Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Members
Current visitors
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Home
Forums
Brown Cafe UPS Forum
UPS Discussions
Do most UPS jobs pay enough to support a family of four?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Bagels" data-source="post: 1061624" data-attributes="member: 43436"><p>I'm a 12-year part-time Preloader. I started when I was in high school and recently just turned 30. I own a beautiful home (that I purchased for $120,000 -- it had previously sold for $280,000) in an upscale area and drive a brand new car. Yet I earn in the low $20,000. How do I do it? By budgeting & controlling my spending.</p><p></p><p>People frequently ask me why I lease a car. On paper, it costs more (continuous payments, increased insurance rates, etc.) Yet I'm not responsible for the costs of routine maintenance (tires, etc.) and I'll never get the shock of a major repair bill. I'm virtually assured of always having reliable transportation. Next year I will complete my fourth lease, and during that time frame I'm guessing I'm near breaking-even vs. having purchased used cars. </p><p></p><p>When it comes to food, I purchase my groceries at a local grocery store. I stack coupons against sales and stock-up on attractive prices; sometimes I'll spend a lot, sometimes I'll spend a little. Example: stock-up on canned vegetables for 0.33 each, stock up on canned soup (anywhere from less than a quarter to about a dollar after coupon, depending on the brand & quality), buy frozen chicken breast packs for $1.77 each and you can make a delicious dinner for less than $1.50 (.60-.70 per breast, .15 per serving of veggies, .10-.50 per serving of soup). I typically eat only one big dinner and snack the rest of the day (a bowl of cereal cost about 0.25, a yogurt cup 0.30, banana 0.15, cup of seasonal fruit 0.50, etc.) But I do go out to eat about twice per month, again stacking coupons against sales and sometimes buying discounted gift cards online. Red Lobster offers a "shrimp lovers" meal on Monday or Tuesday for $16. Wash it down with water, split it with a friend, use a coupon and discounted gift card and you'll STILL wind up with nearly a days worth of calories for about $8 per person (including tax & tip). </p><p></p><p>I do the same when it comes to household purchases -- but I also research the necessity and alternatives of every product. Oral care is a great example. 8 oz. AIM toothpaste sells for less than $1 everywhere (including NYC), and my local supermarket offers it 2/$1 regulatory. Those "fancy" toothpastes that sell for $4 for half the size offer virtually no more benefit... if you want noticeable whiter teeth, you need to bleach them. They exist because companies like P&G and Colgate need to increase revenues in a stagnate market, and people are gullible enough to shell out the extra cash for virtually unnoticeable results. Mouthwash? It's not necessary. Even more scarry, there's growing research to suggest alcohol-based mouthwash cause oral cancer. Use fluoride-based mouthwash only if directed by your dentist. </p><p></p><p>For phone service, I use MetroPCS. $30 (just reduced from $40) including taxes & fees for unlimited talk, text & internet. The internet's not the fastest, but it meets my needs.</p><p></p><p>For internet, AT&T continually expands its one-year promotional offering when I threaten to quit (which I otherwise would). For television, I watch broadcast TV and supplement it with a home media center. Honestly, I don't miss cable. </p><p></p><p>For clothes, I shop clearance racks. I own a few pairs of Levi's Signature (budget brand) that I paid $3 each for. Wonderful quality, nobody knows the difference.</p><p></p><p>For entertainment, I recognize that places like bars are big cash drains and instead invite friends over. Once a year, I go on a one-week all-inclusive vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean (searching for the best deal).</p><p> </p><p>I live a good life. Next fall, however, I will complete my education and hope to move on to greener pastures.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bagels, post: 1061624, member: 43436"] I'm a 12-year part-time Preloader. I started when I was in high school and recently just turned 30. I own a beautiful home (that I purchased for $120,000 -- it had previously sold for $280,000) in an upscale area and drive a brand new car. Yet I earn in the low $20,000. How do I do it? By budgeting & controlling my spending. People frequently ask me why I lease a car. On paper, it costs more (continuous payments, increased insurance rates, etc.) Yet I'm not responsible for the costs of routine maintenance (tires, etc.) and I'll never get the shock of a major repair bill. I'm virtually assured of always having reliable transportation. Next year I will complete my fourth lease, and during that time frame I'm guessing I'm near breaking-even vs. having purchased used cars. When it comes to food, I purchase my groceries at a local grocery store. I stack coupons against sales and stock-up on attractive prices; sometimes I'll spend a lot, sometimes I'll spend a little. Example: stock-up on canned vegetables for 0.33 each, stock up on canned soup (anywhere from less than a quarter to about a dollar after coupon, depending on the brand & quality), buy frozen chicken breast packs for $1.77 each and you can make a delicious dinner for less than $1.50 (.60-.70 per breast, .15 per serving of veggies, .10-.50 per serving of soup). I typically eat only one big dinner and snack the rest of the day (a bowl of cereal cost about 0.25, a yogurt cup 0.30, banana 0.15, cup of seasonal fruit 0.50, etc.) But I do go out to eat about twice per month, again stacking coupons against sales and sometimes buying discounted gift cards online. Red Lobster offers a "shrimp lovers" meal on Monday or Tuesday for $16. Wash it down with water, split it with a friend, use a coupon and discounted gift card and you'll STILL wind up with nearly a days worth of calories for about $8 per person (including tax & tip). I do the same when it comes to household purchases -- but I also research the necessity and alternatives of every product. Oral care is a great example. 8 oz. AIM toothpaste sells for less than $1 everywhere (including NYC), and my local supermarket offers it 2/$1 regulatory. Those "fancy" toothpastes that sell for $4 for half the size offer virtually no more benefit... if you want noticeable whiter teeth, you need to bleach them. They exist because companies like P&G and Colgate need to increase revenues in a stagnate market, and people are gullible enough to shell out the extra cash for virtually unnoticeable results. Mouthwash? It's not necessary. Even more scarry, there's growing research to suggest alcohol-based mouthwash cause oral cancer. Use fluoride-based mouthwash only if directed by your dentist. For phone service, I use MetroPCS. $30 (just reduced from $40) including taxes & fees for unlimited talk, text & internet. The internet's not the fastest, but it meets my needs. For internet, AT&T continually expands its one-year promotional offering when I threaten to quit (which I otherwise would). For television, I watch broadcast TV and supplement it with a home media center. Honestly, I don't miss cable. For clothes, I shop clearance racks. I own a few pairs of Levi's Signature (budget brand) that I paid $3 each for. Wonderful quality, nobody knows the difference. For entertainment, I recognize that places like bars are big cash drains and instead invite friends over. Once a year, I go on a one-week all-inclusive vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean (searching for the best deal). I live a good life. Next fall, however, I will complete my education and hope to move on to greener pastures. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
Brown Cafe UPS Forum
UPS Discussions
Do most UPS jobs pay enough to support a family of four?
Top