my wife and i have been discussing this also.wondering how less fortunate people get by.we are lucky.i thank the lord everyday.i work for a large trucking companyas a mechanic .i average 1500 a week gross,around a 1000take home my wife works two part time jobs ,and between both of them earns around 400 a week.we have three teen children,the two oldest both work and pay there own insurance and have their own money.the youngest is 14 and she wants to go to work.we have a modest home with a 500 a month mortgage,we seldom go out to eat.we have 3 vehicles two of which are liability only insurance.our light bill averages 250 a month.food is outrageous as you all know .we spend around 300 a week.gas is another 200 a week.we save a little and buy clothes only when necessary.these so called public schools always need money for something or other and it gets expensive.i smoke but no one in the house drinks.our internet service is another 100 a month and cell phones add about 200 more.we get by pretty well but i truly have sympathy for those who are barely getting by.during school time my wife always buys for kids who dont have ,shoes,coats ,hats gloves etc .i think the key is to learn a trade ,trades cant be outsourced.i can go to work anywhere .there will always be vehicles to repair no matter how bad things get.stay on top of the technology and get certifications.we have never paid for any repairs to our cars or home ,we do it ourselves.i have tried to teach my children self reliance too.our local economy is fairly robust thank good ness but i know its a matter of time before evryone is affected.we just all have to look out for anyone who may need a hand .i never believed in a conspiracy to wreck this country now im not so sure.we have taken to stockpiling food and water.i will nver abandon my home no matter what if worse comes to worse i will make my stand on familiar territory.i have many friends relatives who feel the same way ,by the way i live in a semi rural area of the south.

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


Well, I'll just have to respectfully disagree with you. Insofar that there are many many people who have not experienced these economic conditions in their lifetimes, including the early nineties. I am happy for you that you don't feel the problems that others cope with. But I don't see why you have to go out of your way to make people feel small and inadequate. I hope that's not how you get to make yourself feel better.
No star for you.

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

ManinAsia

Wow, it's nice to read people's innermost thoughts here.
I feel bad for people close to the breadline and close to homelessness, I know that you are struggling and I wish you can find ways out of your situation. I feel bad also that America doesn't have a proper health care system and social welfare for the worse-off folks. Would it really hurt for the better off to pay a few more dollars in taxes a month to help your fellow citizens. If you are so patriotic doesn't that mean more than a flag outside your house and a pin on your breast. When the American govt spends up to trillions of dollars on a long term commitment in Iraq and a military that is bigger than all the other countries of the world's military combined something has got a screw loose somewhere. If people had to send their kids on draft, especially rich people that system would change quickly.

I will give you some background. I am Irish and we have done well from American investment, I appreciate all the business and jobs your companies have brought to Ireland over the years. In Ireland we have a public (not great but ok) health service and also social welfare system.
If people don't have enough they can get by from rent allowance and 200 euro/mth (about 300-400 usd/week) unemployment assistance from the govt. We also get free tuition to go to college in Ireland. We pay avg. 25
-30% taxes in Ireland. Recently things have taken a big downturn but people were spending way outside their limits and I think a lot of people will realise they only have themself to blame in the end. I don't think Irish people know how lucky they are really.

I live in Taiwan. Taiwan is a developing/almost developed country. I earn
around 2,500 USD/mth (that's double the local wage, I have a master's degree, I'm not an English teacher , it is slightly higher than a foreign English teacher makes on average). I get taxed 10% at most on that. Our rent is 300 USD/mth (I live in a crappy place to save money, it's hot in the summer but it's okay, we have standalone aircons and fans). We don't pay cable money because we steal it basically. I pay 30USD/mth for broadband, 40USD/mth elec, 30-40 USD all phone bills, 30usd/mth gas.
We live cheap because we have to and that's what people do here. They save and live cheap. We don't feel any recession in Taiwan yet because we have basically never been touched by any credit boom here. However inflation is eating into everbodies pockets and even I feel that spending more than 3USD each for dinner is as much as we should now here (eating out is cheaper than cooking). We don't have kids and saving to get married is the thing at the moment. I'm thinking of going back to Ireland but I am afraid about the costs, but the good thing for people like me of this credit collapse it is gives us a chance to buy a house at more reasonable rates in the future. We live 'small' but we save quite a bit (my wife is sick but got almost all the bills paid by the govt first class docs, drugs are almost free). This is from 'poor' Asian Taiwan. Wake up Americans, take the good parts and systems of foreign countries and let them come back in to reinvigorate America, don't be stuck on some words in the constitution 100s of years ago.

