How are you coping these days? Share your story.

$10 a pack in NYC, still cheaper than the UK.
I wonder if they're going to start to sell 10 cigarette packs like they do in the UK?
In rural Greece you can still buy single state made cigarettes at the store, at this rate, it's not such a bad idea for the States.

reply to post by argentus


S has always been HTF for someone, somewhere. The difference is that today our need to feel that we have it bad comes in waves because the meda is constantly telling us how horrible everything is.

If people get this hysterical over not being able to pay for cable or having to spend more for optional items (internet, nor cigarettes, are required for you to live), I can't wait to see the sobbing that's going to go on when we actually hit a real recession.

I will continue to be thankful that my apartment is lighted, cooled, heated, and has running water - even though it is old and small. That my car may be 15 years old, but it runs. That I live in a state and in a country where such luxuries are taken for granted, although hundreds of millions if not billions of people would consider such conditions to only be for the richest of the rich.

[edit on 2-7-2008 by ALightinDarkness]

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


I hear you. I think the most effective survival quotient in my life has been love. If one is fortunate enought to find someone they can share everything with, then everything ELSE takes a lesser prescedence. We have the will and the skills to adapt. What we once were or once did is mindfluff and matters little. What's in the rear-view mirror is not important. So we create strategies to deal with the worst case that we can imagine, and ...... in the process, when things don't turn out that way, we are ahead.

I am currently the king of coconuts. Go ahead and laugh, but if you were sitting on a several colossal mounds of coconuts wouldn't you feel calm? The possibilities are many, not to mention the fact that no matter what nasty hurricane smacks us, there WILL be food.

cheers

And we have yet to hear from our friends in the flood plains of the US.
I'm sure internet access is not at the top of the list of their priorities.
I wonder if our government is giving them the help they so sorely need.
I would also like to invite our moderators and/or site owners to chime in with their perspective should they so wish.

[edit on 7/2/2008 by schrodingers dog]

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


Well said. I go barefoot a lot, but I own shoes. Much of the world would LOVE to own shoes, of any vintage. I have no water worries..... cisterns catch rainwater, we have a working well with both ac and dc draw. All else, for us, is fluff. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I feel the difference from say, 10 years ago, but it's a difference that we anticipated to some extent. I worry most of all for the city dwellers. It just hurts. Opinions burn.

Originally posted by GorehoundLarry
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.

LOL You make me almost choke with my cigarette, too funny !!!



Sorry but I`ve been working in high voltage apparatus for nearly 17 years now, with voltages ranging from 25,000 to 315,000, and I`m still ok.

I agree that they take room, and are loud, but beware of those Cell Phone Antennas, those are the real health hazardous things.

Take care buddy

Grinder

One of the interesting dynamics I have observed with a lot of people is a complete denial of what seemingly awaits us and them economically in the US.
I have many friends and acquaintances who continue to spend as if nothing is changing. Some don't want to tell their wives that they are running out of money out of pride, so the wives naturally go on spending as usual. In a way they are trying to shield their wives hoping against hope that something will happen "deus ex machina" to change their fortune. Others keep on going out and buying bottle service in night clubs because they don't want their friends to know that they are in trouble.
Mind you, I'm not judging them, I've probably done the same thing at some point in my life. It's hard to tell the person who loves you that she is going to have to sacrifice. But in my case, I was lucky, she just called me stupid and made me promise to never lie again. Then, she thankfully took full control of our finances and since has had me on an allowance. Best emasculation ever!

reply to post by dracodie


Quote 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 Quote

Of course we are happy with those things, you are hearing people worrying that "THEY WILL LOSE THOSE THINGS" and don't tell me that it does not happen in developed countries. I used to live in a very large city, and personally saw many people living on the streets without food, shelter (unless you consider a cardboard box shelter) and fresh water. I've seen small children homeless, by themselves in an alcove afraid and hungry. Tell me, this does not happen in developed countries and I will dare you to open your eyes and look around. It DOES happen, and it IS happening.

I honestly think it is easier for my family to cope then the average North American family. We used to live in Iraq when there were sanctions, water only ran for about 5-10 minutes every 2-3 days, electricity was a luxury if we can get it 1-2 times a week, a lot of big companies were bombed back to the stone age and it was extremely hot. If we can survive that then we could survive anything that N/A throws at us. Coping is a lot easier when you have been through this kind of tragedy before.

It is all about moderation. You do not need the luxury of eating out, or sodas. You would be surprised on how much each family spends on soda each year, or how much people spend on McDonald's.

reply to post by Equinox99


It's a little off topic, but could you describe to us what the conditions are like now in Iraq as far as quality of life and safety?
We hear many things here about how things are improving because of the "surge" though no one really buys it.
Do you hear from friends and/or family?

