WHEN DID EVERYTHING GET SO EXPENSIVE?!?!?!?!? kids are expensive ...

[walter duque]

Walter get that thing fixed are you crazy.... Thats actually not a bad looking amp, the BAT's I have seen were all plain black boxes...

For 1k when it's done is not a bad deal. Besides I like the looks of it.

 

[ImcLoud]

For 1k when it's done is not a bad deal. Besides I like the looks of it.

Maybe a good time to get a new pair of stereo speakers to go with it...

 

[annunaki]

I would tend to disagree on wages increasing and the value being relative. Wages have declined in the past years since 2008 except for the top quintile and top 5% of wage earners who have benefited most from the Fed's printing policies. Things will only continue to get more expensive especially if actual wages and Fed policies continue on their current trajectory.

 

[walter duque]

Thanks bud, I am used to weeding out the comments that are fueled from anything besides wanting to be helpful, lol, I just smile and feel sorry for the authors of them... Believe it or not, I get a lot of down to earth feedback from some of the guys on this site, there are some that aren't as constructive and borderline disrespectful, but that comes with the entire "I'm safe in front of my PC, far from who ever this post may hurt" which if that makes them feel better about themselves, then so be it, I can't be hurt by anything said in an audiophile forum, now the snipershide forum, that's another story, I have met a bunch of them guys in person and have been a member there much longer than here, plus you piss off some of them cats and you would NEVER see the revenge coming, I've shot next to a couple that you would hear the shot before you felt it, lol...

Plus if you think I am passionate about music equipment you haven't seen anything yet, I have never spent more than $3000 on a single stereo system, while I have spent $20K on a single sniper rifle, and Hunting rifles, I would be embarrassed to mention the price of my last Blaser. And one could say, WTF you spend enough to buy a decent home in the midwest on a single rifle but complain about how much your kids clothes cost, BUT them are investments, I bought a rifle for $28K in 2011 that I sold for over $60K last year!!! Granted the few I shoot regularly are not going to have a return and cost money to upkeep but that is because they are my hobby...

Didn't know you where into rifles too. I just picked all 3 of these up with over 1000 rounds of ammo and some nice cases for $800.00 in a distress sale, not that I needed them because I got out of that game in 87 and not by choice. These are not on your level though. 2 of them are flipped for a nice little profit within and hour. Best snipper rifle I have ever owned in the past was an FNALR paratropper model.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

I would tend to disagree on wages increasing and the value being relative. Wages have declined in the past years since 2008 except for the top quintile and top 5% of wage earners who have benefited most from the Fed's printing policies. Things will only continue to get more expensive especially if actual wages and Fed policies continue on their current trajectory.

Yeah, I was looking at the average hourly wages for unskilled labor posted earlier and was really confused:

Yeah, but compare it to wages (here's one example).

People get all worked up that stuff costs more, but they forget that we're all paid more. Sure, that's not always true on a year-to-year basis ("hey, I didn't get a raise"), but over time, it's true.

27.92/hour average for unskilled labor in a production line? Not here!! Maybe half that. Plus under 60k/year down here your touching poverty if you have kids, maybe single can get by. Six figures is a must to raise kids with some fall room. I remember as a kid when 30k a year was something to strive for, now its poverty.

I understand America got spoiled in the 90s, but, DAMN.

What happened in the early 80s that caused the reversal? I'd assume its multiple things, but seems like the 90s are always talked about as the wonder years, but, 90s look like the beginning of the end in terms of wealth inequality. Stock market? (gotta have money to make money type of thing?)

I graduated right at the beginning of the recession, so, I don't know what it was like before (maybe an advantage? lol). How are those of you in your 40s and 50s adjusting? Do you feel poorer ever though you're making more? The same?

 

[MidnightSensi2]

Don't even get me started on building materials, we were building houses for $109 per sq ft {I'm talking nice homes, exotic-ish hardwoods and tiles, every counter top stone, all soft shut hand made custom cabinets, high end glass and doors, high end exterior finishes like hardy, stone, brick, stucco, ect {very few vinyl and when we did use it is was expensive interloc type}, granted I was doing 90% of it in house, the only things we didn't do was some of the electric service, roofing, granite, and well drilling... less than $110 per sq, so we could build a 3900 sq ft home, with cathedral ceilings, high end mechanical systems ect for $425K, them houses were selling for $700K land was costing about $60k per lot and people were calling 50 times a day to see if they were for sale!!! Now, not long later, that same house will cost $175 per sq, which will be in the neighborhood of $700K, but the real problem is that 700K home will only sell for around $550K!!!!!! I have talked to many builders and no one can remember a time where you couldn't build a new home and sell it for a profit {say 10-20%}, now you build a home expect to lose 25-30%!!!

Yeah, no way you can build for 109/sq-ft by me now without it looking like a McMansion. When I lived up North, could build for that if you really stayed on top of things. I'd guess to build down here something quality that could be resold and lived in without it being a headache, your talking 200/sq.ft lol. Easy. lol.

A crappy 70s house with no water view in a good location can go for 1.5 million, then the first thing you have to do is bulldoze it. AND PEOLPE ARE DOING IT / can afford it!!

