Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com Karolina-Grabowska-pexels.com_
February 28, 2024,
People tend to look back on the past for a variety of reasons.
Here are a couple of reasons that we will look at today.
They had great and important memories that are gone and will never occur again.
They suffered a major or multiple losses that were their fault and are having a hard time coming to terms with it.
Does this in anyway describe your life?
One of the most important times in our lives was high school.
The older we get, the further away it becomes. If you were one of the popular kids in your high school, especially in regions were major employers have left and there are few job opportunities, and you cannot afford to go to college, so you land a job just to make ends meet, unless you change or improve your situation, those high school memories will become more and more important.
But should they?
There is a danger in that.
In terms of economics, look what is happening in the United States and United Kingdom.
In October of 2023, an average of 90,578 people slept in New York City‘s homeless shelters each night. This included 23,103 single adults, 32,689 children, and 34,786 adults in families.
For those of us who are older, we can remember a time where virtually all of the children we went to school went had a mother and father in the home and did not live in apartments.
Look how the world has changed so much.
We never would have imagined that.
The total number is at its highest ever, with 63,636 people sleeping in homeless shelters. The city reported that in 2019, 3,600 individuals experienced unsheltered homelessness, sleeping in public spaces such as streets and public transit rather than shelters.
The homeless population has surged in New York City 18% in 2023 from 2022, despite efforts from Mayor Adams.
What is driving so much of the homeless situations?
High rents. Being priced out of the housing market.
On July 7, 2023, the team at smartasset.com educated, “On average, rents increased 5.45% over the last year, exceeding the inflation rate during the same time. But some areas saw much steeper increases than others – up to a 63% hike.”
We are located in Northern California and even in regions not associated with the extremely expensive San Francisco Bay Area, rents for 1-2 bedroom apartments are well over $2,000.
But since you asked, according to rent.com, “The average rent for apartments in San Francisco, CA, is between $2,721 and $4,435 in 2024. For a studio apartment in San Francisco, CA, the average rent is $2,721. When it comes to 1-bedroom apartments, the average rent in San Francisco, CA, is $3,415. For a 2-bedroom apartment, the average rent is $4,435.”
With those prices, all it takes is one job loss and you could be out in the cold.
As we often do, we’ll share a personal real life experience.
We have an associate we’ll call Phil.
Phil lost three houses during the 2008 meltdown. For the first time in 25 years, he was renting. Here in Nor Cal, about $1,000 a month, at the time, for a 2 bedroom. Today, that same 2 bedroom would be over $2,000 a month.
What he noticed was that every year his rent was going up by about $150. That was shocking since for the last 25 years he had a fixed house payment. He was there for three years and reasoned every year he was throwing over $12,000 out the window. Phil’s savings was gradually declining. He thought, to his horror, if this keeps up for years, he will deplete his savings, California rents will keep rising and his Social Security will not cover all of his expenses. After working for 25 years?
He could end up homeless.
He immediately drained his savings and paid cash for a Condo.
He had virtually no savings left but at least he had a roof over his head with no mortgage or rising rents.
That changed everything.
Now, Phil could save money again and over time, accumulated more savings than he previously had. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he took action and improved his situation.
If that real life story does not resonate with you, watch this program. It is a must. More real life about people who Phil could have been like.
Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away! is a British factual documentary series on Channel 5.
It follows the work of High Court enforcement officers (previously known as sheriffs) as they execute privately obtained High Court writs across England and Wales on behalf of private clients, on those who have failed to make repayments on alleged debts or refuse to vacate a property.
The series was first broadcast on February 24, 2014.
In series 1 and 2 the show featured High Court enforcement agents (HCEAs) from a private limited company called High Court Solutions. The subsequent series featured HCEAs from Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd (DCBL).
Five seasons of the program have been broadcast to date.
For us, this was a captivating series to watch. There is nothing life real life situations to shake you by the shoulders. In some episodes, it captured dead beats and deceptive people who deserved what they got.
In many episodes it showed single mothers with nowhere else to go.
But at least life will give them a second chance.
The episodes that disturbed us the most were the ones that depicted older individuals or couples, who lost a job, gotten very ill or did not buy their own home and the rising rents drove them out of the market and they were out on the streets.
It is terrifying.
They are so old, will life give them a second chance?
While we know it is like watching a train wreck, real life stories can be captivating. Especially in these troubling times of global displacement, rising populations, surging rents and soaring home prices.
We’ve seen too many videos of middle aged people who went through a job loss, health crisis or divorce and are now living in their cars and vans.
The lesson of the fable here is, even if you are a working person, don’t be content.
Save money.
Try to fix your costs.
Realize that rents are going to rise so try and purchase anything decent, even if it is a Condo. Never refinance. Never. Phil did that. It doomed him when the market crashed.
Even if things are well now, keep preparing for a better future with possible uncertainties.
We will tread carefully here, but out of college, be obedient to your parents and live with them, work fulltime and save money. Don’t spend the money on high end fashion or drinks with friends.
The world has changed.
Greatly.
Don’t let your best days be in high school.
~ ~ ~
OPENING PHOTO Karolina-Grabowska-pexels.com Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_New_York
https://smartasset.com/data-studies/where-rent-increased-most-2023
https://www.rent.com/california/san-francisco-apartments/rent-trends
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Pay%3F_We%27ll_Take_It_Away!
