Nearly everyone I know is broke, this economy sucks!

I personally do not know a single person that isn't struggling in some capacity right now.

I had to take a semester off from school, because, I could no longer afford the gas, and that is with the loans. Its an hour both ways 3+ times a week. I could have transferred to the private college that is half the distance, but, the tuition is nearly 4 times as much as where I currently attend. I don't want that kind of debt.

We are planning to expand our micro-farm this year to reduce our dependency on the system as much as possible. Our garden failed miserably last year due to the drought; even the weeds refused to grow. This year we plan to capture rain water (if it rains) to hopefully have some success. We are also planning to grow as much food as possible to feed the livestock so we aren't running to the feed store every five minutes.

Our other plans for this year include increasing our stockpile as much as possible in case the economic poo decides to hit the fan. I really hope that doesn't happen, but, I am failing to see the so called economic recovery.

I hope all of you are taking steps to reduce your dependence and at least stocking up a bit on food. Its amazing what a few dollars a week can amount to in that regard.

reply to post by oasisjack


You know I used to think that too about Mcdonalds and Taco Bell place like that...But here in Michigan my husband was turned down from numerous fast food joints for being OVER QUALIFIED..I about lost it back then (about 3 1/2 yrs ago) how the eff could that be? Didn't believe it til it happened to us..

That being said he paid 5 grand to become a truck driver after his uncle who has been in the industry for 40 yrs told him they always hire ~ the lifestyle sucks but there is always a job...


Now 3yrs later the school is long paid and he makes enough money I can be a stay at home mom..

It seems like the whole world is running on what I like to call "Crash and Burn" economics.Others may call this process a "race to the bottom" or "a market correction" but the end result will be the same. The current economic system can be kept afloat for several more years but I expect that things will implode in the next 3-10 years.Trying to prop up a failing system will only make things worse and a true economic recovery can only begin after the true"market correction" has occurred.

reply to post by camaro68ss


I will make the prediction again for this thread. By the end of the year inflation will render the 12 dollar and under worker useless. They will not be able to afford rent and food. They are walking the fine line right now and things will only get worse. This is not really a prediction it is more a FACT.




Then what? Will TPTB help them out so they can survive and if they do at what cost. TPTB whole anit-gun crap has nothing to do with safety they know the poor are about to be put out in the cold. All the Walmart workers will be screwed anyone under 12 dollars a hour. It is coming wake up and see this for what it is. Liberals and conservatives are both in this boat it is time to unite.

reply to post by camaro68ss


And every one I know around my area in southern GA are on welfare, Thanks Obama job creation.

reply to post by flexy123


Wow flexy how much more sarcastic ignorance could you portray for us via words??? We'll keep our guns. And tell you what when YOUR COUNTRY FIGURES IT OUT you come and tell us what to do. Until then. Ignorance is bliss and your post if proof of that~

I am in IL, a pretty miserable place by many accounts.

That being said I am not in bad shape. Could things be better? well of course they could. I'm nowhere near the 1% but I have a solid job and my partner makes good money.

I'm sorry things are not going well for you.

No matter how good or how bad things are there are two things that will always make money, food and sex.

Claim bankruptcy to wipe out all your debts then sell everything and buy a small farm and start an internet porn site you`ll never have to worry about money again,no matter how bad things get you`ll always have plenty of money selling food and porn.

'Ill admit everything is getting expensive, and very hard to see the end of this, without going nose first into the ground. Personally im glad I have guns, so when I cant buy meats, i'll be hunting for them instead, of course ive had my guns and ammo for a long time, and wouldnt even know what its like to blow money on overpriced ammo and guns

You are going to buy yet another handgun at 26? I only recently bought one...What you doin with all that ammo anyway? I buy a few rounds when it is on sale (and don't be so short sighted) it will be again and go out plink a few rounds and go home.

If you think it is bad now if you are prepping for revolution or a civil war then you will BEG! For these so called Rough times! This country has no memory of the horror that will bring.

Not to sound curmudgeony but my wife and I worked our arses off!

At 26 we were eating hand to mouth, we rented crappy places and worked 2 (EACH) minimum wage jobs all while going to and paying for college! We NEVER went to movies and bought a beat up TV and used VCR for entertainment and if lucky saved up that week to RENT A MOVIE!!!!

This was the 90's when I hear times were good! They talk about making that minimum wage $9 an hour? I thought I was making good money when I finally started making that! LOL

I think if you need "STUFF" like x-boxes, video games, Cable TV, new cars, smart phones, blah blah blah that stuff owns you!...no surprises on how broke you are.

We have more perceived "NEED" than our parents and our parents, parents...

it sucks for the bottom 90%

if you have cash, real estate and stocks are cheap, and you are loving it

my lower fairfield cty customers and still building stuff like crazy, indoor swimming pools and back yard putting greens

US of A....country of the credit cards...borrow as much as you can and then complain that you cannot pay it back. If you turn to the bottle it means you have enough to spend. Oh yes, let's buy more guns...because we are sooo poor. No sympathy!

