How broke are you?

[cynatnite]

We're so broke, we did our grocery shopping at a dollar store a few days ago. We're not starving, but we're as broke as broke can get. I can't recall ever having so little money. We've had the same exact income since June 2009 and every month that passes it feels like there is less and less money.

Anyone else feeling squeezed like this? Is it as bad out there as it feels to us?

[Evasporque]

1. well....

if you expect less, you are satisfied with a little more.

Realistic expectations is something America does not grasp very well.

The Tea party and Republicans, accounting for a large percentage of our population does not understand expectations.

THe ones they have come from fantasy TV land.

[NYC_SKP]

2. This is Terrible and it's Wrong... So Sorry to Hear...

Now how many others are stuck in this situation.

And, heaven forbid, stuck with a family and growing children forced to eat the kinds of empty calorie highly processed foods one finds at a dollar store?

:cry:

I pray that you're able to find ways to get to some fruits and vegetables to supplement your diets.

:hug:

[cynatnite]

14. We can get bread, canned veggies, pasta, and other stuff...not just junk...

I finish school in November so we'll suck it up until then when I find a job. :)

Thanks!

I'm just wondering if it's just me that's feeling this. We used to manage well enough before, but the last six months it feels like it's just steadily worsened.

[pitohui]

35. it ain't just you

i feel like crying every time i go to the grocery store, i don't blame the federal gov't or obama, but the local gov'ts are just predators now, they have hiked taxes on our house to insane levels, insurance has been hiked to insane levels, and i could never sell my house now if i needed to because nobody would pay the taxes/insurance for a house that size...and now grocery is through the roof

just so disheartening but at least i have a yard and i can grow a few herbs in it, or a few veggies, if worse comes to worse, the homeowner's association for our neighborhood collapsed so we can have chickens again

inflation is just insane, prices for EVERYTHING, even water and trash pick up are just through the roof

scary times but don't blame yourself, it's happening to everyone, if they're honest about it

[Hannah Bell]

51. but the squeeze is ultimately coming from the top, not from the local gov'ts.

they are responding because they're being squeezed, so they squeeze you to survive.

that's how the predators *force* people into the outcome they want.

[pitohui]

156. in my case the squeeze is most definitely coming from local and state gov't

i live in southeast louisiana, probably enough said...the bad guys are right here on the ground, starting w. bobby jindal who sent money back to washington that will now be spent on building high speed rails elsewhere

meanwhile the assessors and the sales tax collectors have gone absolutely starkers

[femrap]

150. Do you have an Aldi's

nearby....great prices!!! I'm serious. Check out their newsletter on line, OK? I don't know what I'd do with out them. Last week...a huge bunch of celery for only 69 cents!!! They have good stuff.

[XanaDUer]

199. +1

Love Aldi's. Bring a quarter for the cart and some of your own packing bags, and you are good to go. This unemployed person visits Aldi at least once a week.

[roguevalley]

166. this time last year I wasn't eating because I had almost nothing I had

so many bills -family illness etc. I remember my mind slipping from a lack of the right food. I forgot everything and my joints hurt. It was so awful I don't have words. I'm okay now, not great but okay. I work two part time jobs to supplement a pension that should be able to support me but doesn't. I despair for everyone.

[Kali]

3. you have to really compare prices

I haven't found dollar stores to be cheaper for actual food and they don't carry much either - mostly processed junk.

[Sherman A1]

164. Very True

Dollar stores jacked their prices a few years back and offer an extremely limited selection. I would suggest perhaps a local produce stand, farmers market or grocery. I would think with menu planning, coupons & shopping the ad, you could do much better, yet each situation is very different.

[Carni]

4. Prices are bad... VERY bad currently!

You are not alone! Every time I walk in a grocery store I want to break out in a cold sweat.

There are a bunch of ways "to save money" shopping, but the base line is, even when you're "saving money" we're still paying like double (or whatever)

You are definitely not alone! Hang in there! I can so relate to the suckage! :(

[Dappleganger]

116. Not just prices have gone up, but also FEES.

Our county is trying to make up for falling property tax revenue by tacking on additional fees as well as raising them (they call them fees instead of taxes, but that's what it is). They also want to raise the sales tax which I don't mind so much but it will impact our bottom-line.

[femrap]

151. Commodity prices have

been going through the roof....sugar, beef, cocoa, coffee. And now we're seeing it at the stores. Beef could be rising because I just discovered that there are now ONLY 4 companies that ranchers have to sell their beef??? Cargil is one. One in Brazil and 2 others. They cover 85% of the beef market. The ranchers are getting screwed and the 'middleboyz' are laughing all the way to the bank. Total collusion.

And I think the US has blocked Brazilian beef from the US.

When I was a kid on the farm....there were cattle auctions everywhere. We had beef and dairy cattle.

It's all CORPORATE FARMING NOW.

At the end of last year, food inflation was annualized at 12%. They're going to starve us.

[Knight Hawk]

154. You are able

to buy beef? I eat it maybe once every 2 months.Have a garden started and chickens next.Growing corn to feed the chickens amon other things.

[femrap]

163. I think you responded to

someone else's post. I was simply discussing commodity prices and inflation.

Good luck.

[Carni]

192. It's insane!

The latest thing to skyrocket is eggs--that was still the one cheap dependable staple (meal) versatile and filling
(as long as you don't have health concerns) I swear they have doubled in the last month.

At this rate, we'll soon all be eating bugs like the crazy bald guy on the travel channel for a source of protein!

[Fumesucker]

5. Let me put it this way..

I'm so far beyond broke that the *light* from broke won't reach me for ten billion years..

h/t Roseanne..

[roguevalley]

168. hugs, fumesucker. I hear ya

[PBS Poll-435]

6. 1 foot and 1 ankle

:shrug:

[Leftist Agitator]

7. I have ~ $1000 for the next foreseeable future after pre-paid rent is gone

And pre-paid rent runs out at the end of May.

Oh, and I have enough money in student loans that if I'm not making ~60k out of my MBA program, I'll be equally as poor after the fact as I am now.

:(

[cynatnite]

16. My student loans are scaring the crap out of me....

I better get a damn good job after this is over.

[mike_c]

8. I'm not broke, but I feel that same pressure....

Like you, I haven't seen my income grow much in recent years-- sure, I've gotten a couple of small, incremental salary steps, but for all intents and purposes my income has been stagnant. And let's not forget, during that same interval, the flow of wealth to the already wealthy reached unprecedented proportions.

What I've experienced is a steady erosion of purchasing power, so that I'm ending the month more and more often with little to spare or just a little further into the hole. My "cushion" was completely gone about a year ago-- now I'm back to living utterly paycheck to paycheck.

[Tunkamerica]

47. wage freeze since 2009

everything else has gone up. After bills I'm lucky if I make 10 bucks a month.

[Joe Bacon]

112. Two year pay freeze here.

Federal employee, just had my pay frozen. But tell that to my landlord who jacks the rent up every year. And the increase in my health insurance premiums and copayments.

[Newest Reality]

9. Was never rolling in cash ...

but for the last couple of years, it has been downhill all the way. Camper as domicile, EBT for food and lots of adaptation and creativity for what is mostly a survival-only way of life.

It's rather Zen-like in some ways when you let go of expectations and wants and even needs.