I think the main point I'm trying to make is live within your means and be flexible. For young people you have some many choices. You can move state or country us Irish always have done. You can change your job and try and get a part-time job (I was teaching part-time till recently). Do you really need a car, I thought about buying one, then realised I can get the bus for 2 dollars each way everyday, no need to pay parking, insurance, tax, maintenance, accident risk, fuel etc. I just sit in the bus and read the paper. I guess I have the luxury of choice in this regard.

America is a great country, I've lived there and I like Americans, friendly people. Let's see Americans care about your fellow citizens more.

Reply to post by ManinAsia

All's good as long as we get our Caffrey's ei?
Thanks for sharing your story, but I fear you might get a little blowback from our american friends.

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

People in North Amercia whine WAY TOO MUCH....Ask people in Kosovo
or Bosnia/Hercogovenia what life was like in the early 1990's - That was Hell!

My brother still has nightmares from having to dig out mass graves
where 18 month old babies were shot in the head in mass executions.

Or tell my brother how much we should whine when he went to Afghanistan
and talks about 8 year old boys walking WITH NO SHOES in almost
60 degree celcius heat (140F+) carrying HEAVY multi kilogram water
buckets because THERE IS NO ONE ELSE TO HELP THE FAMILIES
who STILL LIVE in mud houses and burn donkey dung as cooking fuel.

And tell my Brother and those Afghanis he met on anti-insurgent patrols
about your miseries when most of the village people he encountered had
never seen a fork before....and have NEVER had running water, toilets,
sinks, refrigerators, microwaves, vcr's or TV EVER IN THEIR LIVES !!!

When running shoes (or well manufacturered shoes of ANY kind)
are still a novelty and definite luxury! Car? Driven Where?
There's aren't any roads - only donkey trails!
Electricity? Lights? NOT !!! Bits of hair from animals soaked in animal fat
are your lighting for a few hours!

Trees? None! It's all rock and scraggly scrub where he is
and the villagers have to drink from rapidly disappearing
glacial meltwater which is carried in buckets made from
animal skins or salvaged from contaminated metals taken
off of soviet era shot down planes/helis or salvaged war scrap.

We in North America have NO EFFING IDEA !!! how the rest of
the world lives in it's permanent abject poverty...caused by
simple ignorance of science and lack of almost ANY type of
formal education.

AND WE with fairly advanced educations and common sense first world
knowledge should pull ourselves by our OWN bootstraps and SHOW the
world that WE still have what it takes rather than be such a nation of
crying whiners! I mean sh**, how are WE supposed to come together
in a SHTF scenario when we can't even get our own acts together
when we have it GREAT compared to the REST of the world!!!

A couple of posters mentioned the lack of 'communal' spirit these days. You know its the same in Ireland and Taiwan and I guess every developed country almost. I've really been thinking about that a lot recently. My neighbours hardly talk to me and the way most of us work these days it's very anti-social, not much chance for human interaction. Lots of people live together in big families here and while it wouldn't be exactly my thing (it makes people less independent thinking and conservative IMO) it is nice to see the grandparents and even grandfathers (shock to me) strolling around with the kids. Modern life is missing something in this regard...we just don't get a chance to talk with people enough and use our hands and co-operative skills, no wonder I keep having dreams of running a drinks stand in a beach community somewhere where I could just chat with people and not deal with contract/agreements/ISO/quality/reports/e-mails/qualitycontrol staring at a computer screen and on and on (notice not to be a farmer, too much hard work LOL) ....

I used to be so secure, in my six-figure job....but now, I'm seeing some of the posts, and I see how arrogant I was.

Never used to have to have a 'budget'....still not good at that. AND, people constantly asking for this, or that...a few dollars here...."I'll pay you back"...well, I don't always get paid back.

I downsized, sold a house for a profit, just BEFORE the huge downturn....but that won't last long, based on the trend. Am looking to multiple Internet income sources.....some smarts, and a computer...heck, you can do it!!!