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has your personal economy begun to meltdown yet?
page: 2share:
reply to post by The Endtime Warrior
Thanks Endtime Warrior, I'm of the belief that there is always an open window behind the closed door, so things always turn out for the best. Just sucks to see 13 years of work crumble in the last 9 months. I've talked with other small business owners and they also have seen a decline. I do believe we are just seeing the start of tougher times to come. Manufacturing and retail are going to see tough times as more jobs are outsourced and more people buy online so they dont have to drive as much. Anyhow not looking forward to the punch card. Best wishes for all.
Thanks Endtime Warrior, I'm of the belief that there is always an open window behind the closed door, so things always turn out for the best. Just sucks to see 13 years of work crumble in the last 9 months. I've talked with other small business owners and they also have seen a decline. I do believe we are just seeing the start of tougher times to come. Manufacturing and retail are going to see tough times as more jobs are outsourced and more people buy online so they dont have to drive as much. Anyhow not looking forward to the punch card. Best wishes for all.
Entitlements are on the way out, welfare, unemployment, and yes...retirement plans of any kind all over the planet.
The globe is broke, it's as simple as that.
The guy gloating about his networking engineering job is in for a rude awakening when people understand a local 12 yr old could very easily fill that position at $10 per hour.
My 10 yr old son has hacked the x360, ps3, wii, psp, and the nds...and these machines have some pretty serious security built in. He knows exactly how to network with these systems he has compromised including FTP.
Network engineer, lol...WTF, your days are numbered, you'll be next in the line.
The best field is experienced trades. Everyone knows there way around a PC these days...infact most know how to build their own PC these days...It doesn't take a rocket scientist or networking engineer to get online.
Get over your self.
The globe is broke, it's as simple as that.
The guy gloating about his networking engineering job is in for a rude awakening when people understand a local 12 yr old could very easily fill that position at $10 per hour.
My 10 yr old son has hacked the x360, ps3, wii, psp, and the nds...and these machines have some pretty serious security built in. He knows exactly how to network with these systems he has compromised including FTP.
Network engineer, lol...WTF, your days are numbered, you'll be next in the line.
The best field is experienced trades. Everyone knows there way around a PC these days...infact most know how to build their own PC these days...It doesn't take a rocket scientist or networking engineer to get online.
Get over your self.
edit on 16-11-2010 by helltick because: (no reason given)
It's gone beyond meltdown.
£10 left to last two weeks for two people and a dog.
No Xmas this year, or next with the way things are going.
£10 left to last two weeks for two people and a dog.
No Xmas this year, or next with the way things are going.
Was self employed for 10 years (landscape horticulture),things started to slow 08,it has not improved at all.
Currently co- running a Dairy to keep the rent paid.
Cut back on a few things.Gonna be a lean xmas.
Currently co- running a Dairy to keep the rent paid.
Cut back on a few things.Gonna be a lean xmas.
Globalthermonuclearmeltdown here lol.
I owned an auto salvage (hence hooptie!). Never had a ton of capital, so our target range was models from 1990-2003. The decline started with the u-pull it yards (pull your own parts). THEN Cash for Clunkers sunk us (it wasn't good for everyone). It basically took several hundred thousand of our target cars off the street (declining customer base) for good. Within two months of its inception, our sales had dropped 50%.
THEN, my gallbladder basically died and I almost didn't make it through surgery. They had to do it the old way and saw me in half. The good thing is I feel terrific now after being sick for so long. The bad thing is I have not found a job yet as I just got back on my feet a couple of weeks ago. The real bad news is that the medical bills were atrocious.
Things will turn around and I will find a way to survive. Always have. I am happy for the people that are doing well. Save all you can. You never know when you are going to get kicked in the nuts.
I owned an auto salvage (hence hooptie!). Never had a ton of capital, so our target range was models from 1990-2003. The decline started with the u-pull it yards (pull your own parts). THEN Cash for Clunkers sunk us (it wasn't good for everyone). It basically took several hundred thousand of our target cars off the street (declining customer base) for good. Within two months of its inception, our sales had dropped 50%.