[madrchsod]

10. yup....it ain`t good out here either.

we have some people going back to full time jobs but not enough. there`s four people(wife, daughter,boy friend) in our home and we all work/ss so we are above water but if two leave we both go under.

just like my dad told me in the 80`s when my family was in the same situation...that`s what people did in the 30`s

[Fridays Child]

11. There are some some great deals at the 99 Cents store here.

But, yeah, I know what you mean. :(

[totodeinhere]

45. Yes there are, but you have got to be careful too. Sometimes they will try to pull a fast one on you

and sell a can of veggies for 99 cents that you could but for 89 cents at a supermarket.

[Juche]

140. or smaller sizes

A 1.5oz bottle of nasal spray is $1, but a 3oz bottle is $2 at a department store. They do that with generic neosporin too, charge $1 for 1/3oz when the department store has it for $3/oz.

[Fridays Child]

175. I was thinking of the produce.

I go there for red bell peppers, potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, etc. I always inspect the produce for signs of age or other problems but I've had pretty good luck shopping there, when it's the last week of the month, I'm between paychecks, and I can't afford farmers' market prices.

[sasha031]

12. I'm broke too

it's getting more difficult, I think this year is the worse. The terrible winter, price of oil, groceries and everything are going up.

[bluestate10]

13. Past posts like yours have shown that DU is a mix of economic groups.

Some people are struggling, others are not. Some are in between. The question should not be are we broke as much as it should be about why. Food prices have risen dramatically even as agriculture has become more efficient at producing high crop yields. Energy costs are higher.

[barbiegeek]

109. Food will keep going up with gas prices & climate change

[bluestate10]

146. I don't agree.

We are on the cusp of a great technological revolution that will fundamentally change human experience when it plays out. Energy problems will be the first domino to fall, once that one is taken out, the other problems become easier to innovate against.

[barbiegeek]

174. In the meantime, until the tech revolution solves it?

[progressoid]

15. On the edge.

If not for a rather substantial "loan" from a family member, we'd be be in foreclosure.

Hoping to get back to "just keeping our head above water" this year.

[MannyGoldstein]

17. It's like WWII - people did without to support our troops

Now we do without to support Obama's bankers.

It's a different time - but we should still feel proud for what we're doing to help our country.

[Carni]

22. Are there recipes for the prep of those bankers? lol

And do they taste like chicken? I might be able to do something with that! lol
JUST KIDDING, as I think that particular meat would be very tough--probably like old gamey stewing hens.

[Scruffy1]

165. I think my fathers cook book has some good recipes.

First thing to remember is there is no heart so forget about the giblets. Of course there is a lot of spleen and plenty of bowel and rectum. The hard part is tenderizing the beast. I would suggest wine vinegar mixed with four parts water for about 3 days. Skinflints are very hard to skin so I would recommend leaving the skin on and scraping like you would a hog, which seems fitting. The head can be easily removed with a meat saw or whatever you have available which is an easy job since there is no backbone. When you remove the innards make sure to get all the cdos out as they are highly toxic to all living things, but you might find some juicy kickbacks from credit life and mortgage insurance in there too. The hands are prized by many cultures because it is believed they have magic powers to reach into others pockets and by eating them the power is passed to the consumer. The knees are useless from a lifetime on them praying to the almighty dollar. Be sure to discard the lips as they have been on so many butts they are sure to be diseased. The eyes are totally useless also because all they see is dollar signs so you can't give them as donor organs.

[Carni]

193. So true! lol! NT

[Taitertots]

48. Bankers? Where do you think the money went?

Bush's Wars

The only difference is that we shouldn't feel proud about it.

[MannyGoldstein]

57. Tax Cuts for the Wealthiest: $1 Trillion

War! War! War! $1-$2 Trillion
Bankers - $12+ Trillion in loans and guarantees (besides TARP).

[Taitertots]

61. Your numbers for Bankers are misleading

$12 trillion counts much smaller overnight loans multiple times. If you borrow $10,000 every night for a year it is misleading to claim it as a $3,650,000 loan.

Even if you use the laughably misleading numbers, that money was repaid.

[MannyGoldstein]

86. Do you have evidence backing your claim

Thanks

[Taitertots]

92. How does CNN work for you?

http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/01/news/economy/fed_reserve_data_release/index.htm

Read the whole article. 2.1 Trillion to Merrill Lynch but it is spread across 226 overnight loans. All those loans are overnight loans counted every day regards how many days they have to roll over. "The largest single loan was by Barclays Capital, which borrowed $47.9 billion on Sept. 18, 2008" Not a single firm got a larger than $50 Billion loan.

[MannyGoldstein]

129. Interesting, thanks. Yet...

"Most of the special programs set up by the Fed in response to the crisis of 2008 have since expired, although it still holds close to $2 trillion in assets it purchased during that time."

[Taitertots]

158. Purchasing assets isn't a bailout it is what the central bank should do

That is fair open market transactions, not a bailout.

[MannyGoldstein]

171. The central bank should buy distressed assets?

Really?

[Taitertots]

190. In an economic crisis, that is exactly what the central bank should do

In all likelihood the Fed will profit on the deal.

That is the whole point of having a central bank. Buying long term assets to pump liquidity into the system is exactly what we should do.

What negative results will come from this? Why do you think it is anything but the right thing to do?

[emilyg]

84. Proud? I feel scared.

[bluestate10]

147. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

No truer words have ever been spoken. Hold your head up, be creative and look forward to every coming day. Great changes are upon us.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

149. WWII troops didn't receive tens of thousands in bonuses.

Officers didn't live in half a million dollar homes. Yes, we are supporting the banksters
but we are also supporting a military we can no longer afford. These occupations will
never end because the economy relies on it. If there was a Republican in office Democrats
would be outraged at what's continuing to go on.

If the military were not such a lucrative option we would require a draft and this BS would
end.

[Poboy]

182. 'Now we do without to support Obama's bankers.' -nt

[WingDinger]

18. Got heart failure, canned illegally. SS dis is impossible to get unless you are

already dead. Drew unemp, and now have the IRS hounding me for cash. I had to run for my life, when the landlord had construction done while I was there. Unemp has ended. I may go to prison for mnot paying taxes on my unemp. BUT, at least there I will get medical care, or not.

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. ...

:hug:

[sufrommich]

19. Do you have a farmers market type store around you?

I mean something like this (from my neighborhood):
http://www.joerandazzos.com/

I can get bags of groceries (excluding meat)at pretty cheap prices.Dollar stores are good for canned and boxed stuff,but finding good prices on fruits,breads ands vegetables is sometimes hard.

There's some really good frugal living forums on the internet too.

I hope things improve for you.

[Carni]

24. OMG SUfromMI!

I now live in northern VA, but I used to live in MI and shopped at Randazzos on Telegraph weekly and you have NO idea how good you have it with Randazzos!

I miss Randazzos in a HUGE way--what I used to buy there weekly for 20 bucks I would pay 50 for here (or more!)

[sufrommich]

30. I know! I love it. I go to the one in Westland. It's very easy to

pay $30.00 for bags and bags of groceries there and it's incredibly fresh.I thinks the produce comes straight from the Detroit Farmers Market early every morning.

[Carni]

43. I miss that place in a huge way

I have been to the one in Westland too and it was just as cheap and wonderful.

There were some middle eastern places in Oak Park with some awesome bread and spices (CHEAP) where I also used to shop.

Michigan has it's issues regarding the economy, but you can get some great deals because of all the choices/ethnic offerings--man I envy you! lol

We used to go to the Detroit Farmers market once a month (and to Vivios for breakfast) lots of great things about that area!

[Freethinker65]

71. add another for missing Randazzo's

When I moved to the Chicagoland area from the east side of Detroit over ten years ago, I had to ask people around here where to get good reasonably-priced produce. I've found a few relatively inexpensive ethnic markets, but nothing comparable to Randazzo's (Gratiot). I also miss the double, and often triple, coupon savings from the grocery stores around the Detroit area. We have nothing like that here.

