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Well said happy. I am not living beyond my means. My home cost me 56k. Luckily I got it from my Father in Law for a steal. 10 acres and a 3br 2 bath home. I drive a 14 year old car that I keep up so it runs the way it should. It is a 5 speed 4 cylinder so the gas mileage is 32-40 mpg all depending on traffic. I live in the country so a car is a must. And I can honestly say that it is a struggle for me lol. My mortgage is not bad, but man energy increases every 6 months is killer. My power bill has almost doubled since last year. I think this is where people are getting hurt tbh.
It is hard to keep to your budget that you made when you bought your home. Especially when the price of gas/electricity/food keeps going up. I am not struggling, but I am noticing that less and less is going into the savings account and more and more is going into the home fund account.
ciaerin if there is any way for you to cut back on utility consumption through insulation or energy star now is the time to invest in it as best you can. Deflation is happening right now and your money will go furthest in these investments that directly affect your cost of living. Tax credits for it are on the books again (far better than deductions). People of modest means can help themselves out directly this way because utility companies falling behind on infrastructure + wayward commodities prices are bound to make everyones life miserable. It's your best hedge against inflation too. The rest is an ocean you and I can't control, we can only navigate around. Start with an energy audit for your house, then go to IRS site to read what's covered by credits.
Au contraire, it did screw everyone over. Your neighborhood is, and will be in the near future, taking a devaluation or inflation will do it for you. One way or another we'll all be paying dearly for malfeasance in upper echelons. It may not seem real to you just now, but the boomerang effect of trickle down voodoo experiments isn't done with us yet. I've already lived through it on a micro scale relative to our larger economy, and it downright vicious.
The only real choices people have right now is leave the country or fight for their country to get honest capitalism going again. The rest of your so called choices are false security fighting a greater tide. The deck is stacked against us all unless we're 100% self sufficient living in a bubble, but even then the extremes in government will find a way to insinuate themselves or drop the ball entirely by negating it's own responsibility.
We've taken a devaluation and are still ahead of where we started with stabalizing prices. I agree that we need capitalism and part of that is personal responsibility.
ciaerin if there is any way for you to cut back on utility consumption through insulation or energy star now is the time to invest in it as best you can. Deflation is happening right now and your money will go furthest in these investments that directly affect your cost of living. Tax credits for it are on the books again (far better than deductions). People of modest means can help themselves out directly this way because utility companies falling behind on infrastructure + wayward commodities prices are bound to make everyones life miserable. It's your best hedge against inflation too. The rest is an ocean you and I can't control, we can only navigate around. Start with an energy audit for your house, then go to IRS site to read what's covered by credits.
Agreed. My husband and I are seriously considering putting solar panels on our roof and going off the grid for all of our heating/hot water and some of our electric. The only thing we would continue to use gas for is cooking and maybe the dryer. (And I air dry over half of the laundry as it is!)
Personally I don't blame them too much. If I were in their position I might be tempted to break into a $400k house, and if I did get caught, at least I would get free rent and a meal in jail...
One example where the jobs are beggin' for people - healthcare. Hospitals in my area are paying HUGH signing bonus's (up to 20K) for LPN's and 30K for RN's - any area of specialty.
It is reality TM. You are simply afraid to look. It is easier for you to complain.
Move from your comfort zone. Move from PA - a depressed area. There are booming areas of the country. You are simply afraid to get out of your comfort zone. That's reality
Excuse me.. RN and LPN's.. you think it's so easy to jump into that position??
First of all.. in order to WORK as a nurse you have to be a certain kind of person that can deal with certain things.. I am NOt that person and I can't handle illnesses, people being sick on me, bleeding etc. I also do not have the training. I admire what they do.. I couldn't do it.. I just couldn't.
You think healthcare is recession proof.. again.. fantasly land. As a matter of fact the local hospital laid off many people and are closing their baby delivery ward (making the nearest hospital to give birth about 20 minutes away)...LOL. Hospitals are hurting too GD in this economy AND in THIS COUNTRIES HEALTHCARE CRISIS .
