FedEx FDA bases pay 36% more first year plus a housing and education allowance. I did a FDA as a new hire and it made first year a lot easier financially.

Good advice.

And if you can't figure out a way to make it through the first year, spend some time listening to Dave Ramsey. You'll realize that even on first year pay, you're better off than the vast majority of people out there. It only lasts for a year. When I think back to the time that I was furloughed, and only getting unemployment for awhile, it was probably good for us to experience that (though it sucked at the time). You can go without and be creative to make things happen.

And I certainly hope your captains are taking care of dinner/drinks/tips. You'll be making the big bucks before you know it.

You make a good point.

While I’m worried and I basically liquidated all that we could. I feel that doing so may help us financially long term. Funny you mentioned Dave Ramsey, because now Im questioning what’s really important and what do I really need.

My daughter has told her friends Im selling EVERYTHING. Naturally as things go through the grapevine stories change. Lets just say we’ve had some interesting phone calls.


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I don’t get it.
If you had an app in, and planned on going there if you got the call, how would you not financially plan for it?
I’ve made some serious changes before that necessitated selling many assets (cars, furniture, expensive toys, etc) as well as cutting expenditures (cable, less heat and a/c, eating out). That’s what you do. It’s not fun, and it’s rough, but it’s expected. Save everything you can in the meantime, get an 18 month zero percent interest credit card, and consider it a long term investment.
Good luck on the interviews!!

No use in berating you about how you could have gotten ready for it, because that time is here and you're dealing with it now. At least you have some decent money coming your way at the end.

Yeah, listening to/reading Dave Ramsey can be pretty helpful, though he is dead wrong every now and then. Makes you think about what is possible, and like you said....what do you really need. When you think about all the money people spend, how much of it is actually necessary? I think we just get lazy, get used to spending too much and the bills and lifestyle creeps up on you.

When I was furloughed, my spouse was also laid off. No airline jobs in sight, a baby and a toddler. Spouse took a menial part time job for $7/hr. Didn't want to go in debt, didn't want to borrow money from the parents, didn't want to go back into the reserves. We gave up just about everything....coffee, alcohol, air conditioning, using the dryer, all entertainment and eating out. Double coupons all the time. I don't look back on that time with despair, even though it was pretty miserable. I look at it and say, sure, we could do this again if we had to. It was possible. If I can give up coffee, you can make it through first year pay!

What is he dead wrong about?

hookers and blow

He did (or does?) own a crappy low serial number Citation III. Not sure how financially smart that is.

This would be awesome if I could swing CGN, but I am not moving my family of 5 to HKG.