Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I remember back when I was a young'un...

Arghhh... I'm having a budget nightmare at the moment. My excessive drinking of months past and constant shopping for clothes I wear once and spill grog all over really don't match my income. But its got me thinking back to how much my financials have changed over the years...

The last house I rented in Toowoomba, nine years ago cost my housemate and I $175 per week - in total. That was for four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas, and a big back yard in a fairly modern low set brick house. Our friends thought we were mad paying that much rent.

The last house I rented here in Brisbane with Kat was $380 per week, and for that we got three small bedrooms and one bathroom in a fairly crappy post-war home with a toilet cistern that kept falling off the wall and a hot water system that would magically die during winter mornings.

But was officially inner suburban (in fact walking distance home from the Valley, if you call a 40 minute drunk stumble walking distance), and we could see the fireworks over the river so it wasn't all bad (but that ruins my point).

As assistant manager at the Mecure Hotel Toowoomba I used to earn $35k per year. That was for a salary position, with no overtime, more often than not working at 70 hours plus a week, managing two restaurants, two bars, 3 function rooms and 98 hotel rooms and then all the fucking paperwork that goes along with it.

These days a base level receptionist at work earns $38k to answer the phone, sign people in and out of the visitor's register and do some basic data entry.

That's royally fucked in my humble opinion.

One thing that I noticed that hasn't really changed over the years is the price of grog. Sure, you can pay up to $10 for spirits in some clubs up here, and cocktails are a fucking rip off, but I can still get a scotch and dry for between $5 and $8 in most pubs. Considering I used to charge $5.50 for basics in my hotel almost ten years ago that really isn't too much of a price increase.

So... its kinda like Jesus and K Rudd want me to drink, yeah?

7 comments:

The Mutant said...

Man, you've gotta stop talking yourself into being an alcoholic. Although I do find it funny that on $1 pot days, soft drink is still $2.30. Geeeeeeee, a draught or a coke, let's see?

Clairebear said...

lol it is true though. me and gav had our first place in east brisbane, ten mins from the city in a great neighbourhood for only 165 a week total. we complained.
now, we both pay half or more of our wages on rent each week, and we think its a bargain.
Not so sure about the partying though - we used to go out with 50 bucks and have a fantastic night, be out til 6 in the morning. If we do that now, we end up spending at least 150. we would never even consider going out if all we had was 50 bucks.
depends on what/how much/where you are drinking, I suppose.

vag said...

You think renting for $380 (inner-city Brisbane???) is steep?

Try renting in Sydney, or here in Canberra, where they seem to believe that because half the workforce is earning reasonable dough in the public circus that they can charge whatever they want for four walls & a roof (me: $450).

That, and the fact that I deeply resent paying $10 for a pre-mixed drink, are the main reasons I'm not partying every weekend like it's 1999 (I do that at home, with friends & a bottle of cab sav for company) :-)

Anonymous said...

Though, with the QLD government stepping in, we can't have drink promotions anymore.

I miss $1 student nights.

A night out now mostly costs more because of the things we have to have, like entry to 4 clubs, too many cigarettes, gum for making out, food coz we're too old to drink on an empty stomach, cab fare and, y'know, money for interesting random things that come our way...

cb said...

But at least you get to live in Australia and have wild sex with sexy aussie blokes!!!

Anonymous said...

PRAISE JEBUS!

Epskee said...

Ooooh! I loke your rationale! I'm so stealing your logic next time I need to justify my exhorbitent (damn and I thought I could speell) spending on liquor.

And rent's only $380? Im moving to Brissy!