Going to school for nursing, medical billing any medical field requires a) time, and b) money.. both of which I don't really have right now.
I have an excellent skill set. I'm proficient in all office programs, can build my own damned website (although Im' not a webmaster. I can do a pretty good job of building a site). .I have tons of different experience from marketing to customer service and e-commerce... I've pretty jack of all trades when it comes to working within a company/office position. BTW..I took my resume to the local hospitals.. they weren't hiring.
The fact of the matter is GD.. people aren't hiring.. not really.
Again.. lollipos and rainbows
i'm not afraid to look.. I've sent out 100's of emails and resume's since December as far as a 45 minutes from where I live.. the area I currently live in is hardly more depressed than any other area of the country at the moment.
There are very few booming areas of the country GD..or have you been ignoring the news or are you just spewing typical right wing denial of the actual facts or events... nah..there's no recession.. ah.. the economy is just fine.. there are jobs ..those millions unemployed are just lazy , are afraid to look.. blah blah blah blah. BTW.. I just moved here in October.. i'm not going anywhere yet.. nor do I have the money to move yet again
You need a reality check GD.. maybe you should stop drinking the Kool Aid
Last edited by TristansMommy; 04-12-2009 at 02:03 PM..
ciaerin if there is any way for you to cut back on utility consumption through insulation or energy star now is the time to invest in it as best you can. Deflation is happening right now and your money will go furthest in these investments that directly affect your cost of living. Tax credits for it are on the books again (far better than deductions). People of modest means can help themselves out directly this way because utility companies falling behind on infrastructure + wayward commodities prices are bound to make everyones life miserable. It's your best hedge against inflation too. The rest is an ocean you and I can't control, we can only navigate around. Start with an energy audit for your house, then go to IRS site to read what's covered by credits.
Definitely look into solar, wind, & wood. A home outside the city on septic and a well and mix solar, wind and wood stove heating will defintely help a long way. The more independent you are of the system the better your chances of surviving it and living in it.
We've taken a devaluation and are still ahead of where we started with stabalizing prices. I agree that we need capitalism and part of that is personal responsibility.
HUGE part of the american way is personal responsibility, but capitalism not regulated properly becomes license to steal from those who are responsible. We've got boundary issues happening when some schm*ck on wall street can diddle the price of oil for a decade to artificially 'create wealth' at the expense of the global masses. Sorry for the crude analogy, but it's just that crude (literally and figuratively). That's just one commodity. Exploitation & abuse happened in many markets and we'll all be stuck driving 5mph bumper to bumper for years over the trillion car pile up. Nobody gets untouched by this malfeasance unless they're amish, and even then, they depend on our national defense to exist. Our military strength is tied directly to our financial health. This meltdown must be viewed as the 2nd 911 if we are to eradicate the root causes of flawed policy that are within our system.
Excuse me.. RN and LPN's.. you think it's so easy to jump into that position.
First of all.. in order to WORK as a nurse you have to be a certain kind of person that can deal with certain things.. I am NOt that person and I can't handle illnesses, people being sick on me, bleeding etc. I also do not have the training.
You think healthcare is recession proof.. again.. fantasly land. As a matter of fact the local hospital laid off many people and are closing their baby delivery ward (making the nearest hospital to give birth about 20 minutes away)...LOL. Hospitals are hurting too GD in this economy
Going to school for nursing, medical billing any medical field requires a) time, and b) money.. both of which I don't really have right now.
I have an excellent skill set. I'm proficient in all office programs, can build my own damned website (although Im' not a webmaster. I can do a pretty good job of building a site). .I have tons of different experience from marketing to customer service and e-commerce.
The fact of the matter is GD.. people aren't hiring.. not really.
Again.. lollipos and rainbows
i'm not afraid to look.. I've sent out 100's of emails and resume's since December as far as a 45 minutes from where I live.. the area I currently live in is hardly more depressed than any other area of the country at the moment.
You need a reality check!
