How has the poor global economy affected your family?

[Babyjustrun]

Ya, I have to agree with you Hilary.
I haven't found that my family is affected too much.
I feel kind of terrible saying this...but yesterday we went on a shopping spree in buffalo and bought tons of clothes--even though the dollar is only at .80 (approx) we're not rich by any stretch of the word...I guess we're just stupid.

My mom works on HR of a company that has branches all across Canada and the U.S and she's been having to do TONS of layoffs lately.
She also got an almost $50,000 bonus this past february (though she is having to take a slight salary decrease this year)

Anyways, all in all, I don't feel like my family has been affected, and I haven't noticed much change in the economy around me.
(and minimum wage went u to $9.50 on wednesday, so now I get paid $9.75/hr instead of $9.10!)

Righty-o, I forgot about the dollar. Seen as the Canadian dollar is currently in the ****ter, that's another reason for our not travelling.

I've been buying stuff right and left simply because I have money. I've saved maybe 1000, but I still have about 2500 that I owe for my Europe trip next year. Tonight I wanna take my parents out for dinner, for no reason.
If anyhting, I've become more frivelous. My parents are still the same as they always be with money, it's just with today's technology and stuff, they have more wants than they did. And now they have the money, so why not buy what they couldn't have int he past. They deserve it.

I'm so glad to be paid over minimum wage here. Ours is the lowest, I think minimum wage is like 7.75. I think it went up to 8 MAYBE. But I was being paid 8 when it was 7.75 and now I'm paid 8.50.
So pretty good.

 

[PosessedEeyore]

It hasnt affected my family at all...
Both of my parents still have their jobs...
My mum is a nurse and my dads in the National Guard, so I dont really think that anything will happen with them...

I really wish the best to all of you who have been affected.

 

[disney100666]

Not yet, thankfully.
-knocks on wood-

My mom works for Dunkin Donuts Corporate and they are doing really well, so we're glad she still has a job.

We've always cut coupons and always use them every week when we go grocery shopping.
I almost never miss the school bus so that's good for my mom so she's not putting so much more miles on her car and then having to pay for more gas.

 

[disneydance]

It really hasnt affected my family...
I mean my lost her job last June but it was because she couldnt work more hours...
She got a new job in January even though she didnt have to (my dad didnt want her to go back to work)
Because she didnt want to be a house wife...
Shes now making more than she was making at her old job my dad just got a hugmongous(sp?) raise etc...
I feel like a spoiled brat I mean my parents have always been really wealthy...
Loads of people I know parents are getting layed off as my dad company and my dad just got a huge raise
I find it really sad since the company is a big company (Boeing) and lots of people around us are hurting because of this and were just sitting there buying things just because
My moms always been one to save money when she goes grocery shopping etc...
She sees it as why spend the money when you dont need to but she doesnt save unless its her monthly trip where she stocks up
If shes running in to the store to get things just because she will loads of money and not save a penny...
I guess that I sound very spoiled through this ecconomy since my parents are really not affected
:hugs: to anyone who is affected I know its a really hard thing to have to go through loads of people are being foreclosed on and its really sad to see...

 

[Cinderelli16]

It really hasnt affected my family...
I mean my lost her job last June but it was because she couldnt work more hours...
She got a new job in January even though she didnt have to (my dad didnt want her to go back to work)
Because she didnt want to be a house wife...
Shes now making more than she was making at her old job my dad just got a hugmongous(sp?) raise etc...
I feel like a spoiled brat I mean my parents have always been really wealthy...
Loads of people I know parents are getting layed off as my dad company and my dad just got a huge raise
I find it really sad since the company is a big company (Boeing) and lots of people around us are hurting because of this and were just sitting there buying things just because
My moms always been one to save money when she goes grocery shopping etc...
She sees it as why spend the money when you dont need to but she doesnt save unless its her monthly trip where she stocks up
If shes running in to the store to get things just because she will loads of money and not save a penny...
I guess that I sound very spoiled through this ecconomy since my parents are really not affected
:hugs: to anyone who is affected I know its a really hard thing to have to go through loads of people are being foreclosed on and its really sad to see...

You must feel very fortunate.

 

[disfan07]

We've been affected but im not sure if its more b/c of the economy or b/c of my increasing medical bills.....probably a combination of both

Until September 2006, my dad whos an engineer had a very good paying job (>$100,000) and my mom worked part time as an administrative assitant at a high school and her pay was more of "fun money" (vacations, movies, etc)

September 2006, my dad got laid off but only for about a month before his company "created" new job for him but it paid substatiallly less (<$90,000) than his old job but it meant that we would have health nsurance whihc was essential

He worked at this job for a yr before they told him that they couldnt guarantee that he would have his job after October 2008 so he went looking for new jobs
We lived in virginia, and he got a new job in california a year ago
Which meant, we had to sell our house in this crappy market
he moved out to california while my mom adn i stayed in virginia to sell the house. He moved in july 2008. Our house was valued at $625,000.....it was on the market for 4 months and we got desperate b/c we couldnt pay a mortgage and apartment rent for my dad so we sold our house for $100,000 less than what it was worth

We're some of the lucky ones though
My dad has a job that pays well and has good benefits, my mom found another job and i have a part time job as well as babysitting

We are feeling the crunch though....that cross country move drained us financially, my borther and i are both in college, adn my medical bills are piling up like crazy with no end in sight...its hard and at this point, its living day by day
Really, i say as long as we can pay our mortgage, health insurance, food, car payments....we're good
Our goal for a vacation is Disneyworld June 2010.....if we have to put it off, we do....disney will still be there in 2011

 

[diva122094]

it hasn't really affected my family yet.my dad owns two resturants with one on the way. my mom doesn't work. it seems like my family has been spending waaaay more since before christmas. hopefully, nothing bad happens.