What Have You Stopped Doing Since The Economy Got Really Bad?

reply to post by UmbraSumus


The last time I did that, I was about 9, before my dad got laid off for the first time.
I know I should be used to this by now, but, man... it's just getting harder.

reply to post by PoisonousPoison


Trying to learn guitar sounds fun! Maybe I'll try that, if I can find a cheap guitar.
In a lot of ways, this is the worst time to leave high school ever. Really, really bad.

I don't go out with my friends except to houses and stuff. Can't afford the movies or anything like that.

What recession?

We had 3.5% growth and a flat housing market. Home sales are fine and unemployment remains the same for the season. We still have no income tax and no sales tax in Anchorage.

Amazing what a Stupid Woman like Palin can do for a State is it not? (Sarcasm fully intended)

My bad. (goes to the corner and thinks about what he has done).

I would have to say that I havent changed a lot. I have been going out to nightclubs less lately, but that is fairly normal for me between Thanksgiving and tax return anyway.

I have started driving a little smarter to get that extra 30+ miles to a tank and I dont just "cruise" as much as I used to to relieve boredom.

Beyond that, I still have my DTV, Internet, phone, and my rent and bills are always paid up every month. My dogs still eat well and get their regular treats of BBQ bones and toys. I was still able to afford to spent a gross amount of money the night of the NCAA Football Champs game as I celebrated until 3 am when my Gators won.

I say, all in all, I just dont personally have to see the trying times. I worry about them because I work in the auto industry, but it just has not settled in my backyard personally yet. Gas is cheaper now than it has been in years, groceries are about the same, I still get an annual raise and bonus and my company is still paying my way through college.
As well, we have 3 unfilled spots in our company an get very few job applications for the spots. If times are as hard as people make them out, you would think that some people would resort to lying about their skills just to get a job.

I suppose I am one of the lucky ones.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Haha. I'll go live with you, then.
Alaska is supposed to be sweet, right? Now.. how to get money for a plane ticket...

reply to post by wheresthetruth


I know in my dad's case, he feels like he should at least get a decent salary because of all the money that he spent on his education. But yeah, I saw a posting for him and told him to lie. It's not even like location matters, as I'm going off to college.

I wonder what a map in the increase of struggling families looks like across America. I wonder if it would be in the east first, and spreading west? I think so...

Well I've stopped thinking that I was too busy to spend more time with my kids. Now I don't drive everywhere to get this and that or spend money for gas or fast food. I would like to say that I'm doing the things I need to do with my family. I've stopped being ignorant to think that my kids don't notice me saying, " I haven't got time" or " Maybe Later". etc... Don't get me wrong because I love my kids and would do anything for them. The sad thing is that it took not spending money to make me realize that being with my family is funner. So I stopped procrastinating my duties as a husband and father. I'm not to broke to pay attention. I'm paying attention to being blessed and broke.

My wife isn't working. Her company folded and closed.
Stopped going out to eat as often

Started clipping coupons more
Focusing more on things that are on sale

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Got an amp, a bag, the guitar, and some wires for it for about 330.00 or something? (though I got ensurance on it otherwise it would be around 280.00.) Not that bad for a starter one.

My friends and I really haven't left the house pretty much either except for going to school and that's about it. Nothing much to really do. When a movie costs about 10.00, popcorn about 6.00 sodas 2.00 or something, and no place to generally just go their is just nothing to do.

reply to post by Solarskye


My mom went from part-time to full-time, which isn't cool because I want to see her as much as I can before I go off to school in fall.

reply to post by PoisonousPoison


I agree.
Hanging out at houses is at least something, though. Not too bad.

reply to post by dbates


On sale and generic or store brand, too.
Generic prescriptions are so much cheaper!

I stopped doing drugs.


No seriously I'm quitting smoking.................i hope

reply to post by Techsnow


My boyfriend's parents both started up tobacco smoking again. With the price of everything, it's just an expense they can't afford. =( Not good.

Originally posted by marg6043
Well is somethings that I can not get over yet, that is the internet, the satellite TV (premium package) and Gym fees (we have to keep in shape) but my husbands company pay for half of the expenses.

We lost one of our cars (my daughter crash my car in Atlanta) that is several hundred dollars that we don't have to spend anymore.

