<<<$$$ 6 Figures A Year: Break It Down - Easier Than You Think $$$>>>

[Brainbuster]

 

[Paco De Lucía]

You say 30K is a starvation wage in any big city?

I live in one of largest cities in America.
It's one of the top 15 largest cities in the country.
A couple years ago, I started at $20k/year, BEFORE taxes, at my security job.
That's $10/hr, 40 hrs/wk.

I did not have the fortune to own a solid-gold, heated bidet toilet seat (like yours),
but I did not starve. I owned my own car, paid my own rent, paid taxes,
and ate my own food.

I drove a shitbox that was just over 10 years old, but it ran well.

And... that's exactly what I mean. By my math, 30k/yr = <1900k/mo after taxes. So let's pretend you'll start with $1900 even though the likelihood is you'll have a little less per month. Average rent in large cities is a minimum of $600 - and that is living in a closet-sized roach-motel studio in a *very* high crime area if you live in one of the "big five" cities.

You've got $1300 left. Let's say for argument's sake that your health care is covered by your employer, which is kind of unlikely at that salary but does happen. You're one of the lucky ones.

In America, you drive. There are people that can subsist on public transportation, but outside of NYC or SF this is as rare as the mythical unicorn, and inside SF and NYC, all the other costs are so extreme you'll get eaten alive by all other expenses anyways. Unless you come from a well-off family that has given you a car, you will have to pay for your own. Whether you have very excellent credit and drive an new, reliable and inexpensive econo-car, or have horrible car and drive a beater that you're having to constantly buy parts for and fix yourself, you'll spend an average of $299 or so a month, including insurance *if* you're lucky. You either pay for payments or parts. I have lived this, and that's how it works.

Bam. You now have about 1,000 smackers just burnin' a hole in your wallet. Well, baby has to eat! Let's for the sake of argument, PRETEND that a person can subsist on $10/day in the city. You do everything right, buy cheap groceries, never eat out --- you have spent $300 in food for the month on average.

You now have 700 simoleons janglin' around in your nifty, thrifty change purse. OMG! I just realized I need internetz for my house! Got the most conservative, cheapest internet plan EVAR for $30/mo! Hmm... I might need such utilities as water, gas and electricity. I live in that shit-box studio apartment though, so I only pay about $100/mo for those. I have a super cheapo cell-phone, the kind that flips and has no data - $30/mo. I'm also a human being - I need clothes, maybe cast-off furniture, a surprise meeting with a friend. Let's just pretend we can do those things for $40/mo. Look at me making those dollars work! Oh, woops... I forgot gas for my car. Let's pretend I don't drive a lot, and I'm only paying $100 for a month's gas.

Bam. I have done everything right, cut every corner, and been the thriftiest guy and I'm saving $400 BIG ONES every month!!! Seems great, right? Well... what happens when you have a major car part failure and they want $600 to fix that? What happens when you move and everyone wants a minimum two-month security deposit? Or even just one month? Wanna buy an XBox and some games? That has just become a painful proposition. What about furniture? Cookware? Laundry costs? Even cast-off furniture costs money. What about entertainment? Cable, satellite, or concerts? Going to have to think REAL careful about those.

I have just given you the base line ultra-conservative estimate of what things really cost. A little about me -- I've started literally from nothing. Moved to a strange city by myself at 17, worked for a decade and a half making wages below the poverty level with zero assistance from the family that I didn't speak to for nearly a decade. I've done it all -- waited tables, worked retail, even put myself through school. Hello, student loan debt slavery!

Once I made it through school and then certifications for my chosen profession, it is only after an additional decade and a half of career journeymanship that I was able to make a decent wage. No "solid-gold, heated bidets" here, but at least I can say I've been on both the starvation and comfortable sides of living. Don't want to go back to starving, that is no fun.

You've seen above that $30k will allow you to barely live (based on the MOST conservative lifestyle figures), but it is really not a fun life. The fact is if you're making that in the US, without government or family (outside) assistance of some kind you live paycheck to paycheck and are just scraping by on the meager fringe of things. If you're making less than that, you're even more fucked... you might then have to start seriously foregoing necessities of life and start having to rob Peter to pay Paul. Perhaps if you don't have to pay rent or car payments of any kind you might be ok, but the *vast* majority are not in this situation.

