Can everyone earn a high salary?

amother

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:01 pm

I've seen this sentiment over a bunch of threads. Someone posts their financial situation, and the answer is "get a better job." I kinda understand where this is coming from if it is in response to someone earning $24K annually full time, but when this is in response to a $65K+ or even higher salary, I am starting to wonder. From what I remember, in the USA a $50K salary is average, and $58K annual household income.

Of course higher salaries do exist, but are they really attainable for everyone? If they "try hard enough"? To the point where it's expected, from everyone? And if you're making an average salary, you're doing something majorly wrong?

And if it's that easy, what am I doing wrong?

amother

Saddlebrown

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:05 pm

It's not reasonable to expect everyone to earn the $250k plus that it takes to comfortably pay tuition for a large family. But it is reasonable to think that someone who has had a private school education ought to be able to earn significantly more than the national average.

amother

Pink

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:07 pm

Noone said it's easy.
People with well paid jobs usually worked their tooches off to get there.
Is it expected? Well depends on the kind of life you wanna live. You wanna keep up with the Cohen's? Then yes you'll have to work hard. You're fine with a simple lifestyle? Then you don't.

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:12 pm

I'm doing it wrong too.
I work full time, in health care, with a master degree, and I make 62K -before taxes, what they take out for health care/dental.....
If I were to change jobs, I would make the same +/- 10% .
I guess I could go back to school and find a new career, but what and then I would have school loans, be unemployed for that period of time, hope to get a job and be starting at the bottom of that field.

mig100

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:18 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Oh, I'm fine with a simple lifestyle. But tuition doesn't fit so well with that.

yeah all this talk about "simple lifestyle" and not keeping up with johnses is really sounding trite to me.

lets do some math. tuition 13k per kid *7 kids=91k (after taxes)

and many schools charge more and 7 is not an unussually huge family.

as if people go to work so they can go on vacation or buy sheitels?

as if cutting out $2500 vacation suddenly makes tuition affordable??

as if the reason cant pay tuition is because they spent an extra $10 a week on paper goods??

cutting these expenses out-doesnt give you a drop in the budget.

im confused What

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:24 pm

mig100 wrote:

Oh, and we should also spend the money to hire nannies to cover the gaps in schedule when we're working outrageously long hours.

amother

Rose

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:25 pm

amother [ Ecru ] wrote:

Disagree. I'm a school OT. I work part-time and earn around 24K. I could earn a little more than double that if I work full time, but that's it. I couldn't expect to earn any more than that. The expectations some people have are completely out of check with reality.

If you worked part-time at a school and part-time in private practice - you probably could earn more.

Ellie7

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:46 pm

So, it's not that everyone can make $250,000 a year (full disclosure: I don't). It's that you need to acknowledge that your salary and what you can afford are affected by choices you make. So, if you don't go to college, then, yes, your salary will likely be lower. And, then, if you have upwards of 6 kids, you likely won't have the money you need to afford a frum lifestyle.

Actions have consequences.

amother

Rose

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:49 pm

Ellie7 wrote:

So where to go from there? Limit the number of children? By frum lifestyle - do you mean schooling?

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 12:56 pm

Ellie7 wrote:

The problem is that many rabbonim don't consider that when giving you a heter or lack thereof for bc.

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 1:16 pm

amother [ Rose ] wrote:

If you worked part-time at a school and part-time in private practice - you probably could earn more.

Please realize that in private practice, you have a few challenges that personally don't work for me.
1) you need to find your own clients-a business skill they don't teach in heath care, and if you don't fill spots you are not working.
2) most private clients want appointments after work or after school. That is when I personally want to be home with my kids.
3) if a person doesn't show, then do you take a loss for your time or bill them? I struggle with that because I hear people's reasons and I feel bad.

4)Most of all, I have an issue, and I know it is my issue and I probably need therapy 😉, with charging large amounts for health care services. I went into the field to help people. I am happy to negotiate rates with insurance companies and I believe that I provide a wonderful service and do it well and should be compensated for it, but I have a very hard time with charging a person to help them with their health, because if I can help I should. To me the line with chessed really is blurred when I'm charging the person privately. I would do very well with the barter system. I help you with this, you help my son with Gemara, you are a great baker and bring me cake and challah for Shabbos.....

Please, please, pleases do not CVS think that I am not approving/judging..... or anything else negative for those who are in health care and a rightful so, payed for the wonderful services they provide. You pursued and education, work hard, and take time away from your families. It is MY issue.

amother

Wine

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 1:19 pm

When I was younger I worked at a sheitel macher together with another girl. I was raised simply but my parents paid for my stuff growing up. She was raised having to pay her way. She had a major chip on her shoulder because she always had wealthier friends and felt she was lacking . I KNEW she was going to make it big. And lo and behold... she had a big beautiful home, 2 expensive cars. Dresses herself and her kids in designer clothes. I think that if youre desperate enough and willing to go to the end of the earth, itll happen for u!

amother

Ecru

Tue, Jul 30 2019, 1:21 pm

amother [ Rose ] wrote:

If you worked part-time at a school and part-time in private practice - you probably could earn more.

Any practice I have ever spoken to only wants help during the after-school hours which means that my kids would be on their own! That's completely not an option. I need to pick my kids up from school and take them home.