We have Europeans and South Americans (more South Americans now) coming in buying up homes and condos, and its skyrocketing the prices. A nice 1.5 bedroom, 2 bathroom, condo (.5 being a small bedroom with no bathroom) is around 700-800k easy. Then you pay 2% a year in tax on it lol, plus assessments, etc.

The good news, is I can rent nice places for cheap. Because mostly its like Brazilian rich dudes that just want to spread their assets out, or launder money lol (big time down here). I have my work studio, then I live in an apartment. I pay 2,500k a month... which is what the owner pays in JUST BUILDING ASSESSMENTS lol.

 

[ImcLoud]

Didn't know you where into rifles too. I just picked all 3 of these up with over 1000 rounds of ammo and some nice cases for $800.00 in a distress sale, not that I needed them because I got out of that game in 87 and not by choice. These are not on your level though. 2 of them are flipped for a nice little profit within and hour. Best snipper rifle I have ever owned in the past was an FNAlR paratropper model.

Long range shooting is one of my hobbies, I have been serious about it for about 8 years, something about being able to reach out that far with so much energy is addicting.. Pop a whole through a cement block and into a steel plate behind it from 800 yards is fun, I have a large pc of land by my office that we shoot at, 90 acres with just an Amish built shed on it, we fill up 10 water bottles with targets on them, spread them out from 1200-1800 yards, we have targets setup too but the beer cans and water bottles are fun... we used to use watermellons but then the bugs were taking over our targets the next time we went out... My best shot was a cold bore 1830 yard 1 liter bottle of soda 338 lapua, 3 minutes to set it up, I felt like I had it, then got a feeling a need another 3 clks, so I moved a little, pulled the trigger thinking "NO WAY" and then the bottle exploded... FUN... that was almost 100 yards over a mile!!! You cant see the 4x4 target the bottle is sitting on with out a scope at that distance...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnX8vBBJ-Oo
to get an idea of how far 1800 yards is watch this video at 2.10 they zoom out from target to bingo and the target {a big red board} disappears https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jx4D0ZBcd0 ... There anren't many people in the world tht can make shots like these... I shoot with 2 of them... One of the guys I met on a forum, taught me a lot, he is amazing, ex military, 18 year seal sniper, he takes shots from a kneeling position I wish I could make from prone, I watched him take a cold bore shot standing in high wind over 800 yards, he hit the plate, then took another shot and the two touched on the same plate {and it was moving for the second shot}!!! OFF HIS SHOULDER, that means he could take your eyes out at almost 1000 yards, you can't even see someone holding a gun at that distance!!! I am working on standing and kneeling shots, they are hard on me because my arms are so heavy, prone I can shoot holes in quarters from distances you couldn't sprint, but standing I am only accurate to around 150 yards, which is great for hunting but not long range...

 

[rojo]

I would tend to disagree on wages increasing and the value being relative. Wages have declined in the past years since 2008 except for the top quintile and top 5% of wage earners who have benefited most from the Fed's printing policies. Things will only continue to get more expensive especially if actual wages and Fed policies continue on their current trajectory.

There's a great infographic animation on YouTube about wealth inequality.

[video=youtube;QPKKQnijnsM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM[/video]

Robert Reich, a notable economist, filmed a more thorough documentary called "Inequality for All" that is well worth adding to your Netflix queue or inquiring about at your local library.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

There's a great infographic animation on YouTube about wealth inequality.

[video=youtube;QPKKQnijnsM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM[/video]

Robert Reich, a notable economist, filmed a more thorough documentary called "Inequality for All" that is well worth adding to your Netflix queue or inquiring about at your local library.

Thanks man, that's a very helpful video. I'm going to check out that documentary also!

 

[ski2xblack]

I graduated right at the beginning of the recession, so, I don't know what it was like before (maybe an advantage? lol). How are those of you in your 40s and 50s adjusting? Do you feel poorer ever though you're making more? The same?

Start early, save as much as you can, max out your contributions to retirement accounts. Due to compounding, if you do that throughout your twenties, it will ultimately be worth more than all subsequent contributions by a country mile.

[h=1]“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it ... he who doesn't ... pays it.”[/h]
― Albert Einstein

 

[herbu]

Start early, save as much as you can, max out your contributions to retirement accounts. Due to compounding, if you do that throughout your twenties, it will ultimately be worth more than all subsequent contributions by a country mile.

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it ... he who doesn't ... pays it.”


― Albert Einstein

Nail, meet Head! Anybody who spends all they earn, (or receive), then complains about being poor, or complains about how bad and unfair the rich are, gets no sympathy from me. I don't care how much you make in this country, you can live on 90% of it and save/invest the other 10%. If you don't do that, at a minimum, what the hell do you expect? Choose to have cable TV? Choose to have air conditioning? Choose to drive a nice car? Choose to drink? Choose to smoke? Choose to do drugs? Choose to have kids? Choose to eat fast food? Fine... enjoy yourself. And enjoy welfare and working at Walmart when you're 65. And shut up.

