Comments on: Keepin’ it real http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/ At home with a left wing love beast. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:26:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gianna http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33634 Gianna Fri, 23 May 2008 23:39:04 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33634 hey, me and Harley have managed on less than $25K a year for the past four years, and rarely feel that deprived. god, every time you come home from the supermarket and stock your fridge and pantry, you feel rich. particularly when you're watching refugees with didley squat on the news every night. sure, there's things you sacrifice, like say the forty-dollar lipsticks you bought when you were on $60K, but when you're living close to the bone, you soon realise how unimportant those things really are. people who can't make ends meet on $150K astound me. hey, me and Harley have managed on less than $25K a year for the past four years, and rarely feel that deprived. god, every time you come home from the supermarket and stock your fridge and pantry, you feel rich. particularly when you’re watching refugees with didley squat on the news every night. sure, there’s things you sacrifice, like say the forty-dollar lipsticks you bought when you were on $60K, but when you’re living close to the bone, you soon realise how unimportant those things really are.
people who can’t make ends meet on $150K astound me.

]]> By: worldpeace and a speedboat http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33624 worldpeace and a speedboat Wed, 21 May 2008 09:58:33 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33624 ahyup. what everyone else says. I has total agreement. I struggle on my current income with a wee one but that is also because I try to afford some things which are in essence, luxuries. things that make you feel like you're not shit-poor. things that make you feel like you're living a life, instead of merely existing. I remember about a decade ago having a total ding-dong of a barney with Darling Friend X who has no clue. he comes from an upper-working/lower-middle class background but is now very, very much the upper-middle class professional. Darling Friend X was having a whinge about something or other and saying that he was only earning the Australian average - $60K/year. I pointed out that the average wage was actually about $26K (can't remember exactly but it was $26-28K max) but in Lawyerly fashion he wouldn't believe a word, as I didn't have the proof in front of me. so a few days later, Darling Friend Y shoved a photocopy of the Australian Bureau of Statistics findings of the average wage in front of him and told him, with a kiss on the cheek, to shut the fuck up. worked a treat for a few years. until I had to do it again, when he was in denial about his Philipino maid having to flee her home country to escape an arranged marriage, and the conditions of many of the native population of the country he was living in. a total barney nearly happened in the 5-star restaurant in an exotic location where he was treating me to dinner. I felt guilty about having a go at him while he was unbelievably generous towards me - which he has *always* been, to a fault - but how do you not get angry about these things? especially when the other person has, in fact, been through some hardship (not as drastic, but still) themselves. probably ranted too much. anyways. back to general instead of specific indignation...! ahyup.
what everyone else says.
I has total agreement.

I struggle on my current income with a wee one but that is also because I try to afford some things which are in essence, luxuries. things that make you feel like you’re not shit-poor. things that make you feel like you’re living a life, instead of merely existing.

I remember about a decade ago having a total ding-dong of a barney with Darling Friend X who has no clue. he comes from an upper-working/lower-middle class background but is now very, very much the upper-middle class professional. Darling Friend X was having a whinge about something or other and saying that he was only earning the Australian average – $60K/year. I pointed out that the average wage was actually about $26K (can’t remember exactly but it was $26-28K max) but in Lawyerly fashion he wouldn’t believe a word, as I didn’t have the proof in front of me.

so a few days later, Darling Friend Y shoved a photocopy of the Australian Bureau of Statistics findings of the average wage in front of him and told him, with a kiss on the cheek, to shut the fuck up.

worked a treat for a few years. until I had to do it again, when he was in denial about his Philipino maid having to flee her home country to escape an arranged marriage, and the conditions of many of the native population of the country he was living in. a total barney nearly happened in the 5-star restaurant in an exotic location where he was treating me to dinner. I felt guilty about having a go at him while he was unbelievably generous towards me – which he has *always* been, to a fault – but how do you not get angry about these things? especially when the other person has, in fact, been through some hardship (not as drastic, but still) themselves.

probably ranted too much.
anyways.
back to general instead of specific indignation…!

]]> By: Mindy http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33621 Mindy Tue, 20 May 2008 09:59:29 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33621 It was a quite instructive morning at the hairdressers on Saturday when they were chatting about their hourly rate: $16.20 per hour on weekdays and $20.50 on Saturdays. I get more than that at my crappy admin job, and I'm not responsible for anyone's bad hair day but my own. We live on less that $150000 a year but I don't feel like we are struggling at all. Probably because we aren't. Some people need to remember that there are a lot more people living on a lot less. It is interesting to see all these people crying poor, with the flat screen TV, new lounge, etc in the background. Don't cry about school fees, send them to public school for practically free ($50 for the year, should we chose to pay, which we do). It was a quite instructive morning at the hairdressers on Saturday when they were chatting about their hourly rate: $16.20 per hour on weekdays and $20.50 on Saturdays. I get more than that at my crappy admin job, and I’m not responsible for anyone’s bad hair day but my own. We live on less that $150000 a year but I don’t feel like we are struggling at all. Probably because we aren’t. Some people need to remember that there are a lot more people living on a lot less. It is interesting to see all these people crying poor, with the flat screen TV, new lounge, etc in the background. Don’t cry about school fees, send them to public school for practically free ($50 for the year, should we chose to pay, which we do).

]]> By: Zoe http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33612 Zoe Sun, 18 May 2008 09:35:05 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33612 Yep, Bernice, a guy whose business employed 12 people and paid him $180K a year. Good on him and all, but he should really get a grip. I hope he read the next section of the paper: <blockquote>The average weekly income for Aborigines in the western region [of NSW] is $242 a week.</blockquote> Yep, Bernice, a guy whose business employed 12 people and paid him $180K a year. Good on him and all, but he should really get a grip.

I hope he read the next section of the paper:

The average weekly income for Aborigines in the western region [of NSW] is $242 a week.

]]> By: Bernice http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33611 Bernice Sun, 18 May 2008 00:35:26 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33611 There's was a beautiful comment in teh SMH from one of the soon to be starved over $150 000s saying that he "knew" his lifestyle was average & just like everyone else's. Oh I love middle class privileged myopia There’s was a beautiful comment in teh SMH from one of the soon to be starved over $150 000s saying that he “knew” his lifestyle was average & just like everyone else’s. Oh I love middle class privileged myopia

]]> By: comicstriphero http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33610 comicstriphero Fri, 16 May 2008 07:38:19 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33610 oh THANK GOD someone else is as incensed as I. This has really been burning a hole in my blanket. "Please don't tax my luxury car and take away my play money, Iz so poor!" Shaddap. oh THANK GOD someone else is as incensed as I.

This has really been burning a hole in my blanket.

“Please don’t tax my luxury car and take away my play money, Iz so poor!”

Shaddap.

]]> By: Zoe http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33609 Zoe Fri, 16 May 2008 06:50:27 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33609 Yay Kate! I shall attempt to outrage you further to provoke more comments ... Yay Kate! I shall attempt to outrage you further to provoke more comments …

]]> By: Fyodor http://crazybrave.net/2008/05/13/keepin-it-real/comment-page-1/#comment-33608 Fyodor Fri, 16 May 2008 02:26:56 +0000 http://crazybrave.net/?p=542#comment-33608 True. That Jesus was blond, too, IIRC. NTTAWWT. True. That Jesus was blond, too, IIRC. NTTAWWT.

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