Government Shutdown 2013 (lease, credit card, unemployed)

[hilsmom]

my husband is getting a pay raise as of Monday - because his current employer lost the contract and the new company on his contract decided to pay him a little better. But I'm still not sure if he actually is going to be able to work. He says he's fine, but I don't know that I buy it.

This is all complete BS.

[shamrock847]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

The same reason that no one talks about the fact that much of the contractor workforce is and has been receiving a pay raise over the last 3 years and civil servants have not--all paid for by the tax payer.

Now, I am speaking in generalities--your wife may not have had a raise either but I can tell you that all of our support contractors have received 4-6% raises through all this mess.

Civil servants have still received step increases and promotion increases during the last three years. Those are still pay raises, and need to be included if you are comparing civil servant pay raises to contractor raises pay. Not trying to start an argument here, but a lot of civil servants seem to miss this fact.

I don't know about your support contractors specifically, but I would guess at least some of those raises were possible because they were "baked-in" to a contract that was negotiated some time ago. On the other hand, in the current funding environment there are plenty of examples of contractors who have been let go and replaced with someone cheaper and less experienced, who have had to do the same work with less people, have had to take a pay cut to keep their job, or who have seen significantly reduced benefits and increased health care premiums.

My point is everyone, both government and contractor, is in this mess together.

[FCNova]

So the Senate is currently preparing a bill that will not include defunding Obamacare and they'll get it sent back to the House this weekend? Then the House will have to decide whether to play hardball or avoid a gov't shutdown? Is that where we're at?

[mrskay662000]

^^

I think so FC.

I work for the feds and I was told to carry on. Although my division isn't subject to appropriations, my pay check is still cut by those who are. Any shut down means I work for free.

Which is not ideal of course, but OK. So long as I get paid at least one check a month I should be alright for a while, should the shut downs be rolling and continue off and on. A lot of nail chewing. But the majority of Americans have been living like that for the last 5 years so I really can't complain.

A month more without any income... I'd have to have a 'Come to Jesus' talk with my landlord and hope he hears me out before he watches me walk to work.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by shamrock847

Civil servants have still received step increases and promotion increases during the last three years. Those are still pay raises, and need to be included if you are comparing civil servant pay raises to contractor raises pay. Not trying to start an argument here, but a lot of civil servants seem to miss this fact.

That's true--sometimes. For federal employees who are under the General Schedule--and many are not--step increases (usually about 3%) come anywhere from 1 to 3 years, lessening in frequency as you higher up the scale. Those above step 6 I think must wait three years for any increase. Those on pay-for-performance systems are likely to get no raise at all this year. (In fact, some of those systems only allow for a small bonus instead of a salary raise, so that the next year's bonus is based on the same base rate the employee had the year before.)

Promotions are another story, but many agencies are choosing not to fill vacancies--so there's less opportunity to get promoted.

[Fallout Zone]

Originally Posted by mrskay662000

^^

I think so FC.

I work for the feds and I was told to carry on. Although my division isn't subject to appropriations, my pay check is still cut by those who are. Any shut down means I work for free.

Which is not ideal of course, but OK. So long as I get paid at least one check a month I should be alright for a while, should the shut downs be rolling and continue off and on. A lot of nail chewing. But the majority of Americans have been living like that for the last 5 years so I really can't complain.

A month more without any income... I'd have to have a 'Come to Jesus' talk with my landlord and hope he hears me out before he watches me walk to work.

"I work for the feds" - Does this mean you are a fed or are a contractor?

I ask because for federal employees who are considered "non-essential", it is actually illegal to work during a shutdown. We aren't even allowed to check email or turn our mobile devices on.

Seeing the news stories now after the Senate passed the clean CR back, I don't see how we avoid a shutdown. Boehner is saying that he is not going to bring the Senate bill to the floor, and anything the Rs in the House come up with will include a defund or delay of the ACA, which will fail in the Senate.

[I'm Retired Now]

I would find it odd that anyone who is over 30 years old and makes over $35K a year would have some access to savings or credit that could keep them going until their next pay check.

[mrskay662000]

Originally Posted by Fallout Zone

"I work for the feds" - Does this mean you are a fed or are a contractor?

I ask because for federal employees who are considered "non-essential", it is actually illegal to work during a shutdown. We aren't even allowed to check email or turn our mobile devices on.

Seeing the news stories now after the Senate passed the clean CR back, I don't see how we avoid a shutdown. Boehner is saying that he is not going to bring the Senate bill to the floor, and anything the Rs in the House come up with will include a defund or delay of the ACA, which will fail in the Senate.

I am a federal employee whose duties have been deemed essential, exempted and I am not funded by Congressional appropriations.

Basically, my division generates income and usually has a "surplus" so to speak. It will generate income even if the government shuts down. It seems to me that I will be paid for my time, just paid late. There are others in my agency who will be furloughed because they are part of the budgeting process appropriated by Congress and they will not be paid.

