Tell me something. How do people make it financially these days?

[NNN0LHI]

I live on what I thought was a pretty comfortable income six years ago. But with the way the price of everything is going up its not so comfortable any more. And this is just my wife and I. How in the HELL are people with a couple of small kids making it in this economy? Am I missing something here? Is it just us who are hurting? What?

Don

[knitter4democracy]

1. We're pulling our kids out of the private school.

Things were tight before, but now they're worse. We're still doing more than okay, so I'm not complaining, but we had nothing left to set aside for the kids for college. The public school is almost as good, and we'll be able to walk there.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. A job & plenty of side-hussle consulting jobs too.

[bullimiami]

3. it keeps getting harder and harder.

every year taxes, insurance, health insurance, groceries, gas go up way higher than any inflation numbers seems to reflect.
and income? not.

[biscotti]

4. I wonder every time I go

to the grocery store how the poor are able to feed their families. It must be a real struggle. Every thing seems to just keep going higher. You get less for more $$$$.

[Double T]

5. It is the best kept secret by the msm and the government...........

most of 'US' aren't making it without drastic lifestyle changes and living with far less of everything. 'WE' are the vast majority and need to do something about it in November 2008.

[patrice]

11. We also need to do something about it thereafter, by creating

and committing our support to revolutionary LOCAL economic relationships.

[Double T]

20. I am with YOU 110% on that!

GREAT idea.

[patrice]

34. Some of that will be pretty obvious:

Find, implement, and reinforce reciprocal connections between like-minded individuals and groups - for starters, but I'm not very sure what "like-minded" means, beyond the fact that the group(s) themselves will have to define it. I have learned recently that it is not limited to political party.

[LSK]

6. no debt except my mortgage

Rarely use my credit card. Go by the old adage, if you cant pay cash, you cant afford it.

Also dont have kids.

Drive a car for 13 years then pay cash when its time for a new one.

Fixed mortgage doesnt go up as time goes by (only taxes do).

Rarely eat out.

Prepaid VirginMobile cell phone is about $20 every 2 months.

Buy a normal 27" tube TV instead of a 50" flat screen.

Lucky to have a good job with good benefits.

[salin]

54. Many things like you

I rarely use credit. I drive cars forever (til they are 10 years old or so) - buy cars outright (save in front rather than in payments and many thousands more for financing.) I *save in advance* - a couple of years before I was ready to buy - the car had need for major repairs - I calculated how much I could pay and how much I needed to be able to save a month in order to buy a car in two or three years and used that to calculate how much I would be willing to pay for the repairs. Then lived by that. (Because my income has increased, I was able to save enough to buy my first "new" rather than "used" car this time around. I normally would never buy new due to the steep depreciation - but I opted for a Prius - and the rate of depreciation is much less steep than most other new cars... so I gave into the impulse. It will probably be my first and last "new" car - as I don't expect to be buying for another decade.)

When income rises, I spend like it hasn't gone up (keep on the smaller budget.) I used to do the prepaid Virgin Mobile - but ended up needing to use it more ... so went with a contract - higher minutes per month - but lower cost and don't have land line (so I have no "long distance" and no local phone bill.)

I bought the house (transitional neighborhood) at a great price -- about 60% of the original asking price (it had been in foreclosure and on the market for several months and had dropped the price once already.)

Avoid the newest technology costs til prices drop and then don't get the high end stuff. I liked the LCDs - so I got smaller ( 19 inch) rather than a larger, similarly priced larger tv.

I could cut more on 'eating out' - though even there I tend to go very low end.

But like you, I do not have kids. I think these rules would be harder to follow if I had kids. That isn't why I do not have children (that is just how life has worked out - didn't plan it that way.) And I would hate to moralize to those that have a family as there are very different economic rules in play.

[Wiregrass Willie]

7. Ask the guys at the BLS ..

That's the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are the ones who announce every month that the inflation rate is *only* about 1.5% to 2% annually. What in the world do they check on their little "list"?
I figure my wife and I have been experiencing an inflation rate of about 6% to 8% annually for the past several years.

