How are you coping these days? Share your story.

heh, personally I'm just wondering where you live. I'm about to move!

Seriously though, its actually good to hear the 'I'm still doing OK' stories. You've made sacrifices too, but it doesn't equal you groaning about it. Good for you!

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


No we don't want to hear doom and gloom stories. I'm very happy you are doing well. On a side note, the dial up hear costs as much as broadband. The phone would be $45 a month not including long distance. It is cheaper for me to go through the cable company and get a bundle package deal. Long distance is included in the phone bill. Some places have not been hit as hard and there are still many people too proud to go to a food bank.

you people make me laugh , when the sh?$ its the fan its when you guys start whining.

Originally posted by SevenThunders
Typical costs at most colleges is $40-$50K a year. A state college may be a bit less, say $30K. It's actually out of reach for most middle class Americans who have to handle all the taxes, gas and other expenses of day to day living.

Wow. I don't know what colleges you've been looking at, but I just graduated with a masters degree from a top program where total cost - if I had paid it - would have been $12,000 a year. This is at one of the top schools in the country. There is one other I can think of in state that is also a well known research school, and is even cheaper.

Of course - if you do well in school your not paying for it anyways. But even if you are, its no where near $30k a year at most schools.

reply to post by dracodie


The original post asked how we are doing, so I am not sugar coating it. I am not whining as it could be worse. I do live on my own and have made ends meet. It is just difficult with the constant rise of prices.

Originally posted by dracodie
you people make me laugh , when the sh?$ its the fan its when you guys start whining.

So that's how you're coping these days? Why post at all if you can't share your own life? Not everyone is whining about their life, they just cope with the change.

reply to post by kidflash2008


It probably varies by area. The difference is only about $20 a month, your right, by the time you add in the phone line, but when your saving money every bit helps.

reply to post by kidflash2008


I was not refering to you , what i meant was that , when people have a good life they dont care about others , or how hard life is for the less fortunate , but when they see themselves entering that reality too , its when they start complaining , im not saying everyone does that.
Sorry if im not expressing myself well


[edit on 2-7-2008 by dracodie]

[edit on 2-7-2008 by dracodie]

reply to post by dracodie


It would take quite a bit to get me to whine on ATS. I live a life that billions would kill for. A life where I can turn on the tap and the water is drinkable, where I have indoor plumbing, where I have electricity, and where raw sewage does not flow through the streets. There are a ton of people around the world who would stop at nothing to have such luxuries, which are available even to the lowest class of people in every first world country I can think of around the world.

[edit on 2-7-2008 by ALightinDarkness]

Don't drive unless I have to.

Don't eat quite as much.

Don't waste money on crap.

Hang out with friends and family more often.

Try to stay positive and think of everything I'm thankfull for.

etc etc. etc.



It's tough in the streets!

[edit on 2-7-2008 by ufo reality]

reply to post by Dearg


it doesn't really matter what we think, the fact is that the american family is being punished from many directions for many digressions. and it will get worse. i'm not saying having kids is a bad thing, God willing i might hav one (emphasis on 'one'). my problem is with parents who just plug another soul into the 'matrix'. the 'nuclear family' is dead. starting a 'nuclear family' today is the most backward, obsolete bloody thing i can imagine doing.

i think we should really ask ourselves why the enitre world plan has been about stuffing more humans into this biosphere for the last 60 years, but that's for anoter thread (and belive me, you don't want to know what i think)

I am a single mother with two children and I live in NW Arkansas. I am an associate attorney for another attorney. I know, I know, all attorneys are rich, right? Not so. I make $500 a week and I get a bonus when we settle a personal injury case. My rent is $790 a month, car payment $200 month, cable $150-200 per month, and utilities are usually $400-500 a month.

Our practice has dried up like a raisin in the sun. We haven't settled a personal injury case in months, and we are not getting any new cases. We had a thriving practice just a year ago. I haven't been able to make a car payment since March, or pay my rent since April. It's all I can do to feed my family and pay the utility bills. I had to let my car insurance go. My boss only paid me half of my salary last week, and I do not know if he will be able to pay me my salary this week either. I am now $120.00 overdrawn on my checking account because I had to pay $300 for my son's summer school and due to my boss's failure to pay me the check bounced. I don't know what I'm going to do or how I'm even going to feed my family this week. I am scared to death that I will lose my home or car before I can catch up financially. I am so stressed out I am having panic attacks and involuntary muscle spasms in my right eye that is driving me crazy. I am looking for another job and have been since January, but I can't even been able to get an interview, so the competition in the job market must be fierce. I know if I'm having this hard of a time others must also really be suffering. Of course, the ones who are suffering the most probably won't post here because they don't have free internet access at the homeless shelter.