[sufrommich]

113. Welcome to DU,Freethinker. I haven't seen triple coupons

in the Detroit area for some time. Also, I think in most stores double coupons are limited to .50 cents. I remember when they were up to $1.00.I have a feeling the price of groceries in any particular area are based on what the market can bear and the Detroit area can't bear much. Chicagoland is probably more affluent than most Detroit areas.

[butterfly77]

144. I do..

I go all the time and eastern market.

[Bozita]

177. I shopped the Telegraph store on Monday.

avocadoes-.59 ea
tomatoes-.79 lb
head lettuce-.79
cherries- 1.79 lb
honeycrisp apples- .79 lb
FRESH 1 lb. loaves of real bakery bread from Windsor, Ont. - 1.79 loaf
grapes- 1.19 lb
5 lb bag of small yukon gold potatoes- 1.49
onions- .34 lb


Those honeycrisp apples are currently selling at Krogers and Meijers for 2.95 lb.

[Carni]

191. Wow they pretty much have the same pricing still!

Now if that store can sell produce at those prices, why can't all these big retailers?

I was just at Giant tonight and friggin lemons are .89 cents each! (Food channel "chefs" be damned I bought the real lemon thing in the plastic housing GRRR!)

[Bozita]

194. Good-size lemons were .25 each. At Krogers, they were .79 each or 2 for 1.50

Krogers also had packages of peppers. For 4.00, you got one of each: red, yellow, orange.

At Randazzo's, colored peppers were 1.19 lb. The green ones were .25 each.

Supermarket produce prices are simply unbelievable.

[Carni]

195. Do you ever go to Cantoros Italian market in Livonia?

Bread is to die for and I don't know about now, but their bread baked there used to not only be awesome but it was very cheap. It's on Middlebelt just north of 7 mile. The parking sucks, but it's worth battling for a spot!

[Bozita]

198. It's rare to find rave reviews for a market or bakery, but Cantoro's has 'em.

Check these out:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cantoro-italian-market-and-bakery-livonia


The place is now on my to-do list.

Many thanks.

[Carni]

203. Definitely check it out!

Their bread used to be cheap as well as excellent. They have a large selection of imported Italian stuff. It's a really fun store.

[Bozita]

205. Will do. I've been going to Alcamo's in east Dearborn for years.

It's been around forever and then some.

Check out the reviews ...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/alcamos-market-dearborn


This is $5:
http://media2.ct.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/qfK9wiZl76cGjfdfWiBfGA/l

[Carni]

206. Damn! this is one I never tried!

Didn't know about this place (unfortunately I won't be trying it soon either, due to the ten hour drive! lol)

[pitohui]

25. why? so she can pay $5 for a head of lettuce?

farmer's markets are for yuppies and priced accordingly (at least around here and i think this poster is also from the south)

she's shopping at dollar general, i've been doing some of that myself, the farmer's market is a nice thing to do when you've just won the lottery but it doesn't work for real people...you could eat out and have food cooked for you and leave a nice tip for the price of buying ingredients at the farmer's market

[demmiblue]

31. Lol... sure. n/t

[sufrommich]

34. I realize most farmers markets are

expensive. These stores around the Detroit area that I linked to aren't the same , the prices are cheap and the produce is excellent.

[pitohui]

36. i'll take yr word for it, the price of gas being what it is...

in the south farmer's market is code for yuppie's wanna pay five times the going rate for a bunch of lettuce

[eShirl]

88. kind of the same up here, except ours are closed Oct - May

well, maybe not literally 5 times the going rate, but still...

[Art_from_Ark]

188. It might be like that where you are

but you won't find too many "yuppies" at farmer's markets in Northwest Arkansas. You will find a lot of senior citizens there, though, who often have coupons that allow them to buy a bunch of produce for a reduced price, or even free. The last time I was at one, I got 6 ears of home-grown corn for a buck and a half, a quart of home-grown plums for $3, and a rather large and sweet watermelon for $6.

[EFerrari]

37. Eggplant at Safeway is about $3. At the farmers' market, $1.

We buy all our produce there. The savings adds up.

[Carni]

38. Randazzos is a miracle of pricing not a farmers market

I don't know what the deal is with that store's pricing, but I can attest to it being VERY LOW.

It's not a yuppie place-it's a shrine of cheap produce (the ambiance believe me, is not yuppie--it was like a combat experience usually and that was just to get a cart)

I literally used to be able to walk in that place and buy bread, pasta, dairy and produce for a week for 25 bucks.

Now in northern VA I am dealing with the 5 dollar a head "Amish lettuce" type bullshit at "farmers markets" so I know what you are saying lol

[AndyTiedye]

40. There are Real Farmer's Markets, and there are Stores That Call Themselves "Farmer's Markets"

Farmer's markets, real ones, are cheap because they occur once or twice
a week in a parking lot somewhere, and do not incur the overhead of a
brick-and-mortar store. You are usually buying from the farmer directly
and he pays a small amount to have a booth there for the day.

Stores that call themselves "farmer's markets" are nonetheless stores,
with all the overhead that implies. Prices are marked up to cover that
plus their profit, of course.

[pitohui]

50. yes farmer's markets only work on saturdays, like high end dermatologists and so on

what world do you live in?

i realize that farmer's market only work one day a week, they are men (and i suppose very occasionally women) of leisure, of course they're only open one day a week, for the amount of profit they take they don't have to work like us real people

i'm not talking about a store, i'm talking about an open air market, where you pay five times the going rate for the privilege of being rained on

i know what a farmer's market is, honey, don't insult my intelligence

[demmiblue]

64. .

:crazy:

[AndyTiedye]

67. I Think Most of them are Working on their Farms The Rest of the Week

[barbiegeek]

110. This must be a regional thing. I've never heard of farmer market stores

We have parking lot farmer's market, but they are not cheap, except for the honey. I buy from the ACTUAL farm, drive out there & pick your own. It sells by the pound or bushel. Or road side stands from the Mennonites. The problem is if you buy by the pound, you have to learn how to blanch & freeze the food. We have a 10 year old freezer & I have cooking/blanching/freezing food weekends. I'm too chicken to can food.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

130. Please, what is that about? I have sold at farmers markets for over 20 yrs

The price of a stall goes up, the paperwork you MUST COMPLY with in order to even go is expanding yearly, and the cost of fuel to travel there has gone up. I am not a person of leisure, I have scraped by with every little job I could manage to get and besides that trying to grow something that I could share with others who consider they don't have the time to water for themselves. I sell my greens for $1 a bunch and lettuce for $1 or $2 a head depending on size. I have offered seed I save from my garden to others on DU, but not many are interested in working for food. (Anyone wanting some seed can PM me with their address and I will mail them what I have, I'll even pay the postage.) Various parts of the country have much different systems working. When I was in High School I worked for my moms cousin at a fruit stand where everything was grown locally in Littlerock Ca. Then someone built a "farmers market" just up the road, who became his competition, but that guy went down to Los Angles and bought everything he sold from big commercial operations. If I go to the bigger markets I have to drive for an hour and a half to get there, but can make $200 or more/day. But it is hard to get up and leave at 6AM. The vehicle needs to be packed the night before. If I just go to the local market it is only a half hour drive, but I only make $30 to $40. We only went in the fall for years, when the chestnuts fell, but last year we started going to the local market in the summer because I had the stuff, and I didn't have any other work happening.

