What have you sacrificed?

I was just reading a thread about a girl who said times were hard and buying food was getting too expensive. I am a little curious, as a Canadian I don't think the recession is as bad here as in the U.S. Sure, at work (for an American Company) I have lost my company paid pension and a freeze on my RRSP, but other than that its business as usual. I eat out whenver I want and I am really only feeling a small economic crunch.

So I ask, what have you given up or sacrificed in these times to get by or if anything at all?? Is this recession all MSM fear mongoring or is it really getting that bad?

I have sacrificed nothing. I never bought into the culture of "must have now". If I want something I pay with cash. I live within my means.

We can blame the banks, blame the politicians, blame our parents, blame whoever you want, in the end the bottom line is that it's our fault things are the way they are. We bought the notion that the most important thing in our lives is the stuff that we can accumulate.

I am rich with the currency that really matters. I have lots of time to do the things I want. I could care less about working my tail off to "get ahead". I could care less about having a house that will be sold off when I'm old to fund my "care". I have no desire to buy a new car ( Novel idea, that walking). *shrugs*

And yet society tells me all the time that I am a "loser". No house? No car? No credit cards? Yes!

I am free!

I could not agree more, I dont drive, saves me a fortune. I walk 25 mins to work and my co-workers think I am crazy! Probally explains their waist line. I love my 5 dollar tshirts, walking my dog and cheap meals.

I too dont have a house and I too am constantly mocked by my "better off" friends about not having one. For personal reasons I also do not want kids or marriage because both are an un-nessacary financial burden.

There are so many things off the top of my head I can think of to save cash and not buy into the buy buy buy agenda.

reply to post by stereovoyaged


I live in Scotland, bear in mind Scotland is a pretty big place so I dont speak for everyone here but thought id chime in.

The business I worked with went bust within a week of this recession talk back in August 08, I tried to open a business after this but without success as it takes that long going through the proper education to get the grants (although I have relevant degrees and bla bla) after I did this though, I was told that my plan would fail because of the recession and refused the grant promised if I did the courses (even although my business plan would save effected companies a tonne of money). Anyways personally I have not been able to do anything for around 11 months now, I mean nothing at all when it comes to spending on luxuries as I am skintypoos. I do however refuse to claim benefits as I see this as nothing more than getting taxed on contributions you have already made to the government in this country. I am lucky though, I have just secured a new job after what felt like an eternity searching. I appreciate the simple things in life now so its not been as depressing as I might paint it although I know it will be for many.

Near where I live the job centres here are queued out into the streets, unfinished construction projects sit empty, half built houses sit empty, drug addicts riddle the streets, beggars are on every corner, people sit with their heads in their hands in public, ive even seen people crying, you can actually see who has a job and who doesnt to be honest, its getting that bad. Its visible in peoples faces with health and appearance.
Some peoples colours are truly coming to light ill tell you that when it comes to judging others, ive seen some really harsh judgement on others lately and it makes me sick. Just because someone has a job does not give them a right to shout at a beggar, shake there head at a homeless person, get angry at someone counting small units of change in a shop when buyng goods or tell a man standing with a big issue to get a job.
In general the only thing that seems to have "improved" is the police presence, they spend all day walking around ordering homeless people too move or searching people who have come from a job centre.

In saying all this, I keep myself busy by doing DIY, spending time with family, going for walks and helping strangers in need.
Its been an eye opener for me, people are really needing to take a long hard look in the mirror in my opinion.
I have always had food, shelter and water as promised.



[edit on 20-7-2009 by XXXN3O]

I guess I am lucky where I live, in this city, homeless people are rarely actually homeless, more so unwilling to work. Drugs isn't that big of a problem(though getting worse). I can't imagine seeing a homeless person lying in the street, I dont think it would fly here, we have occaisional beggers but everyone knows them and thier story.

The cost of living is high but its managable and there is a big sense of community. Everyone gets by, if not , someone helps them get by

reply to post by stereovoyaged


You are lucky indeed.

I might have overpainted where I live as being like a charity advert. Dont get me wrong there are still things moving its not entirely desolate but it is getting very poverty stricken compared to last year.

I live in a small town that fortunately has a close community but outside towns and cities are severely lacking in that area.
It would probably shock you if you were to see what this place is like, nice new buildings, workers in suits etc like anywhere else yet 8/10 people look almost ill with worries, appearance is taking a hit for the worst and they are falling ill etc.

Its not a very feel good place to be right now to be honest. Lot of angry people in the streets too and quite right, they are being ignored by a society that they paid for all there lives. Hard working people who have never been out of work are finding themselves losing there homes. There was a guy arrested a few weeks ago for trying to kill a baliff that threatened to repo his home over 3 months unpaid council tax. Thats a bit harsh of this government to be doing that.

Put it this way, if Gordon Brown came anywhere near this place he would be torn apart quite literally. Not many fans around here.
Im surprised there has not been riots or any unrest yet, but then again people dont have the energy I guess from lack of food. Definately some very angry people around here though and I was not far off falling into that category myself to be honest.

If you ever slip off the bank account radar in the UK if you have no family your fecked quite simply because there is no support from the systems in place. Anyone still in the system having a great time will sing its praises but it honestly is quite poor.



[edit on 20-7-2009 by XXXN3O]

reply to post by stereovoyaged


Here, approx 25% of people my age are out of work and the official overall rate is supposed to hit 15% next year so it is bad.

