My first job when I was 14 paid 5.25 in 2007. A forty hour week brought less than $200. I should have cut lawns.
My college expenses were so far out of the ballpark compared to everyone here, I will not get into it much except to say I was able to graduate with a total debt of $189.00.That was a loan from my wife's grandmother for airfare to get her back to Tennessee so we could get married. Neither of us had a car. I had an academic scholarship to UT which helped plus my parents and I both had saved for it. Tuition was dirt cheap at that time (class of '70). If I remember correctly it was $110 per quarter for in-state students. Keep in mind my first job out of school paid $10,000 per year, and was one of the highest paying ones of others I graduated with. I had a total of five offers, and the next best paid $7200/yr. My daughter graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2004, and Illinois State in 2006 with her masters. She had zero debt and her first job paid $35K in 2007 as a teacher in the Chicago area. Starting salary today there is well over $40K. She had full scholarships at both schools, plus a monthly stipend of $600/mo for a graduate assistant. So you can graduate from college without serious debt if you are either smart enough or talented enough, and financial planning was possible by your parents.
Actually have been n N. Bama several times. Two or three times a year for about six years. For $55 K straight out of college I would probably take it.
I made money in undergrad. GI Bill baby. Also, when I got out, I wrote all my reps about Mass giving out free money per semester to Vets. I informed my reps that it was a crying shame that Mass was doing better than red white and blue Tennessee. Two semesters later, Tennessee had a Vet grant of $1,000 per semester, on top of the MGIB. So I cashed in on that and pocketed the difference between tuition and my monthly payment of $1,400 from the GI Bill, the grant, and a scholarship or two. I also bought a car... so, thanks tax payers.
I don't know that I earned it--but I definitely got it. I mean, all I really had to do was run good when I was stateside and stay alive when I wasn't. Two things I'm naturally good at. So earned? Nah.
Just got around to reading this last night. Now that's a rant! Reading this made me thankful for the way my parents raised me. Taught me the value of working hard for everything I have in life.
That's why I get up and go to work every morning instead of taking disability. I owe mom and dad a huge debt for instilling that in me.
There's a lot that drives me, but the biggest thing is that my Dad has busted his ass all his life so my brother and I could have better opportunities than he did. I'll never lose sight of that, the only way I can repay him is to the same for my kids.
Right on sir. And I'm all for taking care of people that absolutely can't take care of themselves. This is what we're supposed to do. There are several people that have helped me in life and I'm grateful for it...motivates me to give back. This is how it's done. Take care of each other and forget the government!
