Money
 

So, I need to make more money. $12 an hour just isn't cutting it anymore, plus at times I sort of feel like I'm an accessory to helping insurance agents steal old people's money.

I went to see this therapist that I've been seeing off and on, and I thought...I shell out $80 a pop for this b*tch to sit and nod her head and ask "How do you feel about that?" She makes $80 a bloody hour! I'm at least as smart as she is, why aren't I making that? I don't get it.

Yeah. Do you have a degree? Also, you can find cheaper therapists. Some do sliding scale for poorer people.

I don't have a degree. The issue isn't really what she charges, it's that I don't see why I shouldn't be making $80 an hour, too.

I realize that, just trying to help you out so you could keep more of the money you do make.
Also, if you had a degree you could probably make 80 dollars per hour, is why I asked that.

I ask myself this very same question. I bill out at about $115/hour and the attorney I work with bills out at about $300/hour...and I do 85% of the work. boggles my mind.

now keep in mind also that I don't see even half of what I bill out.

Well, if all she is doing is sitting there and nodding and asking how you feel about things, and you continue paying her the $80.00 an hour, clearly you are not as smart as her. ;)

You need to look at your current employment situation. It's either A: you chose a career path that happens to not pay well, but is one you enjoy, or B:the jobs that pay what you feel you would like to earn you are not qualified for.

If it's B, then you can get training in a field that will pay you what you desire.
If it's A, there isn't much you can do but decide that you prefer to have a higher earning potential more than enjoy your work.

I know a few people who don't make much, but love what they do, and they always get by and are very content. I also know a few people who make very good money and hate their jobs. They always seem stressed out and miserable. Then there is me! I have a job I don't like that much AND I don't make that much! :laugh:

Number one, if all your shrink is doing is asking you inane shrink 101 questions like that, you need a new shrink (btw I am pleased and proud you have a shrink, it just sounds like she may be subpar).

Number two, you need a new career, clearly. Have you ever taken one of those career aptitude tests ? They can be pretty illuminating. They kind of assess not only the bent of your natural talents, but what you enjoy. The first one I did in high school was spot on. If you do what you love, money usually comes, because it doesn't feel like work. You aren't too old to go back to school and start over, so do some investigating and go for it. You deserve to get what you want.:wavey:

Amen. I went back to college at 28 and now I'm 38(!) and just starting graduate school this fall. Guess what? In two years I'll get to be one of those therapists that make $80/hour! (I make $9 hour now as a barista) :nod:

Money/
 

Great quote!

In regard to money my grandpa always used to say, "it's never enough." that seems to be the case. When people start making more money they way they live changes and bam - the money STILL isn't enough.

And the doing what you love and the money comes thing...not true lol - I'm in public radio - the money will never come (ok - unless I become some bigshot national host). :laugh:

^ Exactly. It's never enough.

But, I do agree that money can't buy happiness. I'm not saying I'd be really happy if I were poor, what I mean is that I know I'd making a lot more than I am now if I worked in a hospital. I also know that I'd be miserable, tired, cranky & wouldn't have much time to spend with friends & family. So screw that, I'd rather be careful with my money. :shrug:

^^
And exactly! I could make more money in commercial radio - but I know I'd be miserable. I worked in commercial radio for over a year and it was just the worst experience.

So I'm sticking it out in public radio, where I agree with and respect the policies and ethics :D

It sucks sometimes to have to be so tight and careful with money - but I like what I do and that is worth a lot to me.

Very interesting. I'm 35 and I dont have a degree either, and my career results have definitely suffered because of it. That is no one's fault but my own, since no one is forcing me to go or not go to school. I guess I lived a pretty sheltered life where I disnt start fending for myself until not too long ago. I'm not a terribly materialistic person though, I dont need that much to be happy.

Lord Child - it is as my mother always says:

Money cannot buy you happiness, but it sure can make you suffer in comfort :cool:

Yeah I can remember when I had more than I do now, I used to love indulging in those really nice steakhouse meals. One of my little indulgences.

I think, for me, the thing about money is to use it to make you happy. I mean if you work for it, then you get to spend it how you want once you take care of all the necessities.