THAT'S what I mean by starvation wage, and if you don't agree then perhaps you can't see it because you're so used to living a poverty lifestyle that you just don't notice it. The irony is that in the US if you're poor this way, you're doubly fucked because not only do you pay higher costs for EVERYTHING, but you also are much more likely to have damaged credit so you can't even leverage your way out of the situation and likely will accumulate an ever growing debt burden. The lesson? Have money. Don't not have money. Ignore this at your peril.

 

[PrinceVisi]

Look guys, dont always blame the newbies for not achieving what you guys may be achieving right now.

I consider myself a newbie too, even though I know a lot about IM and making some bank every day, but still computers is not my profession. Lets face it, you will not succeed in IM if you dont have some computer skills too, and those skills can not be learned in a month. Plus, besides computer skills, you also have to learn new things everyday just to be at least updated... and so on.

So, yes newbies struggle, because they really dont know where to start first, since to say the truth there is no one teaching them and they have find everything themselves.

 

[rodowdy09]

Paco, I am just going to have to disagree with you and ignore the remainder of your posts. LOL! You say that you have lived this life you speak of.. This has been my life up until this point. I am 30, my mother raised 3 children, without assistance from the government, family or our father. She worked jobs that paid less than 30k before taxes, as have I. While things we tight, they were not impossible. And I consider my upbringing to be one of blessed destiny. There are millions that have had it worse. When you live in these circumstances, you survive. Yes, things may occur that are unexpected, but you make it work.

But the mindset you invoke with your posts, is the very reason that people in these situations think the way they do. If you are constantly focused on the negative, you will never see the positive. You have life, the ability to change your situation, and the strength to do so. This is the reason the OP's post makes even more sense.

If you can do what he is describing and achieve the numbers to reach 6 figures, then you can do even more. Limiting yourself to what you currently have and not attempting to achieve anything greater, is the reason the majority of our population dies in poverty. It is disturbing to see how your gross over-generalization of the condition of someone's life by the amount of money they take home.

My life is vastly different from what it was 5-10 years ago, but it was never shitty. I can look back and see the things that we didn't have that I wish we did, but I never lacked the necessities of life. I ate, lived with a roof over my head, and had clothes on my back. Anything other than that can be done without. Internet? Go to public library. 299/mth for vehicle? What are you driving? A reliable vehicle does not have to costs that much. Buy a used vehicle from private seller. Cell phone? I know everyone thinks it's a must have now, but what about a house phone and VM system?

Clothes, furniture, etc. do not have to all be purchased at once, and they don't have to be new - shop wisely. Xbox and games?? If life is so shitty, why are spending money on playing? Either way, get a 1st generation playstation or xbox. Or hell a super nintendo or sega genesis, lol! Having to have the latest and greatest is the reason so many live outside of their means.

All of this means nothing in context to the ideals of this posts, and your responses are taking away from the essence of this posts. But I take offense to the descriptions of a lifestyle that is exactly how I was raised; and what I use as a motivation to constantly do better for my son.

This is not a personal attack on you sir, but I think your ideology is so far disconnected from the reality of people in these situations. Maybe your current lifestyle lends to the way you think currently. I can agree there is a HUGE difference between a lifestyle supported by 30k/year and where you say you are currently, but starvation??? -- far from it.

 

[maineyak]

Damn, when you break it down that way, I can see what I'm doing can easily make me reach the $100k a year, I'm about 33% of the way there now. My goal on this last stint was for $100 a day, within a few days I'll reach that, then $150 a day is the next goal. I'm now averaging $31 per hour, that's damn good money in this economy in central Florida.

 

[netmoney1]

Damn, when you break it down that way, I can see what I'm doing can easily make me reach the $100k a year, I'm about 33% of the way there now. My goal on this last stint was for $100 a day, within a few days I'll reach that, then $150 a day is the next goal. I'm now averaging $31 per hour, that's damn good money in this economy in central Florida.

Heck yeah, keep pushing and reach those goals! $100k a year in Central Florida and you can live very comfortably

I know someone who just bought a piece of property down there - over 20 acres with a pond and a new house dirt cheap!

