This is what happened when I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps

[nehalem256]

That's why some of us waited to become senior NCO's before having children.

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/armypromotions/a/armypromotions_5.htm

Some basic research shows that a junior NCO is considered an E4 or E5.

It seems it will take ~4years to become an E4. So a kid joins up out of HS at 18 he can become an E5 by 22.

Do I really need to explain why having 2 kids at age 22 is not a good idea for anyone if they want to support their family?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I waited until I was a E-6 (27 years old) before my first child was born.

 

[OutHouse]

Its also very ironic because I know two individuals who fit that description almost to a T. Neither of them are taking food stamps because they'd be too ashamed to do it. They make other sacrifices in order to avoid that decision.

my point being that they are active duty and make so little that they qualify for public assistance with only 2 kids.

 

[fleshconsumed]

And how much did it retail for? all the trimmings was 60-70k. Imagine if put in stock market for term and bought a $12000 echo? talking about having 120K cash instead of 10K-6k you cant sell. Plus echo gets better mpg and has more room you enjoy for 10yrs.

cars are a liability not an asset best to minimize liability spending until you're really rich. Like set for life.

It says right there in the article. The car was a 2003 Kompressor. That car started under $26K. While still expensive for what you got, that was the cheapest Mercedes you could buy, hardly a luxury car you're trying to make it. And if you failed to read the rest of the article, that car was fully paid off before they even met. This is not the case of some dude being a show off taking a loan on a car he can hardly afford. The guy wanted a nicer car, and he got it because he could afford it. It was paid off. Ironically, the reason she had to use the Mercedes is because their or-so-reliable Honda broke.

Similarly, their house/mortgage was only 240K on a 120K combined income. That is only twice their income, well below 3x income guideline.

These guys did almost everything right. Their cars were paid off and they didn't buy too much of a house. Their only fault was not having more of emergency savings (however according to the article her husband was out of job for years, hardly anybody has several years of emergency savings stashed away). That and they were in the wrong place at the wrong time losing their jobs and having twins right on the eve of the crash.

 

[Zaap]

I have no problem with anyone serving in the military getting any and all assistance they/their family requires. Just serving qualifies in my book.

Another thing with this tale of woe: when's the last time anyone actually saw a food 'stamp'? Aren't they all just debit cards now, and have been for some time? Yet she talks about actual coupons and reactions using them. (Anyone know for sure if any state still issued/issued coupon form stamps 2008 forward)

 

[nehalem256]

my point being that they are active duty and make so little that they qualify for public assistance with only 2 kids.

How many 22 or 23 year old not serving in the military do you think would qualify for public assistance with "only" 2 kids?

 

[xBiffx]

my point being that they are active duty and make so little that they qualify for public assistance with only 2 kids.

And? How the heck does that relate to my original statement?

If they are taking food stamps/welfare, they ought to be ashamed.

 

[OutHouse]

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/armypromotions/a/armypromotions_5.htm

Some basic research shows that a junior NCO is considered an E4 or E5.

It seems it will take ~4years to become an E4. So a kid joins up out of HS at 18 he can become an E5 by 22.

Do I really need to explain why having 2 kids at age 22 is not a good idea for anyone if they want to support their family?

so its an age thing then?

 

[Zaap]

That and being in the wrong place at the wrong time losing their jobs and having twins right on the eve of the crash.

She never says she lost her job.

 

[xBiffx]

I have no problem with anyone serving in the military getting any and all assistance they/their family requires. Just serving qualifies in my book.

Neither do I. But I'll guarantee that the vast majority are going to feel guilty or ashamed for doing it. The problem is those, military or otherwise, who are perfectly comfortable being in that situation.

 

[OutHouse]

How many 22 or 23 year old not serving in the military do you think would qualify for public assistance with "only" 2 kids?

you tell me.

get off the age thing, it has no bearing on pay.

 

[xBiffx]

get off the age thing, it has no bearing on pay.

It has a direct bearing on pay especially when you bring up the military. The longer you serve, and therefore the older you are, the more you make.

 

[nehalem256]

you tell me.

get off the age thing, it has no bearing on pay.

Are you an idiot of course age has a bearing on pay.

People at age 30 will on average make more than 18. And if you aren't making more money in your 30s than at 18 you screwed up.

