Posts by Morgan Cook10

jimmy said:I’m worried the deficit might be deeper than it looks...

I don't see it that way... honestly, I know because I travel up there for work quite often. I haven't noticed anyone driving nicer cars, dressing better, or owning anything my friends and I don't already have. And we're just your typical American middle class.

The fact that there's less poverty there and their quality of life is reflected across the whole population is a different conversation entirely, but I really think things will level out in a few years.

shadowgardener12 said:Sure, the cost of living is higher, but generally speaking, things are actually cheaper in Austria... except for bread and milk.😉

Meat is about the same, Coca-Cola is cheaper... cars are roughly equal or even cheaper, computers are cheaper too... the overall standard of living is higher and service costs are way up, but when it comes to buying stuff? America is more expensive!
Even back home in the States, my grandma picks up Bavarian butter because it’s cheaper than what we have here! Imagine how much cheaper it must be over there in Germany.😁
And that’s all while making better wages. Remember, the Big Mac Index.

As for the equivalent—so you're telling me you'll pull in 12 $0.00 if you graduate with an economics degree? Yeah, good luck trying to make that happen in America!

Sorry, but America is still lagging pretty far behind... sure, there are exceptions like certain tech jobs, but you can't judge the whole country by those.

I'd actually agree with you regarding the price of specific goods; cars and electronics are pretty similar... okay, maybe they're slightly pricier in Austria, and food products are about the same.
But the reality is that the cost of living mostly boils down to "services"... you know, electricity, water, phone bills, cable, sewage, trash, heating... just the essentials. But after that,
you've got dinners, lunches, going out, movies, theaters, museums, sports games, haircuts, salons, waiters, etc., etc. (depending on what you're into).

Personally, I barely spend 500 $200 a month on food, and I don't even skimp on anything!
Still... obviously, life is better in Austria... and a whole lot better at that!
The thing is, the gap between us and the Austrians isn't this massive abyss it was a few years ago; it's more like a canyon where you can finally see the other side.

And as for store prices... come on, aside from a handful of items, everything is more expensive... granted, not 50% more like the services are, but still significantly pricier!
But honestly, it doesn't matter... I'm telling you, I only spend $167 on groceries... which isn't even 6-7% of my paycheck! Or maybe 10-11% of the average one!

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shadowgardener12 said:Since we’re already talking about the EU, the Big Mac Index, and that article out of Austria... what exactly does that index say regarding the standard of living over there? I mean, how do you actually survive in a place like that—living hand-to-mouth, for example?

Look, if you walk out of college here with a degree in hand, you’re looking at a starting salary of at least $2,000 a month—and honestly, if you're in tech, that number jumps way higher. You see these young couples where both partners are pulling in solid paychecks; they can easily tuck away one entire monthly salary just to savings while living off the other one. It's a pretty sweet setup.

So, they’re basically looking at about $26,000 a year just to get by, assuming they live a pretty standard life. Honestly, most people I run with fall right into that same bracket, so if you ask me, moving abroad actually makes a lot of sense. But hey, I'll leave it to you guys to draw your own conclusions.

Just look at this—it’s a perfect example of how a country actually gets things done.

Sure, that all sounds great on paper... except for the fact that prices in Austria are constantly 50% higher than ours. And for certain things? You’re looking at double or even triple the cost.

A couple of friends of ours with similar degrees can pull in around $100k easily living in Washington, D.C.$4000 What would be the US equivalent of an Austrian salary around $25,000 to $26,000? I'm talking about a situation where you could actually live pretty comfortably because you already own your house or apartment and don't have to worry about rent or a mortgage.

Maybe living in Austria makes sense if you were born there, but moving? That’s just a bad call. It doesn't add up. Why would you spend your entire life feeling like an outsider in a foreign country just to chase an extra couple thousand bucks from the EU?

banderas said:Even if your sister’s salary was pretty low there, it's nothing new that moving abroad doesn't always pay off like people think—we've seen plenty of posts about that on here. Plus, you won't necessarily see a massive jump in savings.
The standard of living in America has actually climbed quite a bit over the last 4-5 years without most of us even noticing. The only thing I really agree with 😁

Nah... her friends who've been living in New York City for years told her she was crazy to turn it down because the money is solid. (She ended up walking away from the whole idea eventually because she got tired of all the constant traveling and just moved back home).
But honestly... it's a totally different story when you're talking about the crew out in Salt Lake City... we're talking a high quality of life and living easy!!
I guess it all just comes down to where you are, what you're doing, and how you play it!

So, there’s a bit of a catch when you look at the statistics.
For instance, my sister lived in New York City last year, and she swears rent there was around $1,800 a month. BUT THAT WAS GROSS!!
Yeah... we're talking before taxes, social security, or anything else gets shaved off.

She was splitting a three-bedroom apartment with roommates for about $1,800 total... which works out to just $600 per person!
When I asked her what a night out costs, she said a dinner for two at a mid-range spot runs about $80-$100, and a haircut starts at $20 minimum... though an average salon visit is closer to $80!

Now... if our average gross salary is somewhere around $2000... and you compare those prices, it feels like we're living three times better than Americans!!

Even putting that aside... a decent dinner at a normal restaurant is about $50-$20 per person.
That means with $1333, you could go out 66 to 80 times, whereas the average New Yorker can only manage that maybe 36 to 45 times.
It's the same deal with housing!
Apartments of that caliber here run about 400-500 EU/month.

So, they're actually relatively cheap!

I don't know... but it feels like statistics are a total lie... because based on this, I have zero reason to move out of the country!!
The only thing I might be able to do is save up some cash... then come back here later and pretend to be the boss!!

Let’s crunch some numbers:
4000 / 22 = 181 per day = 22 per hour

A Big Mac (grabbed one yesterday) =$5.00

(15 / 22) * 60 = roughly 41 minutes of work just to pay for that Big Mac!

rapidmoose5 said:...those stormtroopers are basically just cannon fodder 🙂

Standard propaganda and lazy directing tricks. 😁 ...it’s pretty obvious some of you girls don't actually know how to watch a movie!
And she thinks she’s qualified to be a moderator too...😕 😕

P.S.
Seriously though, folks—are we actually going to have this subforum or what?

rapidmoose5 said:Oh, really?

Look, cowboy, just because you’ve got some peanuts and a pathetic Stormtrooper as an avatar doesn't give you the right to mess with little girls who just want to play Star Wars.
Now, bugger off! 🙄

Listen here, sweetie... I don't have anything against you playing Star Wars... as long as your role involves making the coffee and prepping the sandwiches!!
😁

P.S. silentpilot6 for moderator!!!!!

P.S.S. besides, it's a dumb movie that only clueless guys would watch anyway... ugh.😁

rapidmoose5 said:it’s actually not a bad call for us two to take the lead—you know, the green and purple duo😁

man, it would be hilarious if we could just force Lee to face facts about this.

Star Wars

Maybe you guys could whip up some coffee for the pilots coming back from the front lines... kind of like how Leia does in the movies!

I’m all for opening up a subforum... and obviously, silentpilot6 should be the moderator.

P.S. if anyone has a problem with that, they can just go ahead and disappear for good.

Rats... I can't stand rats.
Oh, and leeches... hate leeches too.