BF2S Forums EE Chats May

are student debts much bigger in the us, generally? i know that the elite colleges charge a shitload, but is like the 'normal' (if there is such a thing) education so expensive? just want some perspective on my debts

its like a huge weight lifted off the shoulders ....... all I got is a house payment



now-a-days I use CC to make money

Uzique wrote:

are student debts much bigger in the us, generally? i know that the elite colleges charge a shitload, but is like the 'normal' (if there is such a thing) education so expensive? just want some perspective on my debts

really depends on in-state or out of state.

In state, my university (a reputable public uni) is 5.5k a semester. Out of state (entered state w/in the last 5 years), that number jumps up to 17k/semester. It's one of the cheaper universities, too.

interesting. my postgrad courses differ from £4k-10k per year, then the accom and living costs. talking maybe £15-20k for the year.

i make six figures a year, and spend all of it.

you*re not married

my tuition was about $17k a year I think?  I had a few grants (free money) but ended up with about $20k in debt.  Some of it was paid off by my parents, most of it was paid off by me.  I doubled my payments for about a year and a half to get that shit off my plate.  Now I have half a mortgage I split with my mom .  It's not really fun looking at my bank statements and seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars owed, especially when I know it's not going away for another 29 years

Accomodation near bloomsbury that's catered is £6k but out in hamstead self catered is half that. Then again I'll have to pay £700+ travel, food costs... easily adds up to almost the same.

So I needed my new chef's knife sharpened and apparently knife sharpening is a dead/dying art and it's ridiculously hard to find anyone that does it. I searched online and found a thread saying such and such guy out on Long Island is the best and it's worth the trip. Ok, whatever, it's only 15 minutes away so I take the trip there and it's a tiny little housewares store with no sign on the front that I guess gets by on word of mouth.

The guy behind the counter was friendly and we chatted for about 10-15 minutes before he accepted the knife. He did some testing on it, raved about how great the knife was and how happy i'll be etc. Told me how he's retiring to north carolina as soon as his house is sold. Just an overall pleasant guy/conversation.

So today I go to pick up the knife at the shop and it's wrapped in a piece of brown paper with a little white box tied on top of it with a piece of ribbon. So I ask him what's up with the little box and he says it's a bunch of band-aids for when I cut myself. I lol'd.

Point of the story? You just don't get customer service like this anywhere. If the guy wasn't retiring in like a month he would've had a customer for life. People ask how small businesses can compete against big box stores... well... that's how.

Uzique wrote:

are student debts much bigger in the us, generally? i know that the elite colleges charge a shitload, but is like the 'normal' (if there is such a thing) education so expensive? just want some perspective on my debts

$23,186 is the average debt for a college graduate.

Jay wrote:

You just don't get customer service like this anywhere. If the guy wasn't retiring in like a month he would've had a customer for life. People ask how small businesses can compete against big box stores... well... that's how.

agree

Jay wrote:

So I needed my new chef's knife sharpened and apparently knife sharpening is a dead/dying art and it's ridiculously hard to find anyone that does it.

Maybe in the North.  I've got a sharpening steel in my desk... Holy shit I'm such a fucking redneck..

Jay wrote:

I searched online and found a thread saying such and such guy out on Long Island is the best and it's worth the trip. Ok, whatever, it's only 15 minutes away so I take the trip there and it's a tiny little housewares store with no sign on the front that I guess gets by on word of mouth.

The guy behind the counter was friendly and we chatted for about 10-15 minutes before he accepted the knife. He did some testing on it, raved about how great the knife was and how happy i'll be etc. Told me how he's retiring to north carolina as soon as his house is sold. Just an overall pleasant guy/conversation.

So today I go to pick up the knife at the shop and it's wrapped in a piece of brown paper with a little white box tied on top of it with a piece of ribbon. So I ask him what's up with the little box and he says it's a bunch of band-aids for when I cut myself. I lol'd.

Point of the story? You just don't get customer service like this anywhere. If the guy wasn't retiring in like a month he would've had a customer for life. People ask how small businesses can compete against big box stores... well... that's how.

I totally agree with you on this, I go out of my way to find the Mom and Pop stores and get to know them.

burnzz wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

especially when I know it's not going away for another 29 years

at least you didn't wait til you were in your 30's. mine will be paid in time for me to retire, barely . . .

I bought last year.  And it's a rental for right now- I don't even live in it.  So I pay rent and a half a mortgage.