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What color is your collar?

UserPost

10:50 am
June 21, 2013


Edward Antrobus

Fort Collins, CO

Member

posts 1008

When I was writing about college education a few weeks ago, a commenter told me "one cannot compare educated people with labor class." Now that was pretty offensive, but it also got me thinking. There is a definite trend of eltism in the US as we try to ignore the agricultural and manufacturing roots upon which this country is built. That part wasn't particularly new or surprising to me.  I realized that, for the most part, personal finance articles are written by white-collar professionals and, frankly, for white-collar professionals. The unique needs and issues facing blue-collar workers are ignored or even unknown to people who can't conceive of $75,000 being enough money on which to live.

To try to fill that gap, I am going to be talking more about those issues and perspectives on my blog. I started today with my modestly named Blue Collar Money Manifesto. Aside from helping educate other "working class" folk, my goal is to foster more dialogue about class and money.

So my question to everyone is, do you consider yourself a blue collar worker?

 I'm looking for editors, beta-readers, and some demographic research for my upcoming novel, Once Upon a Saturn Moon. If you like reading soft sci-fi thrillers, maybe with a touch of romance thrown in, you can find more information at http://seampublishing.com/once…..aturn-moon

If You Can Read, You Can Cookhttp://www.ifyoucanread.com | Think you can't cook? If you can read this sentence, then you can.

SEAM Publishinghttp://www.seampublishing.com | eBook formatting and publishing service

3:31 pm
June 21, 2013


Squirrelers

Member

posts 986

Count me squarely in the white collar group, though not wealthy. 

Having said that, I think that there are most definitely different needs that people have that simply aren't understood by others in higher income brackets.  Not only that, but people have different life situations too.  For example, someone without a family can take annual globetrotting trips or live a nomadic "location independent" lifestyle, but might not realize that this simply can't happen for most people – high income or not. 

Ray

Member Site: Squirrelers

Challenger Site: Tie the Money Knot

Email: admin@squirrelers.com

8:35 am
June 22, 2013


krantcents

Member

posts 909

I think the definitions have changed over the years.  Auto mechanic was a definite blue collar profession except there are many who make more than traditional white collar jobs.  Tradesmen are considered blue collar, but need post secondary training that put them on a par with college graduates.  The former lines between white and blue are blurred at best.   Traditional education such as college is becoming similar to high school in the past.  Specialized training or experience may trump all of them.  Much of what is written regarding personal finance can be applied to everyone.  The only  issue is perspective.  When I wrote about minimum wage millionaires, I compared how everyone can save, invest and earn more money.

krantcents  – Making Sense of Money

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7:34 pm
October 6, 2013


bryce

Member

posts 40

My wife and I are both white collar workers. We have advanced degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, and do most of our work on computers.

9:21 am
October 7, 2013


Eric – PersonalProfitability.com

Portland, OR

Member

posts 2120

I am currently in a polo with a black collar Laugh

All jokes aside, I am a traditional "white collar" guy in finance at a telecom company.

I agree with Mr. Krantcents that the lines have blurred over time. I think the idea of blue collar / white collar may be one of the past. Now I think we have a paradigm of skill workers vs unskilled workers. Skilled workers have a unique skill set that can get them a job to earn a living. Unskilled workers are the ones who bear the brunt end of a recession as they are the first to go when a company is trying to cut back.

1:34 pm
October 7, 2013


Jason@LiveRealNow

Member

posts 727

I'm white collar, but I grew up in a blue collar family in a blue collar town.

Most of my friends are blue collar, working construction or landscaping.  Sometimes, it's a serious culture-shock.  One couple my wife and I know work 5 jobs between the two of them and couldn't scrape together enough to cover daycare over the summer while my wife and I are debating whether to get a hobby farm or a duplex.  It's different worlds.   Of course, they have a bigger cable TV package and newer cars than we do, so their problems aren't just bad luck.

1:36 pm
October 7, 2013


Jason@LiveRealNow

Member

posts 727

And I agree, the lines are blurring, or at least zigzagging.

Construction is blue-collar.  By most measures, working a call center is going to be white-collar, even if it pays half of the construction job and requires no education.


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