Hell, I went to the barbershop today and the cost had gone up 25%. Last year he raised prices 20%. I suppose the people at the BLS only check the price on fat back and dried beans. I like it when they say they omit stuff that is highly volatile. Like food, housing, energy and transportation. That stuff isn't all that volatile. "Volatile" implies the price goes up and down. When was the last time your grocery bill went down ?

We need to remove the "L" form BLS and then we would understand what those people really are.

[Robbien]

8. One can see it in the faces of people at the grocery store

People are staring at some of the prices in bewilderment.

[Tatiana]

9. It's not just you.

I used to spend $15 a week on gas (if that) back in '97. Now I spend $40 easily, and I don't travel to half the places I used to. I've noticed that the same dozen eggs that used to be $0.79 at the grocery store are now $1.32. Milk has doubled to $3/gallon.

I spend more money on groceries and seem to come home with less food than I used to.

We rarely eat out anymore. The air conditioning is set to 82 degrees. I've replaced all the bulbs in my house with longer-lasting more energy efficient ones. My electric and gas bills went from a combined $90/month 14 months ago to an average of $275 per month in the last 4 months (rate freeze expired in IL, as I'm sure you know. ComEd and Ameren will probably be asking for our second and third born children next).

Replaced the old expensive cable tv package ($95/mo.) with cheap satellite ($19/mo.).

I've done a host of other things in an attempt to reduce my monthly expenses. And yet, there still seems a smaller amount leftover after paying all the bills than in years past when we could afford to splurge on vacations and cable tv and dining out on a regular basis.

Bottom line, the cost of necessities - especially food and energy have skyrocketed while wages have not. Truthfully, I don't know how others are making it either.

[MissB]

10. We've adjusted reasonably well.

We still have the same two cars we did several years ago. One still sits in the driveway most of the month - it gets driven once or twice maybe. The other car sits in the garage for at least two to three days a week - I group my errands so that my fuel costs are about the same as they were back when gas was only $1 a gallon (I'm driving *alot* less!) Dh still bikes, and his company essentially pays him to do so.

Our energy costs haven't gone up significantly either. We've turned down the thermostat over the past few winters to keep costs approximately the same. I actually threw open the curtains this morning, then remembered that today is supposed to be our first 90ish degree day, so I shut them, keeping the house so far at about 66. After a few days of this heat, my house will be about 74 - still quite comfortable. I turn off the lights around the house during the day. I use compact fluorescents, but even then I don't use that as an excuse to keep a light on just because. The kids have finally figured out that they're supposed to turn off lights too. I line dry my clothes.

I'm buying less and less prepared foods. I'm finding myself making more from scratch (I can do that because I'm staying at home, but even when I was working, I did lots of freezer meals ala once-a-month-cooking). You'll rarely find me darting into the interior aisles of the store, which feels somehow odd - like I'm missing something. I've noticed that the prices of prepared foods are still going up pretty steadily, but since I'm using more bulk foods and less prepared foods, it seems to be even out.

Our mortgage has been manageable - we have a fixed 30 year. We sold our first home about 4 years ago to buy this one, and while the mortgage is higher, it still isn't painful. Dh had bought our first home many years ago for about 15% of the price of what we sold it for, so we had plenty of equity to plow into this one. Our mortgage is less than many 1st time home buyers'.

Our medical insurance changed significantly this year. We have free preventative care, but everything else is on a $3k family deductible. Fortunately, dh's employer was offering this insurance for $3k less per year so we jumped and went with it. I'm able to put the difference of the monthly cost into a series of short term CDs - it'll just function as an additional emergency fund. I'd much rather spend the extra $250 a month, but I've been very disciplied so far. :)

I've said previously that we're no worse off than we were when Bush took office. I suppose I should knock on wood at this point.

[Speck Tater]

12. Voluntary simplicity is one way.

Here are some of my methods for living on an income that is low enough I don't have to pay income taxes.

I drive a 12-year old car that gets excellent MPG.

I do not buy ANY prepared or packaged foods, and that includes canned soups and packaged sauce or gravy mixes.

I buy dry staples (rice, beans, oatmeal, flour, etc.) in bulk from a restaurant supply store.

I grow veggies in my back yard.

My local supermarket has 18 or 20 aisles. I only ever visit 2 or 3 of those aisles.

I use a prepaid-minutes cell phone that costs me $8.50 per month, on average, instead of a land line phone that used to cost me $30.00 or so per month.

I subscribe to Netflix instead of cable TV giving me more viewing choice and no commercials trying to entice me into wasting money on crap. I haven't set foot in a Sears, or a Wallmart, or a shopping mall in years. (I did buy two new pairs of jeans a few months ago at Target, on sale approx. $8.00 each)

I buy my books used through Amazon and after reading them, sell them to someone else, again through Amazon. That way I read good books essentially for free. (I live outside the area covered by the nearest library, so I can't get a library card.)

My TV and stereo and other appliances that waste "standby" power are plugged into power strips that get turned off when I'm not using them. (When the fridge isn't running my electric meter outside often has that little spinning wheel standing stark still showing ZERO kilowatts being used.)

I often cook over my backyard grill using sticks and twigs harvested from my property so I don't have to burn kilowatts using the electric stove top.

There are dozens and dozens of other tricks and methods for getting free of the "consumerism" mentality and living life more simply and pleasurably.

[Jim Warren]

42. Yes

The more you know, the less you need.

[Blueberry_raspberry]

63. Wow! Making your own soup sounds like a good idea.

I was feeling proud of myself for awhile because I have a 'pay as you go' cell phone.

That keeps my cell phone bill down to about $30 per month (much lower than it used to be). But then I realize that I have a land line for almost $30 per month and long distance for another $30. So I'm paying $90 a month for phone service. ???:crazy:

[Sukie1941]

13. Where do I start?

I am a college-educated female who retired from a University in So Oregon at age 55 due to health problems. I have been receiving a small pension from that job...it started at about $248 a month is is up to about $500 a month. My supplemental insurance premium is taken out of that each year. This past year we got a 1% cost of living increase on this pension and the insurance premium went up by $20 a MONTH.

I ended up on soc sec disability and have had a number of surgeries since retirment, mostly to help with osteoarthritis, which I have badly.

Now at age 65 I am on Medicare and that income is about $960 after deductions for Medicare insurance premium.

I finally sold my mobile home (after selling a house before that) and bought a used Alfa Ideal 35-ft RV. I moved it to a beautiful RV park (old and small and still lovely) right on the Rogue River here in So. Oregon. My rent is $400 a month, and that includes electricity and cable TV, plus water/sewer/garbage. I pay for my internet and any phone services I want.

So, it is possible to live a decent life style on a limited income.

What bothers me is that even with Soc Sec cost of living increase (I think last time it was 3%), everyone and his/her dog has their hand out for what they can suck from me every January. I HATE January!

I am not making it, actually. I do have credit card debt because I need meds that even with the Medicare Part D are FAR FAR too expensive. I used to teach school and worked at my university the last nine years. Even so, my income isn't what I would call "livable."

I commute twice a week (and sometimes seven days a week if my sister takes a trip to visit one of her kids) to share the caregiving of our 93 yr old mom, who we want (and she wants) to STAY in her home. That expense my mom helps me with occasionally. It costs about $10 each trip for gas. I have a 1992 Nissan small pickup and it needs work (but has been one of the best buys I ever made--NO problems in all of these years other than a new bearing in the air conditioner in 1997 and a new muffler, plus regular maintenance).

I pray that the RV park remains in steady hands and the rent doesn't increase too much. Most RV parks are metered to pay your own electricity. so I am lucky here.

Folks, the bottom line is I have no wiggle room financially. It is sooo frightening, especially if I have to had my second total knee replacement. It is mostly paid for, but there are other expenses.

I feel sorry for folks who live in higher cost areas. But often they have public transportation, which we don't have here. We have to travel a long way to get anywhere in parts of the West, so high gas costs.

Oh yeah, I have a 25-in colored TV (biggest one I have ever had) that came with the rig. I go out to eat only if someone invites me and pays for it. I get most of my clothes at Goodwill (some nice stuff, actually).

[leftofthedial]

14. I don't buy anything except food.

[blues90]

15. We are not doing so well

I haven't been able to find a job since I lost my last one whcih lasted 12 years with benefits . I drive a 1973 VW . We have at most one light on at night , have quit smoking , shut off and unplugged everything that draws electric other than the frig which is turned down , don;t use the heat , just more covers and sweaters . Drive only to job interviews and walk all other places .

Sold alot of stuff we don;t need and buy only food and thrift store clothes when they are needed . Thank god we have no children and the bad part is my wife cannot work and is on SSI . We just make the rent on time and sacrifice alot and it looks like this may continue for some time .

The most I made per year was $52,000 and now most jobs pay $10 per hour so who knows where we will end up at this rate with the bit of small side jobs I can find .

[Sukie1941]

16. Where do I start?

I am a college-educated female who retired from a University in So Oregon at age 55 due to health problems. I have been receiving a small pension from that job...it started at about $248 a month is is up to about $500 a month. My supplemental insurance premium is taken out of that each year. This past year we got a 1% cost of living increase on this pension and the insurance premium went up by $20 a MONTH.

I ended up on soc sec disability and have had a number of surgeries since retirment, mostly to help with osteoarthritis, which I have badly.

Now at age 65 I am on Medicare and that income is about $960 after deductions for Medicare insurance premium.

I finally sold my mobile home (after selling a house before that) and bought a used Alfa Ideal 35-ft RV. I moved it to a beautiful RV park (old and small and still lovely) right on the Rogue River here in So. Oregon. My rent is $400 a month, and that includes electricity and cable TV, plus water/sewer/garbage. I pay for my internet and any phone services I want.

So, it is possible to live a decent life style on a limited income.

What bothers me is that even with Soc Sec cost of living increase (I think last time it was 3%), everyone and his/her dog has their hand out for what they can suck from me every January. I HATE January!

I am not making it, actually. I do have credit card debt because I need meds that even with the Medicare Part D are FAR FAR too expensive. I used to teach school and worked at my university the last nine years. Even so, my income isn't what I would call "livable."

I commute twice a week (and sometimes seven days a week if my sister takes a trip to visit one of her kids) to share the caregiving of our 93 yr old mom, who we want (and she wants) to STAY in her home. That expense my mom helps me with occasionally. It costs about $10 each trip for gas. I have a 1992 Nissan small pickup and it needs work (but has been one of the best buys I ever made--NO problems in all of these years other than a new bearing in the air conditioner in 1997 and a new muffler, plus regular maintenance).

I pray that the RV park remains in steady hands and the rent doesn't increase too much. Most RV parks are metered to pay your own electricity. so I am lucky here.

Folks, the bottom line is I have no wiggle room financially. It is sooo frightening, especially if I have to have my second total knee replacement. It is mostly paid for, but there are other expenses such as transportation to never-ending doctor appointments.

I feel sorry for folks who live in higher cost areas. But often they have public transportation, which we don't have here. We have to travel a long way to get anywhere in parts of the West, so high gas costs.

Oh yeah, I have a 25-in colored TV (biggest one I have ever had) that came with the rig. I go out to eat only if someone invites me and pays for it. I get most of my clothes at Goodwill (some nice stuff, actually).

[Bake]

17. We allow ourselves an occasional -- very rare but occasional - splurge

When our daughter got her first real career-type job out of college recently, we took her to a nice restaurant to celebrate. We each ordered a steak, salad, and potato. No wine, and I think we shared a couple of appetizers. When the check came I was SHOCKED. FORTY BUCKS for EACH of the three steaks, and that was before adding in the potato, salad, etc. The menu had said "market price," but I was still shocked.

Our son got home from college for the summer this week, and we got steaks from Kroger to grill. Nice cuts, New York strips, and four of 'em came to over $50. I will say they were the best steaks we've bought in years and they were EXCELLENT!!

