How is the current economic conditions affecting your life?

[Mr.Wakenbake]

This is not a political thread...

I just want to know how the current economy is affecting you?

Recently,(over the weekend), my mother had to move in with me because she is disabled and my sister and brother in law lost their jobs and rental home.

I spent 7 weeks without work last year due to this economy as well.

Just wondering how it has affected my fellow grower friends, and if things are getting better or worse for you guys and gals?


I mean, it's got to start looking up sometime right?

 

[SmokinMom]

I don't like it. Things used to feel a lot more comfortible. Now it seems we live paycheck to paycheck.

We don't go out to eat as often as we used too. Cooking many more meals at home. Other 'extras' have been cut way back too.

I need a job to save my sanity...and the extra $ would be very helpful. But damn, where the hell are all the jobs?

 

[Mr.Wakenbake]

Yeah, you just described my family's situation right now.

I do have one bright spot in my economic future as the wife just got landed a job making nearly what I do a year !!!! However, adding another family member to the household is adding more stress financially.

Honestly SM, the jobs are out there.There are just less job openings than there are applicants it seems..... sigh.


I want to change places of employment, but everytime my "dream"job becomes available, someone fills that spot that day.

Employers have all relayed to me that since they can be SO picky now with whom they hire, people are going much longer without jobs.

edit* My wife wouldn't of even had this opportunity if it weren't for knowing someone to get her original job. The company she works for hires from within the company first and THEN offers the job to the general public.A lot of companies are following that trend as well.

 

[PieRsquare]

I'm the exception to the rule I guess. I'm retired and my pension covers my living requirements. It's actually gotten better for me. Many businesses have lowered their prices as a result of money being so lean. Like the $5 sandwich thing. Several places in my town now have $5 meals that were much more costly before hard times hit. That certainly won't compensate anyone who has lost their job though. OMG, I hope things turn around soon for all of the people having rough times now. Every time I hear of more people losing what they've worked for all of their lives, it just breaks my heart.

 

[Mr.Wakenbake]

Pie, oddly man my family's income has risen from aroune 30k a year before the crisis to now over 55+k a year, and next year should be around 70k a year for our family.

In our state that is like making 6 figures in a place like cali, new york , some cities in FL and other high cost of living areas.

Sadly though, even though our income has risen, our quality of life has not gone up.

The main costs that are keeping my quality of life low is ....


FOOD( almost a 500% cost increase in the last 10 years!)
Gasoline (bill was around 80 a week before the crisis, now around 120-150)
Electricity( bill was over 400$ last month! normally around 200)

**our power company has risen rates EVERY YEAR for the past 10 year!**
Last year's increase....15%
This year... who knows.

When I first got married(2002) my power bill was max 150$ a month.200 if we had freak weather months.
Now , i don't think we have seen the max it could go. Last month was 400+ this month????????????I dunno.


if it weren't for gas and food being so darn expensive we would be a okay!

The electric fluctuates, but the gas and food continually rises.... with a grocery tax on top of it.


I swear, i told the wife I was going to buy a tractor and we was gonna start a huge *** garden... turnips, collards, corn, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, butter beans..... we got to do something to bring ourselves off the dependency of world food prices.

 

[mojavemama]

It's tough here in Vegas right now. So many foreclosures. We're fortunate--we only lost 1/3 of our income, and we're still able to make our mortgage payments. It just leaves so little for BEANS and LIGHTS and CAMERAS to take bud pictures! I can do without eating out or movies, but it would sure be great to get a full income again to be able to fix up the grow rooms and buy some good beans.

OTOH, so many people are homeless, jobless, and it's looking more and more bleak all the time. I have a lot of blessings to count, with a roof over our heads and food in the fridge.

 

[PieRsquare]

Sadly though, even though our income has risen, our quality of life has not gone up.

The main costs that are keeping my quality of life low is ....


FOOD( almost a 500% cost increase in the last 10 years!)
Gasoline (bill was around 80 a week before the crisis, now around 120-150)
Electricity( bill was over 400$ last month! normally around 200)

if it weren't for gas and food being so darn expensive we would be a okay!

The electric fluctuates, but the gas and food continually rises.... with a grocery tax on top of it.

I swear, i told the wife I was going to buy a tractor and we was gonna start a huge *** garden... turnips, collards, corn, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, butter beans..... we got to do something to bring ourselves off the dependency of world food prices.

