Why don't Americans save?

Discussion in 'Economics' started by Debaser82, Dec 28, 2008.

  1. harkm

    harkm

    What I have never figured out is why there is this notion that if you don’t have a skilled job, then you pretty much deserve to make so little money that you’ll inevitably live in poverty. Where does this thinking originate from? Is it a new economic theory or is it market based economics?

    Sandybestdog, you know the answer to this. Why are you basically writing a doctoral thesis when, deep down, you know the answer? Just in case you don't, which i am pretty sure you do, jobs that require no skill or experience are reserved for students and young people who compete over those jobs and don't require much pay. If you want more money, learn a skill that young, inexperienced, college students can't get and you will do fine. Now, I am sure, you will write 500 words on some vague topic.
    :confused:
     
    #161     Jan 12, 2009
  2. our "tax" package is quite high. It's just given a bunch of different names, like property taxes, sales tax, social security, medi-care, gasoline taxes, state income taxes, capital gains tax, etc etc. We're even taxed monthly on our cell phones for "environmental fees"

    For most that doesn't include retirement costs and their own medical insurance so freecash flow for most Americans is close to zero.
     
    #162     Jan 13, 2009
  3. Every job I mentioned above I deemed required the same or less skill, risk, and investment than pizza delivery. Millions of Americans young and old do these jobs. They are not just for students and young people. So if we are going to continue with your philosophy, you are condeming millions of Americans to a life of poverty. I read some of your posts. You seemed very concerned and aware of the devaluation of the dollar. Don't you know inflation and the devaluing of the dollar is the preferred method of choice by the rich to widen the gap between them and the poor? So I don’t need to write 500 words on my response to you. I can sum it up in 2 letters. F.U.
     
    #163     Jan 13, 2009
  4. harkm

    harkm


    Touchy, Touchy. :D Does this mean this thread is dead?
     
    #164     Jan 13, 2009
  5. clacy

    clacy

    Why do you constantly focus on "why you can't" instead of "what you can"?

    Think about that for a while.

    Instead of chosing pizza delivery, why don't you chose something that is more highly skilled, compensated, sought after?

    I could go out and find 3+ pizza delivery jobs today, if I chose to, which means that it requires little skill. All they are looking for is someone that will show up for their shift and has a vehicle.

    Find a career that is a little more skilled, as has been discussed.

    Quite frankly, I have no more pitty for you, because anyone that has time to come to ET and talk about their problems, isn't working hard enough to justify that complaining, in my opinion.

    You should be working so hard, that you don't have the time or energy to complain on an internet board. Then and only then, would I agree that you have the right to complain.
     
    #165     Jan 13, 2009
  6. No, it means your argument is dead.
     
    #166     Jan 13, 2009
  7. Didn’t we already go over this? Right now I’m filling in for the day for my friend who owns a store in the local mall. 30 feet from me is the kiosk that I owned for 6 months. I worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and invested over $25,000 to see that business succeed. Do you think I had a “why can’t I” mentality when I opened that? I tried everything I could. I asked friends and family for advice on why I had no business. The mall staff couldn’t figure it out. A local magazine even put my product and store location in as one of their top 10 gifts for the holidays. All of this failed miserably and nobody I asked could explain why to me.

    So don’t tell me I haven’t worked hard enough. This is just one of the many things I have tried and nothing has worked out. Again we still have this notion that hard work pays off when it clearly doesn’t. Only smart work pays off and perhaps even to some extent dishonest work pays off.

    BTW, that kiosk is empty right now. Several merchants have been there since me, all are gone now. I guess I figured out that this mall isn’t the best place to do business. Unfortunately it took me $20,000 to figure that out. That’s how business goes.

    I didn’t go the traditional go to college to get a good job route. Maybe I should have. But I don’t want to work for somebody else and have to rely on them. I’ve been trying to make it on my own.
     
    #167     Jan 13, 2009
  8. the first thing you need to understand is the bible was written as a means of keeping the poor under control.
     
    #168     Jan 13, 2009
  9. harkm

    harkm


    Sandybestdog, how did you save up the $25000?
     
    #169     Jan 13, 2009
  10. Haven’t you been reading this thread? PIZZA DELIVERY. $2 and $3 tips at a time. I made almost every dime I’ve ever invested in the markets and business doing what society deems as a worthless job. Also as I explained earlier, I live a very modest life. I live with my parents and drive a very old car. I used to watch every dollar I spend because I wanted to, now I do it because I have to.

    So again. I’ll ask the question nobody has answered. If I used to make lots of money doing a worthless job, how come I can’t anymore? How long until skilled proffessions like nurses, electricians, computer tech’s etc. are saying the same thing?
     
    #170     Jan 13, 2009