Are you financially better off than your parents were at your age?

[Rain Man]

Simple question, multifaceted answer. Do you think you're better off, worse off, or about the same as your parents were when they were your current age?


Poll coming, and I promise not to tell your parents.

[RunKC]

College is well worth it if you are smart and go into good fields like accounting, engineering, computer science, etc.

Go to community college the first 2 years. It's cheap, the first 2 years are worthless and you can raise your grades even more and earn more scholarships to finish your degree in 2 years at a bigger school.

Why would you pay the money to go to a big school the first 2 years when your basic classes are utterly worthless?

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

If I didn't go onto grad school, I have no idea what the hell I'd have done with my poli-sci degree from a liberal arts school.

Sure, I can write like a champ (or could) because I had 30-40 page papers due seemingly every other week. From that standpoint, practice gave me a pretty high-end ability to articulate thoughts/ideas in writing. I would guess at some point that would have paid off pretty well but it would have just been in some random-ass field.

I'm guessing I'd have gone and worked for State Farm or some other large volume corporate business where the stability of the organization appealed to me. I'd have then gone through the age-old story of trying to get noticed and climb my way up the ranks.

The standard college path contributes strongly to an 'ants-marching' mindset, IMO.

Mike Rowe has been promoting learning trades as a viable option from school.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Simple question -- is it worth it to graduate with a degree in, say, political science or english, and $200,000 in debt?

I'd say no way but if thats what you want go to a school that it doesn't put you in a $200K debt, then its okay.

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Astrophysicist? Yeah, he can probably make a few bucks if he gets that degree.

He's not interested in getting rich as the end game. He wants to discover the undiscovered of both the physical world and of the mind. You need the education on whats out there, come before you, before building and proving your own hypothesis.

From a pure financial perspective its not a moneymaker. But, if you can go out into the real world with the education and without debt. Then its not a financial decision.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Well, that $ bar wasn't set very high for me. When I graduated College in 1989, my Dad had been retired for 3 years. He made $27,500 his last year working a job he had been at for 39 years. Two years into my job, in 1991, I was making $35,000/yr and a Company Car/401K/Bonus/Etc. Not comparable at all.

My dad makes a ton of money now, but even when he was my age he was in tree and shrub sales making 120K a year. He makes at least double that now. I guess Im close to what he made when he was my age, but I doubt I will ever make as much when Im his age.

I just think most of Chiefs planet likes to think they are better than their parents, because almost the entire poll is dlanted that way. I dont think ppl are taking into account inflation either, 100k now isnt like 100k in 1985.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

200K seems high, but man, 100K is easy these days. Even simple state schools like Mizzou have an average cost of attendance in excess of $25K/yr now. It was around 12-13K/year when I was looking at schools. The cost of a 4-year degree essentially doubling over the last 10-15 years surely changes the calculus pretty substantially.

Not many actually pay sticker price, though. I'm hoping to get some kind help because I've received invitations to apply to schools like Cornell, but there's not a ****ing chance I'm paying $61k tuition + room and board.

[O.city]

Lol. I'll see all yalls 200k in student loans and raise you 100k.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I just think most of Chiefs planet likes to think they are better than their parents, because almost the entire poll is dlanted that way. I dont think ppl are taking into account inflation either, 100k now isnt like 100k in 1985.

That's the damned truth. 100k family income is pretty lower middle class right now, imo. Shit is expensive. At one time, that would have been upper middle class. That being said, people can make 100k, live frugally, and do just fine. But you're not going to be able to splurge on 100k like I think you once could.

Hell, maybe my view is distorted, though. My parents were wealthy and never talked about money. We lived on a lot of land and took some pretty cool trips growing up, but they never made us feel rich by any means. That's mainly because they lived well within their means and put a lot more back than they spent.

We, on the other hand, live at the top of our means. We don't have a huge house or anything of that nature, but we take the trips we want to take and give our kids the advantages we feel they should have (music, art, sports, etc...). We definitely stress about finances, though. I never remember my parents saying a word about financial stress.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by BWillie

So far, everybody is better than their parents. LOL okay chiefs planet. okay.

You sound bitter and poor. Ask most parents their main goal, "to give my kids more than I had." Teach success to breed success.

[lewdog]

Recent example for student loan debt here for those interested. 60k in debt for 2 year masters at out of state college, graduated in 2012. No debt for bachelors with parents help and worked part time through school. Graduating in exactly 4 years for bachelors helped too. I am down to around 30k owed on the loan. Pay about $500 a month to the loan which isn't a problem financially for us to swing.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I have a Bachelor's in non-law track Poli Sci. I can tell you it isn't worth it. Thank God I paid off my schooling as I went or my life would be a shit ton harder. I have to deal with the fact that I'm unable to find a "grown up job", but at least I'm not saddled with $40,000+ in debt like some people I know.

I'd recommend only going to college for some type of technical degree in which you'll learn a skill. Engineering, nursing, etc. If you go for art history, poli sci, etc. then you're going to have a hard time.

Yep. It cost me less than 3 grand to go to school for HVAC for a year and it paid immediate dividends for me. Best money I ever spent, only regret is that I didn't do it 10 years earlier.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Recent example for student loan debt here for those interested. 60k in debt for 2 year masters at out of state college, graduated in 2012. No debt for bachelors with parents help and worked part time through school. Graduating in exactly 4 years for bachelors helped too. I am down to around 30k owed on the loan. Pay about $500 a month to the loan which isn't a problem financially for us to swing.

I didn't have any from undergrad, between academics and golf and mom and dad.

I had 301k after 4 years of dental school at 6.7% but am paying about 4200 per month, sometimes more to try and get out from under that shit.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by NewChief

That's the damned truth. 100k family income is pretty lower middle class right now, imo. Shit is expensive. At one time, that would have been upper middle class. That being said, people can make 100k, live frugally, and do just fine. But you're not going to be able to splurge on 100k like I think you once could.

Hell, maybe my view is distorted, though. My parents were wealthy and never talked about money. We lived on a lot of land and took some pretty cool trips growing up, but they never made us feel rich by any means. That's mainly because they lived well within their means and put a lot more back than they spent.

We, on the other hand, live at the top of our means. We don't have a huge house or anything of that nature, but we take the trips we want to take and give our kids the advantages we feel they should have (music, art, sports, etc...). We definitely stress about finances, though. I never remember my parents saying a word about financial stress.

My first thought was WTF?!? but I'm single with no kids, so... weeeeeeee!

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by O.city

I had 301k after 4 years of dental school at 6.7% but am paying about 4200 per month, sometimes more to try and get out from under that shit.

Holy shit!

[O.city]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Holy shit!

It sucks, that's for sure

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by O.city

Lol. I'll see all yalls 200k in student loans and raise you 100k.

Good lord, I'm 31 and I've had less than $2000 for the last 3 or 4 years. I pay $50 a month, and my interest is like 2.25%. Only reason I haven't paid it off is because the interest rate is soo low, and it's like the rate of inflation. I don't even see how they are making money off of me. Instead I just threw everything at my house and paid it off last year.

My GF is on the same boat as you though, she went to a private school, and unfortunately her parents were too dumb to tell her to look for grants and aid. She has 200k and she ONLY has a bachelors. If you look for it, and even just ask the admissions office, you can get TONS of grants and aid if you go to private schools, and once it's said and done usually you can get the cost down to just at or below what a state school is. Well, she didn't do that and she has/had 200k of debt too, and she hasn't paid it down too much either.