Gas Prices = Apprehension for Next Season?

[ckofer]

Originally Posted by snoseek

huh?


Anyway I consider anyone taking home 50+ k per year to be pretty well off and well above average.

Exactly what is a worker bee? Anyhow, $50K/yr is not a ton of money in New England. It's a squeeze to raise a family on twice that (and ski), hence my Ski Cheap Or Die project.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by snoseek

I have always had dogs, children seem pretty much like dogs in so many ways-to me they are the same.

Riiiiiight....

Two big pet peeves of mine:

1. When folks that have worked hard to be successful in life and earn a good living are somehow looked negatively upon for it.
2. When someone that's never raised kids somehow feels they are at all qualified to criticize those that have.

Thanks for touching both nerves in this thread.

[OldsnowboarderME]

Originally Posted by Greg

Riiiiiight....

Two big pet peeves of mine:

1. When folks that have worked hard to be successful in life and earn a good living are somehow looked negatively upon for it.
2. When someone that's never raised kids somehow feels they are at all qualified to criticize those that have.

Thanks for touching both nerves in this thread.

Don't even listen to it ..every family situation and needs are different. What works for one family would be a bad idea for another.
Anyone who thinks owning a dog or cat is the same as raising children hasn't a clue to start with ...

[drjeff]

Originally Posted by Greg

Riiiiiight....

Two big pet peeves of mine:

1. When folks that have worked hard to be successful in life and earn a good living are somehow looked negatively upon for it.
2. When someone that's never raised kids somehow feels they are at all qualified to criticize those that have.

Thanks for touching both nerves in this thread.

+5!!!

[deadheadskier]

Originally Posted by OldsnowboarderME

What has increased over the years is the tax burden and the expenses that didn't even exist back then ..

The tax part of you statement is true for lower income workers, but not for those making high incomes and corporations. The highest earners were taxed at a FAR higher percentage 50 years ago than they are today. The same is true for corporations. Back then, corporate taxes covered upwards of 30% of federal taxes, today it is around 15%.

This is in part why it the current economic situation is much harder on low-middle income workers than it is the wealthy. Bush throws the low end a bone of $600 to get the 'peasants' to pipe down, while at the same time returning boat loads of money to the richest 1%. Over half of the total dollars in tax cuts in his plan go to that 1%, people whose average income is 1.5 mil or higher. This of course doesn't even factor in that for most people at that income level, they get their income in the form of capitol gains, which is already taxed at a far lower percent than wage income.

All this in the good spirit of trickle down economics......B$%l S@#t

[Warp Daddy]

What is scary here guys is that the tenor of this conversation is but ONE TINY example of WHAT could happen and the potential for "class warfare " that very well may play out when /IF this current economic decline deepens .

Most people have NEVER had to wonder how to house , feed , and provide for family unity in DIFFICULT times .While some may have read about devaluation and/or devolution most/all cannot relate to it. Many former members of the SOLID middle class will see not only their lifestyle change perhaps drastically but also their security and IF /when that happens this will be true chaos .

Treat each other well !

[deadheadskier]

Originally Posted by Greg

Riiiiiight....

Two big pet peeves of mine:

1. When folks that have worked hard to be successful in life and earn a good living are somehow looked negatively upon for it.
2. When someone that's never raised kids somehow feels they are at all qualified to criticize those that have.

Thanks for touching both nerves in this thread.

I think you're being overly sensitive here.

I'm not sure what he said that touched nerve #1. Where exactly did he criticize you for earning a good living? Nerve #2, only slightly. I don't think he directly attempted to insult your parenting methods.

[billski]

Originally Posted by skiboarder

I find the increased gas issue is blown way out of proportion for the non poor. It takes about 22 gallons of gas for me to go from westchester to Killington roundtrip. Say gas prices will increase $2.00 a gallon from this ski season from the previous. My weekend is costing me $44 more. At $2.50, $55 more. For my wife and I , discounted lift tixes will be $172 for 2 days. Lodging about $250. Food, maybe about $150. If gas is $5 a gallon, it will cost $110. $682 for the weekend instead of say $630. That's an increase in total cost of less than 10%. Add an extra day or kids to the mix, and the % price increase gets much smaller. Is this really a big deal? Hell, bring a hot plate or stay at a place with access to a microwave and don't go out for dinner and your ahead of the game.

The people that get hurt first are those "living on the edge." Those that could just ek out enough "disposable income" to go on a trip may not be able to afford the additional $44 (I'd argue it's going to cost you more than that for your example/see below). So we'll see those people turning into day-trippers, dropping out or going with fewer people.

The other people on the edge are those that have been making up for increasing prices by using their credit cards for everything and not paying it off. This is often a hidden behavior, difficult to track until the collector comes-a-callin'. Eventually it will catch up with them, if they can't pay off the card debt and blam, they'll stop spending it.

I'd argue it's a lot more than that since your lodging and food are going to increase, because they all depend on trucks to transport and to manufacture. It will have a direct impact on all consumables, including your new skis and rentals.

As far as the lift tickets, rental rates and fees for other activities, resorts will wisely not post their prices until the 11th hour - to see how much the market will bear. There will be a much better reading on where we are going with oil prices in November.

[snoseek]

Originally Posted by Greg

Riiiiiight....

Two big pet peeves of mine:

1. When folks that have worked hard to be successful in life and earn a good living are somehow looked negatively upon for it.
2. When someone that's never raised kids somehow feels they are at all qualified to criticize those that have.

Thanks for touching both nerves in this thread.

No problem, anytime (I hate smilies They're dumb, but guess I should start using them)

Anyway you sound a bit like my sister that has a holier than thou, I've reached a whole different level of being because I reproduced. It actually touches a nerve with me because most of the family treats me like I'm gay and they're are hardcore christian.


It's all good, we live completely separate lives, you took one fork, I took the other. You chose family, things, ect..., I choose experiences. I don't expect you to understand where I'm coming from.

Edit- to adress pet peeve #1 I in no way look down on folks with money, they are directly my livlihood. I was just stating that many are complete slaves to their jobs because of how they live, spend. The best thing you can do if you hate your job, don't see kids enough, want to try something newect.... is dramatically decrease spending to give more financial freedom. That is my whole point.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by deadheadskier

I think you're being overly sensitive here.

I'm not sure what he said that touched nerve #1. Where exactly did he criticize you for earning a good living?

It was kinda implied. Click. It was the tone there that bothered me.

Originally Posted by deadheadskier

Nerve #2, only slightly. I don't think he directly attempted to insult your parenting methods.

I never said he criticised me specifically in either case. Hey, I have no problem with the life path snoseek has decided to take. I applaud people that are self aware enough to know they shouldn't have kids. With that said, someone that has never done it is not qualified to comment on the right way to parent. The fact that he thinks raising a child is like caring for a dog proves that.

It's not a big deal. We're just on very different paths, I guess...