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That stated, unemployment benefits aren't meant to make a person whole. They're meant to supplement a family's savings in order to get them through a few months of difficulty.
Dang you people are soft! It's called "bootstrapping" and plenty of people have done it in worse circumstances than we're facing right now.Start by selling anything that you don't need. Cancel any services you don't need (mobile phone, cable, et al). Move to a smaller house or apartment. Eat rice and beans for every meal. Grow your own veggies. Conserve energy. Take a job doing anything that is legal and brings in a dollar - even if you have to take a job doing sales on 100% commission. Get creative
. ...brilliant and uplifting words from heel.
Cancel what? DINNER?!! I have nothing left to sell, we cancelled cable, ANY cable in november ( and where we live there are no local channels), we have gotten rid of any extras long ago.
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 12-29-2008 at 08:40 PM..
Reason: flaming
I personally don't expect to ever see that first SS check b/c our gov't won't have the money to send it to me.
Your fears are unfounded. At your age you will see 100% of benefits even with no modifications to SS. Medicare is a different story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
But hey. Let me get out that calculator. You know me, CarolinaWoman, I have never bothered to do the figures and try to project how much money we will need to live off when we do finally retire (God willing that DH's health holds out). Now let's see . . . that big SS check . . . let me calculate COLA 7 years from now . . . and gas at $200 a barrel (yes, it WILL go up) and my taxes (yes, they WILL go up).
Shoot. You know, things are gonna be fine, assuming the cost of cat food doesn't escalate too rapidly.
You misunderstand. I wasn't asking whether you'd considered how much income you'll need in retirement. I asked whether you husband had considered the present value of SS payments as part of your net worth.
Location: Charlotte,NC, US, North America, Earth, Alpha Quadrant,Milky Way Galaxy
3,770 posts, read 7,543,620 times
Reputation: 2118
Quote:
Originally Posted by happeemommee
ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME?!! I mean you are seriously implying that everyone out there who is suffering, is suffering because "they were in over their heads". Ok, well let me enlighten you. My husband was laid off in september, and not only was he laid off, they kept his last check.Because he was technically a sub contractor , he does not qualify for UE. Ok, the story gets worse...we have children we are trying to supoort we have had NO money coming in since September,we have no savings left and are about to be evicted and lose our car, the ONLY car we have. He has applied, at probably up to 250 different places from here to literally New Hampshire and back to Wyoming and North Dakota, and everywhere in between that ANY job that is even close to something he is qualified to do. We have not had a credit card since 1999, when we decided we would pay cash for everything ( except for house and car).We were actually supposed to move into a home this past October that we were going to buy.However, because he got laid off, we lost it.So now, here we sit doing everything we can to keep our heads above water, failing miserably and you have the gaul to imply IT WAS OUR FAULT?! How dare you!! And then for you to brag about how if you lost everything tomorrow you'd have more in five years.Well good for you. But I'm gonna tell you something, so listen real close...my children can not wait five years to have another roof over their heads, to have clothes on their backs or to have food in their stomaches.So whoop-dee-flippin-doo for you.Congrats on having such a cavilier attitude, but I can tell you something buddy, when you are this close to living on the streets, with no end in sight , YOU CAN"T AFFORD THAT ATTITUDE!
What does your husband do? Is there no recourse to get the last check since he worked for it, and rightfully has it coming to him? I'm sorry you're going through this!
What does your husband do? Is there no recourse to get the last check since he worked for it, and rightfully has it coming to him? I'm sorry you're going through this!
He works in construction, but has also built boats, worked in management and restaurants, etc etc. And no, there is no recourse, we filed a lien for the lost wages ( my SIL also worked there) but who knows when , or if we will ever get his money. Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate them!
