Thinking about dropping the $230/mo crashpad expense...

wheelsup said:
...OK but if furloughed today you won't have a backup job, I guess I can't understand that reasoning.
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If he quits, no unemployment benefits while looking elsewhere. If he gets furloughed, he gets unemployment benefits while looking.
 
Nobody can make this decision but YOU! Seems like you are about 2 years in, and that's where people (that I know) finally start to realize that regional airline life sucks! Commuting, crashpads, no money in bank, back on reserve. I was the exact same way. I commuted (2 legs) to my base on reserve and stayed at a hotel. After a year I finally sucked it up and moved to base, even though I didn't want to live there, but my QOL increased tremendously. After 1.5 years, I was still on reserve, moving backwards on the seniority list and never had enough money in my bank account. I was so miserable (ask H46Bubba...lol), I was ready to quit, and I know people that actually quit because they were miserable, but when the announcement came around of furloughs, I stuck around the extra 2 months and used up some vacation and tried to work as little as possible. And yes, my airline did me a favor by furloughing me, because I was miserable, saved me of getting abused on reserve for another 5 years and wait around for a 12 year upgrade. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I went to the regionals. I knew from the beginning I was going to be in a base I didn't want to be, I knew I was going to be on reserve for at least a year with a 6 year upgrade, and I knew making a living would be though. But things change quickly.

Sure you can become a crew room camper, but is it worth it?
 
Sometimes a hotel can be cheaper than a crashpad, especially if you get a good deal and get points and only use it like 4 or 5 times a month.
 
Dumb question here - and I don't know what your situation is in SAN...

But why not move? If not to NY, at least closer. Doesn't have to be permanent. Once you have more money and seniority you could always move back.
 
flyviper said:
Maybe it just me, I'm having a hard time comprehending why you can't afford the crash pad. Assuming you're a line holder at PDT, which pays $31 an hour, that should yield you around $2100 bring home right? Now with the student loans and maybe another car payment, you should still have money left! Off course, if you're like me and spend a lot of time at the strip clubs, you would have problem paying for a crash pad. :)
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Yeah really. I agree. What do you do with your money?
Although, I don't mind the post because it does bring awareness to how little we make. I'd prefer to read it on the front page of the New York Post though. Most of us here already know how much it sucks financially to be a regional FO.
 
killbilly said:
Dumb question here - and I don't know what your situation is in SAN...

But why not move? If not to NY, at least closer. Doesn't have to be permanent. Once you have more money and seniority you could always move back.
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Exactly what I was thinking. San Diego isn't the cheapest place to live. There are plenty of places that are an easy drive or an even easier flight the LGA that are much more affordable than SAN. (DISCLAIMER I realize he may be living with his parents but if thats the case and you can't make it work with $325 student loan payments it may be time for a change)

Also JTRAIN how do you afford flight school and then Law School?
 
Ah yes. The $20 in my pocket is all I have.

The worst part is that the next paycheck is on the 20th, which is eaten up by Sallie Mae, Bank Of America, and PenFed. Bastards!

But I got myself into this mess, this is the life I chose for myself right now.

The part that annoys me the most really, is that this job takes up most of my life. For 5 days straight I am on reserve 12 hours a day, but I am essentially at their use for 5 straight 24 hour periods. Which leaves me no time for a second job, and because flying is so limited right now, and our work rules suck so bad, I have no opportunity to make more cash.
 
Perhaps this will be a lesson to some that the ATP, Ariben, Skymates, ERAU and other big price programs arent the best way to go for everyone. Fact of the matter is living off of 30k is not that hard to do when its done within means. Get rid of the credit cards, live with a roomie, eat in when at home, and get rid of some items that arent needed (i.e. why does a reserve pilot need cable?). I have to agree, if it sucks so bad leave.... There are pleanty whom are furloughed that would love their jobs back. We all did make the choice to go to our airline. We knew what we got into and thus should have little right to complain about it.
 
Skymates must have changed since I left. When I went there, it would have been considerably CHEAPER for me to have done everything there rather than the FBO I trained at in ORL. Then again, they've probably had to change in order to stay in business by attracting foreign students. As it is, I owe WAY less from going to Skymates as the FOs and CAs flying here that went to ATP.
 
flyviper said:
Maybe it just me, I'm having a hard time comprehending why you can't afford the crash pad. Assuming you're a line holder at PDT, which pays $31 an hour, that should yield you around $2100 bring home right? Now with the student loans and maybe another car payment, you should still have money left! Off course, if you're like me and spend a lot of time at the strip clubs, you would have problem paying for a crash pad. :)
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It's cuz he chooses to live in San Diego, which has a fairly high cost of living.
 
