Comments on: Future Workers and Debt http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/ This is the blog of Glen Hiemstra, futurist speaker, keynote speaker, futurist consultant, and founder of futurist.com Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:46:31 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Zyoggjhr http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-146651 Zyoggjhr Fri, 08 May 2009 10:52:43 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-146651 5tg6pT comment5 , 5tg6pT comment5 ,

]]> By: Bob http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-25039 Bob Sat, 24 Nov 2007 04:14:13 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-25039 It's amazing to me how much it costs just to exist. Real wages haven't increased since the sixties. And to BB above, no big wars lately? REally? This is news to me! It’s amazing to me how much it costs just to exist. Real wages haven’t increased since the sixties. And to BB above, no big wars lately? REally? This is news to me!

]]> By: Wedding Cars http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-20850 Wedding Cars Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:30:50 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-20850 My feeling, shared by an increasing number as they become used to the idea, is that the mathematics of a culture whereby you empower yourself through work simply no longer add up. You have too many people alive all at once now, no big wars lately, no big diseases, what is there for all these people to do? BB My feeling, shared by an increasing number as they become used to the idea, is that the mathematics of a culture whereby you empower yourself through work simply no longer add up. You have too many people alive all at once now, no big wars lately, no big diseases, what is there for all these people to do?

BB

]]> By: Ryan http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-20210 Ryan Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:14:22 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-20210 Yep, the thing that really gets isn't the tuition (and all the hidden fees that go with it), but simply the cost of living. I was a lucky one, I went to a state school, and had enough scholarships to keep my head above water for the first 3 years, last year though, I had to take out a loan, and still work in order to pay basic living expenses: Tuition - Still on Scholarship (thank goodness for that) Rent - $545/month (just for me) Utilities - $80-$100/month Food - roughly $100/month Gas - $90/month (fortunately I can take a bus most of the time) So really, when you think about it, I'm spending ~$800 a month just to keep a roof over my head, and food on my plate - that's ~$10,000 a year. I make $8/hour as an intern (doing jobs that professionals get 40k a year for). This doesn't even include a cell-phone bill, car insurance, or health insurance (which thankfully are covered by my parents). I can't even imagine NOT having scholarships, or parents who are willing to help you out. Oh, and this is just undergrad school. So when I get out, I can look forward to getting paid $30,000-$35,000 a year, and then watch as 1/3 of paycheck gets taken out to pay for some old codgers scooter (Totally Free! They just bill Medicare!). At least I only have 6k in loans, but still that's gonna take a few years to pay off. Once again, I'm just glad I had scholarships and good parents. Yep, the thing that really gets isn’t the tuition (and all the hidden fees that go with it), but simply the cost of living.

I was a lucky one, I went to a state school, and had enough scholarships to keep my head above water for the first 3 years, last year though, I had to take out a loan, and still work in order to pay basic living expenses:

Tuition – Still on Scholarship (thank goodness for that)
Rent – $545/month (just for me)
Utilities – $80-$100/month
Food – roughly $100/month
Gas – $90/month (fortunately I can take a bus most of the time)

So really, when you think about it, I’m spending ~$800 a month just to keep a roof over my head, and food on my plate – that’s ~$10,000 a year. I make $8/hour as an intern (doing jobs that professionals get 40k a year for). This doesn’t even include a cell-phone bill, car insurance, or health insurance (which thankfully are covered by my parents). I can’t even imagine NOT having scholarships, or parents who are willing to help you out.

Oh, and this is just undergrad school. So when I get out, I can look forward to getting paid $30,000-$35,000 a year, and then watch as 1/3 of paycheck gets taken out to pay for some old codgers scooter (Totally Free! They just bill Medicare!).

At least I only have 6k in loans, but still that’s gonna take a few years to pay off. Once again, I’m just glad I had scholarships and good parents.

]]> By: Kanna Hudson http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-20006 Kanna Hudson Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:48:03 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-20006 Thank you for the comment, Chris. Of course, then you can add several thousand dollars of disposable credit to that budget - that's how Millennials buy vacuum cleaners, a decent suit for a job interview, oil changes, all those little "luxuries" in life. Add a mere $15 minimum monthly payment, and you've got a pretty direct road to financial ruin. The other day, my friend told me, "Hey, I'll be in at least $40,000 of debt after grad school... what's another $5,000?" Oddly enough, he has a point. Thanks again for the comment. Thank you for the comment, Chris. Of course, then you can add several thousand dollars of disposable credit to that budget – that’s how Millennials buy vacuum cleaners, a decent suit for a job interview, oil changes, all those little “luxuries” in life. Add a mere $15 minimum monthly payment, and you’ve got a pretty direct road to financial ruin.

The other day, my friend told me, “Hey, I’ll be in at least $40,000 of debt after grad school… what’s another $5,000?”

Oddly enough, he has a point. Thanks again for the comment.

]]> By: Brenda Cooper http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/comment-page-1/#comment-18227 Brenda Cooper Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:50:29 +0000 http://www.futurist.com/2007/10/01/393/#comment-18227 Nice post Kanna. A side thought - the millennials are basically the children of my generation, although my son is a little older than a millenial at almost 28. My parents saved for my college, and they paid full-ride tuition for me and all three of my brothers. I paid for my son, but not by saving for it — I got lucky or something and made enough money to pay as we went (but he didn't go to an Ivy League school - I couldn't have managed that). I also couldn’t have managed to pay for more than one college kid. A lot of my friends haven’t saved enough for their children’s college - they hope for scholarships or miracles while the cost of higher education has gotten ever-higher. I wonder if our general acceptance of debt has partly caused this problem? My generation is more used to being in debt than my parent’s generation was. It’s pretty scary to imagine that’s what we’re teaching our kids - learn now, pay later. Nice post Kanna. A side thought – the millennials are basically the children of my generation, although my son is a little older than a millenial at almost 28. My parents saved for my college, and they paid full-ride tuition for me and all three of my brothers. I paid for my son, but not by saving for it — I got lucky or something and made enough money to pay as we went (but he didn’t go to an Ivy League school – I couldn’t have managed that). I also couldn’t have managed to pay for more than one college kid.
A lot of my friends haven’t saved enough for their children’s college – they hope for scholarships or miracles while the cost of higher education has gotten ever-higher. I wonder if our general acceptance of debt has partly caused this problem? My generation is more used to being in debt than my parent’s generation was. It’s pretty scary to imagine that’s what we’re teaching our kids – learn now, pay later.

]]>