 

[rojo]

Trouble is, we who live paycheck-to-paycheck have absolutely no influence over whether laws are passed allowing dubious big-business practices (like the plague of sub-prime mortgages that dumped us into this recession in the first place). The problem is much more complicated than a question of individual responsibility. The system is skewed, like it or not.

In Eisenhower-era America, income equality was very much more controlled with up to a 92% tax rate on the uber-wealthy. The U.S. invested heavily in education and infrastructure, and after the Great Depression we saw a level of prosperity for the middle class that has been un-matched since before Reagan.

Used to be, one could go to college for free. Some ivy leagues charged a couple hundred a semester, but higher education was attainable for anyone who wanted. Now, a semester of college costs a small fortune, and student loan debt is crippling for those who you claim ought to choose between cable TV, a fast food restaurant, or whatever. The job market is stagnant, and lots of people work at Wal-Mart simply because they have no better prospects, not because they are untrained, uneducated or unmotivated.

Ah, I could rant all day about this, but I won't.

 

[herbu]

Trouble is, we who live paycheck-to-paycheck have absolutely no influence over whether laws are passed allowing dubious big-business practices

But you do have control over what you spend and/or save.

You have some nice stuff:
TV: Samsung HL67A510 (67" DLP); Receiver: Marantz SR6008; Mains: MB Quart Vera VS05B bookshelf; Center: MB Quart QL C304CTR; Rears: Fluance AVBP2 bipoles; Sub: CSS SDX12 (12" 500W) + Paradigm PW-2200 v1 (12" 250W) + 4x Aura Pro Bass Shaker (driven by an AudioSource AMP-100), managed by miniDSP + 4way Advanced

Hard for me to blame dubious big-business practices if you don't have a nest egg compounding every year.

 

[rojo]

Well, my wife and I contribute to a state retirement system, so we'll be comfortable after we get the mortgage paid off. But I don't fault anyone who can't save a nest egg, and I worry about how my daughter will make it when she grows up.

That TV was a Black Friday sale, the receiver was a refurb, the mains were closeout, the center was used from ebay, the rears were refurb, the CSS sub was DIY and a bargain, the Paradigm sub was a Craigslist find, the bass shakers were a steal, and the lot has been acquired over a period of several years... But I did pay full price for the miniDSP.

 

[ski2xblack]

That's kinda harsh, Herbu, but at the same time, even with wage stagnation and whatnot, anyone still has the opportunity. Keeping up with the Jonses is the choice of many, and it really cuts them off at the knees in a financial sense.

Irv, just for shits and giggles, you should show your kids what their back to school fashion budget would be worth in 35 years had they invested it. It would be a real eye opener.

 

[ski2xblack]

Trouble is, we who live paycheck-to-paycheck have absolutely no influence over whether laws are passed allowing dubious big-business practices (like the plague of sub-prime mortgages that dumped us into this recession in the first place). The problem is much more complicated than a question of individual responsibility. The system is skewed, like it or not.

Sure it is. Then the question becomes, "What am I going to do under these circumstances?" Worry about what you do have control over, not the stuff you don't. Hypothetical analogy: the schoolyard bully is stealing other kids lunch money, and school authorities do not correct his behavior. What do you do? Complain to no avial? Maybe the wise choice would be to place side bets on the bully.

 

[rojo]

Or the schoolyard bully has given the school authorities a 20 to look the other way. I just don't want my daughter to have her lunch money stolen.

 

[herbu]

I worry about how my daughter will make it when she grows up.

Teach her to begin saving 10% with her first job. Every time she gets a raise, increase her savings by 1%. So if she gets a 5% raise, spend 4% and save 1%. If she does that, regardless of how much she makes or what big business or the economy does, she will have a fine future.

 

[ski2xblack]

Yes, but that is the part you don't have control over in this hypothetical, and that the kids in the schoolyard are us, not your daughter. The point is, yes, the game is rigged, but also that we know pretty much how it's rigged, and therefore it's our prerogative to take advantage of the opportunities that genuinely exist. The complaining seems more sour grapes from those with no skin in the game. During the recession I was working my ass off and buying stocks as fast as I could, because I realized the game was rigged and that equities were the best asset class to invest in. Betting on the bully has paid off handsomely.

 

[herbu]

I realized the game was rigged

I realized the game was rigged AND I didn't know enough to play it alone and win. (This after having A LOT of fun with eTrade during the tech boom. Made a lot quickly, and lost it even faster. Fortunately my better half only let me play w/ a piece of the pie.)

My suggestion is to get a Financial Planner from a big stable firm. They get a cut, BUT the amount left after their cut is more than you can likely get on your own with any regularity. We started w/ $5k, and something like $100/month deposits. Was not much, but that's the miracle of early saving and compounding.

If you want maximum benefit from the game, become the Financial Planner. The better you are, the more customers you get, and the more cuts you get of their money. Some people will vilify you, but they will not be your customers. Your customers will love you because you made them more money than they could make themselves. I like our guy because he does what he does best, and I don't have to worry about it. Do I fault him for taking a cut of my money? Not one bit.