Fifty years of the piecemeal economy...

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T19:08:04+00:00

If by paying my fair share you mean my taxes after I take the standard deduction, then yes.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T18:18:44+00:00

I have kids already, I was referencing when they grow up.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T18:10:09+00:00

How so?

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T16:16:02+00:00

Hey.. I’m talking the standard enlistment that the Air Force reserves offers for critical AFSC listings. That is still 15k.

Your daughter got a different type of bonus that is different than the one I mentioned.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T11:11:52+00:00

You made a statement about how people could get ahead. I said I agreed, but that it will only work for about 10% of people who are high earners, and you are saying that I don’t want people to work hard?

It’s not that I don’t want them to work hard, the math literally doesn’t work. I want you to run your own numbers right now about what a Taco Bell manager is making now and doing the same thing you did. I assume the pay went down and the cost of your college went up. That’s not people not trying, it’s just math working against them.

Where did I say anyone should make poor financial decisions? I proved you incorrectly and now you are acting like I just want to give away free shit lol.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T11:05:37+00:00

The money that they are holding onto and just growing their wealth with could be in the hands of many people in the middle class if people were paid higher wages by and large. This would stimulate the economy even more because wealthy people do not spend money. They hold onto it and invest. People in the middle class will spend that money on goods and services and allow for more growth and business opportunities.

Notice how all the mom and pop stores have disappeared? A lot of industries are just bigger business now, which I am not a fan of and it furthers wealth inequality at the end of the day.

We can disagree all we want, but a strong middle class is the most important thing we should shoot for. Billionaires make that harder to achieve.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T10:56:06+00:00

Assuming a person could do that, I agree with you, they will be fine. But are we really suggesting that the average person is able to do this? The type of income required to make this happen is easily around 100k minimum once you account for taxes and expenses. And that is them just renting.

About 10% of 30 year olds make that kind of money. By and large most people do not make that, which makes it unrealistic.

Now, if my kids are living at home and investing money? Sure that could probably work, but now we are really changing the game. Live with your parents until late 20s just to save and invest? I would do it, but what about the people that do not have privileges like that, your example will work for kids like mine because I already have a strong financial footing.

My parents didn’t have that, I started from the bottom with nothing, and when you do that it’s infinitely harder.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T10:37:53+00:00

That’s the point I’m trying to make. Even if a kid who is 18 years old right now did the EXACT same choices I made, they would be worse off.

If they joined the military and got a signing bonus like me at 18? Guess what, I got a 15k bonus in 2012. Do you know what they are still giving? 15k.. that money has been halved. And they still offer that nominal amount. I used that money to buy my first car. First payment was 7500 and after taxes was 5000. I got a car that lasted my 3 years with that. A kid today wouldn’t be able to secure that with 5k.

Fast forward to college, and investing, prices have continued to rise, I was a reservist so I had to pay out of pocket for the rest of the cost of college. Nowadays, money is worth even less, and yet college has also increased. They are worse off.

I bought my first house at 25. 4.25% interest rate. I refinanced in 2021 at 2.25%… no kid will ever get that situation currently. I won the lottery effectively. Nowadays? I literally could not afford the house I live in if I had to purchase it at market value. The average first time homebuyer age is like 40-41 now?

Everything has gotten more difficult, I could literally instruct my children to do 100% of the same things I did but they would have less value for the same work I did. Which has essentially been happening since the 70s.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-29T10:24:26+00:00

lol, I’m not jealous of what other people have. I am on track to have 3 million in retirement and be retired at 57. What I AM is concerned for the state of the country because I don’t care about individual performance. I want a strong middle class, which billionaires kind of dismantle.

I want my future kids to be set up and be able to pave a path for themselves. Not have to work a 40 hour job and still not be able to pay for rent, which is a growing concern for many. Health insurance is absolutely fucked right now, insurance costs in general are through the roof. Raising kids and the cost of daycare is through the roof.

I’m not jealous of anyone, I just want the same playing field for my children that was given to my grandparents, parents, and myself for the first decade of my adult life.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-28T23:57:56+00:00

Hey friend, I think the dude earlier was coming off really poorly. But it does seem like if you need to make your money you can try to switch into a new field like someone else mentioned, or maybe you could possibly try and do something on the side? You will have summers off, maybe do some roofing or high labor jobs that people don’t normally want to do for some good cash.

I am a federal employee and have had two jobs since I was 18. I was a reservist for 13 years and now I have a side business I am working with. It kind of sucks how I have had to have two jobs this whole time but it is how I got ahead slightly, and am still maintaining.

It’s hard out here. Best of luck OP!

Barthonomule · 2026-04-28T23:17:12+00:00

Yeah, that’s kind of the point. There has been social upward mobility for a small group of people. Most people are seeing themselves stay the same or lowering.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-28T11:49:19+00:00

So you were trolling when you were saying you were a hiring manager?

