Anyone Else Feeling The Wrath Of The Economy???

[OhMari]

My DH is a mail carrier...no more OT for him either! He used to get about an hour a day...really adds up!!

What the heck is he suppose to do, run to people's homes? If it takes him 9 hours a day to deliver-how is he suppose to clip an hour off.




My dh works too 65 hours a week. I'm waiting for the boom to hit too. But we haven't had a vacation since a year ago April. I actually work 3 jobs to put our kids through college. I have one graduating this year and another starting in the Fall. Don't even get me started on finance aid. What a joke.

But if you look at my sig-we are going on vacation in Nov. we got a 40% off code on our rooms.

 

[DisBride2007]

On a happier note...(Oh...I hate to jinx it)....I think I am seeing a slight change...for the better...Others have seen it, too. Michigan was hit a few years ago...Way before the rest of the other states...so..if we are beginning to climb out of the "gutter" as I call it...Maybe this is a good sign...and all of us will see better times...

Oh, I hope you're right. I'm a native Michigander and it makes me so sad to see what has happened to the state. My parents have had their house on the market for 2 years. I have my fingers crossed that things will get better!

 

[mnasmom3]

Yep. We're feeling it, too. My dh used to get a company car as a benefit and that was taken away at the end of last year whent he company was bought out. New employer gave a less than ample pay raise instead of the car. Having to get a new car for dh put a strain on our finances. My hours are less and less these days as well. I make decent money....as long as I'm at work. I'm a dental hygienist and we're feeling the pain at the office with so many people not having insurance any longer or not being able to pay their copays. No patients = no pay for me. So, another pay cut there. And, of course, the rising cost of anything and everything.......

 

[bdcp]

I am not having an work issues but I am really tired of not making anything in my 401K account and watching my regular stock account go down a lot, then shoot up a little, then back down. I just want to be worth what I was say...early last Oct!

To put that into perspective, 401k's buy a variety of stocks with the money you are putting in as well as possibly matching. The money you are currently investing is buying at low prices which is actually a very good investment strategy. So, dont' look at it as your "losing" money. In the long run, you will make more because you are buying at low prices and will inevitably sell at higher prices when you are withdrawing at retirement. This is not the time to sell. It's the best time to invest. Our 401K's have lost a lot less percentage wise that the market as a whole. We own no individual stocks as they are much riskier.

 

[sandisuze]

my job is NOT recession proof- and I worry as i have done the same thing for 8 years- But there's nothing I can do about it so i shouldn't worry- but I do

Hubbys job is booming for now- they were just bought by a huge company and all seems to be ok (we hope) they have been lied to before by other owners but this is a BIG national company that bought them. so maybe all will be ok.
all we can do is be careful and watch what we do and spend wisely.

 

[TheRatPack]

Hubby had 16 hours overtime last week...but it's odd that he's still getting any OT. He works in HVACR and so 95% of his customers/work comes from restaurants. Most people aren't eating out anymore...so you'd think that it would work it's way up the ladder and hit his hours...but luckily it hasn't. I'm SOooooo glad, and I hope everything straightens out before too much longer. We're still trying to cut back though, we don't want to be hit by surprise if all of a sudden his work just dies off.

 

[mpls_mm]

Hubby had 16 hours overtime last week...but it's odd that he's still getting any OT. He works in HVACR and so 95% of his customers/work comes from restaurants. Most people aren't eating out anymore...so you'd think that it would work it's way up the ladder and hit his hours...but luckily it hasn't. I'm SOooooo glad, and I hope everything straightens out before too much longer. We're still trying to cut back though, we don't want to be hit by surprise if all of a sudden his work just dies off.

I hear that people don't eat out anymore but there is still an hour wait for most places if we go at dinner time. I had to wait an hour and fifteen minutes for Outback last week We eat out at least 4 or 5 times a week and I don't notice a slow down.

 

[chefkellyb]

We're definitely feeling it. I was RIF'ed (reduction in force) on 4/30. Didn't even see it coming. I worked for a ready-mixed concrete supplier and this industry is really feeling it. The funny thing is... just two nights before the news of my layoff, I worked a 14 hour day (for no OT - I was salaried) just to catch up before the month ended. I worked with another gal who equally clocked a lot of hours (no OT either). I thought my boss was bringing me in the office to tell me that they were going to bring another person in to help us out. I really feel for the other gal that I worked with - but... not my problem now! My boss was crying hard while telling me the news - it wasn't her decision, I was just a number.

On a happier note, I was miserable and was secretly taking college courses at night to get my certificate to teach elementary school kids. This just bumped up my goal to take more classes and start my new career sooner. The only bummer - I will have to go without any pay for 11 months even with my severance package. I am getting really creative with ways to stretch the dollar and have been checking on these threads often!

So, all in all- with my lemons I am adding Triple Sec, Tequila and limes and making margaritas out of the situation. Thanks for listening!

 

[minniebeth]

The airline my DH worked for went bankrupt and he lost his job but we took those lemons and he made lemonade, he had 3 offers within 2 weeks for new jobs and took one paying much more a year so we were truly blessed.

Oh my goodness! I can only guess which airline?! We are so sad about it and we were so thinking about all the employees that have put their heart and soul into the company! I'm SO glad to hear that your DH got something even better! Good Luck!

We just "sold" our small business because we were losing money on it every month because expenses just kept skyrocketing and we literally couldn't afford to keep it going. I say "sold" because the people coming into it paid pennies on the dollar. It is usually the 2nd and 3rd owners of small businesses that do well with it.