And though some markets are only open one day a week, many of the farmers I meet go to several different markets. Santa Rosa has Wed. and Sat. morning markets, year round. Sebastopol a Sunday market but only in Summer. Healdsberg has a Thursday Market (which I have never sold at) but I want you to know many of the folks selling at markets work very hard to have the produce they sell. Many times the crops I have tried to grow have ended up being eaten by the quail, voles or mice. There are also the slugs, snails and bugs that need to be controlled. If you haven't tried to grow your own food you have no idea how much work it is.

[pitohui]

157. well you don't sell your greens for $1 a bunch around here

i guess you're selling in the wrong place, try $5 a bunch

i think the last straw was that $40 a jar honey...sheesh!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

179. Do you want seeds so you can sell at the market?

[laundry_queen]

59. Well,

Our 'real' farmer's market, in a parking lot, only had 2 cheap vegetables - zucchini and beets. And they were only about 20% less than in the store. Everything else was outrageous. The wanted $10 for a bag of carrots I would pay $2 for in the grocery store. I understand there is no comparison in taste but an $8 difference is crazy. I didn't even bother with the lettuce and chard. And this was in the boonies, surrounded by farms. I would have thought that would mean lower prices than those 'commercial' farmer's markets in the 'burbs. Nope.

[lonestarnot]

58. No shit.

[Le Taz Hot]

101. That is SO not my experience.

Maybe I'm lucky in that I live in the Central San Joaquin Valley but the prices at our local farmers markets are comparable to prices at the grocery stores AND they're locally grown AND they don't taste like frickin' cardboard. If you buy in season, use what you can and can want you can't, you can cut your grocery bill down by a good 40% annually. Are you thinking of places like Whole Foods because if so, I will agree with you.

[barbiegeek]

111. Dollar general is awesome

[bobbolink]

122. Thanks for posting the truth. So many DUers either have never been before they post, or

have so much money that they lost track of what is "cheap".

I keep getting told that same crap... "go to Farmer's Markets". Works well for those with lots of $$$$$$$. Some need to deal with reality.

[Carni]

204. Got any Asian markets in your area?

There is a chain called "super H mart" and they have stores in several states, they really are significantly cheaper
on produce and fresh seafood (and I am talking dollars per pound cheaper on fresh seafood)

I would go all the time but the closest one is about 45 miles from me.

Here's their link to store locations:

http://www.hmart.com/company_new/shop_main.asp

[cynatnite]

56. It's not due to startup again until April...

We can do okay if we're careful, but some will price gouge there, too.

[midnight]

20. There are some frugal buys at the dollar store.

For years I could feel this crash... I keep wondering what keeps this Depression from being called what it is? Is it being hidden more carefully? Banks closing weekly or monthly around the country... Groceries have gone way up, and the money is not going as far....

[SammyWinstonJack]

21. Broke and existing on SSDI aka 'entitlement', and seriously considering

doing an in-house refi to 30 yrs with the mortgage 4 yrs from pay off, just so we can hang on to it.

That really sucks!

Wells Fargo is more than happy to oblige us on the refi. :puke:

[hfojvt]

68. 4 years from pay off?

Sheesh, can't you get a home equity loan with a ten year pay-off? Thirty years is way too long and a bunch of fees will probably be added too.

[RKP5637]

26. Prices here keep going up and up. n/t

[Capitalocracy]

27. Extremely broke. Freelance worker

and trying to get more work but running into obstacles because of my situation... stuck in Argentina because I don't meet the income requirement to sponsor my wife as an immigrant spouse. Bank of America screwed me over, now I need a U.S. bank account to pursue my freelance sources of (usually very low) income, difficult to get one without going in person but I can't afford airfare. A few hoops to jump through and that might improve, but we'll see... Trying to start a business with literally zero startup capital (I've spent less than $50 so far, all in web hosting). We'll see what happens.

[pitohui]

29. can you get wells fargo? they have free checking accts?

the reason i ask is i know a couple from argentina and they had a wells fargo account for receiving payments/donations in usa dollars, at the moment they are actually living in usa for a year although this is not their plan, it's work-related

i'm not saying wells fargo is the greatest bank in the world but for them it worked (not sure how) but i just happen to know because i bought some stuff from the husband and was able to just put it in his account, in that way, he did not have to pay any paypal fees to get the money -- at that time he was working in south america, different countries, based in argentina though

freelance stinks, i did it for 20 years (stalking victim, unemployable because of what my harasser did/said about me) but if what's you have to do, you can make it happen, and i wish you every success...

[Forkboy]

28. Things are tough.

I have no heat, but I do have a roof over my head, which is more than many in my town can say. And more than even some DUers can say. I'm lucky.

[Divine Discontent]

44. Exactly... so many are suffering even worse than a lot of us are dealing with. So much suffering in

the USA, but no, we cannot hold corporations & the rich accountable for a fair shake to keep the country strong...

When they going to stop stockpiling all the billions they're sitting upon and actually invest in new science, infrastructure, and jobs? Oh, that's right, when they've gotten a GOP president back in.

[virgogal]

54. No heat? My God that's awful. We've had a tough winter in MA.

[emilyg]

85. You know I love you.

:hug: You have a great attitude.

[Forkboy]

93. People like yourself remind me that I could always have it worse.

My childhood sucked, but my parents lived. Not all of us can say that. My attitude is nothing compared to yours. :hug:

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

32. I have panic attacks every once in a while, but I'm not bad off...

...by comparison.

I'm not like other people, either. I don't feel better about myself when I see other people worse off than me, and it really irks me when people tell others to do that.

I feel empathy and camaraderie, mate. :hug:

[Forkboy]

96. Panic attacks are no fun.

I sometimes wake up right into one. I'm sorry you have to deal with them as well. :hug:

[KansDem]

33. Not so much broke as not getting anywhere...

We have two major appliances that need replacing: stove and refrigerator. Can't seem to get ahead--never seem to have enough money after mortgage, utilities, credit-card payments, insurance, etc., to buy a stove or refrigerator.

[femmocrat]

41. Same here.... we have been putting off big purchases, too.

Fortunately, our house is paid off (been here 25 yrs.) and we don't use credit cards. The interest rates on those things will eat you alive! Good luck to you, KansDem.

[KansDem]

123. Thanks!

I failed to mention our water heater gave out last year so we've been heating up water on the stove for baths and the like. I imagine that'll be the first item we purchase as soon as we are able to.

I envy your house being paid-off. We've been in ours for 23 years and originally had a 23-year loan--it would have been paid off next month! However, we refinanced about 11 years ago with a 15-year loan. A little steep but we're getting by. Should be paid off in four years. At that time, conditions should be much better and we can concentrate on getting "debt-free."

:hi:

[femmocrat]

39. We are doing OK. My heartfelt positive vibes to all who are not.

Husband just filed for unemployment as his hours have been slashed. I have a decent income and benefits as a teacher, TG. We did not get a raise last year.... so holding steady or down a bit because of higher prices and loss of husband's income. This winter has been brutal.

[Irishonly]

42. My husband and I are disabled

so we learned a long time ago to live as simply as we can. We are fortunate in that we can go to Farmer's Markets and that we garden. We don't eat a lot of meat and soda is a luxery that tastes good once in a while.

I have learned to feel fortunate. I walk my dogs daily and what I have noticed is the number of homeless people is rising to the point of making you sick. California has had a cold winter and the people are miserable. Shelters are filled to the maximum and the look of hopelessness is almost too much to handle.

It's been a long time since we went out for a "nice" dinner. We stopped going to movies and although we are online we haven't had cable or sattelite for a long time. What I have learned is that there are a lot of people in much worse shape. We have a roof over our heads. There are several vacant homes in our neighborhood and I had to call the police because the homes were being trashed. I was told there are more vacant homes here than there have been in many years. Can't remember the number of years but it was a lot.

[Common Sense Party]

46. I don't know how I should feel.

We're actually doing the best we ever have in our 19 years of marriage.

Finally clawed our way out of debt, my income is steady and pretty good, my wife is working PT now that the kiddies are older, we live fairly frugally, not extravagant. We're saving for retirement and we'll still have some money to fix up the bathroom and, I hope, go somewhere nice for our 20th anniversary next year. We'd like to move and buy in a different neighborhood, but we can't until housing demand rebounds a bit.

I feel good that we're above water and able to breathe.

But knowing that so many are hurting, I don't if I should feel thankful, guilty...what? I hate that others are suffering. I donate to several local charities and I pay good taxes. I wish I could do more. I just don't know what I'm supposed to feel.

[sledgehammer]

170. Never feel guilty about your success and achievements...

...as long as they were attained in a honest and fair way. Be modest, and understand that others are not in the same situation as you and may never have had the same opportunities that you came across, but never ever be guilty. Appreciate the fruits of your labor and enjoy them wisely.

What you can do though (and which you have done) is look out for people who are struggling, and help them to whatever extent you feel is appropriate. And it's not just money, simple things like offering to tutor your neighbor's children for free for a couple of hours a week, offering to babysit for no charge once a month or so, giving a ride to the store so that they can save on gas, etc. are very effective. They don't really hurt your bottom line, but definitely help someone else's.

It's amazing how many of us (myself included) are rarely bothered to check with our neighbors to see if we can help out in the smallest of ways. It's easy to point/click/donate, but charity begins at home. And if charity is not needed within our four walls, then we should look outside our walls and see where we can help. Our succeeding generations will learn from the examples we set.

Great to hear your story, thanks for sharing! Hope more success comes your way, and everyone else's.

[WCGreen]

49. pretty broke at least for the next few weeks....

Because of the delay caused by all the tax stuff being delayed until late december, a lot of my clients can not file yet so my money isn't coming in when I was expecting it to...

Thank god I saved a credit card.

[elocs]

52. Well, I haven't worked for nearly 4 months and my AGI for last year was under $5000.

So yeah, I'm pretty broke, but I'm getting by. The trick is to take advantage of every program or help for which you are eligible. Fortunately I get enough food stamps to take care of all of my food needs and I received energy assistance which is helping out this winter.

My costs and expenses are very small and by necessity I live a very simple lifestyle. It's not perfect, but I am better off than billions of other people in this world. Viewing things in that perspective helps.

[sarcasmo]

53. Month to month.

[rbnyc]

55. I am taking my son's lunch money and my bus fare...

...out of my son's piggy banks. I have had to make payment plans for all of our bills and we're about to shut off our phone service. Our monthly grocery budget for my family is $250. I'm a senior executive working 45-60 hours a week at the top of my field. LMAO!

[femmocrat]

167. Can your son qualify for free or reduced-lunch at school?

It might help somewhat.

[rbnyc]

189. That's a good question.

His lunch is only $1.50, so I hadn't even thought about it. But lately, I don't have $1.50 from day to day. I do try to pack his lunch as much as possible, but we have been running out of groceries. I will contact the school. thanks for the idea.

[Nikia]

60. Medical bills and school loans

And winter heating costs make things stressful financially. We do have a safety net, but I don't really like using it. I'd like us to be self sufficient like normal people.

[Throd]

62. Treading water. Not sinking, but no forward movement.

[dixiegrrrrl]

76. Same here.

Fixed income, rising food costs, I am a very thrifty shopper and clever cook, but EVERY week prices go up.
Then we had a 6 month streak of unexpected expenses,things broke all over the house, which ate seriously into the emergency fund, to the point where we cut non-essential utilities. Monthly heating bill zoomed because of a seriously abnormal winter, none of the "usual" budget figures are working this year.

Having to tread water faster, and do not see any positive change on the horizon.
Concerned about sinking if this rate of inflation continues.

[pecwae]

114. I'm glad I'm not alone

in noticing grocery prices jumps on a weekly basis. Sometimes it's just a few cents, other it can be in the dollar figures. The same brand of raw honey I buy (infrequently now) went up almost $4 in the last year.

Good lord, it sounds like you're having the same "luck" we're having with home repairs. If it isn't one, it's another.

[datasuspect]

63. i am hemorrhaging cash

i feel ashamed for wasting so much money.

but having fun ain't cheap.

[Incitatus]

65. I only have one dollar AND NINE CENTS!

[Obamanaut]

95. And all I need is this chair. And this lamp. nt

[Mimosa]

66. Worse than my partner has let me know.

Until today. She/he talked about selling stuff which wouldn't make us any money. :(

[emmadoggy]

69. Seriously struggling here too.

House has been listed for nearly 10 months. No movement. Hubby's income peaked in 2008 and has sharply declined since then (sales). I was a SAHM for a number of years during which we did accumulate some extra debt (that we figured we could whittle back down once I went back to work). As soon as I started working again, hubby's income started falling so we got nowhere. My income is very small and I get no pay for two months out of the year (school). Our debt has only risen. We are sinking fast. If we can get our house sold this spring or summer and get into something much cheaper we should be ok, but it will still be tight. There simply isn't enough income to cover all the expenses of life (esp. with kids) and have much of anything left over. We are driving a 13 year old minivan that is really starting to fall apart and we have no money to fix it or replace it. Our other vehicle is 9 years old and not in great shape either (bought used and ridden hard by previous owner).

We are trying to hang on by our fingernails and trust me, if you saw my fingernails, you'd know that it's not by much!!

:grouphug:

[WiffenPoof]

70. Very Broke...

All of our money went to helping our kids stay afloat. Now they are doing fine and we are about to lose our home. We gave them nearly $50K over the last four years. And we are still paying some of their bills.

Actually...they are my new wife's kids. My kids...? They're doing fine.

-PLA

[OwnedByFerrets]

72. We are one emergency from poverty.

[Dappleganger]

118. That's how I feel at times...

we used to have a safety net but that's gone now--the family is now our safety net so we are lucky.

[hfojvt]

73. boy is this bad timing

DU is gonna have a fund-raiser, probably next week.

I am no more broke than I was in 2006 when I started working part-time. My savings has gone down quite a bit, and some has been transferred into retirement accounts. I chose to spend a bunch of money last year so that sucked up some more. But I have tax refunds coming, if I ever get off my butt and do my taxes.

[unkachuck]

74. same here....

....I can't even find a shitty little job to supplement my retirement income to offset the high cost of food and energy....in my entire life, I've never seen such a lack of employment opportunity....

....I'm not talking about the difference between a good job and a crappy job, there are NO jobs of any kind....around here, times are tough and they don't look like they're going to be getting better anytime soon....

[grasswire]

75. please, everyone, if you qualify for aid programs, USE THEM!

If everyone who qualified would actually apply and utilize the safety net, a more true picture of poverty in America would be revealed -- a picture that would possibly affect policy.

If you qualify for foodstamps, get them!

If you qualify for any other kind of assistance, apply!

If you are low on food, use a local food bank ASAP. You will affect the statistics.

Getting by, doing without -- noble perhaps, but I don't think that's the right path today.

Count every hungry child. Count every hungry grandmother. Count every homeless person.

I urge you.

