random . . . randomness

Sidehatch wrote:
Just to show how out of touch we are with the rest of the country



we're really rich

The top twenty localities on the list, by median income, are:
1.Falls Church, VA ($125,635)
2.Loudoun County, VA ($122,641)
3.Fairfax County, VA ($110,507)
4.Los Alamos County, NM ($108,477)
5.Douglas County, CO ($107,250)
6.Arlington County, VA ($107,143)
7.Howard County, MD ($106,871)
8.Hunterdon County, NJ ($103,876)
9.San Mateo County, CA ($100,806)
10.Morris County, NJ ($100,511)
11.Somerset County, NJ ($100,194)
12.Nassau County, NY ($98,312)
13.Williamson County, TN ($97,936)
14.Delaware County, OH ($97,802)
15.Montgomery County, MD ($97,279)
16.Santa Clara County, CA ($97,219)
17.Marin County, CA ($94,549)
18.Putnam County, NY ($94,334)
19.Fairfax city, VA ($94,067)
20.Stafford County, VA ($92,647)

Almost half!
I guess we should all say thank you to the rest of the US tax base for this lovely economy


now hutch will surely jump in with his cost of ground beef argument and yes, cost of living around here is just as high

yes yes I was excitedly going to jump in but was bummed to see you had me preemptively covered..

and sidehatch the ground beef argument.. man you must have missed my point… ground beef may actually be fairly standard… does the price of ground beef vary that much by area? if so this is a major arbitrage opportunity!

what varies a lot is housing…things for your kids (services)…restaurants…child care….a house in FC and north Arlington is pushing 1 million..$125 K (and it is a per household figure I believe)  may seem like a lot but with houses costing as much as they do its really not.. you're way better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida, NC (like Chaz told us..) or any number of places…like where walkie lives with the squirrels.. I would move out but we are dependent on the Arlington schools for a number of services..

the ground beef argument was more about food inflation seemingly being lost in inflation numbers that keep telling us there is barely any inflation and yet people do have to eat (all over the nation) and how food inflation is really pushing a lot of people down the economic ladder..

but I must confess I got the sense from our conversation that you don't do the grocery shopping in your family

hutch wrote:

walk,on,by wrote:
yeah,  I don't get out to the city much.  walked almost twenty blocks just because it was a nice day and I like looking at buildings and stuff.  saw a good show at the Kennedy.

great day to walk around DC!

best winter ever so far! so mild!

what was this "good show"?

National Symphony, with the Von Trapps.

hutch wrote:
and sidehatch the ground beef argument.. man you must have missed my point… ground beef may actually be fairly standard… does the price of ground beef vary that much by area? if so this is a major arbitrage opportunity!

what varies a lot is housing…things for your kids (services)…restaurants…child care….a house in FC and north Arlington is pushing 1 million..$125 K (and it is a per household figure I believe)  may seem like a lot but with houses costing as much as they do its really not.. you're way better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida, NC (like Chaz told us..) or any number of places…like where walkie lives with the squirrels.. I would move out but we are dependent on the Arlington schools for a number of services..

the ground beef argument was more about food inflation seemingly being lost in inflation numbers that keep telling us there is barely any inflation and yet people do have to eat (all over the nation) and how food inflation is really pushing a lot of people down the economic ladder..

but I must confess I got the sense from our conversation that you don't do the grocery shopping in your family

Totally agree with what you're saying.

I also wonder if part of the reason for the high median family income in this area (I checked and yes the wages listed is for family income, not individual income, though obviously some "families" are just one person) could be that there might be a higher percentage of two-earner families in this area relative to other parts of the country?  I'm talking about families where both mom and dad work rather than one parent staying home and not working. And in turn this has pushed the cost of living higher than other parts of the country.

Space wrote:
I also wonder if part of the reason for the high median family income in this area (I checked and yes the wages listed is for family income, not individual income, though obviously some "families" are just one person) could be that there might be a higher percentage of two-earner families in this area relative to other parts of the country?  I'm talking about families where both mom and dad work rather than one parent staying home and not working. And in turn this has pushed the cost of living higher than other parts of the country.