[mrskay662000]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

I would find it odd that anyone who is over 30 years old and makes over $35K a year would have some access to savings or credit that could keep them going until their next pay check.

It would be odd in the majority of the country. But when you live in DC... let me do the math for you on my first year here in the area.

Take home 1088 twice a month = 2176.

Rent = 1045, the cheapest rent in the area that would take me on my income level, leaves 1131.

Car= 275 leaves, 856.

Car insurance went up 25% upon relocation to the area and knowledge that I will no longer take the bus to work but drive 22.5 miles on Rte 66 twice a day = $105 a month, leaves $751.

Gas money, $40 a tank, exactly three tanks a month for 20 days of commuting, $120 a month, leaves $631.

Parking. Parking was $4.50 a day, went up to $4.75. 20 days a month minimum is $90 a month, leaving $541.

Heat/AC, older 1980s complex, single pane windows, one bed, average through the year $100, usually it's $50 or $150 depending on if I've used heat or cooling. This leaves $441.

Water. I am billed at the minimum $45 regardless of how much I use. It's some sort of shared system. This leaves $396.

Groceries. I had just moved here and was unable to find a Food Lion, Save-A-Lot or other low end store so I shopped at the store with the shopping cart that was walking distance away. $320 a month. This leaves $76.00.

My cell phone. Not a smart phone, just a cell phone with 700 minutes and 500 texts. Two year contract before moving here. Not an option to be without it. $75 a month.

That leaves me $1.00 a month.

Now... I ask you.

No cable.

No clothes.

No happy hour.

No "brunch with the ladies".

How can I save more than a months income on that?

I'm sure you're a financial analyst and can help me.

And the first thing you would probably say is to get a roommate.

To that I say... I can't do that. Period.

No reasonable person would move in with a perfect stranger in a new city that they are unfamiliar with, based on a craigslist ad. Because when you relocate to this area.. that's what you're stuck with. Craigslist postings. And various info from sites like citydata.

Ahhh... but I had one month to relocate.

No time to get to know any screen name on craigslist or citydata well enough that I would be willing to move in with them.

So I'm back to square one.

How do I save that one dollar a month?

And heaven forbid, I hit the gas too hard on 66, because one false stop 'n go would eat up my one dollar in a second! Or help me if I worked 21 days that month because that one day of 46 miles and parking would certainly eat up my one dollar.

[I'm Retired Now]

So what happens to someone like you if you get laid off assuming it would take at least six months to find a new job?

Originally Posted by mrskay662000

It would be odd in the majority of the country. But when you live in DC... let me do the math for you on my first year here in the area.

Take home 1088 twice a month = 2176.

Rent = 1045, the cheapest rent in the area that would take me on my income level, leaves 1131.

Car= 275 leaves, 856.

Car insurance went up 25% upon relocation to the area and knowledge that I will no longer take the bus to work but drive 22.5 miles on Rte 66 twice a day = $105 a month, leaves $751.

Gas money, $40 a tank, exactly three tanks a month for 20 days of commuting, $120 a month, leaves $631.

Parking. Parking was $4.50 a day, went up to $4.75. 20 days a month minimum is $90 a month, leaving $541.

Heat/AC, older 1980s complex, single pane windows, one bed, average through the year $100, usually it's $50 or $150 depending on if I've used heat or cooling. This leaves $441.

Water. I am billed at the minimum $45 regardless of how much I use. It's some sort of shared system. This leaves $396.

Groceries. I had just moved here and was unable to find a Food Lion, Save-A-Lot or other low end store so I shopped at the store with the shopping cart that was walking distance away. $320 a month. This leaves $76.00.

My cell phone. Not a smart phone, just a cell phone with 700 minutes and 500 texts. Two year contract before moving here. Not an option to be without it. $75 a month.

That leaves me $1.00 a month.

Now... I ask you.

No cable.

No clothes.

No happy hour.

No "brunch with the ladies".

How can I save more than a months income on that?

I'm sure you're a financial analyst and can help me.

And the first thing you would probably say is to get a roommate.

To that I say... I can't do that. Period.

No reasonable person would move in with a perfect stranger in a new city that they are unfamiliar with, based on a craigslist ad. Because when you relocate to this area.. that's what you're stuck with. Craigslist postings. And various info from sites like citydata.

Ahhh... but I had one month to relocate.

No time to get to know any screen name on craigslist or citydata well enough that I would be willing to move in with them.

So I'm back to square one.

How do I save that one dollar a month?

And heaven forbid, I hit the gas too hard on 66, because one false stop 'n go would eat up my one dollar in a second! Or help me if I worked 21 days that month because that one day of 46 miles and parking would certainly eat up my one dollar.