I pray that these difficult times get better for everyone, but quite honestly I am really afraid for what the future might bring at this point in time.

Peace and abundance to all.

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


thats my point , people are whining because they have to start taking public transportation instead of going in their comfy car for example , while in other countrys people dont even have potable water , and i dont see their complains being heard , what i hear in developed countrys is people crying , because they are seing their mundane things disappearing , but still many dont seem to be happy for having a roof , water and food

reply to post by dracodie


I agree, its a sign of how selfish and overly dramatic people have become. Someone has to work more to pay for gas - and they cry as if it was the end of the world - while going home to their clean house with the lights on and with cheap food (but clean food) in the fridge.

My grandmother lived through the Great Depression as a child. She never talks about how horrible it was, or how it was the governments fault or the economy's fault for putting her and her family in dire straits. She simply says "Life isn't fair. You are entitled to nothing. When life sucks, you adjust." Nowadays, someone loses cable and people are patting them on the shoulder while they cry like someone in their family just died.

I'm with you...the "oh woe is me" victim culture is disgusting. And I certainly haven't had anything handed to me in life - I just can't bring myself to cry about how bad my life is when billions would kill for it.

[edit on 2-7-2008 by ALightinDarkness]

reply to post by dracodie


What do you want me to cry about? i am happy with my life , i have all the minimal thing that guarantee my survival , i dont need a car , i use public transportation , i dont buy expensive cloth , i am happy with my average pc , with a crappy internet connection , i am almost broke , and i dont have enough money to enter university.

Im sorry guys but its sad that you are so wasteful.

Heres what my income is like.

i just cashed my monthly check for 800$.

My rent is 615 $. That leaves me with 185$.

Electric. 80 $. ive got 105$ left.

Internet/Phone 60$. 55 left...

Food. 400$ +
Now im 300+ in debt on my discover card.

Car insurance. 75$ . Credit card agian.

Car repairs? Cant afford it. So i pray to god my car doesnt break.

Dental work? I do need my wisdom teeth removed, 4 years ago!
Still cant afford to get them taken out. Constant pain.

medical bills? I was in the hospital last week. I guess i cant afford that either.

I have a wife and 2 kids btw that im paying for also.
Diapers / clothing / etc
Credit card or we dont get new cloths basically.

I am wearing shoes that are 10years old. The rubber has fallen off the bottom years ago. So guess what? I wont get new shoes for the rest of my life probably.

If i buy any shoes, its for my daughter or son. Not for me.

My kids get most of their clothing from family members (presents/handmedowns)

I cant afford to drink a single beer. Ever.

I owe HSBC 3000 $ for a computer i bought 4 years ago for 1000$.
Ive paid them over 2000 $ since i bought it, but since i missed a payment once, the intrest rate is over 20% now. They want a payment of 700 $ a month now. Like i can ever pay that off HAH!
No they wont lower the intrest, no they wont give me any breaks.

Ya im basically oweing 5000$ on my 1000$ 4year old computer. Thats the biggest mistake i ever made in my life.

My bank account Showed -275$ yesterday. If i deposited my check of 800$ in there, i would be able to afford even my monthly rent (and i live in the slums!)

So i had to open a new bank account at a different bank just to stay afloat one more month. I cant imagine the hell in store for me next month. I would commit suicide but i have 2 kids depending on me to love them and keep them alive. So ill stay alive and fight for them. I am my childrens only hope , and i Plan to give them happiness.

You wanna know how i cope? I just pretend this is all a nightmare. And that ill wake up soon. And life will be like it was 10years ago.

I couldnt even list all the debt and expensives i collected just to make it by.

We eat ramen noodles almost every day. Or Rice. Oh well, its actually pretty tasty with some veggies. If i can afford them.

I can afford to eat out (at burger king) maybe once a month. ON credit card of course. 15$ is super expensive to feed my family, so its a little treat as rare as it is.

My credit rating is prolly worthless now. Ive reached my limits.