Still I am now sharing my daughter's car when I have the need to used it (I don't work as my husband makes more than enough).

Still once we get some miscellaneous bills out of the way we can ride a downturn for the worst in the economy if it comes our way.

BTW at least my husband retirement will still be available, I mean if things get very bad and the economy collapse I wonder if the government will take away military retirements.

It is when and not if the economy collapses and if the government has no more money to pay out what is owed then what will people do? I will tell you what your government did recently was to declare an act of emergency in Washington D.C. because D.C. did not have enough money for the inauguration of Obama.

Now the Fed can print more and more money but the Fed wants interest on each dollar they print and we get deeper and deeper as a nation in the hole and other countries will come to a point that no longer will buy our debt because of fear of not getting paid back. Did you ever ask the question why the United States Government has to borrow money and pay interest to the Federal Reserve that is not a government agency?

Think of this if millions of younger and middle aged workers are out of a job who is going to pay the Social Security benefits for the older workers who have retired at the other end of the spectrum? Who will pay for medicare, medicaid, socialized medicine, military retirement and for the military that are in 120 countries around the world plus all the millions of uneeded government workers jobs? The giant ponzi scheme now comes to a hault and now we all pay with the uncertainty of where the next meal will come from. No one wants to hear this and would rather put their heads in the sand and hope it is a bad dream.

Again the only way out I see is new innovations and technologies that eliminate the need for gas, oil for your car and electrcity that comes from the power company. Come up with new innovations and ideas that better mankind and you fill a need driving the new economy by way of capitalism verses socialism, that promotes hand outs that can not sustain itself for any length of time.



[edit on 15-1-2009 by amari]

Well, Im 16, in highschool, plan on college. The parents buisness is down, but its winter anyway and in this area it is "Offseason". I have a summer job, saved enough money to buy a car (Really cheap 1999 taurus with only 60k miles for 2750!), We cut back on overall entertainment spending..no more $10 go kart rides...no more $25 mini golf, but i still have the xbox and internet, and im content with that. Luckily, my parents are zombies with credit cards like most americans, they have paid off cars, no debt, and health insurance. But with the housing economy, my parents are now looking for other "Part time " jobs, just in the spare time..to save $$ just in case the economy completely collapses.

It came down to a choice for me. I could quit drinking beer and smoking as much as I do, or I could quit eating healthy meals.

Food is over rated, I need to lose the weight anyway.

I work for a supplier of the auto industry so December 18th was the last day I was at work. Hopefully I go back to work on the 26th of January. It's not as bad as it seems, I get to draw unemployment for the six weeks I'm off work. $300 bucks a week to sit on my tush and do nothing.

I've watched every episode of Babylon 5, Lord of the Rings, most of the other movies I have in my collection. I also spend a lot of time lurking on ATS. I don't post as much as I used to.

I just hope I remember what it is I do when I finally make it back to work.

reply to post by mrwupy


Well I hope you get to go back to work! I never knew so many people were related to the auto industry.

Healthy food is so much more expensive than unhealthy food and it MAKES RAVEN ANGRY.

I would love to eat organic and free-range, but it just costs too much.
Go me for going to the only organic/free-range/partially vegan college in the country next fall.
In retrospect, that was a good idea, even though I will most likely live off of ramen, still.

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
reply to post by mrwupy

 

Well I hope you get to go back to work! I never knew so many people were related to the auto industry.

Healthy food is so much more expensive than unhealthy food and it MAKES RAVEN ANGRY.

I would love to eat organic and free-range, but it just costs too much.
Go me for going to the only organic/free-range/partially vegan college in the country next fall.
In retrospect, that was a good idea, even though I will most likely live off of ramen, still.

I found a company that sells certified organic food harvested from the cold water portions of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans that also tests for priority pollutants and heavy metals. This is not controlled by Monsanto that promotes GM foods.

This company harvests 8 different seaweeds and kelp and turns them into tasty foods. This food is loaded with minerals and contains iodine that 95% of Americans are difficient in because of the depleted foods that contain very little minerals we eat on a daily basis grown in the U.S.A.

I will be using this for survival food also because of the long lasting delicious nutrient loaded Ocean Grown food.

I haven't really stopped anything.

I am pretty much poor anyway.