 

[OutHouse]

And? How the heck does that relate to my original statement?

If they are taking food stamps/welfare, they ought to be ashamed.

thats sad man. you got a guy or gal busting her ass for her country, working long hours and doing everything right. but they qualify for public assistance and you say they should be ashamed to get a little help?

 

[Zebo]

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/armypromotions/a/armypromotions_5.htm

Some basic research shows that a junior NCO is considered an E4 or E5.

It seems it will take ~4years to become an E4. So a kid joins up out of HS at 18 he can become an E5 by 22.

Do I really need to explain why having 2 kids at age 22 is not a good idea for anyone if they want to support their family?

Meh can go many ways. Forces you to grow the hell up thats for sure. I never had toys like harleys riced out cars and stuff as a young man with a family. Made over 55K with my first job out of school and ate beans and rice cooked in a pressure cooker to save money.

If you want to be a perpetual teenager then yeah best wait but many many generations before us had kids in thier teens and did just fine.

If you wait then you got kids living at home into your 50s and 60s - who the hell wants that when you should be cruising and golfing and playing hard?

My favorite saying is: Pay now or pay later but you always have to pay. I'd rather get hard stuffs out of the way younger I am.

 

[OutHouse]

Are you an idiot of course age has a bearing on pay.

People at age 30 will on average make more than 18. And if you aren't making more money in your 30s than at 18 you screwed up.

the last time i checked age is not a factor in pay in the military. hell you can join the army now at 35. you know how much a 35 year old private makes? the same as a 18 year old private.

 

[nehalem256]

thats sad man. you got a guy or gal busting her ass for her country, working long hours and doing everything right. but they qualify for public assistance and you say they should be ashamed to get a little help?

If you can't feed your family you aren't doing everything right.D:

 

[nehalem256]

the last time i checked age is not a factor in pay in the military. hell you can join the army now at 35. you know how much a 38 year old private makes? the same as a 18 year old private.

And if you have 2 kids and choose to join the military as a private at 35 I would say that is a poor life choice.

 

[smackababy]

my point being that they are active duty and make so little that they qualify for public assistance with only 2 kids.

Hardly. A E-4 with 2 kids will bring in a lot more than their base pay. The lowest with dependent BAH I could find was still over $800 (and it is adjusted based on cost of living for the area you're in) and you get an additional $357 a month for BAS. Those are tax free entitlements. While, your taxable income (base pay) might be low enough for public assistance, you're total income isn't.

As an E-4 with zero dependents, I was making ~$38k a year, which was low for my job in the civilian sector, but still.

 

[xBiffx]

thats sad man. you got a guy or gal busting her ass for her country, working long hours and doing everything right. but they qualify for public assistance and you say they should be ashamed to get a little help?

The bolded is false if you are dealing with a junior NCO with two children. Stop pretending its anything but.

But you are right, it is sad. There's nothing good about being in a situation of your own making that sucks. But as long as you recognize it then there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[OutHouse]

And if you have 2 kids and choose to join the military as a private at 35 I would say that is a poor life choice.

so an out of work guy decides to join to serve and to provide for his family is a poor life choice?

nobody can win with you can they?

 

[OutHouse]

The bolded is false if you are dealing with a junior NCO with two children. Stop pretending its anything but.

?? pretending its anything but what? having 2 kids?

 

[xBiffx]

?? pretending its anything but what? having 2 kids?

Having two kids when you couldn't even barely afford to live beforehand is not "doing everything right". Quit being purposely obtuse.

 

[nehalem256]

so an out of work guy decides to join to serve and to provide for his family is a poor life choice?

nobody can win with you can they?

Except as you said he still isn't providing for his family.

 

[OutHouse]

Hardly. A E-4 with 2 kids will bring in a lot more than their base pay. The lowest with dependent BAH I could find was still over $800 (and it is adjusted based on cost of living for the area you're in) and you get an additional $357 a month for BAS. Those are tax free entitlements. While, your taxable income (base pay) might be low enough for public assistance, you're total income isn't.

As an E-4 with zero dependents, I was making ~$38k a year, which was low for my job in the civilian sector, but still.

BAS is only for you the servicemember not for your family, get deployed and that entitlement is yanked. same with BAH, and if you live on base family housing you don't get that pay.