Economy vent for everyone!!

[dustys_girlly]

after reading some of the other threads i think we need this. just one place where everyone can get out there frustration and fears at the way the economy is going and what it is doing to us!

for me and my husband it is killing us. he is a logger, born and raised that way. and now its dieing. more and more logging companies are going under because the mills are not taking any more logs or are closing. the company that hubby works for is one of the only logging companies that are working right now which is a miracle in it self, but in the middle of their job the mill says sorry but we are not taking any more logs so they are stuck with all these logs and no where to send them and when they sit in a landing they dont make money. then normally work picks up for them in the early spring, with they way things are going they may not be back to work till June! and from what i heard(dont know if it is true) but oboma wants to cut unemployment extensions. for people like hubby who's job is seasonal and we live off his unemployment during the winter as well as what i make but when he is not working we depend on that unemployment. i am really scared to see what this year has in store for us. i am really scared i am going to have to give up my horses and us be without a roof because we cant afford rent.

[Miracle Whip]

Well I have been unemployed since last June. I have been scared about losing the horses for so long I don't even think about it anymore. I was able to buy them hay this past fall. The trailer and truck are paid for. Gas prices are decent for a change.

I hate to open a can of worms, but I think it is living off of credit that got this country in trouble. They say it is a depression. It sure does not look like it to me. I see money everywhere I go. Nice cars, SUV's, nice expensive homes...during the last depression people were FRUGAL. Today, we don't know what frugal means.

How many of you carry a charge card balance? And what is it? I am curious

I read threads about wives moaning about they will have to go to work. Gee whiz, I have worked all my life. I didn't want kids because of my husband's medical problems. I would love to stay home but its not for me. I make the most money...

I agree that the economy is scary as heck right now. My job history is 3 months here and 3 months there and you know what? I have an interview scheduled for Wednesday that starts at $30,000 a year. What are the odds of something like that happening????

Its scary, but lets not all be Chicken Littles....

[Remali]

Perfect timing for this topic! I have to rant....lol. My electric bill last month was $71, I have a tiny one bedroom apartment and I have electric heat....in all the years I've rented my monthly bill has never been higher than about $90 or so, in winter. I get this month's bill and that one is $245! No way could it go up that much, sure it can go up, but not that much. I called to have them investigate what the heck is going on....

The other thing....seems if you are lucky enough to find a job, you can't get a full time job, part time is the only option.....and who can survive for long on that?! And now my landlord has increased my rent.....

I don't know about living off of credit... all total my two cards are under $300, and even so I got rid of them. Most of my debt is from when I was sick and my insurance didn't cover a lot of it, or when I was without health insurance.

Just want to stay in bed and pull the covers up over my head.....

[Miracle Whip]

Yeah the utilities are a scary thing. I was lucky over the years, I either had a 93% efficient furnace, or, an outdoor Woodmaster which in all actuality makes it possible for us to live out here! The propane prices are unreal, at least they were when we all bought contracts last July... I had to take money from my equity line of credit.

[elevenelevenxo]

Miracle, I agree about the credit. I'm 22, graduated high school in 2005....the only money I've borrowed has been school loans and a loan for a car. I don't have a credit card and will never have one so long as I can help it. But I already know several people my age or YOUNGER that are in several thousand dollars worth of debt due to credit cards. One girl was something like $10,500 in debt!!!!

The area I live in is very affluent....everywhere you look are Lexus, Mercedes, Escalades....it's not uncommon to see Corvettes and Lamborghinis. Materialism runs rampant here. So do home foreclosures. I live in an apartment complex and it's amazing to see these "well to-do" people driving cars that have monthly payments that are more than what the cost of rent here is....

My job seems fairly secure at the moment, though I am terrified of the unknowns. I work for a small private company that machines parts for Diamond Innovations - a General Electric company. Work has slowed some, but we still have work, so I guess I should feel fortunate. Hopefully things start bouncing back soon.....but it seems like all I hear on the news is that the problems are only going to get worse before they get better.

I don't know what I'll do if my boyfriend and I lose our jobs (we work together and live together). If we can't afford rent, we can't afford to live together anymore.....our hometowns are both an hour away in opposite directions.........needless to say, the future is very scary. But that's why I'm going to school....hopefully by the time I'm done, all this will be over and the job market will look better....

[lovesfortune]

I read threads about wives moaning about they will have to go to work. Gee whiz, I have worked all my life. I didn't want kids because of my husband's medical problems. I would love to stay home but its not for me. I make the most money...



I find this offensive. I for one am not "moaning" about how I have to go back to work. I was looking for ideas to bring extra income to the household. If I had made more than hubby when we had kids, he would be the one staying home. The choices we made 4 years ago were good for us and our family. Times have changed. I come to the forum for help, suggestions, and support NOT "gee whiz, I have worked all my life" comments.

[lovesfortune]

I'm sorry that your hubby is going through this. Here now, it's hard for people to find wood. Lots of people burn wood stoves in this area, and used to be able to call logging companies to get a load of wood dropped off.... now a new wood pellet plant opened up a few towns over and all the wood is going there, so no one can find anything to be delivered. :( I hope it all works out for you guys. after reading some of the other threads i think we need this. just one place where everyone can get out there frustration and fears at the way the economy is going and what it is doing to us!

for me and my husband it is killing us. he is a logger, born and raised that way. and now its dieing. more and more logging companies are going under because the mills are not taking any more logs or are closing. the company that hubby works for is one of the only logging companies that are working right now which is a miracle in it self, but in the middle of their job the mill says sorry but we are not taking any more logs so they are stuck with all these logs and no where to send them and when they sit in a landing they dont make money. then normally work picks up for them in the early spring, with they way things are going they may not be back to work till June! and from what i heard(dont know if it is true) but oboma wants to cut unemployment extensions. for people like hubby who's job is seasonal and we live off his unemployment during the winter as well as what i make but when he is not working we depend on that unemployment. i am really scared to see what this year has in store for us. i am really scared i am going to have to give up my horses and us be without a roof because we cant afford rent.