This is definitely part of it. I saw some stat a few years back that said the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures. I might be slightly off on the numbers, but the disparity was shocking. There is certainly a huge difference economically in the parts of the country where most families are single-earners vs the parts where there's two.

hutch wrote:
and sidehatch the ground beef argument.. man you must have missed my point…

nah..I got it, it's just has such a good ring to it and I thought I'd beat you to the punch

you're way better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida

Um…then you have to live with Texans or Floridians…and honestly I'd rather be poor and live in the DMV.   Left NC out…on the whole they are pretty cool (well research triangle area…don't know the rural areas that well)

the ground beef argument was more about food inflation seemingly being lost in inflation numbers that keep telling us there is barely any inflation

Also…just so you know you are not crazy.  You aren't the only one noticing this trend

but there are a lot of other items in the grocery store that have gone down in that time frame too.
Our grocery bill has gone up, but we stay away from the center isles and that's were the big savings have been…but also where the least nutritionally dense foods are located too. 

but I must confess I got the sense from our conversation that you don't do the grocery shopping in your family

yep…I do a lot of the cooking, but mostly am in charge of getting the beer/wine from the grocery store

Sidehatch wrote:
but there are a lot of other items in the grocery store that have gone down in that time frame too.

For example?

Carlos wrote:
the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures.

DINKs

kids are expensive and typically one person has to exit the workforce a few times and greatly diminishes their future earning potential.  Also probably don't take big risks on job opportunities as they would rather have the security of a stead income

Sidehatch wrote:

Carlos wrote:
the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures.

DINKs

kids are expensive and typically one person has to exit the workforce a few times and greatly diminishes their future earning potential.  Also probably don't take big risks on job opportunities as they would rather have the security of a stead income

I remember the first time I heard the DINK thing. I was having dinner at the house of my boss and his partner and I could not believe how luxurious and richly appointed their Dupont Circle house was. How did you afford this, I asked. "DINKS!" they sang.

In our Cap Hill/Lincoln Park neighborhood, I'd say more of 'family' friends are husband-works-wife-home dynamics. This made sense when the kids were young, but now most of our kids are in school and I've noticed a marked increase in dad grumbling over "Yeah, I guess the hours between 9 and 3 are 'free time' for some people."

Carlos wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:
but there are a lot of other items in the grocery store that have gone down in that time frame too.

For example?

I'm not an economist, I just play one on the internet

But did find this site that claims avg price went down from 2012 to 2015
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/pricebasket.html
this does include Gas …which has gone historically low

but the trend since 2008 things have gone up 50%
you can get Frozen Pizza, Bag of Sugar, Bag of flour, green grapes and chicken soup for less than you could in 2008

Also…Wrangler jeans are still a pretty good value :)

inflation is at insane lows…but grocery bill's up 50%, housing up that much too, heath care rising at least that much and wages stagnant

not really sure how they come up with their numbers

Sidehatch  wrote:
better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida

Um…then you have to live with Texans or Floridians…and honestly I'd rather be poor and live in the DMV  Left NC out…on the whole they are pretty cool (well research triangle area…don't know the rural areas that well)


Wow, that's a pretty bigoted statement!

Relaxer wrote:I've noticed a marked increase in dad grumbling over "Yeah, I guess the hours between 9 and 3 are 'free time' for some people."

you can add me to that chorus

Space wrote:

Sidehatch  wrote:
better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida

Um…then you have to live with Texans or Floridians…and honestly I'd rather be poor and live in the DMV  Left NC out…on the whole they are pretty cool (well research triangle area…don't know the rural areas that well)


Wow, that's a pretty bigoted statement!

totally 100% is
but really give me a break…don't take your self so seriously

actually If I remember correctly…you are a flordian…so I think I stand with my statement.

*full disclosure…close to half of my immediate family live in Florida

Sidehatch  wrote:

Space wrote:

Sidehatch  wrote:
better off making 80K and living in Texas, Florida

Um…then you have to live with Texans or Floridians…and honestly I'd rather be poor and live in the DMV  Left NC out…on the whole they are pretty cool (well research triangle area…don't know the rural areas that well)


Wow, that's a pretty bigoted statement!

totally 100% is
but really give me a break…don't take your self so seriously

actually If I remember correctly…you are a flordian…so I think I stand with my statement.

*full disclosure…close to half of my immediate family live in Florida

Yes, I'm just giving you shit.  ;) I spent my first five years in Florida, and one year as an adult in North Carolina. I've actually spent the most years in New York State, though Virginia at some point will overtake NY.

I'd put Colorado, Oregon, and Washington on my short list of places I'd move to in a heartbeat. No Florida or Texas for me, either (though of those two I'd choose Florida by a mile).

Fascinating:

<a href="https://youtu.be/2NzUm7UEEIY">How hotdogs are made.</a>

x

Relaxer wrote:

Sidehatch&nbsp; wrote:

Carlos wrote:
the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures.

