I was born poor, raised poor, and currently poor.

I am 33-34. I am not affraid to work.

A couple of years ago I tried(and still trying) to change that. I enrolled myself at the loacal college after 12 years at the same dead end job. I did really well in the grade sector. Got a job three weeks out of college. I scored in the top 5 in the testing to get the job.

I worked for a year and a half with no problems, and some of my posts reflect this. Now the construction industry has taken a hit, it seems that the federal funding band aid fell off.

Now after a month of being laid off I am starting to lose hope. I have heard some in the trade that lay-offs can last many months. My unemployment is not even paying the rent and now it is starting to hurt with Christmas coming around.

I really do not want any sympathy. I just needed to put some thoughts out there.

Should I stick with the trade and tough out the thought times or move on? I like what I am doing working for a mechanical contractor. But being laid off sucks.

I keep trucking along trying to make something happen, but when will lady luck be there for lj01.

I do not wish to be rich. I would just like to not have to worry about the power bill, rent, or food on the table for the kids.

What does one have to do to obtain that?

I have skills but damn man, I am losing faith(IA am not religous).

Piss poor out of luck.

I have been on ATS for a while now. I expect some post's of immaturity. I just wanted to see of anyone with the
same type of luck or similar experiences could chime in.

Just living the American dream

I understand your situation. Nowhere near the extent you have mind you. Sometimes I wonder, man is this all I have to look forward to? 26 now and wonder, this is how life is going to be for the next 26?

Sorry if that sounded depressing

I would say don't worry about it. Many people are going through the exact same thing these days. The optimist in me wins out thinking the house of cards is swaying a little too much these days. I'm sure people alive during the great depression would say they almost felt the same way. I personally think they had it much worse.

Although this time I don't think it is just economic issues crumbling down around us.

I could be totally wrong and things will go on as business as usual for the next 40 years, I highly doubt that though. Enough people will will reach a certain point and I think it will be a great game changer for everyone for the better.

Just think if you had lots money, you may not be the same person you are today. I know I wouldn't change who I am for all the money in the world. Sure I may have more stuff, but I think I would not have gained as much as I have if I was in a situation like being born into money, or winning the lottery.

If you have usable and appyable trade skills.....start you own business. Advertise in your local news paper for work....just get on with it...dont wait in anticipation of the enconomy picking up.

Originally posted by liejunkie01

Should I stick with the trade and tough out the thought times or move on? I like what I am doing working for a mechanical contractor. But being laid off sucks.

Go with whatever is available.
If you have anything that will translate to wind energy or oilfield then go get it. It's good money even though you have to travel. I'm on my 5th job in 4 years because every time I get going good our illustrious leaders manage to blow some more jobs out of the water.
I haven't taken unemployment yet. I just get another job and carry on. Most of the people I know who sit on unemployment end up broke, angry and frustrated.
Don't settle. Jump after something else and keep on climbing. Aquire new skills, network and don't be complacent about anything because our economy is likely going to hell and taxes through the roof in about three weeks.

Seriously,
Traveling isn't much fun but it affords a lot of short term opportunity and can be pretty good money.

I’m a carpenter and in the space of around seven months (early Feb to early Sept) I had about six weeks worth of work. If I made it, you can. I’m not doing what I want to do at the minute, but that will come in time. Post some ads on websites like Gumtree and make up some business cards. If you can snare a job or two where you’re working out the front of the property, say doing a picket fence, I’ve found that a number of neighbours watch you over the course of a couple of days and a few tend to walk up to you and ask you for a business card or whatever. But if you do a really good job - I find it funny that so many people have the time to do a job twice but they don’t have the time to do it once, properly - the people you do some work for, whether it be a deck, fence, rehang a door or even change door handles, will tend to go you more work when it arises and also when their friends and family come over they see your work. What you leave behind should be an advertisement to you and your work. That’s the way I look at it. But yeah, make up business cards, advertise of websites like Gumtree and yeah, apply for every job under the sun. Maybe give them an offer like first job 10% off final price or something.

At least you have freedom. Go buy a pick up truck. Print off some simple biz cards. Place some ads and signage. Offer a variety of services such as:

junk removal
delivers
snow removal
landscaping
carpet cleaning (might have to buy a used ninja portable)
light moves
handyman services
siding

Next thing you know you'll have jobs coming out of your ying-yang! You're phone won't stop ringing! You'll be forced to beat these desperate seniors and milf's off like you just walked into the zombie apocalypse! Like a bunch of zombies just trying to throw money at you left and right!!! You'll be making 500 per day easy! That's 10 g's per month (with weekends off)! That's something that's right down your alley since you're a hard working dude!

So what are you waiting for?? Someone to knock on your door with a free hot lunch? It aint gonna happen. Forget finding a job. JOB means Just over Broke. That's why you're Just Over broke! So start a small business. Then when you start to make some money get into house flipping. Amazing money in that! Next thing you know you'll be retiring in a beach house in palm springs. And you'll remember me! ha ha

I believe most of world is poor and many of us lament over the fact myself included.

Its daggon difficult to get over the fact over a lifetime of missed oppurtunity and flawed choices.

Just remember that even give the dismal odds for our ancestors they fought on to give us all this chance to be here now.

Even the psychopaths in charge ought to feel something for the sheer determination and sacrifice our ancestors and their progenitors provided free of charge to us.

Starting a business is always an option. If you think you don`t have enough resources right now try to work on partnerships (friends or another people in the area you want to work). It looks hard on the beginning but I`m sure you can make some progress there if you insist.

Go to a casino with your life savings and put it all on black.

Then start saving again.

Or just start saving.

Funny thing.... It's actually better to be poor than it is rich!!!

The reason is that if you make a lot of money then you must be prepared for lots and lots of problems. And it's a guarantee that the IRS will start gunning for you to try and steal it all using legal manovering. That's how our society is set up.

Besides the irs you got, law suits, gold diggers, jealous people, ego, icarist syndrom (invulnerability), theft, stress, etc etc. "The love of money is the root of all evil"

I think the main thing though is that if you're poor you got low stress, anamnimity and your basic freedoms. TPTB aren't gunning for you. You're flying under there radar in life. But make money and you're in there radar guaranteed! And they will come and ruine your life! You can't have the bling without having the IRS auditing you and ruining your life. It's a sick preverted g--v just waiting and hoping you make a lot of money so they can swoop in and steal it from you!!! That's there job, that's what they're experts at doing. Food for thought anyway.