Your country is doomed..sad thing is that if your economy falls, the rest of the western world will as well..

Originally posted by abeverage
You are going to buy yet another handgun at 26? I only recently bought one...What you doin with all that ammo anyway? I buy a few rounds when it is on sale (and don't be so short sighted) it will be again and go out plink a few rounds and go home.

If you think it is bad now if you are prepping for revolution or a civil war then you will BEG! For these so called Rough times! This country has no memory of the horror that will bring.

Not to sound curmudgeony but my wife and I worked our arses off!

At 26 we were eating hand to mouth, we rented crappy places and worked 2 (EACH) minimum wage jobs all while going to and paying for college! We NEVER went to movies and bought a beat up TV and used VCR for entertainment and if lucky saved up that week to RENT A MOVIE!!!!

This was the 90's when I hear times were good! They talk about making that minimum wage $9 an hour? I thought I was making good money when I finally started making that! LOL

I think if you need "STUFF" like x-boxes, video games, Cable TV, new cars, smart phones, blah blah blah that stuff owns you!...no surprises on how broke you are.

We have more perceived "NEED" than our parents and our parents, parents...

edit on 1-3-2013 by abeverage because: (no reason given)

Ammo is a good means of bartering. Being in California, any future ammo purchases in the state you will have to have a background check and be limited to a few boxes at a time. The price of ammo has incresed faster then the price of gold and silver in the last 10 years. Ammo is good for hunting and defending your property and life. There are alot of good needs for ammo. Why i need another hand gun? I never said i needed one, I need to get one for my wife. I have my own .45 and she will have her own. I cant be with her all the time. She needs her own gun.

Im not asking for SHTF, Im prepping for it just in case. I dont want the S to hit the fan but me wishing for it to not come wont stop it.

I'm not seeing it myself. Groceries have not gone up at all. French Bread costs the same as it did five years ago. Butter has gone up, but yogurt is the same. Veggies are seasonal, I know, but asparagus is the cheapest I've ever seen it at $1.58 a pound. Hamburger is the same. Chicken is the same. No real difference. Batteries are up, but they last longer. Parmesan cheese and baco bits remain steady.

Everyone I know is now working. Two of my friends just got jobs. One is in commercial construction at very big bucks. (We're talking $200K here.) The other, not so hot a job, but it's better than no job at all. No one has bought a new car recently, but they aren't driving clunkers either. Gas is up, of course, but still less than half what Europe pays. My neighbor has his own business and so does my cousin. Both have had the best years they have ever had. My cousin's business, a one person operation, expanded over 20% in 2012. I made a little bit more money this last year, but my taxes went down. I'm actually getting money back for the first time in a long time and it looks like that will continue this year as well. I don't expect to do either better or worse this year. No big changes either way, which is fine with me.

I know four people (2 couples) who just graduated college. One girl with a double major in accounting and human resources got a job almost immediately. She's the only one who wound up with student loans, but she has the job to pay them off. The others three had weird majors, but they did get jobs and have no debt. One has a degree in "judicial management" (??) whose name, oddly enough, is "Court," and got a job working for a law firm. This will allow him to build some contacts. The other guy has a job working in IT, and the other gal got hired off an internship in archives management, whatever that is. These two couples just bought houses, though I am suspicious one got help from Daddy. They are looking to start families here pretty quickly. These guys are all mid-twenties. One of their sets of parents just lost their house to foreclosure, but, you know, it was their own damn fault, I'm sorry to say. They had plenty of blown opportunities.

The house next door just sold. It was on the market for less than two weeks. I was astounded. The housing market has been stagnant and prices have fallen, but they are still way above 20 years ago. Two new houses have been built across the way as spec houses. One sold for sure. I don't know about the other. Interest rates are the lowest ever, even including the fifties. If someone could lock in a 30 year fixed at 3% they'd save tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the loan. Of course you're not going to earn any interest either, so that can hurt old people depending on savings. Unemployment is down a bit, though those figures can be misleading.

Fingers crossed, but no one I know is seriously broke and the economy, if not robust, seems at least steady for the moment.

This is very strange... People complaining that they're strapped for cash but they have money for 'redbox and vodka at home'? If you can afford vodka, you're not poor. And if you're truly short on money for food, spending it on a known poison instead of fresh food isn't a great idea.

Ditto the comment about how expensive the city is, how long the commute is, but how they can't afford to leave. Seriously? The only job on the whole planet you're qualified for is one in an uber-expensive city? Or are you jonezin' on the constant busy city vibe and moving somewhere less busy would make you feel like there was an echo in your head?

This thread sounds like what the Colonists would have written if they'd had technology. Lots of complaining about the tax on tea, the King, and the Redcoats on ever corner. Good luck with the rebellion, it won't be long now.

