Typhoid's Advice Column

Typhoid · 03-10-2010, 05:24 AM

It's exactly how it sounds.
You, an unwitting member of this forum pose your problems, issues or concerns, nomatter how serious or not serious they may be - to me - and I shall answer them in a serious manner with a little sprinkle of sarcasm.

Professor S · 03-10-2010, 08:50 AM

Hmmm, lts try out this dubious magic 8-Ball...

I am at a place in my job where I am underpaid for what I do ($50k a year, about 75 to 80 is average, with good benefits for managing an Account Management and Member Education team) but I really like my job and and for the most part the people I work with.

So far I have been able to justify my underpayment because I was learning a ton about how to be an effective manager and was growing as a professional, but that has started to decrease and quickly. Frustration has started to creeep in.

But still, I really like my job, and I have been very siuccessful at it (increased team production by 83% my first year as manager), and to be honest its hard to complain about my salary to my superiors when I started in 2006 at $36k a year.

Now I have a kid on the way. So my issue is two fold:

1) How do I present my situation to my boss at my next review (May 8)

2) Do I decide to test the waters to find a new job (the great unknown) with a kid on the way?

manasecret · 03-10-2010, 01:04 PM

Me second!

My girlfriend and I want to buy a snowball machine. As a review, snowballs differ from snowcones (at least in local language here) in that snowballs use shaved ice while snowcones uses what is more like crushed ice. The difference is you get a nice powdery almost slushy treat that soaks up the flavors with snowballs as opposed to what amounts to chewing a bunch of ice with a little bit of flavor on it.

The machine costs about $1900, and we have room for it in our home. Every once in awhile, we would also like to take it down to the park at the end of our street where lots of little league baseball games are played, to sell some snowballs street vendor style to recoup the price and maybe eventually make a small but fun profit.

The thing is, that $1900 plus the say $200 in cups, straws, spoons, etc. would go on my credit card. We decided we would buy once I got a new job, but it looks like I will be sticking around at my old job for at least another month or two. That's still in time for summer, when snowballs are the perfect quencher for the sweltering Houston heat. But I may not actually get a new job for many months more and maybe even past summertime.

My question is, should I:

A. Buy it right now
B. Wait until I get a new job, even though that may be a long time from now
C. Not buy it at all

?

A side question for anyone who knows about such things, is liability insurance required for street vendors?

Professor S · 03-10-2010, 01:18 PM

Be sure to add a vendoir license to your total cost. They will shut you down without one, and they will know to ask you because other vendors will rat you out in a second.

Typhoid · 03-10-2010, 03:37 PM

Dear Strangler:

I think it all comes down to how confident you are in your ability to do your job better than others, how long you've been working there, and how well you get along with your boss. Personally, I don't think money is everything - however if you already love the job you have and are underpaid, then I suppose there is no harm in asking for extra money if extra money is due. I would say the best course of action is just to level with your boss. Tell him the situation. Practically tell him the post you said here. Tell him you have a kid on the way, tell him you dont want to leave but "will if you have to" (occasionally empty threats like this work if nobody can do your job better than you can, so long as you don't act like a dick when you say it). Tell him you feel a little under appreciated and, bring up the fact you make under the average salary for your position/compared to other employees.

As for the second part, I would say no. If you have a kid on the way don't put yourself in a position to possibly have no income. If you're set on making more money than you are now and don't end up getting a raise, just look for jobs, or opportunities while still employed. Just never remove yourself from employment when you're expecting a kid, because you won't be saving any money if you have no job.

Typhoid · 03-10-2010, 03:45 PM

Dear Manasecret,

I can see you really want this snowcone machine.
What I would rhetorically ask back to you is: Can you afford buying this snowcone machine, cups, flavours and possible vendors license without making yourself poor in the short term? Getting things you want, and doing things you have your heart set on are great ideas, unless they cause you financial problems, then you have to look at it like an adult, strap up your boots, and trudge on with what you're currently doing. If it will end up putting you financially under, and yet you still really want it - just cut back on extra spending for a while until you can justify buying it. Cut back on video games, eating at restaurants, going to sports events, movies etc. Sacrifices usually have to be made.
Now, I'm not here to tell you to flat out not do it. That isn't my place. Just look at the reality of it. You will be spending upwards of 2500 dollars for a snowcone machine that will give you something to do over the summer months. Do you have that money? Do you have the free time to justify it? Do you have prices in mind for what to sell them? Do you think you'll pay off that 2500 by selling snowcones?
My suggestion would be to wait until you have the money in hand/bank, or at least close to it. That way you're not scrounging for rent next month, or food. There is nothing that can tear up a relationship faster than money problems, so don't put dreams ahead of relationships.

And I do believe liability insurance is only required if you're employing other people to do that job. If you do it yourself, I don't think it matters. But I could be completely wrong on that.

