It's not Friday.
It's not Friday.
Ok, berkeley this. Time to commence "convince wife we need to move to Wisconsin".
mtn said:Ok, berkeley this. Time to commence "convince wife we need to move to Wisconsin".
My brother left Downers Grove, IL for Appleton, WI.
Loves it.
Datsun310Guy said:mtn said:Ok, berkeley this. Time to commence "convince wife we need to move to Wisconsin".
My brother left Downers Grove, IL for Appleton, WI.
Loves it.
We're in Elmhurst. Between the two of us, we have 3 degrees--and not in underwater basket weaving either. We live in the cheapest house we could find (admittedly in Elmhurst, which would be akin to saying the cheapest BMW with less than 100k miles and full service history). We just filed our taxes, and we are in the 84th percentile for household income.
We cannot afford to have a child--even if we stop our retirement contributions. We spend about 2 hours combined in the car a day (roundtrip for both, plus other stuff). We are at work all day and come home stressed. This isn't worth it. It just is not worth it.
I still go to work for somebody else, and I still have some stress, but I decided long ago that there was more to life than struggling like that. I'm OK with not beating myself to death, even if it means I may not have done everything it was possible for me to do.
Speaking of Wisconsin: no one gets out of Milwaukee. I have a running joke that half of Milwaukee's citizens couldn't figure out how to get home and just stayed. I saw a sign, no E36 M3, for a single road that went in 3 different directions, 94 East, 894 South, and 43 West. That is un-berkeleying-possible.
Loves it.
We're in Elmhurst. Between the two of us, we have 3 degrees--and not in underwater basket weaving either. We live in the cheapest house we could find (admittedly in Elmhurst, which would be akin to saying the cheapest BMW with less than 100k miles and full service history). We just filed our taxes, and we are in the 84th percentile for household income.
We cannot afford to have a child--even if we stop our retirement contributions. We spend about 2 hours combined in the car a day (roundtrip for both, plus other stuff). We are at work all day and come home stressed. This isn't worth it. It just is not worth it.
No one can ever afford to have a child... or at least the vast majority of people that I know can't afford it. We started out with two and ended up with four.... but we DID spread them out over 16 years. Seriously, where there's a will, there's a way. You can do it. There were several years that I worked jobs I wasn't thrilled with or stayed home because it didn't even out with income verses daycare. There were years where I worked a part time night job so we didn't need daycare. In the end... the kids are worth it in my opinion even if there are days I feel like I want to nuke the house.
Sadly I am applying for jobs that will require 1 to 2 hours drive, one way. My wife wont move and lose her job, (I won't ask her to either) when I graduate my jobs are all up in the city, 60 to 80 miles.
So reading your comments are quite concerning.
On a positive note, I will be employed, for the first time in 4 years! 
Also my team won a first in a Code-A-Thon and that company has my resume as of today. it helps when they know you by sight! 
edit: Just checked map program, 78 miles 1:20 and the other company I a resume into is about the same.
5 minutes of curling. 2 min of hockey. 2 hours of figure skating? BERK OFF!
mtn said:Ok, berkeley this. Time to commence "convince wife we need to move to Wisconsin".
Southern suburbs! Plenty of sub $150k houses around here in an excellent school district right on the metra line.
Robbie said:mtn said:Ok, berkeley this. Time to commence "convince wife we need to move to Wisconsin".
Southern suburbs! Plenty of sub $150k houses around here in an excellent school district right on the metra line.
Nope, I'm not moving farther south. At least not until other options have been fully nixed by the wife.
Appleseed said:Speaking of Wisconsin: no one gets out of Milwaukee. I have a running joke that half of Milwaukee's citizens couldn't figure out how to get home and just stayed. I saw a sign, no E36 M3, for a single road that went in 3 different directions, 94 East, 894 South, and 43 West. That is un-berkeleying-possible.
SWMBO is from a medium-sized town in central Wisconsin- of her family the only one besides her who does not still live in the town where she was born is an uncle & his kids. Everyone else (including her divorced & re-married- to different people- parents) literally lives within 10 miles of each other.
I have a good job that pays a lot and a very short commute (about 3 miles). My house is very affordable. BUT, I feel like I am tired of MI. I don't like the winter slog here in metro Detroit despite having lived in MI my entire life (spring through fall are pretty good). I want to move to AZ, but feel like I can't resonably do that becuase I would probably need to give up some of that good job/short commute/affordable housing combo. Probably all of it actually. I guess what I really want is to retire suuuuper early, but haven't figured out how to do it.
In reply to mtn :
A family is long term. We struggled when the wife stayed home and raised kid #1. We had poor years and rich years but you’ll get through it. We’ve been frugal and stretched every dollar. Now our heads are above water and the youngest is doing high school.
Once I bought a $100 Cutlass that needed valve seals. One quart of oil every 125 miles was the burn rate and a full blown acceleration on an interstate on ramp smoked out the whole block. Of course this was totally legal to do in 1995 compared to the responsible world we now live in.