Approximate average overall loss of wealth for every household is €150,000!!!! Around $200,000!!! Thats a pretty serious hit IMO but a lot of it is in capital items like home worth which will rise a bit in the future.

The UK is in a similar situation but with a lower overall percentage. Most of the rest of the EU are either just stagnant or in a very shallow recession.

But, its only bad if its happening to you.. If its business as usual, its hard to see it because you are locked in a routine.

Canada is one of the worlds least affected though.. that obviously has a lot to do with it.

reply to post by stereovoyaged


Star for not wanting kids..... What a huge burden on society, for one. For two, I do believe we are more populated than TPTB want...err, resources.

We need more people who voluntarily choose not to breed, before the choice is made for us.

As for me.... I have given up about everything, after a job loss. So, being a broke student is opening up my eyes a lot more, to the world around me.

Between my gray hair and the economy, I am unemployed. I was laid off in 2006 and have yet to be hired, locally or for any of the thousands of interweb applications I have made.

I am living on $200 in food stamps, and $365 that covers my $325 rent in a crack house roach infested apartment, leaving me with $40 a month to cover every non-food item I need.

Once... I was making $60,000 a year.

Ah well. I keep hoping people will see my skills and not my gray hair.

reply to post by Amaterasu


So sorry to hear that, too bad we don't live in a society where experience is championed instead of seen as a handicapt

reply to post by Dermo


Not so much either that its Canada, the fact that its Newfoundland has a lot to do with it too. All through history we have been resourcefull and a resiliant people. We still live off the land a lot, our food still as a culture is basic meals. I am proud to live where I am, and don't know how I would fare in a diffrent situation. Living on this ragged rock gives you a sense of pride and community and we never see one of our own down.

I did my sacrificing earlier.

My home is paid, my cars (fairly new) were bought with cash, I have zero credit card debt, and I owe nobody anything.

So when the economy tanked, and we have about 10% unemployment, we just cut back on discretionary spending.

It's amazing how little it actually takes to live if you don't owe a ton of debt. No, I don't live in a $750,000 home, and I don't have a Mercedes, but we live comfortably and securely.

Push comes to shove, I'll fish and hunt for more food.

Oh.

Part of that sacrifice?

Savings. A bit put aside for hard times.

Which always come.

Originally posted by stereovoyaged
reply to post by Amaterasu

 

So sorry to hear that, too bad we don't live in a society where experience is championed instead of seen as a handicapt

Thank you.

It IS too bad - and that is why I am such a pest here about having people think about shifting to an abundance paradigm. It is this simultaneous service to self and others that seems optimal to me. Everyone living at the level today's elite do, and no money.

All I asy of others is to spend four hours reading my book, a tool to show how it would work, and how we can get there. It's linked in my sig.

reply to post by stereovoyaged


What we have sacrificed, well beside having to allow our daughter back in the house after she graduated from college and still having our 23 year son living with us my husband and I have sacrificed our adult dreams of been along and independent. funny he.

Still I have sacrificed the need for a second car and have to share my daughters if I need to go anywhere.

Still by the end of December I will have more to tell you all as my husband is expected to either lose its job or get a pay cut.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by stereovoyaged

 

What we have sacrificed, well beside having to allow our daughter back in the house ...

Oh, I forgot to mention that my six-year-old daughter is living with my sister 3,000 miles away because I cannot ensure that she is eating well and organically. (She was born 12 days before my 46th birthday...)

I miss my li'l Buddha so much - and she wants to come home. She has been living there well over a year. [sigh]

I as well live within my means as best I can. I ditched credit cards right before the election and have some fallback money in the bank. You know what I'm sacrificing? Crap, useless crap that fills the house. Crap and not as many new PC games. I'll live!

reply to post by Amaterasu


I am very sorry to hear that, but I am sure that is all for her well being, I wish I can tell you that things will get better, but the way things are going in this nation I can not see anything good for a long, long time.

Hon I am 49 and I will not let my gray hair take the best of me,

I use organic henna to keep it more to my natural color.

[edit on 20-7-2009 by marg6043]

How To Stop The New World Order?

Well...for our family my wife lost her job in Feb, after surviving three previous rounds of layoffs and hasn't been able to find any work since. I'm disabled, recieving a small disability check per month we have drained our savings hoping things would improve and a job would become available. However this is not the case and we're moving to a smaller town and sending the wife back to school. I'm having to make decisions about what medicines to buy, this month its no nausea meds and no anti-depressants (chemical depression from the renal failure) i just have to suck it up and be sick/depressed. That i can deal with, i'm an adult and a man and thats what comes with life. Feeding the Kiddo is more important to me. Now...as to whether we'll have a roof over our head next month its a constant worry.

Both my husband and I are unemployed and from the USA. We have no children, just one cat and a turtle. LOL We don't have cable television or own a house or cell phones, only have one car. For a while my husband had to wait months for any kind of income because he became disabled right after being unemployed and couldn't collect unemployment. By the time he started recieving disability we had just about wiped out all of our retirement funds. I am on extended benefits from unemployment and by Oct/November, if I still can't find a job, we will be wiping out our bank account.

Yes things are very bad here. There are tent cities popping up everywhere, shelters are filled to capicity, the price of everything is rising while our income is shrinking. We have worked our butts off our entire lives and for what?

We also have a problem with illegal immigrants who are holding jobs that US citizens could be doing. It is scary. I fear for our future.