A January Update
Profunksticated again apologizes for the lag in posting. An update since the onset of 2008:
I’m near the end of my current temporary assignment, trying to keep a low profile.
Had a couple of interviews in the past two weeks, one with an agency of the District of Columbia government and the other with a government contractor. Their hiring decisions are still pending.
The Spouse’s workers’ comp claim is close to resolution. However, her lawyer is trying to tell her current disability insurer — which has been paying her a monthly benefit — that by law they cannot place a “lien” against what will be in my opinion is a relatively meager settlement award offered by her employer. He’s arguing that the award doesn’t constitute income replacement, it’s a one-shot deal, and therefore cannot be attached.
I swallowed hard and ran our monthly expenses on an Excel spreadsheet. I about gagged. Then I used one of those nifty paycheck calculator sites to determine how much of a salary I would need to cover our expenses and leave us extra as a cushion, savings, etc. Suffice it to say it would need to be in the high five figures. My salary would be in addition to The Spouse’s disability payments, which fortunately are tax-free. I’m gonna have to do some serious hookwinking, er, negotiation, to get what I calculate would be a 53% raise over my last full time salary. Tell me, folks, I need advice on how to do that with just a 26-year-old bachelor’s degree. Pleeze, help a brutha out!
Yes, I could cut expenses, maybe something like cable, but they would barely make a dent. So I will reveal something for the first time on this blog: My permanent home is in New Jersey, close to Philly. And the cost of living in that state is outrageous, what with property taxes, auto insurance, three cars and two kids in school. And, yes, we hopped on the refinancing bandwagon in the past few years, basically shifting our consumer debts onto our home, which resulted in a higher mortgage payment. Thank God the rate is fixed.
OK, enough moaning about my financial crap; on to some good stuff: I had the rewarding experience this month of mentoring a 17-year-old high school senior as she finalized her business plan in a competition sponsored by Washington-based foundation that teaches entrepreneurship to high schoolers. (God, why didn’t we have that when I was a kid?) I gave her all kinds of tips on how to improve her plan, based on my experience in journalism and proposals. I know she made it to the finals, which was last Friday, but I haven’t heard since how she did. I need to find out. I’ve learned that I really like giving my time to high school students to give them a leg up. It is true that helping others like that really does make one forget about his or her own ish.
Also trying to get plugged into this area’s version of the 12-step program I’m part of. I’ve been to a few meetings and met a few fellow recovering addicts, most of whom are African American like me and also what we call clean but still crazy.
That’s it for now.
Peace.
I hope that you and your wife are okay. It’s hard out here. Things have been turnt upside down. Folks with degrees (regardless of when you earned it, it’s a degree) are out here stuggling, but people without degrees seem to be doing okay. I don’t mind saying that I have a huge problem with that.
Didn’t mean to go on a tangent. Stay strong.
LH, thanks for visiting and leaving your kind words. We’ll be all right; just that things have been crazy for the past year, as I’ve documented in this blog.
And you’re right about folks with degrees, although it seems certain kinds of degrees don’t seem to carry the same weight as others, such as the MBA. When you mention that folks without degrees are doing okay, which degree-less folks are you speaking of specifically? Just curious, ‘cause I would think that folks without degress are doing worse.
Peace.
Comment by LH — January 25, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
I hope that you get one of the positions you interviewed for. Does that mean you may relocate?
I get so frustrated when I hear of the hoops insurance companies make you jump through to get the benefits when you need them. Especially since it’s likely that you paid for them 2-3x over already in premiums by the time you need them. And don’t get me started on the horror that is worker’s comp!
Keep pushing though!
Hey, K,
I’ve developed a healthy dislike for the insurance industry. When comes time to deliver on what they promise they find every reason to delay or not pay a claim. Don’t like risk? Then get out of the business!
As far as relocating, it may be a couple years, if at all, especially ‘cause selling our home would be difficult in this buyers’ market. So I will be commuting for the forseeable future. Thanks again for visiting.
Peace.
Comment by K. — January 27, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
Man I have to dodge bullets to come over here since I do WC for a living. You and K might take me out! I was about to ask about the possibility of your family relocating b/c of the high cost of living. I’m not sure about how deep you could even cut costs to meet what you’d need. Anyway, I pray things work out for you on the perm employment front.
Hey S, I can’t speak for K, but I ain’t mad atcha because you work in WC. When I rant, it’s usually against the folk in upper management of these insurance firms who promise protection in return for premiums, then find actively find ways not to make good on the promises. I would hope that if someone like yourself ever reaches upper management, you’ll remember where you came from and factor compassion into your business decisions. As far as relocating from NJ to DC, that’s something we’re considering, but for now the Spouse will stay put (we think it would be hard to sell our house right now) and I’ll continue to commute back and forth. Thanks for visiting.
Comment by S23 — February 1, 2008 @ 11:36 am