Next month i wont be able to afford food. Thank GOD i stocked up on canned food. I may have a month's supply stashed. THANK GOD.

In 60 days, its almost a certainty My two kids wife and I will live in our small cramped car.
I cant even afford to fix it. The engine light has been on two months now. Oh well, i just pray and hope.

Theres nothing i can really do about it.
My registration sticker ran out 2 years ago, i cant afford a new one (its not free and id rather have dinner tonite)
My inspection sticker ran out 2 years ago. Id fail inspection anyways and need 400-600$ in car work . Oh well...thats how life works.

I am probably going to jail over this parking ticket my wife got for me while she took one of the kids to Hospital 2months ago. I cant afford to pay 25$ to them. I have Negative Money. They dont accept that.
They send a letter and gave me 60days to pay it or ill go to jail for it.
That was 2 weeks ago.

Jail for a parking ticket? Man i hate this stupid world lol. So greedy.

How do i Cope? I just remind myself - MONEY is worthless. Material things are worthless.

I have my kids and my wife. Thats all i need. If they have a roof over their head tomorrow and some rice to eat, thats all we need.

I cant get on welfare/food stamps because they say "Prove your income."
I show them my bank statement and they say "You could have secret bank accounts"
I show them my income statements, and they say "You could have secret incomes"

SO i get rejected for assistance. Dont even dare tell me to go apply for welfare for the 5th time. It just wont happen, they dont accept me even with my income of -1000$ a month.

And all these charity groups everywhere, but none of them give anything to poor people like me. Thats why i spit on charity organizations. They are Frauds IMO. Ive never seen any of them give anything to ppl who have nothing. Even the food banks are empty now.

All the while, the elite have billions and billions of dollars. I bet they are living well.

I fight with my wife everyday. What do u expect me to be in a good mood?
No im angery 24/7. I yell. I scream. It solves nothing. I do feel better tho after i get it off my chest.

Im Screwed. Plain and simple. And theres No way out. They say i need to work at least 20years to work my way up the corporate ladder. By then ill have starved to death tho. LOL

Anyways...Ill stop my rant.

I cope by ignoring bill collectors or telling them to go to hell basically.

I dare them to sue me. They wont get anything. Ever. Id never have anything to give.
So i dont have any hope. I love america but i hate these corporations for ruining it.

People say "If you dont like America move somewhere else!" OH YEA? It costs at LEAST 4000 $ to move to canada retard. Give me the 4000$ and ill gladly get the hell out of this hellhole. By the way ill need you to pay for my passport too!

I WILL ADD :::: I am happy being alive and thankful for what i still have left. Dont get me wrong. I LOVE AMERICA . I just hate nazi corporations for destroying me.

[edit on 2-7-2008 by muzzleflash]

reply to post by muzzleflash





Hang in there brother......your little ones need you.

People have made it in the past on a fraction of what we survive on. I know it is little comfort now, but you seem like a good guy and a born survivor...you WILL pull through.

Best of luck, and remember there are two things the a**holes of this world can never take away from you... and that is your dignity and your sense of hope.

Don't ever ever EVER ever give up.

Seventhunders:

I read your post sir/mam. I would think with your PHD in EE and your two masters degrees(not sure what those are in), that it would be easy for you to find a job; that may depend on where you live though. I don't know where you live, or how you live or if you are interested in foreign affairs, but have you ever thought what your electrical engineering skills could bring to a government agency, such as CIA? I'm sure there are plenty of positions CIA has to offer in the Directorate of Science, for people like you. Click on this link and check out the opportunities, they are endless: www.cia.gov...

Best...BOC

One of the nice things of where I live is it is so close to the Metra station and a bus depot. I don't know how the people can manage it in areas where there is limited public transportation.

180 foot power line/tower things are being put basically in my backyard. The whole community is outraged. These towers cause health issues, raise taxes, affect the water system, and are just plain loud & annoying.

Also, we can try to sell our house but who's going to buy a house with a tower by it that's nearly 200 feet tall that supports power in NJ & NY. (I live in PA by the way)

So that part of life sucks.

Uhm, Obama is going to raise taxes but I voted him over Hilary....but he still lost PA.

Uhm..waiting for Iran to be attacked by Israel and we can join in and cause the US to go into another depression and become even more hated by the world, particularly the Middle East.

Uhmm..yeah, that's about it right now.