I hear you Mr. W. I eat mostly Asian style foods now for two reasons. Cost and health. I live by myself, so growing enough produce to live off is pretty easy for me. I'm in Florida, so my growing season is one of the longest in the USA. I also can and freeze a lot of veggies. Enough to live off comfortably for the off seasons. Almost all of my cooking is either on a grill or in a wok. I eat very little meat and I make my own tofu so that my protein intake is healthy and I don't have to buy that scary priced meat in the stores. I still eat meat, but much less than I did for most of my life. I also fish a lot and know how to safely prepare my own sushi. I love Asian food. Thank God for this, or I would also be hurting as a result of the prices of food in the markets. I buy almost nothing in the food stores. I sell some of my produce to enable me to buy what I can't grow. The flea market is my best friend. Good luck to you my friend. I hope that you and yours make it through these hard times as easily as possible. I'll include you in my prayers. For entertainment, I grow my own weed, make my own sake and shine. I try not to get too carried away with partying, but once in awhile, I tie one on and get crazy. If you've ever had a shine hangover, you know it's a hard payback! If you decide to grow your own veggies, try light vine crops first, using ebb and flow outside with MG. It's easy, and you won't believe how well they grow on a trellis. It's truly insane. If you decide to, let me know and I'll tell you the way I do it.

 

[Smokey Mcpotster]

I've been working in my trade for 30 years. I've never been as concerned as I am now. We are in a rut that may take a few years to get out of. For the first time in my life I may have to look at finding another career. I am angry and VERY disappointed in our govt.(I'll leave the politics at that). To be honest I feel like I have no purpose. I cannot handle sitting around. I have no choice, unemployment BARELY pays the bills. I have a son in college and I can't do as much as I would like for him. IT'S SUCKINGTHE SOUL OUT OF MY BODY.
On the plus side. I have learned to can pickles and tomatoes. I make a kick *** homemade chicken noodle soup. Including the noodles. I make bread. (working on sourdough starters now). I do find times of sanity, when I can deflect the worry. I also went for 15 years without any time off, when I first started in the business. I worked many 50- 70 hour weeks. I've had runs of 100+ days of work in a row (including weekends). So I try to look at this as a well deserved vacation. I just can't afford to go fishing as much as I would like. I just need winter to end. I feel trapped in my own house. Oh did I mention I learned how to grow my own weed and make hash.

 

[PsyJiM]

They increace anything's price but never our payment in our works....
this is not a life....

I think it will take some years to fix all this....
Banks create that and now goverments MUST fix it...

Goverments untill now look their pockets
now they must think about all people good, its hard for them.
thats why all thing goes wrong


^my oppinion^

Hoping for a better future :ccc:

 

[mojavemama]

PieR--you are so impressively self-sufficient! And you make your own Tofu, too. Sounds like one fabulous Victory Garden to me. Color me very impressed!

 

[Rosebud]

This economy sucks. We are nearing retirement and I feel like we did financially 35 years ago. Our daughter who has worked all her adult life has been unemployed a year now. In Seattle, a place advertised for a part time janitor. It got 200 hits in 10 min. People want to work and there is no work.

The food prices are ridiculous. I have bought organic for years, now an organic chicken costs 19.00. Are you kidding me?? that is two dinners. I see it in the food the most. We have low electricity comparatively.

I feel for you Mr W&B, it is good your mom had you to turn to.
Your a good son.

Don't even get me started on health care. Everyone needs health care.

thats my 2 cents.
We need to keep our chins up however and be grateful for what we have. And,,,,this too shall pass?

 

[PieRsquare]

PieR--you are so impressively self-sufficient! And you make your own Tofu, too. Sounds like one fabulous Victory Garden to me. Color me very impressed!

Thank you very much, mojavemama. Making tofu is easy and fast! I use a "Soya Power" brand soy milk maker. The improvement of taste in both Soy Milk and Tofu made from it, is so vast over the stuff in the stores, it's almost like two different substances. I also flavor some of my Soy Milk to strawberry or chocolate when I'm in the mood for a cold, desert type nutritious drink. Tofu has the same amount of protein in it that beef does, pound for pound, and is very, very good for you in moderation. The Soy Maker is this one: soymilkmaker.com/soyapower.html I've made many, many batches in it and never had a problem. If you intend to use it for tofu also, you'll need a tofu press-box. You can make your own like this: codecooker.com/veggiewrangler/tofu/thebox/index.htm , or buy one already made from many online places like this one:soymilkmaker.com/tofubox.html . Just search on one of the search engines for "Tofu Press" or "Tofu Pressbox". I wish you very much good luck.