SoCalAprch said:
Exactly what I was thinking. San Diego isn't the cheapest place to live. There are plenty of places that are an easy drive or an even easier flight the LGA that are much more affordable than SAN. (DISCLAIMER I realize he may be living with his parents but if thats the case and you can't make it work with $325 student loan payments it may be time for a change)

Also JTRAIN how do you afford flight school and then Law School?
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Taking 7 years to go from private pilot to CFI, that's how.
 
killbilly said:
Dumb question here - and I don't know what your situation is in SAN...

But why not move? If not to NY, at least closer. Doesn't have to be permanent. Once you have more money and seniority you could always move back.
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Good question, but it would be financially impossible to move. It'd cost around $5000 for a west to east coast move (furniture, piano, cars, etc). The option is to place things in storage for around $100/month and just move my body with a suitcase packed with clothes. But, I don't want to move. I don't mind the commute and I love living in San Diego. Plus, I have a very inexpensive apartment in a high rent city that I can't give up.

I don't know if I'll be furloughed or put on reserve at the end of the year. If I make a move now and get furloughed, I'd be really screwed by being stuck over there. All of my family is in CA and I would prefer not to be away from them when I might need them.
 
ThatOtherDude said:
Yeah really. I agree. What do you do with your money?
Although, I don't mind the post because it does bring awareness to how little we make. I'd prefer to read it on the front page of the New York Post though. Most of us here already know how much it sucks financially to be a regional FO.
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What do I do with my money? Normally I do well, but I recently had a lot of unexpected expenses popped up out of no where.

I have a lot of recurring expenses (debt) that leave a very small buffer before each payday. Car payment, car insurance, credit card debt ($3200 and paying $200-400 a month to get it paid down), food at home, food while away at work, etc. Commuting occupies a lot of my expenses. The good thing is my car is paid off this month and it'll give me an extra $164. But, I can't afford a crash pad as long as I have other debts to pay off... and no able to save money. This is how I feel.
 
SoCalAprch said:
Exactly what I was thinking. San Diego isn't the cheapest place to live. There are plenty of places that are an easy drive or an even easier flight the LGA that are much more affordable than SAN. (DISCLAIMER I realize he may be living with his parents but if thats the case and you can't make it work with $325 student loan payments it may be time for a change)

Also JTRAIN how do you afford flight school and then Law School?
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My rent in San Diego is $675/mo in a very nice area 10 minutes from the beach and 5 minutes from downtown. That's not expensive. If I were to move to the east coast I'd move to Charlotte, NC.
 
JaceTheAce said:
My rent in San Diego is $675/mo in a very nice area 10 minutes from the beach and 5 minutes from downtown. That's not expensive. If I were to move to the east coast I'd move to Charlotte, NC.
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Is it a good San Diego area or is it more off the beaten path in Chula Vista or Oceanside? I just moved from Ocean Beach in San Diego to Columbus on 1st year FO pay so I know where you are coming from but our rent was 3 times that much. I have lived in Bay Park, PB, OB, Del Mar, and the SDSU area so I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to the rates going for apartments and 675 is unbelieveable if it is in a good area of SD.

Why not Sky West is what everybody asks me, Im sure you can relate. :)
 
flyviper said:
Maybe it just me, I'm having a hard time comprehending why you can't afford the crash pad. Assuming you're a line holder at PDT, which pays $31 an hour, that should yield you around $2100 bring home right? Now with the student loans and maybe another car payment, you should still have money left! Off course, if you're like me and spend a lot of time at the strip clubs, you would have problem paying for a crash pad. :)
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You are crazy. You think $2100 is enough?! Add up my expenses and it comes out to be barely under $2100.
 
SoCalAprch said:
Are you near a San Diego beach or is it Chula Vista or Oceanside? I just moved from Ocean Beach in San Diego to Columbus on 1st year FO pay so I know where you are coming from but our rent was 3 times that much. Granted I have a wife that makes 3 times as much as me but 675 a month is an unbelievable deal if it is really in one of the decent San Diego areas.
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I live in University Heights/Hillcrest area. One of the greatest areas of the heart of San Diego.
 
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