Messing with my career...

[FroOchie]

Yesterday I had to pay $275 for NJ Real Estate licensing fees/renewals and was angered that they're dipping into my knife funds. I put away a little bit of money every week to buy myself the things I like but then bills like this offend me. Though I'm budgeted for my hobbies I still feel that $275 could have been better served buying a few knives or one really nice one. Sorry for the rant but I'm sure one or two of you have been in this situation before.

[chuck_roxas45]

Yesterday I had to pay $275 for NJ Real Estate licensing fees/renewals and was angered that they're dipping into my knife funds. I put away a little bit of money every week to buy myself the things I like but then bills like this offend me. Though I'm budgeted for my hobbies I still feel that $275 could have been better served buying a few knives or one really nice one. Sorry for the rant but I'm sure one or two of you have been in this situation before.

Of course. I am offended at having to spend $200-$300 a month for food when I could be buying knives with the money.

[rodloos]

I'm a programmer and fortunately don't (yet) have to pay for any kind of license. Every once in awhile they talk about requiring Software Engineers to get some kind of Engineering license and pay a fee, but at least in Texas it hasn't happened yet. The government is always looking for new means of revenue though.

Do they say what the $$ from your realtor's license is supposed to go to? Is is supposed to go toward funding some kind of Board, or do they admit it is just a way to make money from you?

[FroOchie]

Do they say what the $$ from your realtor's license is supposed to go to? Is is supposed to go toward funding some kind of Board, or do they admit it is just a way to make money from you?

No, being a Realtor is something above and beyond that I also have to pay. Real Estate sales people aren't always with the Realtor's Association but Realtor's are always licensed to sell. They're our lobbyist organization but I don't have to join them by state law though my Broker makes me as part of my agreement with them to hang my license there. Think of Realtors like joining the Union for your trade.

The fee's I paid were directly to the state for renewals with a small portion going to my Broker for the processing. So yeah, I'm totally just throwing out the money for some politician to golf or something I'm sure.

[w3tnz]

We have to pay $150 a year to renew our electrical practising licenses. Welcome to life lol.

[FroOchie]

If you're keeping current with education I can see a point in your renewels W3tnz. I sell cars and houses, wtf do I need to know how to do other than tie my tie? Regardless, I'd rather have bought more knives.

[thog94]

That's a drop in the bucket compared to Coast Guard fees. If you don't work for a decent company you will also need to pay for your physical and drug test. In the long run if the fees make up for what you make then it's all good.

[FroOchie]

oh theres those fees for us as well. There are all kinds of fees that we all probably pay into, but this was just one of them. In a year I play close to $2000 in fee's from anywhere form my state, the lobby and the broker. And when those come up, i'll be thinking to myself what else I could have bought again.

[jackknifeh]

I'm not in real estate but we all have out of the ordinary expenses. Saving for something just to have it taken for something that you can't even thouch (fees, liscenses, etc.) is especially depressing. I feel for others but it doesn't really matter to me because I'm filthy rich. It's nice to buy anything anytime I want. Sometimes I let my neighbors come over and look at the stuff I buy. Time to wake up.

Jack

[SolidState]

Chemists pay between $150 and $500 on average annually to be members of professional societies. Without paying those fees, you don't get any information on job openings, or pertinent advances in your field. That doesn't even cover journal subscriptions which can put you easily into the $1000+ if you do them individually, just to stay current. Then we generally have at least two trade shows a year that we must pay $500 to $1000 to go to. It sucks, especially as a grad student making $18,000 a year.

All in all, it's expensive to be professional.