For example, a good friend just bought a four bedroom house in some gated community in the burbs. To me, that would be a living hell. So, I spent roughly the same amount of money awhile back and bought a small condo directly in the city. I love condo living. So, it is all about your reality and what it takes to make you happy.

I'm sure it's a great feeling for someone who has worked hard to be able to enjoy the spoils of their work. I see no problem in that.

Oh Child, I do too - but, that is fightin talk for the crazies around here :laugh:

I mean it seriously bothers me not one bit that some rich guy gives his daughter a $10 million birthday party. It is his money. Would I do it. Probably not. So, I say, take care of the necessities and spend your money how you like and do not give a fukc what someone thinks about it and don't judge others for how they spend their money. That concept is WAY to hard for most if not almost all people to get, esp. when it comes to the really rich :laugh: Yet, when the camera is turned on the one judging and the fat in their spending, it is a different story :rolleyes:

Here's the way I look at it. This is just me mind you, but what good is it going to do me personally by being angry at someone that has more than I do? nothing. I just try to be happy with what I have and not worry so much about others.

I don't begrudge anyone anything they've earned. My problem with that guy (since you keep bringing it up, Mary :cool: ) is the excessive spoiling of his daughter. I mean, for all I know, she'll have to pay her own way through school & he makes her scrub all the toilets in their house. :shrug: But I'd lean more toward the idea that she'll have no respect for money, or how to work hard & earn it, or for those who make less of it. I hope I'm wrong.

Absolutely. You make a very good point too Paula. It's all about balance I guess.

I agree and were she some sort of celebrity, we maybe could find out a la the Olsens, who, according to the docs on them, were not totally spoined, at least by LA standards :laugh:

I know billionaires who are nice to everyone. I know middle class people who treat the housekeeper they can barely afford like a slave. So, I think it is just some people are a$$holes and some are not and that is not really determined by how much money you make. I mean who here has never once ever thought bad things about a person in a lower incomne bracket - or at least joked amongst their peers about those people. I know of no one :shrug:

I disagree. Unless I had to work too hard for it. :laugh:

I can't really think of money in the same terms right now, because of the encore presentation of Oprah I watched last night, and various other things, where kids are starving and dying and have no medical care in several parts of the world - say, because of the drought this year. I mean, cool if you want to give your daughter a 10 bazillion dollar birthday party, I just think you're an a-hole. I dig what bill gates and others are doing, trying to end world poverty in our lifetimes. And, apparently, it's possible. I just think we're at the point, globally, and resource wise, where we can't live our lives unconsciously anymore. Sadly, as I see here, most people don't think that, and more importantly, only a small percentage of people with huge amounts of excess resources think that way, and it's totally anethema to the way most americans have been raised to think.
I get all your guy's points, I just think there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we think about resources asap.

On the contrary - I think people ought to give as mnuch time and money as they can. I just think that all of my plane tickets and expenses around the US to see FM probably could have fed and clothed a small family in a poor nation. Am I a bad person for that. If I use the same standard as me judging the birthday party people, then yes, I am :shrug: So, I say, do all you can and then live a little.

I don't think splurging while others are starving makes someone a bad person...if they're also making some sort of effort to do good with what they have.

People like Paris Hilton infuriate me - all this money and absolutely no good done with it. Hell take ten percent of your shoe budget and give it to starving kids or the homeless - but when people are completely self-absorbed I think it's sad and I do tend to find that jerkish.

I knew I'd hear from you. :p I agree logically, but in actuality, birthday party guy is being much more wasteful than you are. Live a little is awesome. But I think as a society we should be evolving towards thinking that 10 bazillion dollar parties are wasteful. No one really wins when there is such a huge disparity between rich and poor. And if we don't address these problems now, it will get worse, and we will all be the worse for it.
I mainly have issues with how americans are taught that it is important, and okay, and fulfilling, to consume as much as possible, things we don't need, at the expense of other countries, the environment, and even our own people. I'm not talking about your trips, I'm talking about the nature of the thinking of an entire country. And no, I don't mean we should never buy anything, and all live in huts. But you can be a conscious consumer, still have everything you need, and live a full and happy life - and even have fun. :p Again, not speaking of your trips.
We've had this convo before, and I don't think we'll ever have the same perspective on the nature of consumption. Which is fine. I'm just saying.

