Finally the pressure has been released! Since the start of summer, we have been swimming upstream financially. With my summer employer paying on a 40 days out basis, it makes it very hard to figure out what money we can or cannot spend. We had to cancel a trip to visit my wife’s aunt & uncle due to lack of funds and with the additional work we had done on our kitchen and the economy being the way it is, I was sweating bullets! But now I start working for a company that pays every 2 weeks and some additional paychecks have arrived. We’re not out of the woods yet. Paying quarterly taxes and insurance always takes a big chunk and then you have the regular bills and such. But for the most part, I am breathing easier and I feel a little less under the gun.
How are you doing? This economy has never been worse. I have friends who have lost jobs. I have seen people caving under the pressure. I was one of those people. I can’t recall being so stressed over money as I was a better part of this entire summer. It makes my stomach hurt and takes days off my life. I can’t imagine how people are doing it. It’s been tough and I keep looking for a silver lining in all this. But apparently we are still in a recession and it might be around for some time. So how are YOU dealing with it? Have you been able to sleep at night? Have you been hit as hard as we have? What can you do? I’m curious to hear what you do to save money or how you plan for what has happened in our country. Can you plan ahead? I mean, with the middle class in such a struggle, how can you plan? Living paycheck to paycheck. Trying to get the best education for your kids. Trying to feed them. Trying to live life with SOME taste of satisfaction. It’s close to impossible and it’s been very difficult. This is not something they teach you in school…but they need to.
So…comments are welcome! How are you doing? I wanna know…
A Round World Through Square Glasses 
Financially, this has been the worst year we’ve seen for ourselves. My parents though, have been doing better than ever, because they paid off their house and my dad started getting SS.
Mike’s company put a freeze on raises, so not only didn’t he get his merit raise last fall, when he got a promotion, he didn’t get the raise that comes with that this spring. This year, they have put a whole lot of criteria on who can get a raise and who can’t. If you didn’t pull your weight, you won’t get one, and that’s obviously going to be at each manager’s discretion. If it had just been “no raise” it would have been doable for the short term but then we had to replace the furnace and repair both cars, Mike needed a root canal, and I had to hire a lawyer, if you remember. I can’t remember another year where we had so many major expenses in such a short time span. We’re hanging in there though.
You HAVE had a bunch of things come out of nowhere. I hope that this series of life interruptions have finally passed you and now things can be a little more normal…
I’m glad your stress is lessening. Since we now have TWO kids in college at the same time … we are freaking over money. Ugh! It is so effing expensive. $700 in BOOKS for just ONE of my kids this semester.
Did you read my post today about Jane, the loss of her job and medical benefits … and the amazing adventure she is turning it into? Really inspirational …!
I can’t imagine having 2 kids in college at the same time. But it will be my turn in about 12 years. Not even looking forward to that. As for Jane, I did see your blog today but didn’t get a chance to really read it and understand the whole story. I will tackle it tonight and let you know what I think! 🙂
It has been a stressful time at House of Woody. We both work for the same company and we are in the construction industry. Thankfully we have work but getting paid for that work has been a nightmare!! At one point we were owed close to half a million and I spent many sleepless nights wondering if $$ was going to arrive in time to make payroll!
HOLY CRAP!?! A half million dollars?!?! Well then…that makes my couple thousand look like cheesie poofs! Hope it all turned out okay for you guys!
Its been a very stressful year at the Vinyl Village. The AIA reports that 52 percent of the folks in my field in this area are out of work. I guess Im lucky that Ive only had to take a 12.5 percent cut for now. And I used to have a thriving side business that is pretty much gone now. Over 2007, I think I will be down about 15-20 thousand this year. But…the lights are on, the mortgage is paid, and IM fed. So Im ok.
Sounds like you have a positive attitude about the whole thing. It’s tough these days and just being able to pay the mortgage and the other everyday living costs has become the best thing one person can do. Apparently the days of saving for a rainy day are over. I know last year alone I lost thousands of dollars in an IRA that I have been putting money into for years. I didn’t put anything into it last year. Scary stuff…
barely breathing…..but it IS getting better….I mean Hubby had to move for a job…I am thinking eventually I am going to have to go out there and join him! SAD DAY. Not to be with him, but I LOVE my job and I LOVE where I am 😦
Thus, the sadness in my blog…still trying to find the positive in life….
Your story is one of the saddest ones I know. I can’t even imagine how hard your situation must be. Keep your chin up and hopefully, at some point, life will find a way to figure it all out…
Just when we thought we had our shit together the economy tanks, the ira loses instead of gains, work not only doesn’t give our expected and much deserved raise, but also takes away all pay for overtime. The overtime is what actually lets us squeak by, so the bailey household is having a rough time. Plus alot of things done to the household this year when we were unaware of the overtime freeze. Oh, and our rainy days savings are dwindling down to the nonexistent range. I give it two or three months at the most. Just in time for the gas bills to come in. This is the first time I’ve found myself ashamed to be hoping for a bad storm to hit some part of the country so hubby can go and get a nice paycheck. Please God don’t let anyone get hurt, but let em lose their power long enough for us to get paid. I know, that really sucks. I already said I was ashamed of it. what can I say.