocketing tuition is the kids are able to get student loans, if they have a pulse. College has nothing to do with Education...it is just another way to generate revenue for tenure, president houses and stadiums, that show off multimillion dollar coaches. |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | To make matters worse, a bachelors degree today is the equivalent of a high school diploma as far as getting a job is concerned. Employers want experience instead of a piece of paper that said you took some classes and went to keggers 3 nights a week. Our younger kids today lack trade skills. Some of the best paying and highest demand fields are in the trades. Electricians, carpenters, cabinet makers, LUTHIERS, HVAC, auto mechanics, and on an on. The average young adult doesn't know how to even change a tire, use a tape measure or read a map. I can only hope (and will encourage) my children pass on college and pick up a trade. I can't imagine in 20 years what it will be like, you won't be able to ship your central A/C to china to be repaired. I grew up without a TV so I spent my childhood outside keeping myself busy. My parents had 4 kids and we didn't have a lot of dough, my dad had to fix everything himself and all of us learned to become skilled with our hands to stretch a buck! |
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Location: Flahdaw | Interior wood shutter installers here in Florida can make $75 grand a year with a high school education. But try to find a kid interested in learning the trade.
Yeah, HVAC techs can make good money too, no college necessary, but usually a trade school. |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | A good friend of mine is An HVAC tech on industrial cooling systems, Makes well over $100K with OT. Not bad for a HS Education and 1 year of tech school. Of course $100K doesn't get ya too much here in CT with a family. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | danomyte - 2014-05-10 3:41 AM
Employers want experience instead of a piece of paper that said you took some classes and went to keggers 3 nights a week.
Not sure where you are, but that's not the case with anyone I know on either coast, and not in the tech fields.
All too often I got the "wow.. would be great as you certainly have the experience AND with your accomplishments, but we don't hire people without a degree" Thank you... take care... buh-bye..
As far as the trades go... I guess if you're into that... but I know a lot of tradesmen and women and non of them are pulling down 6 figure incomes.
That's what really scared me about the folks in New Hartford. I really feel for the guys that have been there a long time, but not long enough to retire, but long enough to have learned their trade on-the-job with no degree. I really feel for them and wish them the best.
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Location: Flahdaw | mileskb - 2014-05-10 9:21 AM
As far as the trades go... I guess if you're into that...
Damn...THAT was a rather smug remark |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm into it, I'm just not any good at it. I admire a skilled tradesman, but I agree that a lot of younger people don't seem to be into learning a trade and it's not a good default. Who wants a mechanic to work on your car because he wasn't any good at school and couldn't find a job anywhere else? On the other hand, who wants a lawyer who is doing it because he wasn't any good at woodworking or guitar playing? I know I could have stopped at "who wants a lawyer . . . ?"
I think danomyte has a good point about focusing on trades that can't be shipped overseas, like most manufacturing, but trades do require a lot of schooling and/or apprenticeship. My nephew went to auto mechanic school for 2 years and got a decent job right afterward, but then bought a house, motorcycle, wrecked the motorcycle and his arm, didn't get his school loans paid off, never got a raise and got tired of his job. He went back to aircraft mechanic school for 2 more years and has a good job waiting this month. He had to have the schooling to get certified to get the job he has and spent a lot on tools. Whether he'd be better off getting a Bachelor's degree instead of 4 years of trade school, I don't know. His parents weren't able to support him like we did ours, but the thing that really set him back was the lack of insurance for his motorcycle accident. Having the benefits from a good job can be as important as the salary. I am looking forward to him moving back so he can work on my cars. |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | CT is a fickle state that's for sure. In my experience over the past 20+ working years I have worked in Manufacturing & Information Technology, never once was I asked what my degree was in or what my GPA was when I graduated. In the Mid 90's I applied for a job at Ovation as a Production Supervisor and was turned down due to the "lack of experience" as I was told, same goes for a spring manufacturer as well a year later. Unfortunately in the mid 90's CT had a massive manufacturing sector death due to military cut backs and companies leaving the state for more attractive tax breaks than CT had to offer. Fortunately I had very strong self taught computers skills and was hired as a support tech at a publishing company. Again in my case it came down to what I could do and not what my degree said on it, which happened to be manufacturing. I certainly enjoy the IT profession and never looked back on manufacturing. Not too long ago I hired a tech with just a high school diploma but 10 years of self taught IT support under his belt. He hit the ground running and I didn't have to spend a ton of time training him. Best guy I ever hired to date, and he show up on time every day which is something I have had a hard time getting with kids in their 20's these days. Good tradesmen around here make serious dough, electricians, carpenters, masons, and auto techs. A good solid auto tech can make 55-60K around here in just 5 years. Not too bad I don't think. Mark I hope your nephew bounces back. He could always go the service manager or service rep route since he knows the nomenclature of autos and how to repair them. Best of luck to him. |
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Location: Jet City | dano, it depends on where you want to work.