[femmedem]

98. Thanks for this.

I recently applied for food stamps for the first time. I wasn't feeling good about it, but this helps.

[Le Taz Hot]

102. Around here

if you own a home, have anything left in savings at all and/or have no children, you pretty much don't qualify for anything. Like so many of the middle class (can I laugh uproariously here?), we fall between the cracks.

[Kali]

184. that is a good point

[udbcrzy2]

77. I'm broke - all the available jobs in my area are part-time

minimum wage jobs. What's bad is going to a dollar-type store and having to put shit back because you don't have enough in your account to cover it:( I have kids at home too and it sucks.

[Imagevision]

78. Plus foreclosures will be passing 2010 numbers, they already are for January

[Imagevision]

79. Give tax breaks to million/billionaires and this is what we get plus gas jacking...

[Imagevision]

80. People do without to support out million/billionaires...

[Odin2005]

81. The price of food keeps going up, my SSI check is not. I'm getting PISSED.

[trackfan]

82. I'm flat-ass broke.

I've been broke many times in my life, so it's not unfamiliar territory.

[emilyg]

83. Pretty broke. Good days over.

[reggie the dog]

145. +1

[riderinthestorm]

87. This thread breaks my heart. Terrible DU stories. K&R nt

[defendandprotect]

89. K/R --

[Lugnut]

90. We've had the exact same income since January 2009.

Our problem is increased outgo. Our utility bills have gone up as have our Medicare supplement premiums. Everyone is acutely aware of the food and gas price increases. I spend a lot of time poring over grocery ads and coupon circulars every week to take advantage of specials and use as many coupons as I can. Most of what we eat is made from scratch.

We plant a small garden of tomatoes and cucumbers. I freeze roasted tomatoes and make pickles from the excess that we don't consume in it's fresh-picked form. You can only cut back so much when it comes to food even when you eat simply.

[MilesColtrane]

91. My net worth is in positive territory slightly, but...

since I have no health insurance, it could be wiped out in a heartbeat if I got sick or had an accident.

[Juche]

141. same here

I have savings (I work a dead end temp job part time, but I am able to live with family so I can save money) but one illness will destroy everything.

To be fair health insurance only reduces your risk of losing everything if you get seriously sick. The risk is still there even for the insured.

[XemaSab]

94. I have $11 in the bank

and I ate a packaged dinner yesterday that's been sitting in the cupboard for at least three years.

[guitar man]

97. I'm so broke

for me to have two nickles to rub together I'd have to borrow one :(

[NuclearDem]

99. Discharged, felony conviction, depending on parents for rent money

And just enough to scrape by on food. Combine those two parts with the recession, it's impossible to find a job. Debt's piled up to about $15K. Was almost homeless a month ago.

FML. Guess I deserve it anyway.

[Dappleganger]

119. You know what...

everyone deserves a place to lay their head, 3 meals a day, healthcare and a chance to start over.

:hug:

[grasswire]

186. you do not "deserve it"

No more of that kind of talk, please. That's Republican talk. Nobody deserves a crappy economy and reduced safety net. My best wishes for something to come your way soon.

[Le Taz Hot]

100. I'm selling my organic oranges

3# for $1.00 in order to buy groceries. I live 2 blocks from a local elementary school and I just set up shop in front of the school (on a side street). My husband is approaching week 99 and there is a 17.2% OFFICIAL unemployment rate in my county. I read an article the other day that said there are 9 job seekers for every one job? I had to laugh. Here its more like 500 job seekers for every job. People were lined up for two days to get a minimum wage job at a call center. We're talking people with Masters Degrees. If this isn't a Depression I sure as hell don't know what is.

[NNN0LHI]

103. Fixed income with my health insurance deductibles and co-pays increasing every year

And my neighbors, who most belong to unions themselves, are going out and purchasing imported or scab build cars.

Hope those folks never need my help with anything. Because they can't hide their disdain for my union with their actions. They stand out like a sore thumb.

The neighbors who support American union workers I would do anything for. The others not so much.

Don

[Zephie]

104. I'm so broke that the only real response to the question is: Bawhahaaha

If I didn't laugh, I'd cry. :shrug:

[FreeJoe]

105. Ups and Downs

About 20 years ago, I was flat broke. I pawned everything possible that I could live without and gathered the last of my loose change and poker money to make my essential payments.

Times changed. Now I'm living in a little bubble world. I've got all the money I need for a comfortable retirement and am only working because I love what I do.

Will it last? I don't have any idea. I'll live with life as it comes.

[Mnemosyne]

106. Almost out of wood, propane, furnace broken. No help. NW PA. Knr n/t

[closeupready]

107. Things have been better, but I have NO reason to complain.

I am a self-supporting man with a lot more than a majority of people I know - which, honestly, is kind of scary.

[BlueIris]

108. ((((( Brokeness of DUers and nation )))))

My post is beneath inadequate to help with the pain people are in, but I had to post something.

[Dappleganger]

115. Seems like we can never get ahead...

We went through our savings when dh was laid off and we are trying to replace it but with college and needing used cars for the kids (since there is no public transportation there, they live at home) the money just disappears.

The biggest things which have hurt us over the past decade of living in this home are the HIGH utility costs (electric/water) and food bills. Our medical deductibles have also risen exponentially. This week we cut our landline phone and dsl (got cable internet for cheaper for the next year). We reduced our sat. bill but are on the verge of suspending that to see if we can live w/out it (dh is a sports fan, I would cut it today). We don't have any debt except the house, thank goodness. Dh's mom did step up to help w/the college bill this year and they indicated they would keep helping as needed if necessary. At least the kids make good grades and have chosen inexpensive local schools (and they pay for their own supplies, books and gas).

Today I am going to shop at Costco but haven't been there since just before Thanksgiving. When dh had his previous job, we used to go every other week. Of course I'm taking a coupon book, that's the only way we could make it work. When we shop at Publix we only buy what's on sale, then finish up at Walmart (I refuse to go in there so dh goes).

We are just one major disaster away from big trouble, although we are lucky to have dh's family who could help us if needed. My dad can barely help himself so that's out. I grew up pinching pennies w/my folks so it's not as hard on me as it is on dh and the rest of the family. It's hard to say no to trips w/friends too but they are understanding (and last year they pitched in to help out so it was a blessing). No big trip w/the family at all this year and probably the next, just day trips--thank goodness we're in a good area for that.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

117. Roughly $500 sitting in checking left over from financial aid.......

Took a light schedule this semester to find a part-time job, but nothing so far has come up. I'm starting to get really worried. Was flat broke last summer and I got that churning feeling in my gut that its going to happen again.

[jtown1123]

120. Do you have Aldis nearby? They are the best/cheapest groceries by far

[montanto]

121. Same here.

Same income, though wife and I are teachers and lost 24 days of pay between us last year due to furlough. Yeah, the paychecks that already didn't do much don't seem to do anything anymore. My money's gone three days after payday and I get paid once a month. I/we look at the bright side that we actually have jobs at this point--my heart goes out to those who don't. Who know, may not be able to keep the jobs we have for the rest of this year.

[laylah]

124. I am so broke,

I can't even pay attention.

Jenn

[dana_b]

125. haven't had a raise in 6 years and

I'm losing my job on April 1st (downsizing). I'm also on partial disability so it's hard to find a job that will hire me. It's getting thin around here.