Just out of curiosity - how do you know how Paris Hilton spends her money other than what gets reported. For all we know, she could give to many charities. In fact, many stars create charities :shrug:

That is why, in the end, I say take care of myself and not worry about some person and my unsupportable notions of how they spend all of their money.

On edit - here is a site stating what Hilton Hotels does http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en...U2VCQKIYFC3UUC Granted, that is not Paris herself donating, but it is the soruce, I think, of her money. So, maybe she takes less by contract to support this corporate philanthropy - certainly that is the effect :shrug:

I know what you mean, and for all we know she gives a gazillion dollars to the homeless. But why not tell people about it? She has no problem publicizing herself as a snotty rich bitch, but she doesn't want to "show off" being generous? It's the whole "I'm rich, everyone loves me, my dog has a $100,000 diamond collar" but no mention of any charity work or her feelings about cancer that bugs me.

I'm just using her as an example. Many stars who donate or start charities - there is proof - a paper trail or some publicity on it. On Paris? Nothing - so unless someone comes to me with proof that she's doing at least one iota of good with her money - I'll find her useless.

I am aware that there are many wealthy people who also choose to do things anonamously - I seriously doubt Paris is one of those - but again, if someone wants to prove me wrong then please do - I would LOVE to hear that she's not just wasting space.

Ah - just saw the Hilton article - still doesn't really help me on my view of her :p

again, I was just sort of using her as an example. So I guess I should have just made a blanket statement more along the lines of: anyone who has oodles and oodles of money yet does NOTHING good with it, is in my opinion a jerk.

I agree! :cool:

Oh how I wish that were true :rolleyes: :distress: :)

That's about all you can do without going nuts. It's all good and well to think that the world should evolve into some kind of utopia where we put the environment and the poor into our thinking and have them on our list of priorities. Human beings, by and large, however, are gluttons. Gimme gimme gimme. Some aren't, but lots are.

It is great to do all the things we can do to that end in our own conduct. Support companies that are responsible and thougtful in their business practices, and make personal decisions you can live with. That's what I do.

Ahh, there is nothing like comparative therapy. Or in this case, comparative guilt therapy. Though I try to be understanding, my cynical reaction to stories about poverty and famine is to wonder why the hell people with nothing continue to breed so recklessly.

I tend to agree. In fact, as a youngin in High School - I suggested that we make it so the people in these poor nations could have sex but not breed a la some sort of Norplant device inserted by law at age 13 :eek: Needless to say, the Christian Brothers were unamused :laugh: :rolleyes:

But, seriously, the right wingers will NEVER allow birth control to be given out as part of our aid and these people may not know any better. So, that is that.

Yes, that is always my first reaction. I always think "some of that goddamned money sent anywhere, including here, better be going for free birth control and abortions". It makes me sick that those things are still taboo in many parts of the world, in many people's minds. It's like a form of human retardation, to me. It really infuriates me.

But I still know that americans waste incredible amounts of food and resources, and claim as necessity things that are not. For instance, how many resources are wasted and landfills filled with happy meal toys? No one, no kid, needs that. Let alone a kid should not be eating at McDonalds.
So I can't be totally cynical. It's pretty disgusting the way we, on average, live. And clearly, most of us think that is fine. Which I find frightening.

Forget the people in poor nations - I think EVERYONE should be sterilized young and then if you want to reproduce you should have to meet certain requirements. Namely - can you SUPPORT yourself AND a kid? Are you addicted to one or more illegal substances? Are you violent?

:D

You have my vote.:blob1:

And actually, a large part of my point, which is proved here, is that even very well educated people don't know the ramifications of their consumption, or alternate but fairly equal better alternatives to their consumption, and don't put much effort, if any, into finding out. Thus, the American mindset I am speaking of. Living and consuming unconsciously, and being okay with that.
It isn't something our society values in learning, or thinks is important. In fact, our whole society teaches people the opposite, that consumption is a desireable end in itself, and the more you buy, the better you'll be, and the better your life will be. And that is where the paradigm shift needs to happen.

AMEN SISTAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!