An eyeopening article about the pilots of Mesaba (Northwest Airlink)

[PhotoPilot]

Ok, Doug.

I realize that doesn't sound quite right.

What I meant is that I've watched my brother and sister-in-law raise my nephew and my niece. I've watched countless friends raise their children. I've seen the costs, watched them struggle with paying the bills, and taken to heart the financial and emotional commitment to having children.

I haven't personally done it, but I understand the requirements.

 

[kellwolf]

Between my wife and I, we didn't crack $30K last year, and we're doing okay. No kids, though. She keeps telling me her biological clock is ticking. I keep telling her to hit the snooze button until I'm done with school. Last year was one of the roughest years so far for us, too. She was laid off not once, but TWICE, and she's still looking for a job (Burger King hasn't called, and McDonald's is always out of applications). My car blew up on me back in August, and we had to buy a new one. Emphasis on ONE. We have one car, not two $5000 or even two $2500. If I have to take the bus into work, so be it. That's the price I'm willing to pay to get through school. By the time I'm done, I MIGHT have about $10,000 in student loans (two of my friends have over $60K and they work on the ramp with me at SWA instead of flying or instructing), half of that will go to ATP for my flight instructor ratings, and the other half will be for my degree. I'm trying to put myself in a situation where if I'm only making $34K/year, I won't be eating ramen every night.....just on Tuesdays.