THEN, my gallbladder basically died and I almost didn't make it through surgery. They had to do it the old way and saw me in half. The good thing is I feel terrific now after being sick for so long. The bad thing is I have not found a job yet as I just got back on my feet a couple of weeks ago. The real bad news is that the medical bills were atrocious.
Things will turn around and I will find a way to survive. Always have. I am happy for the people that are doing well. Save all you can. You never know when you are going to get kicked in the nuts.
I'm good and don't expect any financial troubles for the foreseeable future.
The easiest way to get rich is to be satisfied with minimal material comforts.
A lesson to the wise.
The easiest way to get rich is to be satisfied with minimal material comforts.
A lesson to the wise.
Just out of college with a good full-time job lined up and a lot of money saved up over the years in the bank and in various investments.
I'm very well off for my age and considering I come from a lower-middle class family. Basically no debt, am looking at paying off student loans within a year or two, and opportunities to buy pretty much any smaller thing I would like within reason.
That being said, I also have very few expenses considering I have a shared living arrangement, no spouse/partner, and have very few bills.
Despite that though there are people who are far worse off financially that could be much happier than I am. People with a full and loving family, lots of friends, always things to do, etc. even with financial troubles. So the grass is frequently greener on the other side and I have to admit that relationships are much more rewarding than even massive amounts of money. People that have a job they enjoy and that doesn't consume their lives as well as those in good spirits and health. I can't say I have all of those and am still looking for a rewarding relationship.
I'm very well off for my age and considering I come from a lower-middle class family. Basically no debt, am looking at paying off student loans within a year or two, and opportunities to buy pretty much any smaller thing I would like within reason.
That being said, I also have very few expenses considering I have a shared living arrangement, no spouse/partner, and have very few bills.
Despite that though there are people who are far worse off financially that could be much happier than I am. People with a full and loving family, lots of friends, always things to do, etc. even with financial troubles. So the grass is frequently greener on the other side and I have to admit that relationships are much more rewarding than even massive amounts of money. People that have a job they enjoy and that doesn't consume their lives as well as those in good spirits and health. I can't say I have all of those and am still looking for a rewarding relationship.
I live in west canada, I am a certified journeyman carpenter. I usually build custom homes for a living.
Guess what I'm doing now? I am now working for a private lender whom had to take back several homes as the borrowers could not keep up.
I have spent the last three days filling three 14 yard bins in order to make this one shack saleable.
This guy was obviously pissed off and knew how to leave a mess.
His car is still in the garage, however since it's registered in his name, I have no other choice but to have it removed for recycle.
Guess what I'm doing now? I am now working for a private lender whom had to take back several homes as the borrowers could not keep up.
I have spent the last three days filling three 14 yard bins in order to make this one shack saleable.
This guy was obviously pissed off and knew how to leave a mess.
His car is still in the garage, however since it's registered in his name, I have no other choice but to have it removed for recycle.
My family has been going backwards
My poor husband, he works in the housing industry and pulls the load these last few years while I homeschool our son and try to work for him and the family. In the last 3 years his salary has been cut 3 times. First the bonuses went, then 20% cut, then a 10% cut. It's halved and he's working just as hard as ever.
You can bet we are feeling it.
Every day he's scared his job will go away entirely, and he's not at all happy with work but there's no place else to go.
This might sound a bit weird, but I never minded being poor, as long as we have ENOUGH. My favorite item of jewelry is a plain turquoise stone with a hole on it I stuck on a leather cord.
I hate to see people worried so. My stove broke, my computer broke, (My main way of making extra $$)...I've got a crack in my ceiling, lol, and everyone wealthier than ME wants to eat here on Thanksgiving, and hey, I'm allergic to my own blood serum. I gotta go back to the doctor, but hey, that's 50 bucks even though we have insurance...what's he gonna do, say no change? Makes me mad I have to pay someone to tell me what I know so I can get the prednisone I need...I planted a great garden but didn't get a darn bit of rain all summer because of some weird HAARP drought or something. (I suspect they are keeping high pressure over N. GA to keep the hurricanes out to sea, put me on the crazy train..I don't trust them and it ain't normal.)
