Why are professional pilots so cheap (for no reason)

[X-Forces]

Why wouldn't anybody be frugal? Seriously, I make 45k a year and I can't even qualify for a home loan to move into the hood. Cost of living has gotten WAY out of hand compared to income. How can anybody afford to have children just blows my mind.

Same way you afford anything else, you just do.

 

[AngelFuree]

It's one of the prices for unprotected sex. You have to afford it.

 

[SkyCougar]

I just find good looking women who want to buy me dinner!

Why are pilots so cheap? I think its conditioning. All you young regional guys know what you get paid. Its the same when you first start in the military. You have to learn to be cheap to get by. Once, I had to fish 100 pennies out of my change bucket so I could go to the beach and pay the $1 parking fee.

And every time you change jobs, you take a pay cut. I took a 50% pay cut to join the military. I took another 50% pay cut to take my airline job. Then, you never know when an arbitrator will impose a 35% pay cut. So you train yourself to be frugal.

Once you've made Captain, though, its time to pay it forward. I have a personal policy to take my F/Os out for dinner or drinks the first time we fly together. When they ask what they can do, I say, "When you make Captain, you do it for your F/Os."

Ok Velo, next time you're in town, buy ME dinner and prove to me that pilots aren't cheap! ...besides, I had to celebrate my new dot.com gig.

 

[mrivc211]

Funny story. My oldest son remembers well when we didn't have any money when he was growing up. He remembers well the macaroni and cheese dinners three nights in a row with the occasional Top Ramen thrown in. He is closing on a new house soon and is having new carpet put in his old house as he prepares it to sell. I am talking to him on the phone last night and he tells me that he is taking out all the old carpet himself before the carpet layer arrives next week. I ask why and he tells me that he is saving a few dollars by doing that. He has been quite successful and has significantly more money than his dad (me) and yet still does back breaking work to save money that he could comfortably afford to pay. He obviously picked up his frugality from us as necessity dictated it in the past. He never fails to amuse me as I watch how hard he works to save a dollar here and there. Some who know me would say it was as if I were looking in a mirror. I can live with that.

Oldest son? Geez, I always pictured you as some late 20 early 30 something guy for some reason. I dunno, I guess age is just a number huh? LOL.

 

[mrivc211]

Funny thing about this subject. I have owned too many expensive cars for too early of an age. The other day my friend and I went down to the local dealership looking at another expensive car that wasn't needed. Funny thing was, for once in my life, I wasn't eager to buy it. Maybe its the fact that I'm saving for a ring. LOL.

 

[aloft]

It's funny because one night my wife and I were walking our dog thru our apartment complex. We passed (all late model) two Mercedes, two BMWs, an Infinity G35 coupe and sedan, two Nissan 350 Zs, a Land Rover and a Range Rover (that one was brand spankin' new), two Jaguars, a Lincoln Navigator, and a Hummer H3. I felt pretty damn poor that night .

The funny thing is, they could probably be living in their own houses instead if they'd opted to drive something a little more modest. Some people have a messed up sense of priorities.

Maybe its the fact that I'm saving for a ring. LOL.

You do realize that when that ring comes from Harry Winston or Tiffany & Co., you'll have negated your whole point!

As for the whole frugality thing, a lot of pilots are probably still paying off their ERAU/UND/Key Bank loans. I'm fortunate that I don't have a mortgage or ex or kids to pay for, and I pretty much got over the conspicuous consumption thing back during the dot-com boom when I was living in San Francisco and making an ungodly amount of money--much of which got spent on partying, "toys", high rent etc. I'm still paying on an $18k undergrad loan, but my 2000 Grand Cherokee is paid off and I'm happy to say that I completed all my ratings with no flight training debt, so those entry-level wages won't be quite so painful. In fact, I'll even be able to save a decent amount while making peanuts.

 

[SkyCougar]

The funny thing is, they could probably be living in their own houses instead if they'd opted to drive something a little more modest. Some people have a messed up sense of priorities.

For sure!!!

As for the whole frugality thing, a lot of pilots are probably still paying off their ERAU/UND/Key Bank loans. I'm fortunate that I don't have a mortgage or ex or kids to pay for, and I pretty much got over the conspicuous consumption thing back during the dot-com boom when I was living in San Francisco and making an ungodly amount of money--much of which got spent on partying, "toys", high rent etc. I'm still paying on an $18k undergrad loan, but my 2000 Grand Cherokee is paid off and I'm happy to say that I completed all my ratings with no flight training debt, so those entry-level wages won't be quite so painful. In fact, I'll even be able to save a decent amount while making peanuts.

Good for you Aloft. Tis better to be smart with your money. I never did the "conspicuous consumption" thing back in the first round of the dot-com boom. I did reward myself with a nice trip in the Greek Islands. Now, it's round 2 of the dot-com thing and I'm going to work for another one! :insane: