How is the recession affecting you? (Discussion Topic)

Christine,
Tell your friend that I'm sorry if she looses her job, I have teacher friends or teacher's in general that I'm surrounded who are stressed about loosing their jobs next year. I'm stressing out that I don't have a job....I'm looking at Nordstroms right now to find a job lolololol (no joke)

LOL...I bet it would sell like hotcakes!

Don't get me started on Arnold. What's next, Steven Segal for Secretary of State? Dolph Lundgren for Treasurer? LOL It's really unbelievable!

I never saw him cruising around but I believe you. I doubt he is cutting back but one can hope!

Drea, when will you start school? At least with Nursing you won't have to worry about recessions.

I'm going to take a class this Summer (need to take Anatomy, microbio, psyology(sp?) Then I can enroll in nursing program....And will be taking the rest of science classes in Fall.
But I need to work at the same time, so need to find a summer gig also.

Hmm. I am underpaid and overworked. I don't think it has to do with recession however, they do use it as an excuse! There is a possibility that my mom will be laid off next month unless her company finds someone else to invest in her Dept (she works for the editorial dept at TV Guide).

 

My dad and Hans both have jobs where they work at least 12-16 hour days to make what my mom and I make (which is not much). We live in Cali, where everything is ridiculously expensive. I really have no clue how we will afford to make it. Its a scary time

 

Any Jamy, Ann, I do look at gas prices. $60 to fill up my car is ridiculous. My mom spends about $80 for her SUV. Insane!

We haven't really felt too much of an impact (knock on wood!). I work in technology and after 2001 when my industry collapsed, I'm super-paranoid about being out of work again.

 

Frank is more vulnerable than I am, IMO. He's a customer service manager for a company that handles the retail industry. But, even tho the owners threaten they're losing their major accounts (and have threatened this for the last 2 years), they told him today that even if that happened, he would have nothing to worry about--- he's their "keeper".

 

For me, I'm still in technology, but the new job I took last July came with a 40% pay increase off the bat, my bonus was 75% of the total possible amount, and the annual increase was 5% this year. I've also taken more steps to keep myself in the "asset" column of the employee list: I work later at night, work more in the office than from home to get the visibility, took on the largest client we signed, and have designed quite a few software applications that are now being implemented into our core product line, as well as taking on some department projects that will help us increase efficiency.

 

We're starting to look at building a house later this year, but we'll probably keep an eye on the market to make sure we don't jump into it too early and risk losing better interest rates & builder incentives. It's a gamble, but at the same time, we're still going to buy at a better time for the market than any other time we'd consider, so that's fine with me.

 

We don't go overboard on expenses tho. We spend more wisely: we're putting more into the 401K and short-term less risky investments, and are only keeping about $1000 in emergency money for now while we throw all our "extra" toward debt to pay it all off. We drive "efficiently"--- I started driving the SUV because I have the shorter commute, and on weekends, we drive the economy car. We also use rewards cards/memberships to get the lowest gas prices as possible. We also tighten the reins on entertainment: instead of going to the movies, we do the blockbuster monthly rental thing; instead of going out to eat at more expensive places like we used to, we go to lower-end restaurants like Fridays, Applebee's, etc... when we do go for dinner. And, instead of heading to the bar to drink- we've become closet drinkers at home.

i second the closet drinker thing

We do all this, too. But, I really prefer it. I'd rather be on my comfy couch eating my own popcorn than at a theatre. I also prefer hanging out at a friends having a few drinks than going to a smokey, loud bar. I get my fill of expensive dinners out when they are paid for by my program. I'm going to my favorite restaurant in town with a nobel prize winner in a couple of weeks! I just found out today. When I'm paying, we go to cheap local mexican restaurants most the time & split chicken fajitas. Yummm. Or we use restaurant.com (google for a 60%-70% off coupon).

I think that if I had my American life back I probably wouldnt be able to tell the difference but in the past 2 months BOY HAVE I EXPERIENCED IT. More so because of the drop in the dollar. The dollars has never been strong when compared it to the pound or euro but since I am in Asia its amazing what I can do with my dollar! I could probably retire in the Phillipines or move to Thailand and live like royalty but somehow I am feeling the shift in what my dear ole dollar can do. For example, my rent is 210,000 yen a month. about 6 months ago that was equivelent to $1800.00 USD Today my rent will probably be $2,100.00 USD. That is $300.00 more! I normally pocket that extra $300.00 - not anymore! In January I could buy gas (from the US Military Base) and fill up my car for $30. Two weeks ago it was $42. (THere goes my 1 happy hour drink!) I usually travel alot on my holidays and this Spring Break I am staying my broke butt at home. Crap! Now that I think about it that $300 bucks I have lost each month for the past 3 months could have sent me to Saipan or Thailand!

The US Government is trying its best to support us government employees overseas during this time but its getting hard with so many cutbacks and funding issues. But they cannot strategically afford removing their military and diplomatic presence from certain parts of the world. Asia is one of them. Recently within the last few years, so many European bases have been shut down which has caused alot of teachers and civilian employees the risk of losing their jobs.

All in all, Im probably doing better as a single teacher here than in the states. There is no way I could afford a $2,000 house by myself in Texas or even get married in Fiji. So I am not really pissed off, Im just venting.

I have heard a lot about this on CNN and the news about the economy being so bad. My FI talks about it too affecting business (night life and music biz) that people aren't going out as much for fun.

 

But for me, we are in such great need for what I do that I have never been this busy nor this finacially stable but in a way it's unfortunate... I am a Behavior Therapist working with Kids with Autism. I have been doing it for 6 years now and each year it gets worse. It's literally an epidmeic. Our company turns new cases away daily.

 

I also just got a prius, I was paying $200 dollars a month in gas with my old car..now I am paying $60 dollars a month, I really notice the difference.

this obviously saves me a lot of money.