[Iggo]

126. Eight paychecks from the curb. (n/t)

[slackmaster]

127. I prefer to think of myself as "chronically sub-rich"

:argh:

[delightfulstar]

128. If it weren't for my MIL...

We wouldn't have made it this past year - she has helped us immensely, and I can't thank her enough. :)

[TwilightGardener]

131. Savings account has dwindled because of unplanned expenses this past year--

just one thing after another. What really hurt was spending $3000 on serious repairs (in addition to regular maintenance stuff) just on keeping our old truck going the last six months--my husband doesn't want to sink another dime into it, so now we're going to have to trade it in and take on another monthly payment on a "new" used truck or car, which I'm not thrilled about. But I'm also not thrilled about being stuck on the side of the road, calling tow trucks.

[sakabatou]

132. On disability, so I guess I'm broke?

[cynatnite]

133. Makes me feel better knowing that we're not alone in our struggles...

Thanks everyone.

[Evoman]

134. Not broke, but will be there soon.

Got aboout 1600 left in the bank, and I've managed to cut my expenses so that my unemployment checks pay for everything without cutting into my savings....but I only have about 5 more months to find a job.

Finding a job...hard, but probably not impossible if I actually looked for work. But I took such a beating from my last job (major depression, horrible bullying work conditions) that I'm having trouble making myself do what I have to to find a new job. Two weeks after I left that job, I got hit by a car while crossing the street...honestly, that didn't help as I've only recently recovered completely from my injuries.

I have some hope. I'm thinking of going back to school, and I've applied for admission into a Pharmacy program. But overall, my days are spent trying to ignore reality and then beating myself up for not trying harder to find work.

I used to be confident and a high achiever. Now I'm just lazy, unmotivated, and can't be bothered to improve my own life. Living without money isn't the hard part. The hard part is living without hope.

[bvar22]

135. In the 50s, 60s, and into the 70s,

a blue collar worker (non-management) without a college degree could:

*find stable employment at a good wage

*provide adequate Health Care for the whole family

*raise several children (food, clothing, school)

*buy and pay off a comfortable home in the suburbs

*take a REAL vacation every year

*buy and pay off a NEW American automobile every few years

*save enough for a comfortable retirement

Anyone could attend the State University and graduate Debt Free if willing to work a part-time job.

This WAS The NORM, not the exception.

We could have that again IF we had a Political Party that represented the Working Class.
The reality is that the lower 98% have NO representation in Washington.
The RICH are getting RICHER, the Working Class & Poor are getting poorer,
and neither political party is interested in changing that equation.



To answer the OP question:

My wife & I are poor if you count dollars,
but very rich in other ways.

We have zero income and no Health Insurance, and are hoping to stretch our savings until I reach Social Security next year. We are fortunate to own our property in rural Arkansas where we produce a good percentage of our food (chickens, BIG veggie garden, fruit trees, berries, honey bees). We freeze, can, and preserve as much as possible, and are researching and experimenting on ways to stretch the growing season and food production.
We buy almost nothing new. What we can't produce ourselves, we buy in bulk and cook from scratch.
We are currently working with several others in our area to combine our bulk buying through a cooperative.

What we can't build or make ourselves (no permits or inspections here), we buy or barter 2nd hand or salvage,
and make it work, or do without.
We cut, haul, and split firewood for heat during the Winter, and burn as little gasoline or other energy as absolutely possible.
We are fortunate to be strong, in good health, and have a combined skill set to make this fun (most of the time).

My wife & I feel grateful to have lived, worked, and saved during the times I spoke of above.
It would not be possible to do this today.


When the Working Class & The Poor realize we have more in common with each other
than we have in common with the rich ruling elite of BOTH political parties,
we can demand "CHANGE".
I fear things will have to get worse before America comes to that realization.
I probably won't live to see it.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans,
family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works, you will know them."

[BlueIris]

138. Thanks for this post. Very important. nt

[lebkuchen]

136. Even though we have the commissary in Germany

we often shop at German stores because many of the products are still cheaper than the commissary despite the strong EURO and 7% VAT on German groceries (no tax on commissary food other than a small service charge). Whenever I'm in the states, I'm shocked at the high price of food and toiletry items.

[Innoma]

137. Grim for me since 2007...

My wife is Indonesian, and the first few years of our marriage we went back and forth a few times to visit relatives. But, beginning around 2007, things got so tight for us that year after year we put off the trip again and again, to the point that now her relatives ... from a supposedly disadvantaged, poor, third-world country ... are offering to pay for us, just so they might see us again before we get old and all the little nieces and nephews become middle-aged adults. Imagine that!

You know, in days gone by, whenever things were looking pretty grim financially, I could always count on pounding the pavement in search of a new job that paid a little better, and throughout my working career, the longest I've been unemployed for any length of time was about a week, and the shortest about one hour. Things have been looking pretty dark these past few years, and I spent a good couple of months pounding the pavement again this summer, but this time, nothing. No callbacks, no interest, no deal.

And to think, some of my wife's relatives seem to have this vision of America as being a country with streets lined in gold. Ha!

[quinnox]

139. Money is a luxury

I am on unemployment, its not much.

[Cetacea]

142. No food until March. Plenty of water though.

No big deal. I've fasted before.

[JuniperLea]

143. I was raised by children of the Great Depression...

I've always been frugal. I'm ok, but I'm not saving for retirement as I should. That's going to bite me in the ass some day.

[xchrom]

148. recommend

[MzShellG]

152. Paycheck to paycheck....

And trying to stretch a dollar. I feel ur pain. :grouphug:

[virtus_contagiosa]

153. My home insurance and property taxes

both were raised last year which raised my house payment by $150 a month. $150 just like that. After my home just probably lost 20% of its value. Gas prices skyrocket for no good reason. Credit card corps slam you with multiple fees if your late or cant pay minimum. Banks slam you with fees if you overdraw. Food prices soaring. Medical costs, energy to heat homes.

Im encouraging my kids (20 and 23) to leave this fucked up mess and go get married to someone in Denmark or Finland or Germany for that matter. Just get the fuck out of AMerica because here you are only a source of income for the CorpoRats. In America you are just a consumer...nothing more. If you dont have the income to consume at the proper levels to satisfy the CorpoRats you will be stomped. They simply do not give a shit about us.

I cant even imagine what this country is going to be like in 5 years. Its quite scary really.

[Fire1]

155. So broke I can't pay attention. n/t

[JTG of the PRB]

159. I'm actually looking forward to doing my taxes so I can pay a few things.

Namely, my annual renter's insurance that's due next month (I don't have remotely enough money to pay it without my tax refund), and my futon frame is completely falling apart. I need a new couch-like item in the worst way.

I've been feeling crunched financially since November. It sucks. I try my hardest to budget carefully, but I just can't seem to make any headway or save any money at all. :(

[sofa king]

160. I've been broke since 2006.

Has anyone watched Robert Rodriguez's hilarious commentary on the making of the film Desperado (for seven thousand dollars)? At one point he says, "you just have to make a commitment to spend no money.

That's easy when you don't have any money. People have been making fun of my old jacket lately, which used to be red but which is now a nasty shade of acid rain and pink. Well I say let those chumps live two work days away from homelessness for a while, and see if they want to ditch their best beat-up jackets.

That's the biggest problem for me, that I can maintain a charade of a middle class life by schlepping along at a part-time job, but my friends and co-workers, all of whom make five to ten times what I make in a given month, simply cannot relate to my situation. Every week, I get offered five thousand dollars worth of solutions (which is more than I made last year).