Keep going and you will hit it!

 

[walandio]

This is the reason why I saw a 275$ a day journey thread yesterday.. lol.

anyways, yo d man OP..

 

[netmoney1]

This is the reason why I saw a 275$ a day journey thread yesterday.. lol.

anyways, yo d man OP..

Did someone start a journey thread? If you find it again post the link. I would love to follow them - heck, I hope lots of people set high goals and reach them!

 

[Brainbuster]

 

[Paco De Lucía]

Paco, I am just going to have to disagree with you and ignore the remainder of your posts. LOL! You say that you have lived this life you speak of.. This has been my life up until this point. I am 30, my mother raised 3 children, without assistance from the government, family or our father. She worked jobs that paid less than 30k before taxes, as have I. While things we tight, they were not impossible. And I consider my upbringing to be one of blessed destiny. There are millions that have had it worse. When you live in these circumstances, you survive. Yes, things may occur that are unexpected, but you make it work.

But the mindset you invoke with your posts, is the very reason that people in these situations think the way they do. If you are constantly focused on the negative, you will never see the positive. You have life, the ability to change your situation, and the strength to do so. This is the reason the OP's post makes even more sense.

If you can do what he is describing and achieve the numbers to reach 6 figures, then you can do even more. Limiting yourself to what you currently have and not attempting to achieve anything greater, is the reason the majority of our population dies in poverty. It is disturbing to see how your gross over-generalization of the condition of someone's life by the amount of money they take home.

My life is vastly different from what it was 5-10 years ago, but it was never shitty. I can look back and see the things that we didn't have that I wish we did, but I never lacked the necessities of life. I ate, lived with a roof over my head, and had clothes on my back. Anything other than that can be done without. Internet? Go to public library. 299/mth for vehicle? What are you driving? A reliable vehicle does not have to costs that much. Buy a used vehicle from private seller. Cell phone? I know everyone thinks it's a must have now, but what about a house phone and VM system?

Clothes, furniture, etc. do not have to all be purchased at once, and they don't have to be new - shop wisely. Xbox and games?? If life is so shitty, why are spending money on playing? Either way, get a 1st generation playstation or xbox. Or hell a super nintendo or sega genesis, lol! Having to have the latest and greatest is the reason so many live outside of their means.

All of this means nothing in context to the ideals of this posts, and your responses are taking away from the essence of this posts. But I take offense to the descriptions of a lifestyle that is exactly how I was raised; and what I use as a motivation to constantly do better for my son.

This is not a personal attack on you sir, but I think your ideology is so far disconnected from the reality of people in these situations. Maybe your current lifestyle lends to the way you think currently. I can agree there is a HUGE difference between a lifestyle supported by 30k/year and where you say you are currently, but starvation??? -- far from it.

*Sigh* -- you apparently did not read the posts -- I was referring to costs for people that live in the "big five" cities. Of course, if you live out in Podunk, AL where the cost of living is lower you can get by on $30k. Just because "millions have it worse" does not make it ok. Poverty is poverty, even if you try and rationalize the poverty with "gee, my situation isn't so bad" statements.

I'm not "focused on the negative", but I do not ever try to bullshit my way through life or try and pretend that negative situations are "opportunities." They're actually the opposite of opportunities. A shitty life is a shitty life, period. Pretending that it is otherwise may be fooling yourself, but no one else is fooled. Telling people "go to the public library" to use the internet, and to forego cell phone usage is fucking stupid. I'm sorry, there's not a nicer way to say it. I had to make those horrible kind of decisions in the past and it sucks. And yes, a reliable car *including insurance* is going to cost you at least $299 in any big five city. If you have a used car, you WILL pay that much in repairs and maintenance. Again, I know because I've lived it.

I grew up and did 17 years of hard time in Podunk, AL -- a BFE town of about 11,000 people, so I know what the poor Southern lifestyle is all about. I've also lived in NYC, Miami, and now live in LA, so I can tell you that the city lifestyle costs more for everything, including basics, period. I don't want to move back to a small town even though I'll live like a king because I'll die of boredom. I tried that about five years ago, and it did NOT work out, even with my new and larger salary. I don't like living next to religious fundamentalists and racists, and in the South there are A LOT of those. You can say otherwise, but my entire family is still there, and I know better. My "ideology" IS radically disconnected from people that live in small towns like the ones that I grew up in. I don't have a poverty mentality any more that says I have to choose between having a cell phone or internet any more, and *that* my friend, is a VERY positive thing.