If you're good with working at "Larry and Bob's Wholesale Cars For Less" as their IT guy, well you're probably fine with experience and no paper.
If you want a real IT gig, in an enterprise environment, at a place like Google, well... You not only have to have a degree, but you have to have a GPA that meets their standards. AND those GPA requirements vary depending on the school's rep. Some get lucky. I have a friend that never graduated high school who's a Sr System Engineer at Google. But that happened a long time ago, and he was lucky enough to have been in there as a contractor to prove his worth.
The big issue is when there are multiple qualified people up for the same role. No faces have been seen, no words have been spoken, just a piece of paper in the manager's hands. One guy has the exact experience he's looking for. 5 others have the exact experience too... AND a 4 year degree.
That first guy might be the best dude, but guess what, they'll never know, cuz they're going to pick the best 3, interview, and make their decision from there.
It all depends on where you live too. $55-60k is well below poverty in this zip code. But hey, budget yourself... a little Burger King Value menu, some Meister Brau... the good life can be yours I suppose.
Edited by Damon67 2014-05-10 12:46 PM
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Location: Taxed To Death State | Dang 55-60 below poverty? I thought CT was bad. Wow. I'll stick with Subway and the BK diet. Save the rest for buying guitars. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Seattle's crazy. Our daughter is looking at a first house at over $300,000 for a little over 900 square feet and that's quite a ways south. Here that will get you a new house twice the size and half the distance from downtown. I doubt $55-60k is really poverty level in Seattle, but it won't leave you much for a monthly payment. |
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Location: Jet City | CT is bad down south closer to the big city.
55-60k might not be poverty but here in 98004 the median is $92,244 |
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Location: Canada | damon67 - 2014-05-10 4:11 PM
CT is bad down south closer to the big city.
55-60k might not be poverty but here in 98004 the median is $92,244
Is that personal or household median? |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | Median @ $92K? Dang, but it's all relative I suppose. $300K for a 900 sq/ft house is crazy. That's in the hood for what I paid for 2000 Sq/ft and 1 acre. Of course I'm in the slums of my town, next street over the houses start at $750K. Eh....who cares, as long as you are happy an healthy, that's all that matters. Have a near death experience and your priorities will change real quick. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | And here in the southern Black Hills you can get a 900 sq/ft house for around 10 thousand. If you want to spend 300 thousand you can get a really nice house on 40 acres.
Of couse the best paying jobs MIGHT get you $15 an hour if you're really lucky. Around here anything over $10 an hour is considered good money. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Well, I think things in the US of A are gonna change pretty fast over the next decade or two.....not for the better. Our kids are f**k*d, unfortunately.... |
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Location: Colorado | Nice life there too Allison...it costs a lot more to be near the "hubs". Winter can be a little testy though...But the views are great...and you are close to a big city...guitars pretty much sound the same there too. |
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Location: Jet City | I assume it's household.
Estimated median house/condo value in 2011:
98004:
$792,300
Rest of Washington:
$256,300
Found info from 2004 on AGIs:
Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2004: $162,913 (Individual Income Tax Returns)
Here: $162,913
State: $54,331
It's a bit ridiculous here. Should be noted that Bill Gates lives in our zip too. That' probably raises the average a bit. |
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Location: Texas | And on the other side of the tracks....