I know these were exceptional splurges, but groceries have really gotten ridiculous.

Bake

[HardRocker05]

18. they live on credit; the average american now has a negative net savings. first time since the depre

since the depression, i think.

[NNN0LHI]

21. Actually watching a guy pay a 4 dollar tab at McDonalds with a Visa Credit card...

...today is what got me thinking about starting this thread. I think you may be right.

Don

[Nicole]

29. I pay $3-$5 tabs with a Visa card all the time.

However that Visa card isn't a credit card, it's a debit card for my checking acct. Perhaps his was the same?

[NickB79]

33. I pay everything with my Discover or MasterCard, even McDonalds

But then, I get 1-2% cashback bonus on my Discover, and a 1-5% BestBuy Reward Point bonus on my MasterCard, depending on where I shop. Between paying my rent, car payments, car insurance, groceries, gas, etc, I get about $20/month back. I put the cashback bonus from my Discover Card right back into paying off my balance, and I save the BestBuy points for birthday and Xmas gifts for friends and family.

Between my Discover, Visa and MasterCard, I have about $25,000 worth of credit, but never carry more than $2000 total at any one time. At the end of every month, I pay my credit card bills off entirely so I don't have to worry about interest. It makes paying bills a snap since I can do it all online. It's also wonderful for my credit score. When I bought my first new car 2 years ago, the women said she couldn't believe I was only 25, since my score was so good. Hello low interest car loan. The one pitfall you have to watch out for is using your cards indiscriminately. I check my balances every 2-3 days so that I know exactly how much is on each card, and I set limits for myself on how much I can spend on each card each month. So long as you control your spending habits it can be very beneficial to use credit cards.

[tammywammy]

46. I use my debit card a lot

I don't like carrying cash. So I put $1.89 for my coffee on the debit card just about everyday.

[Blueberry_raspberry]

66. Me too. But recently my bank told me to take care. number was stolen at one of those funky atms

someone stole the debit card number somehow and make new card. Bank cut them off as they tried to charge $1000 at store. Careful where and how you use the debit card. Don't use at gas stations.

[gollygee]

19. We're generally pretty comfortable but it is getting harder

gas prices are going up, grocery prices are going up, and there are a lot of little increases of different costs here and there that aren't so easy to track. Like I get migraine headaches, and I have a prescription for medicine for them. I used to get 9 pills for a $20 copay, but they've just changed it so I get 4 pills for a $20 copay. So my insurance premium hasn't gone up, my copay for name-brand prescriptions hasn't gone up, but my healthcare costs have gone up anyway. That's just an example.

[durtee librul]

26. Hubby and i were just talking about this last night

and were wondering how people can make it with gas prices what they are and milk over $3 a gallon here in Michigan. I work at Chrysler and have a decent income, but still send money to our daughter at college (who is up to her ears with student loans).

Hubby is retired, but I gotta tell ya, we don't splurge either and it seems like it's hand to mouth some months when car and house insurances come due. I have to drive 35 miles each way every day to work as there is no public transportation which serves my home area and my work area. Car pooling in MI? HA! What a laugh. If there is more than one person in a car in the morning, you wonder if they are being car jacked. I used to car pool all the time in AZ and loved it. Even got a monthly stipend from Intel for doing so.

Health care is paid for by hubby's retirement (thanks UAW) but again as another poster noted, they are whittling away those benefits as well.

What I would like to know is this - we hear every month about all the jobs created and how the unemployment is low. For just ONCE, I would like to hear about all the people who have exhausted those benefits and aren't counted any longer. Talk about fuzzy math! (but then from a fuzzy headed decider, what did I expect?)

The waiters and waitresses of the world who don't make squat to begin with must just be dying with gas prices and all. It is so sad.

I guess the greedy don't understand that when they overdo, they are killing the goose that gave them all the golden egg.