In reply to WilD :
I’m in a similar boat. Lately I’ve been wondering how expensive it is to live in a trailer in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
I have ten year old twins and i still cant afford them. We had a really rough time when i was laid off a year after they came home. 6 weeks in nicu wasnt cheap.
I just decided I don't need anymore vehicles this summer and a clean grandma fresh 84 ltd pops up on craigslist. Now I'm afraid of my wife shooting me if I go buy it.
I sometimes feel like I'm stumbling through life without the faintest idea what I'm doing. I usually just attack it like John McCLane deals with the plastic explosives in Die Hard. Just start jamming things together muttering "...Berk it!"
Appleseed said:I sometimes feel like I'm stumbling through life without the faintest idea what I'm doing.
Me too, usually.
I am told this is the corollary to the Dunning-Kreuger effect (where you are so clueless that you think you understand what you are doing). Or, as So-crates said, "True knowledge is in knowing that you know nothing." That's US, dude!
Minor rant: Every time "Dust in the wind" comes on the radio, I laugh internally because of this scene, and nobody else at work has been culturally enlightened by this timeless work of art, so I cannot share this joy. I guess I look like some crazy old guy laughing for no reason.
MadScientistMatt said:BlueInGreen44 said:Trying to sell a cheap car (Honda, no less) on CL.
Yep...
If I were really mad at someone and had their cell phone number, and a lot more petty than I really am, I'd put that phone number on a Craigslist add for a $1500 Civic.
“hey, bro, car still available? wats ur lowest price”
Went out to blow off some steam after a rough day, and someone backs out of a parking spot into my car as I’m driving through a parking lot. Saw the backup lights come on out of the corner of my eye after I was already behind them. Managed to gun it, but they still got the rear fender a bit. No driveability issues, but it just makes the car look worse. With it being a 2001 with high miles, I’m also worried minor damage will total it.
There are days that I just want to quit. There are days that I cannot figure out why I am still involved in this certain group that because of certain old people is making my life hell. Why do I do this? Why can they not get it through their old gray hair that people run screaming from them because they are a bunch of stupid uptight dicks and that their rules are stupid? Ugh.
I may never get this berkeleying race approved and open for registration.
eastsideTim said:Went out to blow off some steam after a rough day, and someone backs out of a parking spot into my car as I’m driving through a parking lot. Saw the backup lights come on out of the corner of my eye after I was already behind them. Managed to gun it, but they still got the rear fender a bit. No driveability issues, but it just makes the car look worse. With it being a 2001 with high miles, I’m also worried minor damage will total it.
Noooo not the GS! That sucks. Keep us updated; I hope it doesn't get totaled or you're treated fairly in the settlement if so.. Did they fess up to responsibility??
dculberson said:eastsideTim said:Went out to blow off some steam after a rough day, and someone backs out of a parking spot into my car as I’m driving through a parking lot. Saw the backup lights come on out of the corner of my eye after I was already behind them. Managed to gun it, but they still got the rear fender a bit. No driveability issues, but it just makes the car look worse. With it being a 2001 with high miles, I’m also worried minor damage will total it.
Noooo not the GS! That sucks. Keep us updated; I hope it doesn't get totaled or you're treated fairly in the settlement if so.. Did they fess up to responsibility??
They did, but the municipality I was in doesn’t do police reports for incidents in parking lots, so hopefully they don’t change their story. It was a full size Chevy van, so the only damage to it was some paint scratches on the bumper. The GS took the brunt of the damage. Fortunately, it was very low speed, and the hit was behind the wheel, so it’s likely there’s no critical structural damage. I’m kind of torn at this point, as it’s one of the favorite cars I’ve ever had, but it’s worth so little that I’m not sure what to do if the damage exceeds the value. I guess if they cut me a check and let me keep the car, I’ll just live with it, but I’d rather it get fixed, so I’m hoping the cost comes in low enough that it is worth repairing. Since it’s on the fender with rust, I’d even be tempted to kick in a little extra to get that fixed at the same time.
Driving home for lunch, I hear a weird noise in the Jeep. I turn the radio off and roll down the window. A faint screeching sound. Hmmm...
By the time I get home, it's screeching like a banshee. Something is berkeleyed up on the driver's side front brake. I'm thinking its a shim or clip rubbing on the rotor. It goes away under braking. Not wanting to damage it further, I hop in the CRX of Doom. Dead battery. Dammit!
My pop offers to let me take his truck back to work. Its a 2001 F350 crew cab long bed 4wd Powerstroke. Holy crap, what a battleship.
Now, I gotta figure out WTH is up with the Jeep. It's supposed to be 12°F on Saturday. I guess I should replace the pads while I'm in there but with only 39k on the Jeep, I think something broke. Oh berkeleying joy 
In reply to eastsideTim :
" it’s one of the favorite cars I’ve ever had " - that is great to hear, sad to hear it in these circumstances of course! And not to be too much of a vulture but if they do total it please check on the cost of "retaining salvage" because I'm sure someone would love to do something with it.
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