Please, I don't wish to put things into this thread that are not within it's topic. If I have done so, would one of the Moderators please move the offending posts into their own thread? I would appreciate this very, very much. Thank you.

 

[Diversified]

I was laid off in January of 2009. I was able to get unemployment for 3 months. Since then, I worked 1 month at a temp job. I've been filling out job applications everywhere. I'm getting close to retirement age, so it seems people just don't want to hire someone my age. A few of the jobs I did apply at hired teenagers instead. Even though I know I had much more experience. So out of the last 14 months, I've worked 1 month.

I did finally get a job though. I start tomorrow. It doesn't pay very well, but it's a job and it has health and dental coverage.

 

[Mr.Wakenbake]

They increace anything's price but never our payment in our works....
this is not a life....

I think it will take some years to fix all this....
Banks create that and now goverments MUST fix it...

Goverments untill now look their pockets
now they must think about all people good, its hard for them.
thats why all thing goes wrong


^my oppinion^

Hoping for a better future :ccc:

This thread is riding a very fine line. Let's try to keep the politics out of it. I want to know specifically how YOU are affeted by all Of this.
I took care to word this post as to not bring in politics.

We are talking the economy and you. Not government. I don't wanty thread closed. Thanks man.

 

[BlueNose]

I left the Navy in March '09 which may not have been the best time but all things considered we are doing well. Our saving grace is the G.I. Bill. Without it, we would be in serious trouble but it covers most of the mortgage and the wifes job covers all our bills. We don't have much at the end of the month but I am thankful for not being homeless.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I hate it!...I hate not knowing how we may eat sometimes. I've been laid off since Nov. My girlfriend works but it doesn't pay much at all. Let me put it this way. Unemployment pays less than 1/2 what I'm used to makeing at my job. Her pay every 2 weeks is less than my unemployment pay!

This is the first time I have been laid off since I got out of the military, and then the lay-off lasted 30 days, and that was basically to move home, make sure I was choosing a job I wanted. There are not many jobs in my trade right now.

Like others said...you can't go to the grocer for a days meal, and expect to spend less than 20 bucks. The price of everything has gone up, and most of us are makeing alot less. I'm just glad my vehicles were paid for...and I'm getting enough to pay the rent...but thats about it.

We'll get through it.

 

[420benny]

My home based business has been struggling the past year or so. Been doing the same job for 40 years. If it weren't for the telemarketers and solicitors, my phone would barely ring. We have 2 big gardens that help feeds 3 families. We make lots of compost, gather coffee grounds and coffee bean skins from local businesses to amend the beds and to make compost with. We raise chickens for eggs. Thankfully my honey still has a good job that keeps the bills paid. We burn firewood for heat. Good thing I grow our own mj. I am so ready for spring to happen here. Hang in there, people.

 

[the chef]

I'm super peaved! The price of orange sunkist went up! Everyone has thier own version of tough times....gotta have faith in your self, take care of you and yours......and a damn orange sunkist never hurt anybody!

 

[OldHippieChick]

OK yeah I seriously don't know anyone who hasn't taken a hit - my income is commissions only so you know I felt it first and hard... My income dropped before it was news and I am now at 80% of what I was in 2007 and now no health coverage - I had to decide on the lesser of two evils and maintain the mortgage or keep paying ridiculous prices to the insurance mafia. But we gota adjust our thinking here.....

I love hearing how others are working "smarter" - because we all know we can't work harder.....

For me personally, I think the biggest change has been in thinking.... when I see something I want I figure out in my head what percentage of my annual income the item will cost me. I factor in it's anticipate life expectancy and then if the numbers justify my wants, I wait a bit to see if the urge passes. We are sooooo validated by things. I find it sad that retail therapy gives me a buzz.... but I seriously didn't notice till I saw a relative come of age for a trust fund and watched how he handled himself. Man, I was thinking how dumb he is and how insignificant his new crap is in the whole scheme of things.

 

[cubby]

I own my own business and my biggest worry is'nt even about me. If I went out of business tomorrow I'd be fine financialy but my employees wouldn't.
I have close to 100 families that depend on my opperational decisions everyday. I'm not some sunshine and butterflies kind of guy, I realise I alone can't save the economy, I'm just trying to keep my people fed, clothed and housed in a deteriorating social structure.
I think it's extreamly frustrating to see people who've worked thier entire life reach retirement age, then they can't retire because they are afraid of thier financial future.