Estimated median household income in 2011: $37,991 (it was $32,361 in 2000)
Canyon: $37,991
Texas: $49,392
Estimated per capita income in 2011: $21,550
Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $128,434 (it was $84,800 in 2000)
Canyon: $128,434
Texas: $127,700
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Location: Jet City | I work from home for the most part. All I need is phone and an internet connection.
I really should just move. I struggle here, but I could live like a friggin king over in Alison's neighborhood. And I hear it's beautiful out there in them parts.
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Location: Taxed To Death State | Couldn't agree with you more Damon. I wonder what I'm doing here in CT still. I can do my job over VPN as well so I could in theory move anywhere. We love the Carolina's, I think that's where we may end up someday. Maybe Fitch will let me play his 68 DB if we move there! |
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Location: Flahdaw | Sarasota may not be the highest OR the lowest, but at least we have THIS... 
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Location: south east Michigan | 
Maybe not this way year 'round, but to to bad either. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | No place is perfect. And if it was, you wouldn't want to be there because everybody else would as well.
1. Find a good balance
2. Live within your means
3. Be happy
4. And FTFF |
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Location: Texas | LOL...Amarillo has this...All year!
Edited by jay 2014-05-11 11:10 AM
 (all year.jpg)
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 all year.jpg (81KB - 0 downloads)
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Location: NW Washington State | Since I'm no longer a high-tech guy, I can't afford to live down in Damon's neighborhood. But we do have nice sunsets... 
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Location: Jet City | darkbarguitar - 1964-05-10 3:35 PM Well, I think things in the US of A are gonna change pretty fast over the next decade or two.....not for the better. Our kids are f**k*d, unfortunately.... I changed the date on your quote as I'm sure the same words were uttered then.
Edited by Damon67 2014-05-11 1:17 PM
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | I like sunsets too... Gulf Shores, AL.
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Standingovation - 2014-05-11 9:03 AM
No place is perfect. And if it was, you wouldn't want to be there because everybody else would as well.
I almost agree, because I think for most people and places that's true. I found the perfect place for me. I can't think of anyplace better, and no place I would rather be. Most folks around here feel the same. But if you notice I never really tell people where I am. 
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Location: NW Washington State | mileskb - 2014-05-11 1:55 PM
But if you notice I never really tell people where I am.
You're in the giant metropolis to the east where there's lots of shopping! Gotta make another trip to Costco soon...
Back to the original topic, I see that eBay is now offering me $15 instead of $10 to try Bill Me Later. Soon I'll be able to buy an Applause!
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Location: Flahdaw | damon67 - 2014-05-11 2:16 PM
I changed the date on your quote as I'm sure the same words were uttered then.
Anyone who is optimistic about the future of this country's economy is just not paying careful enough attention to trends. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I keep getting those offers too...
Maybe I should buy an Adamas, then move. 
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Poverty consists not of the decrease of one possessions but rather in the increase of one's greed?? |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | numbfingers - 2014-05-11 2:23 PM
mileskb - 2014-05-11 1:55 PM
But if you notice I never really tell people where I am.
You're in the giant metropolis to the east where there's lots of shopping! Gotta make another trip to Costco soon...
Back to the original topic, I see that eBay is now offering me $15 instead of $10 to try Bill Me Later. Soon I'll be able to buy an Applause!
One thing I found about Bill Me Later is that no matter what the credit limit is they give you first you can exceed it on a purchase by up to a few hundred dollars and they will still cover it. So far I've made two purchases at the no interest if paid in full within 12 months offer. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | "Home is where the wine is." - Michael Caine 
Edited by MWoody 2014-05-15 8:00 AM
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Location: big island | davekell:
One thing I found about Bill Me Later is that no matter what the credit limit is they give you first you can exceed it on a purchase by up to a few hundred dollars and they will still cover it. So far I've made two purchases at the no interest if paid in full within 12 months offer.
it's not a "limit", it's a goal.
Edited by lanaki 2014-05-19 10:34 PM
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