DINKs

kids are expensive and typically one person has to exit the workforce a few times and greatly diminishes their future earning potential.&nbsp; Also probably don&#039;t take big risks on job opportunities as they would rather have the security of a stead income

I remember the first time I heard the DINK thing. I was having dinner at the house of my boss and his partner and I could not believe how luxurious and richly appointed their Dupont Circle house was. How did you afford this, I asked. &quot;DINKS!&quot; they sang.

In our Cap Hill/Lincoln Park neighborhood, I&#039;d say more of &#039;family&#039; friends are husband-works-wife-home dynamics. This made sense when the kids were young, but now most of our kids are in school and I&#039;ve noticed a marked increase in dad grumbling over &quot;Yeah, I guess the hours between 9 and 3 are &#039;free time&#039; for some people.&quot;

This surprises me as I think the national percentage of families where the mom and dad both work, even though there are kids under 18, is somewhere above 70%. I would think it would be even higher in your hood given the price tag of houses in your neighborhood.

In fact, I have friends in your neighborhood. Two couples, both with kids under five (one of them with two kids under five), and all four of the adults both work full time.

Space wrote:

Relaxer wrote:

Sidehatch&nbsp; wrote:

Carlos wrote:
the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures.

DINKs

kids are expensive and typically one person has to exit the workforce a few times and greatly diminishes their future earning potential.&nbsp; Also probably don&#039;t take big risks on job opportunities as they would rather have the security of a stead income

I remember the first time I heard the DINK thing. I was having dinner at the house of my boss and his partner and I could not believe how luxurious and richly appointed their Dupont Circle house was. How did you afford this, I asked. &quot;DINKS!&quot; they sang.

In our Cap Hill/Lincoln Park neighborhood, I&#039;d say more of &#039;family&#039; friends are husband-works-wife-home dynamics. This made sense when the kids were young, but now most of our kids are in school and I&#039;ve noticed a marked increase in dad grumbling over &quot;Yeah, I guess the hours between 9 and 3 are &#039;free time&#039; for some people.&quot;

This surprises me as I think the national percentage of families where the mom and dad both work, even though there are kids under 18, is somewhere above 70%. I would think it would be even higher in your hood given the price tag of houses in your neighborhood.

In fact, I have friends in your neighborhood. Two couples, both with kids under five (one of them with two kids under five), and all four of the adults both work full time.

Yeah it varies. Part of it, I think, is because my wife doesn't work full time so she's linked up with other women who are around during the day.

Is, by chance, one of your Hill friend families Bill & Amy? They seem like they'd have weirdo friends like you.

Relaxer wrote:

Space wrote:

Relaxer wrote:

Sidehatch&nbsp; wrote:

Carlos wrote:
the average heterosexual couple/family in America makes like 45,000 and the average homosexual was low 6 figures.

DINKs

kids are expensive and typically one person has to exit the workforce a few times and greatly diminishes their future earning potential.&nbsp; Also probably don&#039;t take big risks on job opportunities as they would rather have the security of a stead income

I remember the first time I heard the DINK thing. I was having dinner at the house of my boss and his partner and I could not believe how luxurious and richly appointed their Dupont Circle house was. How did you afford this, I asked. &quot;DINKS!&quot; they sang.

In our Cap Hill/Lincoln Park neighborhood, I&#039;d say more of &#039;family&#039; friends are husband-works-wife-home dynamics. This made sense when the kids were young, but now most of our kids are in school and I&#039;ve noticed a marked increase in dad grumbling over &quot;Yeah, I guess the hours between 9 and 3 are &#039;free time&#039; for some people.&quot;

This surprises me as I think the national percentage of families where the mom and dad both work, even though there are kids under 18, is somewhere above 70%. I would think it would be even higher in your hood given the price tag of houses in your neighborhood.

In fact, I have friends in your neighborhood. Two couples, both with kids under five (one of them with two kids under five), and all four of the adults both work full time.

Yeah it varies. Part of it, I think, is because my wife doesn&#039;t work full time so she&#039;s linked up with other women who are around during the day.

Is, by chance, one of your Hill friend families Bill &amp; Amy? They seem like they&#039;d have weirdo friends like you.

This is exactly my story. Well, it was. My wife worked part time for six years, and then went back to work full time in an office. When she was home, she got to know a handful of SAHM in the neighborhood, and for awhile would complain that she wished she had never gone back to work, "look at all these other SAHM, why do I have to work? blah blah blah", as if that was somehow the norm in 2015. When in fact, it's not.

Anyway, don't know Bill and Amy, but I'm happy to meet them if you think we'd get along.  ;D

This Sidehatch/Rhett dinner party blather conversation seems awfully cordial by our standards. Its a Monday, can't someone call someone else a son of a bitch and get things started? Geez.