I agree with some of what you say--although step back and look at what jobs might be available to you with a little training--medical billing for example would fit with your office skills, and at least around here is in HUGE demand. There are courses in that which can be completed in a matter of a couple of months. It might be worth looking into, and there are student loans you can take for that type of training. When I couldn't find a job back in the early 80's I took a student loan and went back to school for paralegal training. It was worth the expense to be able to find a job which paid a heck of a lot more than the education cost.
I do have to say that having the ability to manipulate around a little html does not make you a web anything--most 8th graders have learned that. I am a former web designer for a Fortune 100, I know html, xml, cgi-perl, php, javascript, dhtml, a bit of .net and .asp, plus ecommerce/security certificates, plus have CMS experience and know the four major web design tools and Photoshop. On top of that I understand firewalls, security, redundancy, and DR. Even with all of that, these days I'm not qualified for a web design/webmaster job. I'm just saying that you need to be very careful how you present those skills to a prospective employer.
I agree with some of what you say--although step back and look at what jobs might be available to you with a little training--medical billing for example would fit with your office skills, and at least around here is in HUGE demand. There are courses in that which can be completed in a matter of a couple of months. It might be worth looking into, and there are student loans you can take for that type of training. When I couldn't find a job back in the early 80's I took a student loan and went back to school for paralegal training. It was worth the expense to be able to find a job which paid a heck of a lot more than the education cost.
I do have to say that having the ability to manipulate around a little html does not make you a web anything--most 8th graders have learned that. I am a former web designer for a Fortune 100, I know html, xml, cgi-perl, php, javascript, dhtml, a bit of .net and .asp, plus ecommerce/security certificates, plus have CMS experience and know the four major web design tools and Photoshop. On top of that I understand firewalls, security, redundancy, and DR. Even with all of that, these days I'm not qualified for a web design/webmaster job. I'm just saying that you need to be very careful how you present those skills to a prospective employer.
Oh.. i wasn't trying to say I was a web designer.. I was simply stating that it is a "skill" that could or may be useful to an employer.. maybe not,.. maybe yes.
I have thought about going back to school for something like medical billing, paralegal work.. etc. I'm trying to figure out what to do and what is the best way to execute doing it. In the meantime the need for a job is immediate because I have no health insurance and am a Juvenile diabetic. We're surviving on what my husband is bringing in business wise (and I'm still helping him out with that..btw.. which is what I'm working on today). Being broke all the time gets exhausting..REALLY exhausting some days....
Just have to sort it all out.. and trying to do that by looking at what is available work wise..what seems to be in demand.. Yes, Rn's, LPN's are in high demand here to.. but like I said.. i'm not cut out for that. Wish I were..I'mjust not.
There has been an ad or two here or there for Medical biling work.. but not too much. Just afraid to go through all that only to find out I spent all that money , gotten further in debt, all for something that I can't find work in.. I guess you can say I'm afraid to make the wrong choice ..LOL.
I was close to getting a job this week.. one I was realy excited about and that paid relatively well. Then, they decided after meeting with the heads of the company, not to fill that position at the time.. can't say I'm surprised.... the company is doing okay but doesn't want to take on new employees at the moment (this after two very extensive interviews and having been the front runner for the position). ...talk about a let down.
Definitely look into solar, wind, & wood. A home outside the city on septic and a well and mix solar, wind and wood stove heating will defintely help a long way. The more independent you are of the system the better your chances of surviving it and living in it.
Honestly it's the only solution I can see where healthy conclusions can happen. It keeps americans free and puts the market in it's place humbly without railing against wealth in faux class wars. I wish the right would not fight green as much as it would endorse the healthiest compromise... invest in technology that allows homeowners to be less reliant on systems of largesse because utility companies are inherently a monopoly. I don't begrudge them making a living, but no competition means they write their own paychecks because they have you over a barrel. This becomes detrimental to capitalism.
2 party politics being what they are, lobbyists mean to keep their monopoly safe and secure one way or another, and both sides of the aisle have been pimped out against the better interest of greater good constituency. They're killing my country. We've got to put our foot down. Feed innovation that keeps us independant, starve monopoly is the only way I can make my stand with my 2 cents. Someone else knows a better way, I'm listening.
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