Student Loan Debt?

[ultrarunner]

So you know he made his 10 million from practicing vet med? Were you his accountant? Have you ever worked in veterinary medicine? Even in small animal med where people will spend money to keep Fluffy alive another year, that's not pushing anyone towards the million dollar mark.

What I see from retiring vets is the same in other lines of medicine.

It’s consolidation where smaller practices are bought out coming under joint ownership.

There are economies of scale when it come to billing and increasing regulatory requirements.

It’s often overwhelming for a sole practitioner to carry the overhead for compliance, diversity, HIPAA, Training, License for Emergency, Hazmat, Medical Waste Disposal, Generator, License for Medical Gas, X-ray… etc.

 

[Hay Dude]

Vets also offer Cremation of pets. That is like a money printing press. Pets are extremely common, don’t live very long and when they die, few are buried like humans (yes, I know there are pet cemetaries).
Most are cremated if the owner doesn’t bury in the back yard.

$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[kenmbz]

I moved from NJ to PA.
PA increases in 6 years, $300
NJ increase last 2 years I was there, $1000/year!

Even the NJ state colleges are expensive..........

 

[Hay Dude]

I moved from NJ to PA.
PA increases in 6 years, $300
NJ increase last 2 years I was there, $1000/year!

Even the NJ state colleges are expensive..........

And not very good, either.
Rutgers hasn’t risen to the level of prominence we thought it would.

 

[ultrarunner]

California is or was a magnet for those seeking higher education and the cost was a lot more affordable for residents and the influx of non resident fees helped fund the system...

I don't think there is one fits all solution for all.

 

[MossRoad]

Actually, the economy is doing pretty well. Our wages are up, our expenses are back to pre-pandemic percentages, we don't know anyone that is unemployed, our kids have money in their bank accounts, their job and education prospects are fantastic, our investments are doing great... The same situation applies to all of our friends and co-workers that we talk to. There are many new businesses coming to our area, billions in investment in our county. So I just don't see the doom and gloom. Maybe it's regional?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/01/25/gdp-2023-economy-boom/

 

[kenmbz]

A comprehensive list of 2023 & 2024 tech layoffs | TechCrunch

Here you’ll find a complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2023.

techcrunch.com

Most replaced by outsourcing or H1B.

Since many of these people are now off the unemployment benefits, their numbers aren't counted in the employment figures.

Only 240,000(!) in one sector alone. Our company replaced 30,000 people in a move to hire in India and the Eastern Block of Europe.

I think the GDP rise might be weapons sales to other countries

With Student debt being paid off by taxpayers, many are strapped in this economy.
Seems you have to work in fast food to make money around here.

Our grocery bill doubled, so we had to change our buying habits and cut back.

Luckily I am still allowed to work at home as a trip into my office in the city is $40+ per day.......

 

[goeduck]

I also would like to see more on why university and college education costs so much. I would think with all of the remote learning technology (Zoom, Teams, etc.) that we would start to see a decrease in cost. I know remote learning didn't work so well for K-12, but by the time a person gets to college they should have the discipline to do it. To heck with the "college experience". I also think there should be more of a separation of research university functions from education functions, particularly at the undergraduate level. That might allow more accountability on costs.

 

[MoKelly]

Wash U in St Louis is the highest rated university in the area.

Annual list price tuition and room/board is $83000. But, almost 50% of students receive an average financial aid package of $65000.
This is grants - not loans.

They also have a $12.6 billion endowment.

They only accept 14% of those who apply. So, they are at capacity every year.

Much like health care —- university list prices are sort of meaningless.

 

[MossRoad]

...

Our grocery bill doubled, so we had to change our buying habits and cut back.

Luckily I am still allowed to work at home as a trip into my office in the city is $40+ per day.......

Food prices increase 10.4% in 2022, and 2.7% in 2023. Not 100%.

 

[MossRoad]

The Cost of Groceries: Are Food Prices Going Up? - NerdWallet

Inflation has been declining overall and the food index is rising at a slower rate than it was a year ago.

www.nerdwallet.com

 

[kenmbz]

Food prices increase 10.4% in 2022, and 2.7% in 2023. Not 100%.

As I said, we keep track of our spend, it doubled since 2019, only eggs and paper towels came back down. Month by month spend tracking.
We had single months in 2022 with 3% increases. Some months we saw 20% in all the local supermarkets. Pop by if you want to check it out yourself.
Or put in zip code 18940 and go shopping on line at giant/acme etc.