[Miracle Whip]

It wasn't just you, there were other threads...about going back to work I mean. I come here too for support sometimes and I don't always get it. I am almost afraid to post sometimes. You take a chance every single time you post, there are no guarantees.

And if I really wanted to be a snot, I've got a wood stove and Bob and I CUT our own wood!! Imagine that! Holy Toledo!

[Miracle Whip]

An unemployment extension is just that, an extension. He can't get rid of REGULAR unemployment that your husband's employer has paid into.

I just did a search on the internet and could find NOTHING about Obama NOT wanting unemployment extensions. Where do you all get these rumors?

CHICAGO (AP) - President-elect Obama said Friday that the country is facing the greatest economic challenge in a lifetime and "we're going to have to act swiftly to resolve it."
In his first news conference since winning the presidency Tuesday, Obama said Congress must pass an economic stimulus measure either before or just after he takes office in January. He also said unemployment benefits need to be extended.

[Ryderd65]

"and from what i heard(dont know if it is true) but oboma wants to cut unemployment extensions."

Dusty, I understand you're having problems financially, but I'd find out the facts about the pending situation before I'd start worrying about them. "What-if?" thinking usually just gets people into some type of trouble, often medical.

Take a breath dear, and lean on your faith, whatever it may be.

[lovesfortune]

And if I really wanted to be a snot, I've got a wood stove and Bob and I CUT our own wood!! Imagine that! Holy Toledo!

We do too. ;)

[4myquarter]

I saw an ad on tv today... don't know who it was from(bet the co. who paid for it hates that!) but it said that when times are tough, people get down to the basics (for entertainment) and get more out of it than thought possible. I really liked that.

Times are tough today and I am worried about my job too. I am the primary income providor so I feel very responsible for me, my human family and my beloved animals. Please guys stop the petty stuff. No one meant anything as far as I can tell by their comments above. Instead, we need to concentrate on helping one another.

No one can predict what the future holds. I do try very hard to stay informed on overall what is going on with the economy and try very, very, hard to add value to what I do each day with my job. That is what I can control and I hope it will get me through. Making yourself important to your employer is what you control right now.

I believe we will begin to be on the other end of this the end of 09. I also personally believe in Obama. I do not want to make this a political thing... just saying what is on my mind. Godspeed to Obama.

[Remali]

I am trying to stay optimistic too.....altho some days it sure is difficult to do, and I believe Obama can get things moving in a better direction too. Also, everyone's job is important no matter what you do and where it is you do it at. Well-said 4myquarter.

[mrs1885]

It's pretty rough all over. Fortunately hubby and I learned our lesson with credit in Florida before we moved. We nearly went bankrupt. Our fault. We had quite a few credit cards, 2 brand new cars with their car payments that were much too high. We were existing thanks to over time pay. But when that dried up and the housing market started to boom our rent went from $650 a month to $1895 in a year. We'd only signed a lease the first year. The next we didnt' bother because we were on such good terms with the landlord. The third year it all went crazy. And that was the cheapest housing in the area.

Luckily my in laws stepped in and helped us get moved to TN. Hubby wound up having to retire due to medical disabilities. His doctors had been telling him that for over a year. So I was the only income. It took .................... 2 years I think for his disability to come through. Again, his parents - God bless those wonderful people - picked up our electric bills and mortgage payments every month.

Fortunately last year it was finally approved and we've been able to get back on our feet. But honestly, having to learn how to live on a very meager income was the best thing that ever happened to us. We do have a single car payment now because we didnt' have the cash to buy a good used vehicle that hubby can drive that had room for all 5 kids and 2 borrowed ones that we were supporting. I'd love a new car, but I refuse to jump into another car payment.

Credit card debt is gone and I"ll never, ever have another. Even without them, we're fine. Our credit score is climbing like crazy.

Don't get me wrong. It's not all roses. I work in the hotel industry and it's taking a major hit with the economy the way it is. My boss told me a while back that my job may be eliminated. And now it may be converted to a job that will pay about 30% of what I currently make. Certainly not enough to justify a 4 hour round trip to and from there every day. I'd have to give up a career I worked my butt off for.

And our electric bill.............. Ouch!! In the spring and fall it runs about $60 a month. In the summer about $120. In the winter? $620 was the high last year. And this year the cost of electric is higher. I don't even want to know what this month's bill will be. Last month was $550. We don't have central heat and air. The only fireplace in the house doesn't work - the ceramic insert is cracked on both sides and will set the house on fire if we use it. We don't have the $9000 to return it to the condition it should be in. We dont' have the $4000 to get wood burning or gas insert put in. So we use space heaters in each room. Doesn't heat very well when the stupid temps drop to 1 degree. :eek: That wasnt' in the TN brochure!!

Fortunately the three oldest kids have moved out and the two 'borrowed' kids have moved on as well. We only have two kids left at home. We've closed off the upstairs and moved them down to the library to share for the winter month. Yep, 2 teen girls in a single room. Life's fun................... not. :)

On the upside hubby's monthly check and the ones we get for the kids still living at home cover all of our monthly expenses and some of our food costs. If I have to take a cut in pay I can look for local work but at least still be able to make ends meet working my job for a while. I'd have to stop all the rescue I do and place the foster dogs I do have. Maybe even send the tortoises back to the rescue they came from. That would nearly kill me. But we'd survive. I just hope it doesn't come to that.