Well, Palmetto, my son is working very hard to develop a company that would employ people that are...guess what? unemployed or underemployed. He is building it from scratch, with no financing nor any kind of sponsorship. This is the same kid that quit school at 16; taught himself to program/network computers and who currently works as a computer programmer for a major Fortune 500 company. At the same time, he has a small chicken farm and is about to buy some additional acreage so that he can also start a small organic farm. He also dabbles in the stock market and will soon enter Yale under a special MBA program for select people who have not graduated high school or college.
If there were anyone who would be predictably arrogant, I would think it would be him. He has probably thrown away more great jobs than most of us would have had the opportunity to work at. However, he, too, understands the seriousness of this situation. A good portion of his income goes towards paying off his house as he knows only too well what going without means. His goal, as is my goal, to be completely debt free as soon as possible.
Yes, he is a success story. But, he does not go around flaunting it. He is doing what he can to help those that are hurting. That is why he is developing that business; to help people while preserving their dignity. Maybe you should take note?
Your fears are unfounded. At your age you will see 100% of benefits even with no modifications to SS. Medicare is a different story.
You misunderstand. I wasn't asking whether you'd considered how much income you'll need in retirement. I asked whether you husband had considered the present value of SS payments as part of your net worth.
Yes. We have considered it. We have taken a very hard hit on our 401 Ks (well actually - 403 Bs) . . . our house here in CLT really has done well w/ value - we could have been hit much harder on that. However, our property in the mountains, wh/ we were counting on as a cash out position (even tho we have to pay capital gains on the profit) or as our retirement home (have to add on - it is very small). . . has tanked, but the expenses (HOA, assessment, etc) are rising. It is what it is.
I am very angry about it, Palmetto. We did all the right things. We have passed up all the toys to give our kids educations.
However, I am resourceful . . . and have some plans for additional revenue streams . . . so yes, I will figure it out (as long as health issues don't interfere). But it feels like someone stole from us. Heck, we would have been better off to have used that money for a boat, for example. At least we would HAVE the boat!
palmetto -- how can you possibly make that blanket statement about social security being guaranteed to anifani? there was no guarantee BEFORE the massive bailouts that social security would be a healthy, thriving program 15-20 years from now. where are you getting this information that you're spouting so easily?
Location: Charlotte,NC, US, North America, Earth, Alpha Quadrant,Milky Way Galaxy
3,770 posts, read 7,543,620 times
Reputation: 2118
Quote:
Originally Posted by happeemommee
He works in construction, but has also built boats, worked in management and restaurants, etc etc. And no, there is no recourse, we filed a lien for the lost wages ( my SIL also worked there) but who knows when , or if we will ever get his money. Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate them!
Ah I see. The whole construction industry just stopped. I remember back in 2000 when the internet bubble burst and all the techies were basically commodities and all the jobs went to India. I had a baby on the way, had just started a biz. It was pretty scary.
Probably the lesson that Palmetto will learn out of all this is that you still have to treat people with dignity and respect regardless of what you think they should have done (or not done).
It's one thing to be single, no children, and say that you can crash on someones sofa, floor, or basement, it's another thing to have a family (incidentally you can almost always spot the people who don't have children based on how they communicate) when things start to constrict.
Happee, as a suggestion, and you've probably already considered this and are doing it, with your husbands construction experience, has he tried hiring himself out for house improvement jobs (i.e., decks, porches, driveways, etc.)? Also I'm seeing all this construction in Union County (the new Harris Teeter on Waxhaw-Indian Trail Rd and all the new construction in Wesley Chapel). Possibly there may be some leads there? Just a thought.
palmetto -- how can you possibly make that blanket statement about social security being guaranteed to anifani? there was no guarantee BEFORE the massive bailouts that social security would be a healthy, thriving program 15-20 years from now. where are you getting this information that you're spouting so easily?
I am more than 11 years away from full SS benefits. I have my serious doubts that I will ever receive either SS benefits or Medicare. Seeing as how our gov't is already in the red on both programs . . . I mean . . . how much money can Uncle Sam keep printing w/ nothing to back it up (except loans from Dubai and China, of course).
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