 

[riptides]

As I said, we keep track of our spend, it doubled since 2019, only eggs and paper towels came back down. Month by month spend tracking.
We had single months in 2022 with 3% increases. Some months we saw 20% in all the local supermarkets. Pop by if you want to check it out yourself.
Or put in zip code 18940 and go shopping on line at giant/acme etc.

My case of beer remained at the same price over the last few years.

But now, it seems to no longer be available and no one can tell me why. The cans are available, not the bottles. And in a fair radius of a variety of stores I frequent.

Now THAT is a conspiracy.

 

[kenmbz]

My case of beer remained at the same price over the last few years.

But now, it seems to no longer be available and no one can tell me why. The cans are available, not the bottles. And in a fair radius of a variety of stores I frequent.

Now THAT is a conspiracy.

There were a number of articles on how bad the hop crop yield was, I think in 2019 and how it was going to drive up prices. Talked to a local brewer, he said we grow hops in the east just fine and no impact, just another slow news day.

Alcohol here is state controlled and a $25 Vodka bottle is now @27.99, one of the few things that haven't gone completely ballistic here. (Stateside locally made and pretty good)

Cheerios was $11 per box last month and is now down to 7.49 on sale, was 5.49 in 2019.

We don't buy potato chips very often, mostly for kids parties, they are $6 a bag on sale, used to be around 3.50, which I thought was a ripoff.

 

[Hay Dude]

There were a number of articles on how bad the hop crop yield was, I think in 2019 and how it was going to drive up prices. Talked to a local brewer, he said we grow hops in the east just fine and no impact, just another slow news day.

Alcohol here is state controlled and a $25 Vodka bottle is now @27.99, one of the few things that haven't gone completely ballistic here. (Stateside locally made and pretty good)

Cheerios was $11 per box last month and is now down to 7.49 on sale, was 5.49 in 2019.

We don't buy potato chips very often, mostly for kids parties, they are $6 a bag on sale, used to be around 3.50, which I thought was a ripoff.

Snack foods are nearly double what they were a few years ago, or they pull the smaller bag/less ounces scam.

My wife and I have a verified increase in monthly expenses of $600/month with no additional purchases. We did not have a family vacation this past summer.

 

[dmccarty]

As I said, we keep track of our spend, it doubled since 2019, only eggs and paper towels came back down. Month by month spend tracking.
We had single months in 2022 with 3% increases. Some months we saw 20% in all the local supermarkets. Pop by if you want to check it out yourself.
Or put in zip code 18940 and go shopping on line at giant/acme etc.

Snack foods are nearly double what they were a few years ago, or they pull the smaller bag/less ounces scam.

My wife and I have a verified increase in monthly expenses of $600/month with no additional purchases. We did not have a family vacation this past summer.

I agree. I do the grocery shopping and before the price increases, I would spend around $80 to maybe $100 a week. Now, I spend around $130-150 most weeks after $10-20 of coupons. Last trip, I spent $180 after almost $40 of coupons. We eat very little meat, mostly bacon at a pound a week. We sometimes get lunch meat and the quality stuff is $15-20 a pound. Last week, I splurged and bought chuck on sale at $4.50 a pound. First red meat I have bought in many months/years.

I don't care what the reports say, they are bovine scat. Since I am the one doing the buying, and we get the almost the same thing week after week, it is easy to see the price increases. Last week was even worse than the $180ish I spent after $40 of coupons because my wife stopped and bought a few things. She already made a stop this week and I will go after the main shopping in a day or two.

Beer prices went up due to the increase in grain prices. I think. But the price has stabilized.

Grocery prices have about doubled for us.

We were in the NL last year and were shocked at the low prices. We were talking with the "neighbors" about grocery prices and they were complaining about the high prices. I told them what we were paying and they were shocked. I think the red meat might have been more expensive in the NL but we don't eat red meat often so it was hard to tell. Given the prices I saw during the holidays, maybe the NL prices were cheaper. Beer was very cheap in the NL and I do mean good quality beer. At least 30-50% cheaper than here.

 

[Hay Dude]

I bet beer and for that matter most food prices went up because diesel fuel is outrageously high now.
And everything is shipped by using diesel fuel.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Elites never really feel the pain that common people do. They are just too obtuse to realize it.

I'd consider myself elite in terms of income and net worth. But I know just because I doubled my pay in the last two years, most people aren't living the same life.

 

[CalG]

 

[CalG]

ain't that the truth!