I just refuse to worry, but I have a simmering anger. I'll go live under a bridge if I have to.
If my husband doesn't lose it, or lose his job, we'll make it. I'm angry though.
My 14 yo son is into sewing. He's thinking he wants to be a designer and make custom clothes and sell them online....he's got talent and drive....If I can keep him in fabric I'm happy.
I don't know how we are going to afford putting him on our insurance and getting him a car though.
My poor husband, he works in the housing industry and pulls the load these last few years while I homeschool our son and try to work for him and the family. In the last 3 years his salary has been cut 3 times. First the bonuses went, then 20% cut, then a 10% cut. It's halved and he's working just as hard as ever.
You can bet we are feeling it.
Every day he's scared his job will go away entirely, and he's not at all happy with work but there's no place else to go.
This might sound a bit weird, but I never minded being poor, as long as we have ENOUGH. My favorite item of jewelry is a plain turquoise stone with a hole on it I stuck on a leather cord.
I hate to see people worried so. My stove broke, my computer broke, (My main way of making extra $$)...I've got a crack in my ceiling, lol, and everyone wealthier than ME wants to eat here on Thanksgiving, and hey, I'm allergic to my own blood serum. I gotta go back to the doctor, but hey, that's 50 bucks even though we have insurance...what's he gonna do, say no change? Makes me mad I have to pay someone to tell me what I know so I can get the prednisone I need...I planted a great garden but didn't get a darn bit of rain all summer because of some weird HAARP drought or something. (I suspect they are keeping high pressure over N. GA to keep the hurricanes out to sea, put me on the crazy train..I don't trust them and it ain't normal.)
I just refuse to worry, but I have a simmering anger. I'll go live under a bridge if I have to.
If my husband doesn't lose it, or lose his job, we'll make it. I'm angry though.
My 14 yo son is into sewing. He's thinking he wants to be a designer and make custom clothes and sell them online....he's got talent and drive....If I can keep him in fabric I'm happy.
I don't know how we are going to afford putting him on our insurance and getting him a car though.
edit on 17-11-2010 by hadriana because: said
I'd go live under a bride....lol.....maybe I need one of those 6 million dollar brides to live under..
Originally posted by hadriana
My family has been going backwards
You can bet we are feeling it.
This might sound a bit weird, but I never minded being poor, as long as we have ENOUGH. My favorite item of jewelry is a plain turquoise stone with a hole on it I stuck on a leather cord.
My stove broke, my computer broke, (My main way of making extra $$)...I've got a crack in my ceiling, lol,
My 14 yo son is into sewing. He's thinking he wants to be a designer and make custom clothes and sell them online....he's got talent and drive....If I can keep him in fabric I'm happy.
Hey Hadriana.
I'm sorry you're going through tough times too.
I get what you are saying about not minding being poor. I feel the same but do worry about loosing the home or not being able to have enough money to put petrol in the car to get the other half to work. Luckily I work from home but my business has dried up. Looking for another job is crazy, most say I'm over qualified or won't touch me due to being self employed for so long.
You tend to appreciate things more when you can afford less. I'm ashamed to admit that when times were good, very good I used to throw away food by the bagfull, now I make sure all left over food is used and actually plan meals in advance. Something my family had to do whilst I was growing up.
It's typical isn't it, when you've managed your money and think you will be ok for the rest of the month, things start to break, needing repair. I now have a leaky bath, plugged with duct-tape, a fish tank with a dodgy filter (one day I'm going to wake to a tank full of dead fish) a dog who suddenly needed hundreds of pounds of vets bills spent on him, even though we have dog insurance, a hoover that has suddenly decided that it doesn't like to eat dirt, oh and not to mention this dam computer that suddenly decides to switch itself off, taking at least 10 minutes to reload and get to the place where I was at when it crashed.
I recently made one of my young nephews birthday presents, being an artist I thought it would be a nice idea to give him a picture of his favourite thing. Sadly when the parents opened it for him they looked at it as if it had just been bought at a car boot sale and threw it on the floor beside the pile of expensive presents. The kid loved it though. The thing that pee'd me of was it took more hours to do than just buying a gift from a shop.
