Paycheck to paycheck disturbingly common...

[NastyWoman]

Jan 9, 2019 21:34:36 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Jan 9, 2019 21:30:01 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Well, European houses used to have one bathroom total, but the shower/bathtub were in a separate room from the toilet. Still, that said my parents had 2 sons and 5 daughters and we had no backyard, so no outdoor peeing either. We all just went in there really fast and did our business → no dawdling allowed. Note that xH grew up with a similar setup and they had 2 more kids...

My friend's house in Belgium was like that. Made sense to me except there was no sink in the toilet room so I had to go  right to the bath room anyway.

We had sinks in the toilet rooms. Tiny ones, but they were there. DS2 and his family now live in Germany and have this same setup, including tiny sink.

[dannylion]

In this area, chain-link fences are frowned upon in most neighborhoods and most communities outright ban them as they can become rusty and ratty-looking with time.  Four-bar split-rail fences (with or without wire mesh to prevent critter migration through the fences) and 6-foot privacy fences are the norm for the most part.  Some communities (usually the really high-end ones) mandate that fences have to be the expensive white resin kind, but most allow either wood fences or resin fences.  Some people with pools will have a split-rail fence around the perimeter of the yard with a lockable privacy fence around the pool area.  

[nidena]

Jan 11, 2019 16:57:44 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

In a town of 2000 in rural Iowa, I don't see privacy fences.  There are not even chain link fences in my neighborhood.   

I see some with dog runs and some with above ground swimming pools with fences around only the pool.  

Some put a privacy fence around the patio or enclose the deck.

My best friend lives in a similar rural town in Iowa.  The only fences that are on her property are around the goat and pig pens.

[TheOtherMe]

This town no longer allows goat or hogs in the city limits.  We do allow a certain number of chickens and they must be fenced.  I have not seen any.

The "city" is annexing some land to build new homes (increase property tax base) and a farmer wants to be part of the annexation.  However, the farmer does not want city services (like water and sewer or to follow any other city rules).  That's the big fuss right now.  So far the farmer is getting a hard no from the city.  

[Lizard Queen]

Why would the farmer want to be part of the annexation?  So his property taxes can go up?

[haapai]

There might be an angle if the land in question is zoned agricultural or if the property taxes get a break as long as the property remains his.  He might be able to avoid much of the taxation associated with the new municipality while he owns the property yet be able to sell it for a pretty penny when he wants to. 

He might be arguing for something as advantageous as "Grandfather my hogs and chickens.  Let me keep my ag designation and tax treatment and historical tax basis, and let me in because I saw you annex my neighbor's former soy/corn fields in order to build a subdivision on them. 

It's a sweet deal if he can swing it.  I also don't blame the "city" for saying "no". 

ETA:  I used to live in a "city" that had quite a bit of lakefront agricultural land.  Some of the agriculture taking place on that land was quite pro-forma, but it kept the taxes low and the land was pretty much held in speculation for over two decades. 

[Deleted]

Yeah, my thought is he's thinking of developing a portion of it in the future.  The taxes wouldn't go up much if he splits it and just raw land is in the annex, but his home stays agricultural. 

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 12, 2019 12:24:39 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Why would the farmer want to be part of the annexation?  So his property taxes can go up?

I think he is selling off the land for the new housing development.  

It appears from the name of the subdivision, that is the case.  I don't know the farm owner's case but he might be thinking it would be easier to build a new house or sell if the property is in the city limits, since the property will be surrounded by the city.

The land owner has an attorney involved so there is an angle of some kind.

[nidena]

I have to ask: What is the definition of living paycheck-to-paycheck?  Anyone who has non-mortgage debt?  Or any debt?  I'm guessing I live p-to-p because not all my debts are paid off but I've paid much more than minimums and have cash in the checking account and money in savings.  I'm concluding that it's better to be p-to-p than hand-to-mouth, right?

[Deleted]

Jan 13, 2019 19:29:27 GMT -5 nidena said:

I have to ask: What is the definition of living paycheck-to-paycheck?  Anyone who has non-mortgage debt?  Or any debt?  I'm guessing I live p-to-p because not all my debts are paid off but I've paid much more than minimums and have cash in the checking account and money in savings.  I'm concluding that it's better to be p-to-p than hand-to-mouth, right?

Paycheck to paycheck to me means, if you don't get your paycheck you can't pay the bills.   We're seeing a lot of it with the government shutdown.   It's a major crisis for some, yet it's only been 21 days, so one paycheck missed so far for most.  

[TheHaitian]

Jan 13, 2019 20:01:38 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 13, 2019 19:29:27 GMT -5 nidena said:

I have to ask: What is the definition of living paycheck-to-paycheck?  Anyone who has non-mortgage debt?  Or any debt?  I'm guessing I live p-to-p because not all my debts are paid off but I've paid much more than minimums and have cash in the checking account and money in savings.  I'm concluding that it's better to be p-to-p than hand-to-mouth, right?

Paycheck to paycheck to me means, if you don't get your paycheck you can't pay the bills.   We're seeing a lot of it with the government shutdown.   It's a major crisis for some, yet it's only been 21 days, so one paycheck missed so far for most.  

Basically this: if I don’t get paid -> bills not getting paid.

No savings, no emergency account... you know the expression: I only have enough gas to last me till payday ?

I work with plenty of people like that; aka if checks or direct deposit are 1 day late they will not be making it to work the day after that.

Since we get paychecks usually on Sunday but do not hand them out till Tuesday (which is payday) we have had people ask if they could get their check early on Monday but promise not to cash it till Tuesday by their house so they can put gas in their car to make it to work.

I grew up with a lot of people in such situation, I still have family in such situation... my wife and I take it for granted that when we go do gas we just “fill it up” without thinking about it... I have a lot of memories of my mom or family members only having $5-$10 for gas. I cannot even remember the last time I did not just fill up my tank.

Damn this is bringing up memories! So yeah paycheck to paycheck means :
- no bill getting paid if you don’t get paycheck
- no grocery shopping is getting done till next check drop
- “this is my last dollar” actually means “this is literally my last dollar”.
- seat your ass in the house because you cannot afford to go nowhere paycheck to paycheck

[Deleted]

Jan 13, 2019 22:40:34 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Damn this is bringing up memories! So yeah paycheck to paycheck means :
- no bill getting paid if you don’t get paycheck
- no grocery shopping is getting done till next check drop
- “this is my last dollar” actually means “this is literally my last dollar”.
- seat your ass in the house because you cannot afford to go nowhere paycheck to paycheck

I don't hang out on the Widowed Village board much anymore, but in the Chat section one woman was suffering from a terrible toothache. She couldn't afford to see the dentist till her next SS payment landed in her account. Someone suggested she go to the ER. No, she didn't have enough gas in her car for that and didn't have the money to buy gas. (The tooth actually came out on its own and the pain was gone.)

I can't imagine living like that but I know many people do- although someone I later met on the Board IRL told me that the woman was a smoker- so somehow she had enough $$ for cigarettes.

[swamp]

I know one of these government workers.

She's young, divorced, and has 2 kids.  Her ex pays child support, but he's not a high earner.   

She had an emergency fund prior to the shut down, but a tenant skipping two months rent and trashing her rental property, and having to replace the furnace in her house wiped out that fund.     It's a good thing her parents are willing to float her a loan until the she starts getting paid again. 

[TheOtherMe]

I know many of those government workers.  Especially those at the lower end of the GS scale.  Or the ones where both work for the government.  Or the government contractors who probably won't get paid.