It's time we take our country back and if that means voting out everyone, then so be it. 2 term limit for everyone. That way you don't end up with a bunch of stodgy old has beens who have no concept of the real world or the problems we all face on a daily basis. Our country was founded by people with 'no experience' so why not now? And from what I have seen lately, the 'experience' there in congress absolutely sucks.

[A wise Man]

22. Come on People

The economy is good didn't you hear? When the rich gets richer the economy is always good, didn't you know that. Don't worry about the food you need, eat less, don't worry about the high gas prices, drive less, don't worry about your prescriptions, get them every other month. Let's all be satisfied about the war, Bush and the economy and don't worry be happy. Except this "BS".

[lpbk2713]

23. The *real* Cost of Living stats are manipulated by the BushCo Regime.

Just like it is common knowledge how they manipulate the employment stats and other personal economic data.

The truth won't be known until January 2009 at the soonest.

[dave29]

24. lowering debt, more cowbell

it's really the only prescription for financial fever.

[haele]

25. Second Job

I'm at the point I've got to consider it, even though between my job and DH's disability, we're making a little over $50K a year. DH is disabled, can't work - We could make it if it weren't for medical costs. We're over 4K in the hole on medical and dental, looking at another $6K in critical upcoming dental surgery (bad root canals that have to be re-done) and around $600 a month just on co-pays.
And a teenager that, even on a tight spending leash (no "toys" over twenty dollars, and no more than twice a month if she's acted like a human being), is growing out of her thrift store clothes and has "dietary issues" along with the other teen anger/control issues that end up costing us money. (There's a broken window and a hole in the drywall in her room that we need to replace because of her temper tantrums). We have pets; members of the family that still cost us around $70 a month just for feed and upkeep. They also put us in a situation where we have to pay more rent with a far more limited selection in availible housing because we have pets...(even though the kidlet causes more damage.)

Include inflation on food, gas, and utilities, repair of the one vehicle we own...at least we don't have to worry about credit card debt, we don't have the credit for a decent card, so we don't have one.

If they raise the rent on us another hundred dollars a month this year, we'll officially slide into "the working poor" when considering how much money is left after paying rent, utilites and insurance, co-pay medical (not paying off outstanding medical bills), basic food, and fuel. We'll be looking at have $50 a month. To pay off the outstanding medical bills.

Time for a second job, even though I'm partially disabled myself. I've been looking at part-time at the local casinos - I'm reasonably honest, I can handle money, they always need weekend people, and the tips can be really nice.

Haele

[Bitwit1234]

27. Of course I have a son here

My son and I moved from the DC Maryland area to Minnesota. He transferred to a store here. And I had the benefit of being with my grandchildren.

When we left Maryland our rent had increased in 2 1/2 years a total of 300 dollars. And I see at the online Baltimore Sun electricity has increased 50% as of the first of June or maybe July.

The rent is cheaper here, electricity is cheaper here, natural gas is cheaper here. Of course gas and food are the same as back in Maryland but with the cost cut on everything else we have a lot more left after bills are paid.

We could afford to upgrade to broadband and digital cable. Impossible in Maryland. I don't see how a lot of people can afford the price of everything. I know we couldn't.

My insurance copay went up. But they increased the timeframe. From 3 to 5 dollars, but enough for 45 instead of 30 days supply not quite a saving but not that bad.

[camero]

28. Second job, living with parents or roommates

Pretty soon we'll all be like the mexicans with multiple families in one house or apt.

[tammywammy]

30. I'm a single person and I live fine on what I make

I have zero credit card debt.

I own a 2006 vehicle and I'm closing on my first house next month. It's a foreclosure, so I'm getting a killer deal on it.

I don't go out all the time, and I don't buy crap I don't need. I don't eat fast food often and I cook a lot.

I live within my means. I also still put money away in savings and a 401k every week.

[blues90]

31. What happens if your job goes belly up ?

[tammywammy]

45. That's not going to happen

I'm currently looking for a new job with more pay. But I put money into savings each paycheck. If I have to use it, I will. If I have to dip into my 401k I will. But it won't happen.

