Letters: Readers respond to an article about quitting the rat race, with some saying their generation was handed an untenable position and others saying the struggle is nothing new
So… I buy the cheapest bologna I can buy for my work lunches.
I switched to the cheapest brand I could in 2016 when I consciously made the decision that I don’t care if my lunch is good as long as I have sustenance to get me through the day.
The bologna I used to buy for $1.25/pack in 2016 is now $3.29 at the same store.
My wages have gone up, but they have not more than doubled since 2016 like the price of bologna has. I think this is a good metric for comparison because we truly do live in a bologna economy.
A side note: expecting strangers to give you exact numbers about their wages on the internet is pretty ridiculous.
I appreciate you actually responding. Your example is 8 years. Also, what is the difference in take home pay after these 8 years?
The person I was responding to said they haven’t had any increase in 16 years. So unless bologna has gone up from .75 to 3.29 in 16 years and that ratio is relatable to all of their life then I don’t get it.
My situation isn’t going to be all that helpful for you.
My take-home has actually dropped by about $60,000/year, but that’s because I went back to school during that 8 years for a career change after hitting a dead end.
Now, I work far fewer hours than I did in the old career as I’m still working my way up in the new one. Hourly though, I make about 25% more in the new career than the old.
Now I’m single with no kids, so going back to school was an option for me. It won’t be an option for everyone.
I’ll chime in here.
So… I buy the cheapest bologna I can buy for my work lunches.
I switched to the cheapest brand I could in 2016 when I consciously made the decision that I don’t care if my lunch is good as long as I have sustenance to get me through the day.
The bologna I used to buy for $1.25/pack in 2016 is now $3.29 at the same store.
My wages have gone up, but they have not more than doubled since 2016 like the price of bologna has. I think this is a good metric for comparison because we truly do live in a bologna economy.
A side note: expecting strangers to give you exact numbers about their wages on the internet is pretty ridiculous.
I appreciate you actually responding. Your example is 8 years. Also, what is the difference in take home pay after these 8 years?
The person I was responding to said they haven’t had any increase in 16 years. So unless bologna has gone up from .75 to 3.29 in 16 years and that ratio is relatable to all of their life then I don’t get it.
My situation isn’t going to be all that helpful for you.
My take-home has actually dropped by about $60,000/year, but that’s because I went back to school during that 8 years for a career change after hitting a dead end.
Now, I work far fewer hours than I did in the old career as I’m still working my way up in the new one. Hourly though, I make about 25% more in the new career than the old.
Now I’m single with no kids, so going back to school was an option for me. It won’t be an option for everyone.