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Yeah actually I do hear from family. They say it sucks a lot worse then back in the early 90's. It is much harder to get food, water and electricity. My aunt told us last week that it was about 40 C degrees, and they were out of water. There are children roaming the streets with diseases because a lot of doctors in their district have left Iraq or were murdered. They get death threats to wear hijabs because we are Christian.

honestly, life was a lot easier when Saddam was around. You did not have to watch over your shoulder, nor did someone have to stay up all night in case death squads came to your neighborhoods. Sure his sons were pricks but that is a small price to pay. Now, you always have to watch over your shoulders and make sure no one is following you. If someone is then chances are your going to get abducted or killed.

Also about one year ago my relatives friend was gunned down after coming home from university. She dies in her fathers arms.

The soldiers always give them a hard time. They get stopped at every checkpoint and hassled.

Man, I can't muster an intelligent response to what you are describing.
Is there work around? I mean if one takes their life in their own hands and goes out, can they find employment and pay their bills?

It depends on what you can do. Luckily my relatives are all old and my uncle has been with the same plant for about 20-25 years. So they are doing pretty good for money. But the unemployment rate in Iraq is 25-30%. So if you do not have connections then you are out of luck. Food is outrageously expensive and so is water.

reply to post by Equinox99


But are things really improving or is it all BS propaganda?

I live in Bay St Louis, MS. I got wiped out in Hurricane Katrina. We've managed to collect another house full of stuff. I opened a small restaurant (my first attempt at a business) about 8 mouths after the storm. I did great for a while, but business has fallen this year. We almost make enough to pay most of the bills on time. Our only income is the business. We are finding many ways to cut back on things like going out to eat and basic cable. We have cut back on things at work too. I wonder how far we are going to have to go with this. We can't afford to take our kids on a vacation. We rarely have enough to take them to a movie or something like that.
I would probablly be concidered less financially stable than you & this is where we're at. The folks less fortuinate than me don't have cable, or 2 cars, they don't take pets to the vet, or eat out, or insurance (of any kind). There the new middle class & if something dosen't change we will all be there in our lifetimes.
I try to enjoy & be grateful for thing like my healthy children, beautiful sunsets & God's love. All this other stuff just depresses the BLEEP out of me.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Improving how? The unemployment rate is still climbing, there is still a war between the Sunni's and Shia, there is still no water, food is higher then ever, it is very hot, and the soldiers are still giving every Iraqi a hard time.

Short answer: nope.

Wow, it's so sad hearing some of the stories here. Life really has been hard with inflation and obligations.

Well, when my family of 3 came to Virginia, only my dad worked. He earned about $35000 a year and had only $27000 after taxes because we were foreigners. Everything that we did was cheap. We never went to restaurants, we used dialup, rent for the university apartment was $500/month with all utilities covered, we bought a used car for $3000, ate cheaply ($300/month). Gas at that time wasn't really expensive so that didn't matter. In the end, we actually saved up a relatively large amount of money after insurances and such. Maybe 30%?

Nowadays, trying to save even 10% is hard. Both my mom and dad work, but the Florida keeps getting poorer. Now I have to buy all my textbooks ($1000) even for public school and after paying $2000 in taxes to the school board. You know what they did with the money? They bought every teacher a $500 GPS so that they "woundn't get lost". We paid off our car with the surplus from Virginia a while ago so thats good. But the house is draining our money. State property taxes are unfair for non-American citizens. With this, we concluded that if both of my parents did not work, I will never be going to a private college on top of my low intelligence.

We all say that the cause of our problems is a corrupt government and greedy corporations, but we kind of put them there. It's our fault for not being able to control monopolies and other private collective industries. Now as a democracy, the citizens of the United States should choose their leaders well, choose leaders who are not already bought off by oil companies or mafias. People better not mess up the next election because that decides our future. But most likely, another bad egg will rise to power and screw us up after.

reply to post by corusso


If I may ask a couple of questions? As you can tell I am inquisitive about other people and eager to learn. Does your area look anything like it did pre-katrina? Has the government come through with the help they promised? And are long time residents starting to come back or are they gone for good?

Honestly, I work online, and we have seriously debated heading for the hills and building a cabin or something to cut out much of our exorbitant food and gas prices, as well as housing. Besides that, it would put us in a better position in the event that martial law happens on a grand scale after Bush attacks Iran.

Scarlett

reply to post by scarlett1125


If you headed for the hills every time an ATS member proclaimed the end was nigh, you would need to do so every 3 minutes or so. I have spent A LOT of time in the ATS archives trying to find one single thread where the majority of members were positive about the state of the world or the economy. Even during years of economic boon and world-wide prosperity, nearly every single member who posted in such threads proclaimed that the end was just around the corner.

This is no different.