What's the value of being Middle-Class?

[Tradd]

I ask because seeing that you have to work 40 to
50 hours/week and then I have to come home and
do chores too; it seems over-whelming. I already
have a hard enough time working 30 hours/week plus.

Personally, I don't want a family. I just want a
quiet life and am happy with a one-room studio.

Why do you have a hard time only working 30 hours a week? Really?

It has nothing to do with family or class. You’re always going to have stuff to do at home.

[Gardnr]

Why do you have a hard time only working 30 hours a week? Really?

It has nothing to do with family or class. You’re always going to have stuff to do at home.

This is called Adulting...in the words of my 26yo niece. There is no magic. Time to decide on the life you want, the goals to get there, and start doing the work to achieve those goals and that life.

I spent decades working 60-70h/week to achieve my financial goals. 30h/w sounds like a vacation!!!!

[ApatheticNoMore]

I've actually worked 30 hours a week, I did it for about 5 years, lived on it too, lucky and all that - sure I was. It was what I wanted then? Unequivocally. It would be what I want now if I could get it but I don't see a means to. But I have done 40 for near a decade since (with most jobs I have, they can ask overtime, they just tend not to. I did have one for about 5 years where they would occasionally call at 3am, but luckily that wasn't most days).

30 hours a week didn't leave me tired, it left me to have a social life and all that. 40 does leave me real tired (more so being in a relationship, I swear life was not such an insane rush when I was single, but that's the way it goes, clearly I want to be in this relationship). I don't think everyone has the same energy levels and doubly so if one has actual physical illness.

[Teacher Terry]

Many people work 40 hours a week and come home and care for the kids, make dinner, etc. Once my kids were in school and activities I rarely had time for tv. Driving kids to activities, interacting with them at night, housekeeping filled my time. You have unrealistic expectations.

[Tradd]

IMO, the unrealistic expectations mostly have to do with wanting to have no chores at home. There’s always going to be cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying the bills.

Also, if you think you’re going to get by on working 30 hours a week, it depends on where you live. You might end up having to rent a room somewhere rather than having a studio apartment.

You really need a reality check. Did your parents do everything at home when you were growing up? Your attitude smacks of someone who was spoiled and didn’t have to do squat at home.

[bae]

IMO, the unrealistic expectations mostly have to do with wanting to have no chores at home. There’s always going to be cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying the bills.

Living on my own, it seems to be about a 1/2-time job just to manage the household:

- laundry
- marketing, cooking, doing dishes
- dusting, vacuuming, cleaning
- exercising and training the dog
- processing firewood
- house maintenance tasks

Oddly, it's less effort now, except for the cooking, than it was when I was not alone - somehow some of these things are more efficiently done by one person with one schedule, and with the need to only conform to one set of work standards. (For instance, who cares if clean socks and t-shirts live in the "now-clean" laundry basket for a couple of days...)

[Tradd]

Living on my own, it seems to be about a 1/2-time job just to manage the household:

- laundry
- marketing, cooking, doing dishes
- dusting, vacuuming, cleaning
- exercising and training the dog
- processing firewood
- house maintenance tasks

Oddly, it's less effort now, except for the cooking, than it was when I was not alone - somehow some of these things are more efficiently done by one person with one schedule, and with the need to only conform to one set of work standards. (For instance, who cares if clean socks and t-shirts live in the "now-clean" laundry basket for a couple of days...)

Bae, I often live out of the dryer.

[bae]

Bae, I often live out of the dryer.

I confess to having simplified my life by purchasing an additional laundry basket as well :-)

[ApatheticNoMore]

Many people work 40 hours a week and come home and care for the kids

some of us could see that nightmare in the headlights and were like "oh, no way".

[Rogar]

In my working days I worked the 50 hour work week and never really found keeping up with chores to be a burden. I rented for much of my adult life and having house upkeep like painting and fixing things when they broke helped with more free time. I've never thought or much about class, but always lived below my means, which if a person were to categorize things would have put me in the lower middle class. Working fewer hours does have it's advantages. which is why I've followed your money or your life philosophy.

Yes, children would have changed things significantly.