As I've mentioned in a thread I made about what we all do for a living, I mentioned I'm truck driver (CDL Class A). Because I'm gone on a usual work week 5 days and home during the weekends I live in a house with my sister and her husband. The main reason is because why buy a house when I'll only see it two days a week? I plan to get my own house when I land a local job where I come home after each work day.

Anyways.

My sister is a receptionist and my brother in law is a maintenance guy at small motel. They both make around the $10 dollars an hour range and have two kids (a three year old and a six year old). I can't fathom how they live. They're always broke and always have to borrow money from me or my parents when I'm not around and/or refuse to lend them money. They have to borrow money almost weekly to get by. To buy things like electronics for the kids or themselves, they always have to buy stuff off layaway or used from pawn shops. I have to buy groceries for everyone unless my sister and her husband have foodstamps to buy their own groceries and they don't get nearly as much as they should through foodstamps.

Anyways, I just can't imagine living like that. For example, last week, I brought home a $1,300 paycheck before taxes. My average pay is around $900-$1,000 a week. I never struggle with money. If I want something I buy it without having to go, "Can I afford this?". For example I bought a gaming PC from NCIX.com (Dream Machine) that I spent $3,000 on an impulse. When I'm hungry I call up the GF and ride out to a restaurant and spend around $150 for the hell of it.

I sometimes get the feeling that my sister and her boyfriend resent me because how I spend my money around. I once over heard my sister's husband argue with her about me because their daugter went to a friend's house and her friend was playing with a Kurio tablet and wanted one. Obviously, her parents couldn't afford it so I one day on a whim bought one for her and my nephew. It cost around $350 if I remember correctly. THe argument my sister's husband had was something along the lines of "He thinks he's better than us because he has money". Apparently, it's bad for me to spoil my niece and nephew when they can't buy something they want.

So today, I'm sitting in my room bored and letting my mind wander as to how it would be for myself if I was restricted to the pay my sister and her husband have and I seriously have the thought that "I'd kill myself. Making that little money is no life at all".

What type of life is it to always question whether you can afford something? What type of life is it to live paycheck to paycheck? I'd really kill myself. I can't do it nor can imagine doing it. Insult to injury is that my sister and her husband always come home stressed and tired. Me? I'm never tired or stressed.

I drive 10 hours. Then I switch with my partner and surf the web on a laptop for 4 hours on the road then sleep for 6 hours and then switch back to driving. I do nothing and make in a week what takes them a month to make. Horrible.

It all comes down to how you manage your money. Ultimately, taking loans and borrowing just makes your situation worse; you should only borrow when you need it. Me personally, I'm the kind of guy that will eat canned food for a week and turn down the heat just so I can save up for that game I've always wanted.

Even on a dual income, $10 is rather pathetic when trying to raise two kids. For their sake, instead of being resentful of you and "your money", they should be trying to be like you so they can afford the things they need to help their children. Directing their frustration at you is just wrong. When I was a kid, I loved being spoiled by relatives. Sure, the presents may stick out because they could afford more than what my folks could have, but that never bothered me. It may have stung my parents, but ultimately it's not about them. It's my present, goddamnit!

Eugh, no amount of money could convince me to be away from a home that often. I know truck driving rakes in the dough, but I would go clinically insane regardless. Your family shouldn't envy your money; they should respect your resolve and tolerance of a life constantly on the move.

Good for you, buddy.

I'll be going back to my $9/hr job tomorrow.

It does svck sometimes but it's really not bad. I won't be having this particular job where I'm gone 5 days a week forever especially when I'm 25. I'll eventually land a local job. They're honesty hard to find because the drivers that have them hold on to them for like no tomorrow.

But in the mean time, think of it this way. It's hard for me to spend my weekly paycheck in just two days unless I go crazy with my money. So my bank account grows because I simply just can't spend the money when I'm home.

So do you pay any bills living with them? I get the feeling you don't regardless of how much you make and the way you say you spend(though it's good you help your sister with groceries). I literally could never tolerate driving a truck all day like you do, also it does sound like you think your better then your bother in law/sister. Not everyone makes awesome money, some people scrap by, and then some people make 9/10 an hour and live comfortably because they manage their money properly. I wouldn't throw money around living with people just barely making it, try helping them out more.

Pay the mortgage? Dude, I most of the time have to pay more than what I agreed to pay because they can't hold their end of the bargain and buy the groceries most of the time. I mentioned moving out when I find a local job and my sister actually got nervous when she realized she and husband won't be able to pay for the house themselves when I'm gone.

"Sitting in my room", made me spit coffee over the screen.

Sure you make more than your sister and her husband - why the elitist attitude?

I made 528 954 U.S. dollars 2012. Working at an office. I have free phone, free healthcare. i get paid 20USD a month just to be a customer to my employee. I get to come home everday and do whatever I want. I myself, like you, resent people who get kids before they can afford it. But you live there, so you don't have the right to complain.

I don't think I have an elitist attitude and I'm not complaining. I can easily afford my own place it's just that with my current place of employment, I'd only see it two days out of the week. It's not worth it, for me, to get my own place until I find that elusive local job where I could actually enjoy living in my own house/apartment. Besides, in the meantime I'm helping my sister out although I think with the consequence of becoming dependent on my help while living there.