I will definitely agree with maineyak and netmoney1 when they say you can live like a king on $100k outside the cities. Hell, if I could stand living in a Pleasantville-type environment, I'd do it -- I see the appeal of living in a giant house and buying everything cheaply. I'm still a cultural junkie, so in the city I'll stay and try to figure out a way to maximize my IM loot.

 

[netmoney1]

Regardless of how much money you desire to make....$60k....$100k.....$1 Million....the same basic thinking....planning....and breaking down can be used. Not everyone is going to have the same goals and desires...but the basics can be applied to fit any need/want/desire.

 

[rodowdy09]

^^^ EXACTLY ^^^ If where you live, 100k is not sufficient, I would hope it is not your goal at that point. My point was simply that 100k before taxes is simply not starvation; that is a bit dramatic. Regardless of where you live not everyone is pulling in 6 figures. I have lived in three of the five big cities, and at no time was I 'one foot in the gutter'. I did sacrifice things that I do not see me doing without now. A "shitty life" is a "shitty life" regardless of how much you have in the bank. But if you are in the 'starvation' situation, how important is having the internet at home? If it is a necessary part of your living (making you money) then you obviously need to plan to be able to afford it. But if it is used as the majority of Americans seem to use it, it is simply entertainment and is not helping you in your current situation. Cell phone IS a necessity in my world, because I have a child and need to be accessible at all time for him and other emergencies. But to be able to text, calls to just 'talk' and bulls**t are not if I am 'starving'. And if you need one for emergencies, get a pre-paid.Again, I was simply saying that there is a huge difference between starvation, living check-to-check, and living comfortably. And I found it funny, that someone would consider not having the modern conveniences starving and showing how easily some of the 'necessities' could be compensated. Didn't consider that to be stupid at all.

 

[False]

Do you have multiple accounts here at BHW? This information is the same as posted on a blog that another user posts information from as well.

 

[netmoney1]

Do you have multiple accounts here at BHW? This information is the same as posted on a blog that another user posts information from as well.

Huh? Me? This is my only account and this is 100% my info - not copied. not really sure what you are talking about...

 

[False]

rumrumi . wordpress . com/2013/03/15/the-art-of-breaking-things-down/

 

[netmoney1]

rumrumi . wordpress . com/2013/03/15/the-art-of-breaking-things-down/

LOL that fucking troll - stole my info! Posted 2 days after this. If anyone wants to blast his blog and take it down go for it. I HATE PEOPLE WHO STEAL ideas!

Obviously the douche that owns that blog can't think of his own ideas...fucking pathetic douchetard. This was posted the 13th...and he posts it on his blog on the 15th....

DOESN'T EVEN CHANGE IT! hahahahaha

Perfect example of why 99% of the people WILL NO T MAKE MONEY - TOO LAZY!!!

 

[False]

Yea thought it was weird.

Just hate people who steal stuff from others on this website.

 

[BHopkins]

Back to the OP...

I find that when you limit yourself to thinking of "I need to make $xx today..." then you always think small. There are days that I spend planning that I'm not trying to make money because without those days you will always be in the rat race trying to spend a few more minutes to make a few more dollars.

 

[netmoney1]

Back to the OP...

I find that when you limit yourself to thinking of "I need to make $xx today..." then you always think small. There are days that I spend planning that I'm not trying to make money because without those days you will always be in the rat race trying to spend a few more minutes to make a few more dollars.

This was more of a breakdown to show how little per day it takes to hit those numbers...

I'm not saying sit there with a number and start ticking off number as it rolls in.

Simply use it as a way to break down goals, and see how they can be reached.

Without a plan many people are not productive.

 

[BHopkins]

This was more of a breakdown to show how little per day it takes to hit those numbers...

I'm not saying sit there with a number and start ticking off number as it rolls in.

Simply use it as a way to break down goals, and see how they can be reached.

Without a plan many people are not productive.

I completely agree!