Originally posted by sulaw
reply to post by flexy123

 

Wow flexy how much more sarcastic ignorance could you portray for us via words??? We'll keep our guns. And tell you what when YOUR COUNTRY FIGURES IT OUT you come and tell us what to do. Until then. Ignorance is bliss and your post if proof of that~

"Ignorance is bliss" - pretty funny since I am residing in Spain right now So...I know nothing about the bad economy or what are you implying? I lived in IL for about 8 years after 9/11 so I can very well relate to economic problems, which, you will certainly agree are GLOBAL whether it's back in the states or here in Europe.

I STILL don't "get" what guns have to do with it and STILL dont get how guns help the OP to get over the bad economy. Since you assume me ignorant, I am sure you will enlighten me in this regard. And while you are looking to get your shiny new guns and ammo, I for my part try more constructive things, for example saving money where I can, respective to adapt to the economy and (somehow) trying to make money, regardless. I am sorry that on my list of priorities there are no guns and ammo rounds to "help" me in that economy.

reply to post by miss_sky


I hear that. I cant afford to go bowling. I went to the local billard spot near my house and i was talking to the owner about the changes since i was a kid. He used to have a cigarette machine and sell food. I dont smoke or anything but i just notice it. I asked him why they stopped serving food and cigs and he said because it cost him to much to get licensed and hed have to raise prices if he did.

That seems like a major problem.

Originally posted by Hopechest
I'm doing just fine working and going to school. Pay rent and save money each month.

The key is to not live beyond your means, improve your skillset, and continually look for better jobs.

Does somebody really need a new car when they could take the bus, can you live without that cellphone, do you really need credit cards?

I see someone has been drinking the Obama kool aid.

Ammo is a good means of bartering. Being in California, any future ammo purchases in the state you will have to have a background check and be limited to a few boxes at a time. The price of ammo has incresed faster then the price of gold and silver in the last 10 years. Ammo is good for hunting and defending your property and life. There are alot of good needs for ammo. Why i need another hand gun? I never said i needed one, I need to get one for my wife. I have my own .45 and she will have her own. I cant be with her all the time. She needs her own gun.

Im not asking for SHTF, Im prepping for it just in case. I dont want the S to hit the fan but me wishing for it to not come wont stop it.

I would love another handgun for my wife but they are not cheap. I got mine some pepper spray. We live on a very fixed budget and only pay cash. Why? Well before the SHTF they will most likely come collecting the bills...

Yep now is a horrible time to buy ammo. And what is gold and silver gonna do? I bet my carton of smokes and some bottle of Gin will be worth 100x a hunk of metal in SHTF scenario. But that is another story.

Basically I agree times are not as easy as they could have or have been or something because it is all relative until you are actually starving.

One good thing to do is make a budget and stick to it. Dump your perceived "Needs" and here is the HARDEST thing you will ever have to do...learn to live without. Make a list what is a NEED and what is luxury or a WANT. Need v.s. Want...

"I want a new TV, I need a new hand gun" If that is the case. I want to go to movie, I need more prepping supplies...

I hope I am not coming off as rude but when I see people with car payments, and loads of toys and smart phones and cable TV I think hmm yeah it sucks to be poor. I dumped my cable a year ago...$1200 later I smile at what I can buy with it...

We have yet to hit the low my Grandparents saw in the Great Depression a long, long ways. Not saying it is heading that way but why not dump the crap they keep you spending on now if the S...truly does HTF...

reply to post by camaro68ss


why are you broke? the ceo of your company is making record pay and bonuses. the stock market is booming. surely this has trickled down to you.

do you know why athletes make so much money? because they have a union that demands a fair share of the league profits.

do you know why movie stars makes so much money? because they have a union that demands a fair share of the movie profit.

unions are the best thing for the worker. i admit that some unions have gone overboard, but the idea of the union is just as valid today as it was in the 1920's, when they fought for the 40hr work week, vacation time, and fair pay.

before raygun, ceo's made 30x worker pay. now its over 300x. dont get me wrong, i do not think the ceo should make the same as the average worker. i do think a ceo should make more, but not an absurd amount more. take for example the ceo of walmart. he makes $18 mill a year, while most of his workers are on foodstamps. thats not right.

the forbes 400 ceos average $12 mill a year. if each one took a million dollar pay cut, they could employ 200k workers at 50k a year. think about it, whats a million when you make millions every year? youre not gonna spend it, youre just gonna put it in the bank or market or some such. (as mitt romney said, he was unemployed and still made millions just off his investments).

jay leno took a 50% pay cut to keep his people employed. hes already got millions, so it really didnt hurt him, but it help a whole bunch of people. that is the kind of boss more people need.

p.s. before you hit me with the "never got a job from a poor person", really think about that. most small business owners are in debt from the bank for their start up cash, and those that arent make less than 250k a year. so yes, if you work for small business, you most likely got a job from a poor person.