Well paid government employees who can't afford a one or two week shutdown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand, OP. I have a friend who has been making over 6 figures for many years and is single yet he still has debt and lives paycheck to paycheck. It's frustrating to watch. I know a good deal about his finances too since we chat about it so I know for a fact he pisses it away.

I know a lot of people like this.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree with you 100%. Most of the people you describe are just idiots and spend too much money.

Unlike most of the PPs, I am not sympathetic to them at all. I come from a very poor part of the US and this is how most people there act - no savings, paycheck-to-paycheck, and constantly talking about how it's someone else's fault that they can't cover expenses. All while paying for smartphones, cable, new cars, etc.

Most of the people in DC have this pauper mentality. They sneer at the people making prudent financial decisions and then whine that they can't make ends meet when something bad happens. Well, that's the whole point of savings - to provide for times you need extra money.

DH and I make about 50% of some of our friends who are Govt attorneys, have a kid, a house in Arlington, and still have managed to save plenty in our emergency fund. This wasn't thanks to some magical financial education (again, I am from a poor place and my parents both worked blue-collar jobs and weren't financially wise). The difference is having some damn discipline and not being obsessed with keeping up with the Jones'.

That said, I have tremendous sympathy for those who are in dire straits sue to medical costs. The system is broken and lots of good, disciplined people get hurt by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a GS-14, my husband is a contractor, we could afford several weeks of shutdown. It would hurt (bad) but we could.

But, see, it's not about me. It's about my GS-7 secretary who went on food stamps in 1996 during the last shutdown. It's my GS-12 staff member who has two kids in college and is living pay check to paycheck to pay for those kids.

It's the thousands of hardworking Feds who are trapped in this political game between a bunch of rich, old white men (mostly).

This. Absolutely, this. We are fine (not great - and our savings will get touched, which sucks) but not the people at lower levels.

[Anonymous]

And its not just the gov't employees getting screwed. It's the deli owners and workers that aren't getting our cash daily while the shutdown occurs. It's the cabbies, it's the dry cleaners - it's a lot a lot of people that don't have the luxury of a six figure salary and savings to fall back on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Op here. People are missing my point!

I am talking about people who have paid off their loans to the point of being down to the low interest government loans (people in their late 30s etc), have no kids or sick parents to take care of, and no major health issues.

And yes, I do go out and live life. I go to free museums and openings and other events. I go to dinner and order water and an appetizer or cheap entree. I go to hh and stop after one drink. I don't have a car. I have health issues but they are not hugely expensive.

No, people are getting your point. You are very self satisfied about how you spend your money and you assume to know details of your coworkers' lives and, even more obnoxiously, you think it's fine to judge them. I'm not sure why you started this thread. Was it a humble brag? If so, go you! You are so very much better than your coworkers!

But really, here's your clue stick. Life is complicated. People do the best they can and there will be a day you will hope that someone will not judge you. Think of that day and cultivate some mercy. It's a great antidote to your ugly.

+1
Get used to living by yourself, OP. You are insufferable.

[Anonymous]

I'm a GS 15, my husband is a GS 14, we have one kid. We would be fine for several weeks of a shutdown. The primary way that it would affect us is that we could not afford to spend $1600 traveling for Thanksgiving to see DH's family. Sad, but obviously not a big deal in the larger scheme of life. But I don't think we are at all the norm. My paralegal is a GS 12 and a single dad to five kids (his wife died in an accident several years ago). My secretary is a GS-9 and has custody of her two grandchildren, who are preschoolers. I am honestly very worried for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op here. People are missing my point!

I am talking about people who have paid off their loans to the point of being down to the low interest government loans (people in their late 30s etc), have no kids or sick parents to take care of, and no major health issues.

And yes, I do go out and live life. I go to free museums and openings and other events. I go to dinner and order water and an appetizer or cheap entree. I go to hh and stop after one drink. I don't have a car. I have health issues but they are not hugely expensive.

No, people are getting your point. You are very self satisfied about how you spend your money and you assume to know details of your coworkers' lives and, even more obnoxiously, you think it's fine to judge them. I'm not sure why you started this thread. Was it a humble brag? If so, go you! You are so very much better than your coworkers!

But really, here's your clue stick. Life is complicated. People do the best they can and there will be a day you will hope that someone will not judge you. Think of that day and cultivate some mercy. It's a great antidote to your ugly.

+1
Get used to living by yourself, OP. You are insufferable.

Yeah, how totally insufferable to expect people to act like rational adults.

[Anonymous]

"My paralegal is a GS 12 and a single dad to five kids (his wife died in an accident several years ago)."

Does he receive Social Security benefits for the kids?

[Anonymous]

"But really, here's your clue stick. Life is complicated. People do the best they can "

It's a blatant myth that "People do the best they can".

[Anonymous]

100k is not much for this area. You need at least 500k to be considered rich and that is just the entry point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op here. People are missing my point!

I am talking about people who have paid off their loans to the point of being down to the low interest government loans (people in their late 30s etc), have no kids or sick parents to take care of, and no major health issues.

And yes, I do go out and live life. I go to free museums and openings and other events. I go to dinner and order water and an appetizer or cheap entree. I go to hh and stop after one drink. I don't have a car. I have health issues but they are not hugely expensive.

No, people are getting your point. You are very self satisfied about how you spend your money and you assume to know details of your coworkers' lives and, even more obnoxiously, you think it's fine to judge them. I'm not sure why you started this thread. Was it a humble brag? If so, go you! You are so very much better than your coworkers!

But really, here's your clue stick. Life is complicated. People do the best they can and there will be a day you will hope that someone will not judge you. Think of that day and cultivate some mercy. It's a great antidote to your ugly.

+1
Get used to living by yourself, OP. You are insufferable.

Yeah, how totally insufferable to expect people to act like rational adults.

You sit there and act sympathetic while judging your friends. Obviously you have no one to commiserate with in your life, so you come on an anonymous forum. You are no friend.

[Anonymous]

"My paralegal is a GS 12 and a single dad to five kids (his wife died in an accident several years ago)."

Does he receive Social Security benefits for the kids?

I have no idea, that really wouldn't be an appropriate thing for me to ask him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a GS-14, my husband is a contractor, we could afford several weeks of shutdown. It would hurt (bad) but we could.

But, see, it's not about me. It's about my GS-7 secretary who went on food stamps in 1996 during the last shutdown. It's my GS-12 staff member who has two kids in college and is living pay check to paycheck to pay for those kids.

It's the thousands of hardworking Feds who are trapped in this political game between a bunch of rich, old white men (mostly).

This. Absolutely, this. We are fine (not great - and our savings will get touched, which sucks) but not the people at lower levels.

I hate that we are headed for a shutdown. And I really feel for people like your secretary. But OP isn't talking about her. There are lots of people who spend frivolously and then don't have money when it is needed.

I cannot tell you how many people I know who drive BMWs but don't contribute much to a 401(k). Or live in luxury buildings but don't have an emergency fund. Or who spend lots of money on expensive clothes. Those are the people who OP is talking about. They are not responsible.

[Anonymous]

Blah blah blah saving is over rated and it must be terrible living in a state of paranoia. You can get short term credit union loans to cover y until back pay is given.

[Anonymous]

I cannot tell you how many people I know who drive BMWs but don't contribute much to a 401(k). Or live in luxury buildings but don't have an emergency fund. Or who spend lots of money on expensive clothes. Those are the people who OP is talking about. They are not responsible.

Well, ok, that may be so, but in these difficult times where many people are truly, genuinely going to be placed in a bad situation that is not of their own making in any way, why are we wasting time worrying about those other people?