Why Aren't You At Work?

Who Are All These People?

June 2015

I’d noticed it long before I became purposely unemployed, but it continues to amaze me:  the sheer volume of people out and about on any given weekday.

Three o’clock on a Tuesday?  Traffic jam on the way to the mall.

Ten a.m. on a Thursday?  A line of fifteen cars at the traffic light leading to the Super A&P.

2 p.m. Wednesday? A near mob of able-bodied, working-age adults at ClubFit playing racquet ball or torturing themselves in a pilates class.

Sure, there are plenty of retirees, students, shift workers and stay-at-home mommies out there, but it still amazes me that in this relatively expensive area of Westchester County, NY there are so many people who don’t seem to have a regular 9-to-5 job.  They can't all be trust-funders.

Keeping in mind that the average home price in this area hovers around $500k (even in this post-crash real estate environment), the question begs:  if there are that many people out there without a “real” job, how the heck are people keeping up with their mortgages?  Also keep in mind that in this general area, a $500k house carries with it a hefty 4% (approx) annual property/school tax bill, which equates to roughly $1,700/month in carrying costs.

How do they do it?  We barely keep up with our housing expenses with our corporate jobs (and now, with my rapidly depleting savings).

My sister has noted the same phenomenon back in Illinois.  Her theory is that everyone is on some sort of disability scam.  While being on disability may explain some of it (whether legitimate or 'scam'), there’s a whole segment of seemingly able-bodied adults out there who don’t need to work a full-time corporate job to stay solvent.

How the heck is that possible?  And where do I sign up for this gravy train?!