Good luck with your young fashion designer. A friend of mine when I was at college used to find ot hard to buy fabric too. She would often buy cheap used clothes from charity shops and reinvent them bringing them upto date.
This link isn't her but it may give you some ideas.
greenbydesign.com...
Tyk
edit on 17-11-2010 by Tykonos because: (no reason given)
Were not doing so bad here in Florida. My girlfriend, and I have cut back on expenses. We have no cable TV. We stopped renting movies from Blockbuster
and got an $8 a month netflix plan. We rarely go out anymore. We shop at a local farm type market for most of our food (it's like a 50% discount from
Publix). We run the AC less which dropped our electric bill significantly. We bring our lunch to work instead of eating out. I also cut down guitar
lessons from four times a month, to two times a month. I also switched my cellular phone provider from Sprint to Metro PCS (a savings of $42 a
month).
However the biggest reason why I think we are doing better than a lot of people especially in this area (we live near Kennedy Space Center) is because we have not purchased a house yet (were both in our late twenties). A lot of my friends, and family who did purchase around 2005 paid $250,000 for a house that is now selling for $160,000. We are renting a small townhome in a very nice area, and are looking to buy sometime next year.
We have a net income of probably $40-45k a year so were not poor, but certainly not rich. However I still have an Xbox 360 that I play online, we go out to a movie every once in a while, I still take guitar lessons, and we manage to squeeze in an inexpensive cruise every year. So in summary were lucky.
However the biggest reason why I think we are doing better than a lot of people especially in this area (we live near Kennedy Space Center) is because we have not purchased a house yet (were both in our late twenties). A lot of my friends, and family who did purchase around 2005 paid $250,000 for a house that is now selling for $160,000. We are renting a small townhome in a very nice area, and are looking to buy sometime next year.
We have a net income of probably $40-45k a year so were not poor, but certainly not rich. However I still have an Xbox 360 that I play online, we go out to a movie every once in a while, I still take guitar lessons, and we manage to squeeze in an inexpensive cruise every year. So in summary were lucky.
edit on 17-11-2010 by TorqueyThePig because: Added text.
reply to post by TorqueyThePig
Not lucky...SMART..live within your means.
The wife and I do alot of the same, we are just in a transition of where our moola comes from, but still looking for that open window behind the closed door.
Not lucky...SMART..live within your means.
The wife and I do alot of the same, we are just in a transition of where our moola comes from, but still looking for that open window behind the closed door.
I use to make $16 an hour till the jobs left. Now I make $8 an hour and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
edit on 18-11-2010
by wantsome because: fdayfhasdjkfhaklsdjfhlkadhfka
reply to post by wantsome
I used to make $55/hr now i look forward to max 15/hr ....times are changing just be glad if your in the new groove..outsourcing and more taxes = poverty for self employed
I used to make $55/hr now i look forward to max 15/hr ....times are changing just be glad if your in the new groove..outsourcing and more taxes = poverty for self employed
I lost over 50% of my money in two different retirement accounts in 2008. I can't write it off because they are retirement accounts. At my current
rate, it'll be years before I get back to where I was. The last few days did not help.
My health insurance premiums jumped up something like 20 to 40% a year ago and then again this year with the democrat's new health care bill. I get to pay extra to cover all those who weren't or aren't paying enough into health care. I get no extra benefits and probably won't.
I'm working longer hours and have been since about 2 or 3 years ago. At times I still feel swamped with all the work dumped on me. I had no pay increase last year and hardly anything the year before. My work was fine. It was a company wide freeze of pay from the corporation chief. Meanwhile the first year of that, our local facility was doing fine and hourly employees got a large one time bonus. They paid us salary in the office and gave us nothing extra and never have paid us extra. This year I did get a cost of living adjustment so I was happy with my little gain. It's not like it was but something is better than nothing.
The state of South Carolina passed some kind of tax relief on property taxes last year. To make up for it they added a one percent sales tax. To make up for lost local revenue, my local town reassessed everyone's house so that we still pay as much or more in property taxes. All of a sudden due to the government reassessing our property, we suddenly had a high average increase in property values. I certainly did not feel richer. I don't believe it made the houses sell any better.