If I got fired (which there's no way that's going to happen), I'd just go to a dealership down the street and start selling cars. Dealerships are always hiring. The hours would suck and it's stressful, but it definitely pays the bills.

[blues90]

47. I worked for a car dealership

I never thought things would get so bad , many here are not selling cars , I was not a salesman however the service dept are suffering to .

They laid off lots of employees and it is still getting worse , so are the hours and the pay .

[tammywammy]

48. Really?

Not here. Everyone's having a good month. Service and Parts are doing well (Parts is #1 in the nation). I'm not a salesperson either.

It depends on where you're at, we're selling plenty.

[blues90]

49. Los Angeles

I worked for ford , also lincoln /mercury are both doing badly , I have over 30 years in the service dept , last 8 as a manager . The more dealers close the more people fight for the same jobs . It has been getting worse the last two years and if you try to get a job with another make they want their own car model experience and there are no adds on any online sites .

[tammywammy]

51. I'm in the DFW area

But working for an "American" model, plus being in an area with such high housing costs, that explains why sales are down.

[AlCzervik]

50. when i lived in Texas i could have afforded an expensive car because my house

cost almost nothing compared to where i came from, i live in California now and the cost of living is higher.

[tammywammy]

53. Well, that makes sense.

Housing is more affordable here.

[Geek_Girl]

32. I live in an area where the cost of living is pretty low

and I have a pretty decent job way above the average household income in my area. But recently I had to send my husband back to work full time because of finances and things are allot better, but if one of us lost our jobs it will be hell.

For the life of me I can't figure out how poor people are making it these days.

[EstimatedProphet]

35. I wonder that myself, a lot.

I am now in a fairly comfortable position financially. Much more so than I have been in the past, at any rate. I have a doctorate, and I'm employed in a good paying job - and I'm making proportionally about the same money that a high school grad with a few college courses would make 40 years ago. How it is that people make it without specialized training anymore is beyond me.

[radicalcapitalist]

36. The economy in my area is hot, so most people in my area

(Southeast VA / 3.1 unemployment) are doing just fine. However, there is a downward push on some trade wages due to the influx of illegals.

I'm sorry that things are not going as well for you.

[live love laugh]

64. "...fine... (but) downward push on some trade wages due to the influx of illegals." HUH????

[live love laugh]

65. delete

[bobbolink]

37. Some of us aren't. Try living on disability.

There will be a lot of deaths, but look at the response to poverty threads.... zip....

It's just not important.

[kineneb]

57. see my post below- we know too well

and lots of hugs to you.:hug:
I try to comment on the poverty threads, because we live on the edge.


I keep thinking about what would happen if Medicare/Medicaid cuts off their dialysis patients...Hubby is one, and his care is terribly expensive (over $23,000/month!).

[bobbolink]

58. Living on the edge kills the soul.

I've been trying to explain that to people, but, not surprisingly, they don't want to hear.

>I keep thinking about what would happen if Medicare/Medicaid cuts off their dialysis patients...Hubby is one, and his care is terribly expensive (over $23,000/month!).>

I believe that's what happened to a DUer here, and it was tragic. But, just try to get DUers to demand En Masse that Medicaid be restored! NOPE... it's all about the wwwwaaaaarrrrrrrrr....

I wish I could help... I'm so sorry for all the worry you are going through, and so needlessly. You'll be in my thoughts!

:hug: :loveya: :hug:

[JVS]

38. Live organ transplants

[HeeBGBz]

39. We don't..

Right now I make about $800 a month and my rent is $525 and I have no credit cards.

[Jazzgirl]

40. I know a couple that is easily making well into the

six figures and they are struggling....in Texas! They shouldn't be. The husband has one child (19) he is still supporting but thats it. The wife comes from some money but doesn't have it yet. She gets $10,000 a year from her mother and pays bills with it and still comes up short during the year and doesn't have hardly anything in savings. To top it off, she's owned her own home for 16 years. I just have me to take care of and my money damn sure isn't going as far as it used to and I don't shop much anymore either. To top it off, with gas over $3.00 a gallon, I don't have a problem staying home. When I go to Costco just to get necessities, I am surprised at how many people are buy top priced items. I don't know where they're getting the money....