About the economy: I'm just trying to keep a positive attitude and embrace it as a challenge head on to be as as resourceful as possible!
to everyone in this challenging time!

 

[tasha99]

I'm feeling it here. I work as a legal assistant and never get enough hours, but we somehow always managed to get by. Now, my 17 year old son has moved back AND gas and food have gone up. I'm spending a little more each week than I make, a situation that can't go on much longer. I'm putting resumes out, but it makes me sad to think I may have to change jobs. I want to find another part time job that has benefits (ie, a government job) and keep the job I have. My boss is great to work with, and I make a fine hourly wage. I just need so many more hours . . . Realistically, if I haven't found a suitable part time job by the end of the summer, I'm going to have to look at full time work elsewhere and quit the job I have now.

 

[WDWorBUST]

DH was laid off 04/18. We knew the company wasn't doing well - but we weren't ready for it just yet. We had been working towards it but we just weren't there yet. We're okay right now - he is umpiring little league baseball and he will get unemployment (no severance) - but what stinks is they take what he make umpiring away from his unemployment benefit - which I understand but he was already umpiring BEFORE the layoff so it still feels kind of like a slam. However the unemployment will be there while he's looking after baseball season. It's just so discouraging because in the 3 weeks he's been out of work he has sent out a dozen or more resumes and not had a single phone call. He is scouring Monster & all the other job sites and the local classifieds daily and applying for anything that he is qualified for that would have him making at least close to what he was. But so far nothing. So I totally can relate.

 

[Karenj2]

It's a mixed bag for us - up until last week, DH and I worked for the same company. When DH got this job (originally he was in sales) it was a huge paycut, so money was tight for us. We had put our house on the market, and had quite a few showings.

Well, the company we worked for is indirectly tied to the housing industry.
Our company has been doing all that we could to prevent layoffs; they instituted a salary freezes, had a "spirit of discipline" where each department at the HQ had to cut its budget, etc. Well, despite all that, we still had a round of layoffs at the corporate level. Luckily both DH and I survived, but it scared the pants off of us! DH had been thinking about getting back into sales, and applied for a job (and got it!!!)

So, even though the company I work for is feeling the strains of the economy, our personal lives aren't. (Well, we will until DH gets his first paycheck. ) Forgot to add that we also took our house off the market!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

We aren't feeling it yet, but I am so worried. Dh is getting out of the Army in 4 months and since he's been deployed overseas he hasn't been able to job hunt at all yet, but he will be starting next month. He has some pretty marketable experience, but we have 5 kids and I am really scared that he won't find a job. So I have put off our debt reduction goals for the past year and concentrated on putting as much money into savings as I could. Right now I have about 7 months of bare bones expenses put away, I hope it's enough.

 

[captnJacksmommy]

We are feeling it here in Kentucky, dh has told me that when we get home from disney I have to get a job. I haven't worked in 2 years!!! I don't want to leave my baby yet(he's 19 months) my dh has a good job but we want to buy our first home this summer and with gas prices at 3.95 a gallon looks like mommy is going back to work and Captn Jack is going to daycare. Good luck everyone!

 

[shortbun]

I was doing a quick grocery stop last night when I noticed that the price of soda had gone up - the sale price. I shrugged and said under my breath, 'they need to give up soda and drink water anyway.' A woman standing near me laughed and said, "I just thought the same thing. We'll be giving up lots of things that are bad for us, won't we?" We talked for a minute about the prices all around us and how we could remember this winter paying much less. When gasoline hit $3.95 two days ago here and my tank light was on, I bought 3 gallons. I remembered 30 years ago when I did stuff like that because I was broke. Not broke now, just stubborn. Gasoline is 10 cents cheaper today and I'll fill up. gasp

I hope good jobs open up for all those looking!!

 

[rileysmommy]

I hear that people don't eat out anymore but there is still an hour wait for most places if we go at dinner time. I had to wait an hour and fifteen minutes for Outback last week We eat out at least 4 or 5 times a week and I don't notice a slow down.

My dh is a restaurant manager so please, no slow downs in the restaurant business.

Actually his restaurant is in a higher income area of NJ so hopefully they will be able to ride this out. He says they are noticing a bit of a slow down but fortunately he is also the party manager and his party sales are doing really well.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

DH is self-employed and thankfully, he's as busy as ever. But, we are still feeling the pinch. In this economy, he can't raise his prices but his costs are going up all the same. So, that translates into less money in our pockets at the end of the month.

And I no longer even look at our SEP IRA statements. It makes me ill to think of how much money we've lost in the last few months.

 

[clarabelle]

mad4themouse
When stock market starts to rise again -it should really rise. Hopefully this is just a paper loss not a real one.(as long as you don't pull out)
Historically the recovery will make up for anything big lost now.

 

[Jeanne B]

My husband and I, along with our sons, took several cuts in our pay so our employees wouldn't have to. It has to get better because we simply can't take any more cuts.

I was impressed when I read this comment, not all business owners would cut their own salaries before their employees.

 

[LorieR]

My DH was laid off from his consulting job at the airport a few months ago supposedly for a "few months." The way things are going with fuel prices, I don't hold out much hope he will be returning anytime soon. I also just found out that the physician I work for is being sued for malpractice and worst-case scenario might have his licensed suspended for a while. I am just hoping for the best and starting to look for something else....