Why am I blocking traffic with my shitty moped? Because I can't afford a car. Why do I ride around on a broken moped instead of getting a drivers' license? Because it's going to cost ten percent of my total annual income to get my license back. Why did I shiver all through last winter? Because it would have cost another ten percent of my total annual income to muster up a security deposit for the gas company. Why do I wear a Brooks Brothers shirt with a frayed collar? Because one of those shirts costs more than I make in a day, and I only have three of them left. Why don't I have direct deposit? Because banks won't give me a checking account. Why to I drink water when I'm dragged out to bars and restaurants? Because I can't afford to tip, and I'd rather have nothing than screw over a hard-working server. Yes, I'm cheap. I'm cheap because I'm fucking poor!

I'm nickeled and dimed at every turn. Banks won't give me an adult account, so I lose about five percent of my pay by cashing checks at the convenience store. As a percentage of my income, I pay far, far more in sales and gasoline taxes than anyone who makes a living wage. I can't take advantage of shopping on the Internet because I don't have a credit card. I pay top-dollar retail prices for everything because I have to shop where I can walk (or occasionally, ride, when the scoot works). I have to walk a mile with a laundry basket strapped to my back like I'm one of Akira Kurosawa's wood gatherers, and pay at least five bucks for two loads of laundry, which I have to haul home damp (and even heavier) so I can save fifty cents. I don't get rewards, or miles, or credit advances, or loans, or favorable interest rates, and I never will. My doctor is the heart and blood pressure monitor at the grocery store.

Digging out of that hole is turning out to take years. I may never get out. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, to live struggling and die young. But I wish I had more options.

I'll tell you something, though. Being broke isn't all bad. I value my friends and family more, and I feel I can relate to practically everyone from the well-to-do to my fellow impoverished. I know how important the smallest gesture can be. I think of others much more because I know what it's like to live in poverty and fear of more poverty. If you don't know how the other half lives yet, you'd better damned find out, because you're next, and everyone you're making fun of right now has nothing better to do than not forget it.

[Mimosa]

161. Single payer national health care would have pulled millions out of 'the hole'

They wouldn't let us have even a small break, would they? :(

[Raine]

162. I'm sorry you and so many DUer's are having such

a tough time. :hug: :grouphug:

[derby378]

169. Gas at $3/gallon, electric bills rising, out of work for five months...

I'm behind on the electric bill, but I have a new job now, so I'm slowly clawing my way out. It'll feel a lot better once that first paycheck arrives, though. Gotta keep the kitty safe and warm.

[readmoreoften]

172. Not possible! I've read that you're a middle class American with an internet connection!

You're fine. So I keep hearing....

[sofa king]

183. Not for long.

No offense, but when it comes down to a choice between food and Internet next month, I'm tossing you guys overboard.

I can't eat outrage.

[noamnety]

173. Do you mind sharing

what your main grocery store in your area is?

[keepCAblue]

176. Our fridge is empty. It's become the norm lately.

Ran out of most food basics a week ago with a week to go before pay day. It was never like this...

[customerserviceguy]

178. I have to say, I'm relatively lucky

I don't have a whole hell of a lot saved up for retirement, which gets scary as I'm 55, but I have a good steady union job, with decent benefits. I lost a job about two and a half years ago, when my company merged with competitors and cut out my workplace in the name of 'synergy'. I was able to find a part time job, which worked into a full time job as I worked my way up the seniority chain in the union.

I do talk to a lot of folks who cannot afford their bills, and I extend them every possible courtesy that I'm allowed to give, plus whatever I can beg out of my superiors on their behalf. I'm considered the 'naive' Northwestern guy at work, but I can work that to get people to work with me.

As I say to some of my customers, "I wish you and your family all the best." Sometimes it helps just a bit to hear that not everyone out there is a vulture.

[Inchworm]

180. Gonna have to say, my standard of living is at an all time low

I've been trying to dig out from a divorce since about 2001. A relatively small defaulted student loan keeps me out of school and disability keeps me from work.

I started getting a handle on it about 2005 or 2006. You know, to a point where my fixed income covered food, lights, and shelter.

This is the first year I've had no heat. I'm using an electric one that adds $120 to electric bill because I couldn't afford oil. It is currently 21 degrees outside and 49 inside. The $120 is surely missed.

This is the first year I've been a regular at local food bank. Hec, I've even went to a place for dog food. I still buy their food so I know what they get, but they DO need shots I can't afford. That has never happened with me and my dogs before this year.

Once I got past the pride of asking, I'm glad I went to the food bank.

I was amazed to see that 3 of the 4 friends who discussed their income tax refund with me got more than 1/2 of what I made in 2010 in their returns. One got 3/4 back. LoL, I was happy for them and glad to see them getting bills caught up.. but I may have secretly cried a bit about it :D

Annnyhow :rant:

I'm glad all went well while my daughter still lived here. I don't mind all this crap since I live alone... I just wish I could change it. Life is more survival than living.

:hug:

[Sonoman]

181. These replies just break my heart.

I have lost so much money in the last few years that I would be embarrassed to say how much.

Then I read here that folks are down to their last dollar.

Or, in XemaSab's case, $11.

I just want to cry.

Sonoman

[Dogmudgeon]

185. On SSDI, finally, after a decade of fighting

My adult life has been dominated by illness, and as a result, the last full health coverage I had was in 1981. It became a vicious cycle: can't get insurance because I'm sick, will stay sick because I can't get insurance. So I began to finance my medical work out-of-pocket.

Bye-bye disposable income.

None the less, I have managed to be employed full-time, and at well-paying jobs most of the time. Figuring out my life income for SSDI with my lawyer, we found that I had given slightly MORE THAN HALF of everything I made to the medical establishment -- BEFORE TAXES.

My last job, in computer programming, I made $30/hour, and was underpaid by the standards of the market. It also put me about 1% over the limit to get food stamps after I got SSDI. And I STILL run into people who think I have it easy -- "free money for laying around, watching TV, eating Twinkies/Cheese Puffs/(other socially disdained food)"!

Oh -- I also have chronic pain, and was on propoxyphene (Darvon) to contro

My adult life has been dominated by illness, and as a result, the last full health coverage I had was in 1981. It became a vicious cycle: can't get insurance because I'm sick, will stay sick because I can't get insurance. So I began to finance my medical work out-of-pocket.

Bye-bye disposable income.

None the less, I have managed to be employed full-time, and at well-paying jobs most of the time. Figuring out my life income for SSDI with my lawyer, we found that I had given slightly MORE THAN HALF of everything I made to the medical establishment -- BEFORE TAXES.

My last job, in computer programming, I made $30/hour, and was underpaid by the standards of the market. It also put me about 1% over the limit to get food stamps after I got SSDI. And I STILL run into people who think I have it easy -- "free money for laying around, watching TV, eating Twinkies/Cheese Puffs/(other socially disdained food)"!

Oh -- I also have chronic pain, and was on propoxyphene (Darvon) to control it. Until November 19th of last year, that is.

"Land of the Free", my ass. l it. Until November 19th of last year, that is.

"Land of the Free", my ass.

--d!

[StarsInHerHair]

187. yeah try to get everything at dollar store, water bill doubled for no reason

also my pain meds I now have to pay for myself.

[dionysus]

196. i'm so broke i put fake cheese on my artificial steak.

[MrSlayer]

197. Being out of work, I'm just edging by.

And it fucking blows. I'm contemplating moving back into the shadows to make some money, I can't live like this.

[TheKentuckian]

202. Never made the medium income and am now thankfully making half of that high with no benefits

I'm doing better than many but steadily declining. Always less than a month from homeless, at best.

[XanaDUer]

200. This thread is making me mad

everyone has to suffer due to the crappo policies here in the land of the free.

[Liberal_in_LA]

201. k&r for this thread. Interesting and heart breaking reading