I see food and gas prices are going up where I shop. Then I hear on the news that Ben Bernanke wants more inflation. It did not make me feel better. With the stock market sinking after getting back into it, I'm ready for stocks to take back off. I'm hoping. I'm hoping congress hurries up and extends the Bush tax cuts so people aren't worrying about it. I think the market is rigged. Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like it could not go down. Then after I get in, it seems like it hit a rock.
A couple of years ago when I first felt required to work longer hours for no extra money, some people were talking like we should feel lucky we still have jobs and I was glad to still have a job. Now two years later, we're still working longer hours for roughly the same pay if not less due to inflation.
On top of everything, I'm wondering if our government is not going to save the dollar or get our economy growing enough. Then our currency could dive making my 401K money be effectively robbed from me especially since I can't take it out and invest it in gold or anything else. I have to quit my job due to IRS rules if I wanted to do that. Since I don't feel that confident about the future of the US economy and world economy continuing as is, I just keep grinding away hoping things get better.
My health insurance premiums jumped up something like 20 to 40% a year ago and then again this year with the democrat's new health care bill. I get to pay extra to cover all those who weren't or aren't paying enough into health care. I get no extra benefits and probably won't.
I'm working longer hours and have been since about 2 or 3 years ago. At times I still feel swamped with all the work dumped on me. I had no pay increase last year and hardly anything the year before. My work was fine. It was a company wide freeze of pay from the corporation chief. Meanwhile the first year of that, our local facility was doing fine and hourly employees got a large one time bonus. They paid us salary in the office and gave us nothing extra and never have paid us extra. This year I did get a cost of living adjustment so I was happy with my little gain. It's not like it was but something is better than nothing.
The state of South Carolina passed some kind of tax relief on property taxes last year. To make up for it they added a one percent sales tax. To make up for lost local revenue, my local town reassessed everyone's house so that we still pay as much or more in property taxes. All of a sudden due to the government reassessing our property, we suddenly had a high average increase in property values. I certainly did not feel richer. I don't believe it made the houses sell any better.
I see food and gas prices are going up where I shop. Then I hear on the news that Ben Bernanke wants more inflation. It did not make me feel better. With the stock market sinking after getting back into it, I'm ready for stocks to take back off. I'm hoping. I'm hoping congress hurries up and extends the Bush tax cuts so people aren't worrying about it. I think the market is rigged. Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like it could not go down. Then after I get in, it seems like it hit a rock.
A couple of years ago when I first felt required to work longer hours for no extra money, some people were talking like we should feel lucky we still have jobs and I was glad to still have a job. Now two years later, we're still working longer hours for roughly the same pay if not less due to inflation.
On top of everything, I'm wondering if our government is not going to save the dollar or get our economy growing enough. Then our currency could dive making my 401K money be effectively robbed from me especially since I can't take it out and invest it in gold or anything else. I have to quit my job due to IRS rules if I wanted to do that. Since I don't feel that confident about the future of the US economy and world economy continuing as is, I just keep grinding away hoping things get better.
edit on 18-11-2010 by orionthehunter because: I don't see the point in listing the reason for an edit
this thread, in ways, has given me a boost.
i've known i am not alone, yet hearing of others also struggling lets me know that many more will open their eyes due to financial struggles.
i think when people look into why this is happening to so many they will realize that it is all a plan to take away what we have and give it to those who really don't need it as much as us.
i've known i am not alone, yet hearing of others also struggling lets me know that many more will open their eyes due to financial struggles.
i think when people look into why this is happening to so many they will realize that it is all a plan to take away what we have and give it to those who really don't need it as much as us.
Been out of work for a yr now and it sucks. I've gone to Lift Up and Salvation Army for some help and it's been very humbling. Also losing my
house , throw a divorce on top of it all, ummm........yeah I'm in meltdown mode. I was a successful contractor a few yrs ago, haven't been this
broke since I was 14 and I'm now 46. I live in a small town and many in my area are not working. I keep looking for work but it's been very
frustrating to say the least.
Sorry to hear from so many people doing it so tough over there.
