49%

I'm in much the same boat as you guys. I graduated from a good law school last May with decent grades, passed the bar, and am currently waiting tables to barely miss making ends meet. The girlfriend has a decent job, so we get by, but man it sucks sponging off of someone...to say nothing of the fact that I don't have the money to maintain my cars properly, much less modify or race them.

Also, apparently the military has no interest in you if you take (or have recently taken) ADHD medication.

I know how that goes. Graduated almost a year ago. I got a "decent" job, in which I work way to much, and get paid way too little, about 6 months ago.

I am buried in debt, but I have my girl, a roof over my head, a big screen, my X-box, and a couple of beat up cars to work on. All in all, live is good.

Regardless of federal law, the military services are allowed to impose more strict standards -- and many of them have. The maximum age for non-prior service enlistments for each of the services are:

* Active duty Army - 42
* Army Reserve - 42
* Army National Guard - 42
* Active duty Air Force - 27
* Air Force Reserve - 34
* Air National guard - 34
* Active duty Navy - 34
* Navy Reserve - 39
* Active duty Marine Corps - 28
* Marine Corps Reserve - 29
* Active duty Coast Guard - 27
* Coast Guard Reserve - 27

I have been considering a stint in the reserves myself.

I did both active and reserve for the Army over an 8 year period . . . (88M - truck driver). It paid the bills and some school . . .

They call ever so often to see if I want to come back.

Interesting enough, they offered promotion from my last enlisted rank to commissioned officer, will use my many years in IT experience and MA to "advance" me through training and a healthy bonus . . . if I want to reenlist with the Signal Corp.

Anything is possible with the right recruiter. . . .

my wife and decided to go to 50% back when junior was born. (1991)

She has taken part-time jobs over the years to get her to 15%-20%. It helps with the groceries and a pizza.

Although it does not allow money for old Datsun's, boats, jet skis, motorcycles, four wheelers, snow mobiles, summer homes, travel trailers......it does allow us to live a frugal and simple life.

We learned to scale back and live on less. Our lives are less chaotic as we juggle two kids and life in general.

Read some of the Dave Ramsey stuff.....

Thanks, Pete. I have read some of the Dave Ramsey stuff, know the general idea of what we should do (and that Dave would REAM ME OUT for being a big ol' dummy if I called his show with a detailed outline of our finances today...). However, I also know that this is possible and that we'll make it, somehow. Wife is on board, and she's up for the challenge. So at least I have a partner. Kids are happy and healthy, our house isn't falling down (too much- it is old...), I haven't too many things to gripe about.

At this point, it's been a week since we got this news. I was really in a panic over the weekend, but am coming around now to the "OK, so how do I fix this" attitude.

Lots of beans, tomatoes, and corn this summer. Good thing mom and dad taught me to garden before I left home.

I feel your pain. I was let go from my job last June because of an arrogant tool of a CIO the same week the CEO hand-delivered a company birthday present to me. I'm still shaking my head about the whole thing. Then again, I think of a new PITA every week that I used to have to deal with on a daily basis and am glad I'm not there anymore.

We're in a decent spot right now, financially. We were really frugal to begin with, so the loss of my income wasn't a huge blow. Mostly what I was doing was socking money away into savings to get my own business off the ground (changing careers in the process - tired of being in IT). Still going to do the business thing, it'll just take more creativity on my part. I'm never again going to work for someone else if at all possible. Been burned too many times.

Yeah because of the economy the Army isn't recruiting like it used to. Heck its a pain in the ass the reenlist right now. Not that I would, I'm just saying. In a few months we'll be down to about 50% income when I get out. At least I'll be getting my GI Bill money.

carguy123 wrote: I am so glad all you people voted for a CHANGE. The only thing is you forgot to ask what they were changing. That'll learn ya!

Hate to be that guy, but is this really relevant? I had friends losing jobs before the election.

Jake wrote: Lots of beans, tomatoes, and corn this summer. Good thing mom and dad taught me to garden before I left home.

kids' summer job: roadside veggie stand.

BAMF wrote:

carguy123 wrote: I am so glad all you people voted for a CHANGE. The only thing is you forgot to ask what they were changing. That'll learn ya!

Hate to be that guy, but is this really relevant? I had friends losing jobs before the election.

Yes, it is. The number losing jobs and being driven out of business that has come about because of the CHANGE has increased exponentially.

I know of hardly a person who's industry isn't under attack. At church our out of works or jobs cut back to next to nothing list has grown to over 10 times what is was prior to the election. And that doesn't count the guys and gals who were forced to take early retirements.