<p>Wilkommen bei McDonald's! Darf ich nehmen dein bestellen, bitte?
Willst du gar Pommes Frittes mit das?</p>
<p>Yeah, I had a one day stint as a Mickey-D's worker in German II back as a HS freshman. Not sure if the phrases up there are 100% correct for grammar and spelling but they look pretty close.</p>
<p>That machine probably costs less than $5.25 per hour when all is said and done. Around here most McDonald's seem to be built then rebuilt every 20-25 years or so. You do the math--purchase price, maintence costs (probably fairly low) over 25 years.</p>
<p>And as for working class people and wealth and whatnot, let me say this. I grew up in a blue collar urban town. My family is white collar, but my old town was only about 35% white collar. I think you people who haven't met working class people should--they may not have the book smarts but I've found they often have more common sense. Plus they have street smarts. When I went on a trip to Chicago with four of my close friends (all from white collar neighborhoods) none of them even bothered to look both ways when crossing the street. And that's just one bad example of why you need to experience the city if you want a shot at surviving.</p>
<p>And for that matter, the working class are often more honest. In my hometown (which I've since migrated out of but still pass through on a regular basis) there is a hardware store run by a bunch of blue collar guys. I can go in there and ask the guy at the nail/screw counter exactly what size and how many screws I need for something and he will give me an honest answer, the right parts, and won't charge me for a huge box where I will only use 16 out of 200 screws. Find me that sort of service in a white collar town--you have big box hardware joints that only sell screws by the bulk, help is scarce, and when you do find it they are clueless and sell you the most expensive box of screws just so they can make a profit. Then they give you a headache when you return an open box because you find out they're the wrong size. There is a reason I still go to my favorite hardware store all the time. (I do a lot of woodworking in my spare time so I'm buying stuff like screws and saw blades a lot)</p>
<p>As far as me financially, I'm not bad. I save a ton of money because I don't see that many movies and never go to concerts. (The only thing I go to all the time is baseball games, but they're more fun than any movie) I just bank the surplus, let it earn interest, and eventually dump it into my car. Repeat the cycle, adding a bit more money each time.</p>
<p>Also, I buy the best I can so that it lasts me a long time. People thought I was nuts spending $200 on a laser printer a year ago but I still have the original toner cartridge in it and most people have spent close to $200 in printer ink, for example. I also bought a $60 garden hose this past summer. The hose has a lifetime warranty and is constructed of really high grade materials. It replaced an old budget hose my dad bought for $15 that only lasted ten years.</p>
<p>Don't forget quality vs quantity. Abercrombie & Fitch shirts, for example, fit better, look better, and wash nicer than the ones you find at K-Mart or some place. Sure, I can buy three K-Mart shirts for the price of one Abercrombie, but I'd take the Abercrombie (or Ralph Lauren) any day. Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie dominate my closet. Higher initial purchase price but when you want a good fit, a style you love, and durability nothing else will do. (Ralph Lauren also makes good bedding and paint in addition to clothes--try it, it hasn't failed me yet)</p>
<p>And let's not forget our cars in this example. Being in a city setting I can avoid putting on miles since everything I need is close to my house. When we moved we picked the location for that reason (along with the school). To college, it's a little over 2 miles. The grocery store is about 3, and the mall about 4 and a half. Same distance to the high school. Even PNC Park is only about 10 miles away. Any restaraunt, shop, gym, etc. that I'd visit is also close, my trips rarely are over 15 miles one way. I put on about 4200 miles per year. That not only saves on gas, but also on the car itself. Tires and other parts (brakes, axles, etc) wear out quicker on cars with higher mileage. My car, a Volvo, is a decade old and has about 63K on it. Anyone who has seen an old Volvo on the street with 350K+ on the odometer knows how long these cars can last. If I hold onto this car and live with my mom for a few years after getting a job and going to grad school, I'll have more than enough saved to not only get a house but possibly get a new car as well. The only downside is that my Volvo may be 20 years old by then...but given my rate of driving it will barely be over 100K miles. (It still looks good too--the paint still shines, the leather is flawless, and the original mats are virtually spotless)</p>
<p>Anyone can be rich/well off. You just need some research, some common sense, and some thinking. You may have to sacrifice something (like a brand new car) for something else (grad school) but in the end it's worth it.</p>