The GFC didn't really sink its teeth too deeply into Oz and, personally, things have never been better but I'm acutely aware of how fast that can change in today's climate.
Take care all.
The GFC didn't really sink its teeth too deeply into Oz and, personally, things have never been better but I'm acutely aware of how fast that can change in today's climate.
Take care all.
I live in England and What I have found is there appears to be an oppression line.
I work full time in a stable long term job and my partner works part time, we have two children and I am a home owner. After tax and outgoings we are left with £300 disposable income each month. I have a single credit card with less that £1500 on it. I pay for my bank account and yet even the facts that I state here I cannot get an overdraft.
I recently went to the bank for an overdraft as we were considering having Christmas abroad yet when I asked the bank for an overdraft they credit scored me and said the system has refused.....
Now I have maybe been over drawn by no more than £10 in the entire time I have been with the bank.....
I just feel that the system is very finely tuned to stop people from making head way, If I get a tax rebate here, my bills inch up there, it's as though someone else is managing my finances without my knowledge. Always making sure that I never get more than £300 disposable.
When I got a raise at work, my tax credit went down, when I got a tax rebate for fuel expenses, my gas supplier screwed up and actually we now owe almost the same as the tax rebate....
Seems like the system is fixed.
Korg.
I work full time in a stable long term job and my partner works part time, we have two children and I am a home owner. After tax and outgoings we are left with £300 disposable income each month. I have a single credit card with less that £1500 on it. I pay for my bank account and yet even the facts that I state here I cannot get an overdraft.
I recently went to the bank for an overdraft as we were considering having Christmas abroad yet when I asked the bank for an overdraft they credit scored me and said the system has refused.....
Now I have maybe been over drawn by no more than £10 in the entire time I have been with the bank.....
I just feel that the system is very finely tuned to stop people from making head way, If I get a tax rebate here, my bills inch up there, it's as though someone else is managing my finances without my knowledge. Always making sure that I never get more than £300 disposable.
When I got a raise at work, my tax credit went down, when I got a tax rebate for fuel expenses, my gas supplier screwed up and actually we now owe almost the same as the tax rebate....
Seems like the system is fixed.
Korg.
Melt down? yes and no....
My husband has a good job in management at a resturant.. we are very grateful for that. We are still "protected" by bankruptcy 2 years ago.. 1 year left. bankruptcy. Then we wil be saving $400 month We have a small ranch so I am selling eggs & homemade tamales on the side for CASH-
We have learned...slash slash slash expenses... feed grandkids before leave house... do not eat at fast food/ use less of everything/ BUY IN BULK!.. "LEARN WHAT IS *NEED* VERSES *WANT* You will be surprised what you do not NEED to buy.. Entertainment? netflix or old movies. cut cable!!!!
Great food prices at least in * some * products... eat cheaper foods oatmeal/rice/hamburger/noodles day old breads... You CAN economize.. Suggestion... Make your own convenience foods... cook ahead!!! and freeze....Do not BUY hamburger helper.. buy noodles and use broth and a little sour cream and flour/spices, add your own meat... THATS SO MUCH CHEAPER! - here are great ideas for self sufficient things www.sufficientself.com...
My husband has a good job in management at a resturant.. we are very grateful for that. We are still "protected" by bankruptcy 2 years ago.. 1 year left. bankruptcy. Then we wil be saving $400 month We have a small ranch so I am selling eggs & homemade tamales on the side for CASH-
We have learned...slash slash slash expenses... feed grandkids before leave house... do not eat at fast food/ use less of everything/ BUY IN BULK!.. "LEARN WHAT IS *NEED* VERSES *WANT* You will be surprised what you do not NEED to buy.. Entertainment? netflix or old movies. cut cable!!!!
Great food prices at least in * some * products... eat cheaper foods oatmeal/rice/hamburger/noodles day old breads... You CAN economize.. Suggestion... Make your own convenience foods... cook ahead!!! and freeze....Do not BUY hamburger helper.. buy noodles and use broth and a little sour cream and flour/spices, add your own meat... THATS SO MUCH CHEAPER! - here are great ideas for self sufficient things www.sufficientself.com...