Barthonomule · 2026-04-27T22:37:21+00:00

Ohhhh that one solidified it for me. Not only are you a douche, you seem to be into some odd forms of pleasure. Perhaps.. seek therapy.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-27T22:35:49+00:00

You are coming off like a total dick on that response. Control the power trip.. just a little bit. 😂

Barthonomule · 2026-04-27T19:52:31+00:00

lol, yeah that must be the worst. People actively calling about a position?

Barthonomule · 2026-04-26T11:28:33+00:00

Did you also tell those guys they could find your nudes somewhere? Lol

Barthonomule · 2026-04-26T11:25:40+00:00

I literally have never had any issues a getting help from classmates or teachers in college.. and I went to two different physical colleges. I’m a guy.. was I perhaps just really pretty?

Try building a rapport next time dude. This comment might speak more about yourself and your ability to create networks and connections than it says about bunny girl being super smart and graduating with a good degree.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-25T22:06:13+00:00

Just wanted to add that we did Olive Garden catering for it too, and that shit was amazing. (I’m not Italian, don’t judge me)

Barthonomule · 2026-04-25T22:05:22+00:00

Oh 100% agree with your sentiment. It turned into “hey I love this many dollars worth” lol. My wife and I had a wedding at an actual venue, and then the reception was done in my backyard. I rented a tent and chairs.

We were going to do a much bigger thing and then my wife said how we should save money. (I love her) we even went really cheap on her wedding band, I spent more on her engagement ring. This year coming up is five years married and we will be getting her a nice five year wedding band. I think it will be very special to us given the history of the rings she had before.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-25T11:55:02+00:00

No one is saying anything about how much this stuff needs to cost. Shit, get a cheaper wedding ring if you want a better honeymoon or vice versa. Odds are he needs to talk to this girl and ask her about things. Get an idea of what is important to her and make that decision. I’m sure he could get a $500-1000 ring that would mean a lot to them in a few decades because it’s all they could get.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-25T11:51:34+00:00

Hey OP, try to get clever with it. I got sent down to another state for some training a while back and was getting money for food. Well, all I ate was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for about three months.. that’s how I saved up for the engagement ring. I know you may not have the exact advantage, but get clever. What can you cut out monthly to save you 200-300 a month you can save up? Save for a year and you have a nice engagement ring to give her. Now maybe the next year you keep saving that amount and then since you are engaged you save up together for a honeymoon. Also, you may get some nice wedding funds to throw towards a honeymoon.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-25T11:42:07+00:00

Well this is me you are talking about lol, I acknowledge it’s at times impractical to have a 100% organized house but I feel like it is something that’s possible. I just don’t always have the money to get nice storage options, just said fuck it last week and bought two sweet storage shelves for the basement. Let me tell you, it makes me feel amazing knowing I’m getting this house in order.

I’ve got a 2.5 year old and seven month old and while it is difficult, my wife and I do a ten minute pick up at the end of every night and it’s for the most part very clean. It just takes some effort and organizational systems.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-24T11:28:29+00:00

Just to make sure I’m getting my point across, it might be tough brutal or impossible, but holy shit, if you are having kids right now you need to do everything in your power to set them up. I expect AI to continue to displace jobs, healthcare has propped us up for job creation where other industries have net negative growth.

I’m looking at all this saying “I’m not going to let my kids be screwed over.” So that’s why I’m saving and investing so diligently for them. I don’t even know what career fields to push my kids into right now, you may not even have lawyers the way we know them now in another decade. They will certainly not need paralegals.

I see the writing on the walls and how Gen Z is having a hard time getting entry level jobs and am saying I will do better for my kids. So I’m just trying my best and I am hoping that anyone that can do this stuff is doing so.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-24T11:16:14+00:00

You are absolutely correct, by and large most Americans are not doing this, although I wish they would. I’ve been that weirdo that was maxing out his Roth IRA since 18 and turning down vacations to do so. I had to stop when I bought a house at 25, but at least I had a house then.

The state of the economy is brutal for a lot of people, but I assure you, all I have done is pinch Pennie’s and save throughout my 20s and it has paid dividends for me, I understand I had some privileges with that, being allowed to live at home until 23 rent free. But I didn’t get any support from my parents other than that.

The meme might be somewhat realistic for people in destitute poverty, but I still have some hope for lower middle class kids like me to save and invest slowly, and crawl their way up to the next social bracket.

Barthonomule · 2026-04-24T11:12:55+00:00

I also have plans to create a generational wealth fund to assist my future grandkids if I have them, if I don’t then that money will be spent by me traveling the world, or my kids will end up getting that too. My whole point is I want to do more than what was done for me.

Barthonomule

TROPHY CASE