But then salaries were a fraction of what they are today.
Posted on 11/10/2017 7:15:03 AM PST by huldah1776
In her powerful new book, “Nomadland,” award-winning journalist Jessica Bruder reveals the dark, depressing and sometimes physically painful life of a tribe of men and women in their 50s and 60s who are — as the subtitle says — “surviving America in the twenty-first century.” Not quite homeless, they are “houseless,” living in secondhand RVs, trailers and vans and driving from one location to another to pick up seasonal low-wage jobs, if they can get them, with little or no benefits.
The “workamper” jobs range from helping harvest sugar beets to flipping burgers at baseball spring training games to Amazon’s AMZN, -0.24% “CamperForce,” seasonal employees who can walk the equivalent of 15 miles a day during Christmas season pulling items off warehouse shelves and then returning to frigid campgrounds at night. Living on less than $1,000 a month, in certain cases, some have no hot showers. As Bruder writes, these are “people who never imagined being nomads.” Many saw their savings wiped out during the Great Recession or were foreclosure victims and, writes Bruder, “felt they’d spent too long losing a rigged game.” Some were laid off from high-paying professional jobs. Few have chosen this life. Few think they can find a way out of it. They’re downwardly mobile older Americans in mobile homes.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
If it ain’t a split, it’s s**t. (Minor exception for a Vanagon Syncro.)
“I can imagine a 50 year old white man, getting laid off from his professional job. He can only find work as a clerk or something at near minimum wage. “
Happened to me in 2008. Was laid off from my job, then my daughter got sick. I had enough money to retire, but was only 48. The one year my daughter spent in treatment wiped out my life savings My wife’s business took a bad hit in 2009 also. All we had to live on was my unemployment and 30% disability from AF. I couldn’t get a job as a burger flipper, that’s how bad the market was. I even applied to was dishes, but no takers.
We were a month away from losing the house, the cars and winding up on public assistance. Every job I applied for wanted a college degree, which I didn’t have. I took our last $1000 and enrolled in a Project Management workshop to test for the PMP exam. I walked into the exam knowing if I failed it, we were in bigger trouble. I passed. Three days later I had a job.
This year I finished my BS in Ops Management. I swore I would never again not get a job because I didn’t have a degree.
But then salaries were a fraction of what they are today.
Second one..Blue, Cream top....
I have a friend like that. Blew about half a million bucks in about 10 years and has nothing to show for it. Her hubby died and she got $175k in life insurance to start. Then sold 2 houses that were paid for that they owned. She bought another house but only paid $40k down on it and 4 years later they were foreclosing on her. She retired and took the cash and spent it. Actually it was more than half a million she blew. Meanwhile, we paid off our house, hubby and I retired and we are living high on the hog. According to her. And it eats on her so she says crap to me. We were like sisters and now because of her attitude rarely talk. Sad.
God bless and congrats, EQAB.
You took responsibility for your own life and situation and made great strides.
That “Blackout,with whitewalls” reminds me of the TUCKERs that Ol’ Nick J. had. Used to see’em everyday cuz he’d park one of them in front of my dad’s store....
Moving to Mexico would require a huge lifestyle change. But it would be better than living in a run down RV.
Compare minimum wage in the late 60s when an SS 396 Chevelle cost $3,600 with the minimum wage today and the price of a top of the line vehicle. Wages have not kept up.
Sometimes all the right lifetime choices aren't enough..........
That’s one thing. Then there are legal battles whose outcome is suddenly turned from positive to negative, and a whole segment of the economy is destroyed.
I have occasionally grimly considered if I’d have to live in my car.
Grateful to have a car.
Don’t worry about it much now that my kids are mostly grown. I know they’ll take care of me if necessary. What a blessing.
I find this really sad. Nobody always makes perfect life choices, and life throws curveballs. I have my hardworking late father to thank for protecting me from such a fate.
And in this state almost all the food banks, charities, and Ebt cards / welfare go to people WHO DONT BELONG IN THIS COUNTRY. Imagine how we could care for Americans to give them a temporary handout, or even come to some wonderful solutions for the homeless. All we would have to do is STOP PAYING ILLEGALS.
Every day I’m asked to pay for Thanksgiving bags of food to be delivered to the food pantry. They don’t ask for ID so I know a lot of that food is to feed illegals. I hate that I don’t just donate, but isn’t it self destructive to set out cheese and crackers for the mice in your walls?.
IMO, they are ugly compared to the classic 55-57 Chevies.
Although with some good taste, imagination and skill, can be made pretty cool.
Maybe, maybe not. A person’s world can be entirely changed in a heartbeat, so it’s best not to take things for granted. Like many of life’s lessons, I had to learn this the hard way.
I was taken to the desert, so to speak, in 2008 and the hits just kept coming for a few years or so after that. It’s taken until 2017 for me to feel like I’m in a good place in life once again.
Now when I see human suffering of any kind it’s like the saying says, “There, but for the Grace of God, go I.”
Amen and Thank You, Jesus!
No matter what one is experiencing in life, every soul should keep praying and never stop being grateful to God, “even now”, that He has blessed you as He has.
Keep that spirit and you’ll pass all of life’s lessons and testing.
“IMO, they are ugly compared to the classic 55-57 Chevies.”
Agreed, the 53 was parents....Years later mine was Black BelAir 2dr hdtp..classic...No one believed I had given up racing and that it was a 6 cyl stick...
I wonder did they sleep away the eight years of Obungo? There were thousands upon thousands of older workers that employers refused to hire regardless of how qualified because they were just too damn expensive to employ or the fear they wouldn't stick stick around because the pay was less than they formerly received.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.