Professor S · 03-10-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Typhoid

As for the second part, I would say no. If you have a kid on the way don't put yourself in a position to possibly have no income. If you're set on making more money than you are now and don't end up getting a raise, just look for jobs, or opportunities while still employed. Just never remove yourself from employment when you're expecting a kid, because you won't be saving any money if you have no job.

Sorry for the confusion. I never meant to imply I would resign before getting another job. Thats insane (yet people still do it). My concerns are switching jobs, which is a far less stable position to be in because you are not established and the company does not depend on you yet.

Overall, good advice, but I'll bow out of the "i'll be forced to leave" bit. I tried that years ago with another company... not good.

manasecret · 03-10-2010, 04:20 PM

Hmmm... interesting thoughts. I think you hit on two things that make up the crux of the decision: money, and time. I don't think money really is the issue for me. I think time and follow-through is my issue. It all sounds rosy from this end of the decision, but when I come home from work and I see a little league baseball game going, will I be willing to haul my ass and big ass machine out there everytime?

Thank you Typhoidus for your time.

On the business side: Ok, so I need a vendor license. Do I also need some kind of food license? Anything else that anyone knows about this kind of stuff?

Acebot44 · 03-10-2010, 08:53 PM

Dear Typhoid,

By fall of this year, I will have approximately an entire year off before heading into Law School. What do you think would be the most constructive way to use this time? So far, my "to do" list for that time periods consists of

1) Learning how to "Speed Read"
2) Maintaining a strict workout regimen which will result in both gaining 10lbs of muscle as well as finally being able to dunk a basketball consistently.
3) Becoming proficient in setting lighting for portrait photography.
4) Practicing my public speaking abilities
5) Writing my parents' biographies.
6) MAYBE Traveling the USA

Please advise.

Best,
Ace

TheSlyMoogle · 03-10-2010, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

Sorry for the confusion. I never meant to imply I would resign before getting another job. Thats insane (yet people still do it). My concerns are switching jobs, which is a far less stable position to be in because you are not established and the company does not depend on you yet.

Overall, good advice, but I'll bow out of the "i'll be forced to leave" bit. I tried that years ago with another company... not good.

Hey and don't forget unless you're the sole source of income for the household, 50k a year isn't all that bad. If you are the sole support, 50k a year still isn't all that bad.

Xantar · 03-11-2010, 07:26 PM

I don't need advice myself, but I sort of have a hobby of collecting letters to other advice columns. So I thought I'd just liven this up by posting some of them to see how you respond. Remember: even though I edited it by sticking "Dear Typhoid" at the beginning, the letter is otherwise 100% real.

Quote:

Dear Typhoid,

My girlfriend and I had an exclusive relationship for about two and a half years until last week. She’s nice, but I wouldn’t want to marry her or anything. We’re in our twenties. Anyway, I told her last week that we should start seeing other people. I meant other people in addition to each other. I didn’t want to stop seeing her entirely. She knew what I meant, but she said that if we start dating other people, she doesn’t want to be physically intimate with me anymore. That got me really angry, and we had a big fight. It wouldn’t bother me to be physically intimate with her while I dated other girls, so why should it bother her? How can I make her see how foolish she’s being?

Have at it. There's more where that came from.

Bond · 03-11-2010, 08:37 PM

Hate to derail this thread, but is that from Dan Savage's column? His podcast is thirty minutes of priceless listening.

Xantar · 03-11-2010, 08:51 PM

No. That particular one is from Dear Prudence on Slate. I've heard Dan Savage reads it from time to time.

And yes, his podcast is great.

Professor S · 03-11-2010, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSlyMoogle

Hey and don't forget unless you're the sole source of income for the household, 50k a year isn't all that bad. If you are the sole support, 50k a year still isn't all that bad.

I agree, but my mortgage doesn't. If we depended on my salary alone we'd probably have to sell the house, and in this market that is a dicey situation.

Typhoid · 03-11-2010, 10:57 PM

Dear Ace,

I would say with a year of of school/work, where you will be going into more school after that year is up, take the time to do something you really want to do. Be it relaxing, traveling, learning a skill such as speed reading, spending more time with friends/family or just doing generally nothing at all. I wouldn't advise doing a strict workout regimen with your 'time off'. Throw some weight lifting into that year, sure - but don't make weight lifting the focal point of your spare time.

I would say generally your list is a good list, considering it is a list of things you want to accomplish with your time. Now, not being you I can't say which you should or shouldn't do specifically, because - well, I am not you. I would say maybe try a little bit of all of it, while still having ample time to do nothing and just take it easy. Enjoy life. Relax. Breathe. Everyone is in such a rush to get set up for retirement that nobody really enjoys the little things that life offers when you slow it down and stop worrying about the future, or things you could be doing to benefit your career instead. However, hobbies are a great way to not only have fun, but have a sense of accomplishment.

Omnipotently yours, Typh.