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

41. They play that game called, "wants" and "needs" rather than "GREED".

Most of us can meet the "needs" if we choose to do so.

I am very grateful to watch a rural community previously abandoned suddenly come to life, again. We're regaining our sense of value, I reckon, knowing we are all we have to sink an investment.

I figure, the stronger we become,...the less power the robber-barons will exercise over any of us.

[electron_blue]

43. I picked up a second job and am putting most of that away for a rainy day and my kid's college.

Before that, we were living paycheck to paycheck, which was too uncomfortable. I have a tenured job as a full professor, which should be enough by itself. By comparison, I have enough 'means'. I do wonder and worry about those less fortunate. I donate regularly to our local foodbank, in particular.

[porphyrian]

44. Just wait. The shit has barely started to topple.

Most people don't seem to notice, whether because of denial or the luxury of ignorance, and they'll be rudely awakened in short order. The metaphorical damn is already breaking, it's only a matter of time now.

[lonestarnot]

52. Soon everyone is going to be feeling the fucking. We are fucked.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

55. I'm unemployed and so is my SO.

Neither of us can get jobs because we're overeducated and over 40. Three degrees each. He has a master's, I have a doctorate. He was canned from a crappy job a year ago, so we lost our health insurance. I just buy my pills for my chronic conditions every month and try to get by with one doctor visit every six months. No specialists. No preventive care.

No cable TV since 1988. No iPods. No flat screen TVs. No new furniture. No eating out except for the occasional burger. I don't buy clothes and shoes anymore, except for casual stuff at Target, since I don't have to wear silk and linen anymore, not having a job. Buy books at thrift stores.

Drive a 14 year old car and keep it in good shape. I get my hair cut at the cheap chain place(it's quite thick and wavy), and color my hair myself, and get my haircolor stuff at Sally Beauty Supply. That saves a LOT of money. I buy cheap makeup and cheap moisturizer.

The property taxes are ridiculous and killing me. I think it's because we don't have a state income tax. They get you in sales tax, property taxes and license fees of various kinds.


I'm gonna sell my house and move to the country, because otherwise we cannot survive.
And tell myself I'm not a loser, even though I'm unemployed. And have been for quite a long time. Any job I could get now would be one I wouldn't be able to tolerate.

[kineneb]

56. many aren't making it, esp. if they are on fixed incomes

like us: $1238/month of SSDI. We are fortunate that the house has a very small mortgage. But the prices of our major expenses, food and gasoline, are going up rapidly. I am driving less, and try to have a "no-car" day at least once per week. The food expenses are more difficult, because Hubby is on a special diet, which I can't eat. So I have to buy two different sets of food. The pitiful yearly cost-of-living increase gets eaten up by the higher gas prices.

How we manage: under-the-table assistance from various sources, and free food from the local "gleaners" program. Otherwise, there would not be much for food or gas at the end of the month.

[bobbolink]

60. The only way to make it *is* "under-the-table", etc.

As I keep saying, we're quietly dying off one-by-one. One of these days, it's gonna boil over, and the rage will hit and hit hard.

I told one pastor that the reason why they don't have to think too much about poverty is because we've been very considerate of them, and haven't imposed ourselves on their daily lives, or nailed our 95 complaints to their church doors.

I would rather that we would all get organized now and "insert" ourselves into their conscience, rather than hold it in until we all explode. But, it looks like it will be the latter.

[mdmc]

59. I don't buy stuff anymore

I eat, but not in restaurants. I wear clothing, but I no longer shop for new shit.

I spend very little. I have even less...

[Blueberry_raspberry]

61. Me too. Try to downsize as much as possible.

Still eat at restaurants though. It's a hard habit to break when you live in los angeles.

[Blueberry_raspberry]

62. I notice that many are still paying student loans into their 40s. Not true in the past. nt.

[live love laugh]

67. I do a lot less discretionary shopping for clothes, etc. n/t