So is the s*%t starting to hit the fan for you?

[Wifezilla]

You can also sew. And translate for the mentally interesting...LOL

You also have a knowledge of history and you can understand patterns. Plus who knows what mutant autistic super powers you have.

I can see your super hearing and sense of smell coming in real handy.

"Abi, you have guard duty again!"

Bwaa haa haa

 

[DrakeMaiden]

From living these different places, I think all have been affected. How the people respond is different though.

Interesting. I would agree.

I think, depending upon what is happening in your personal life, you may or may not think the economy is tanking. It was apparently like that in the Great Depression too. Some people retained their jobs and it wasn't a big deal in their families, but others were obviously hit hard.

I see signs of both in my area . . . lots of oblivious "business as usual" types going about their business as usual (new cars, etc.), as well as a good amount of foreclosed or vacant properties and people temporarily unemployed or underemployed.

For us, our income has been pretty level for quite a few years now, but of course everything costs much more. As the partner responsible for buying the majority of the food, I have particularly felt the impact out of my paycheck. :/ Gone are the days of discretionary spending for me (I'm still regularly putting into savings the same amount out of my paycheck though). But on the bright side, all of our preparations for gardening and preserving food have paid off.

 

[me&thegals]

I see signs of both in my area . . . lots of oblivious "business as usual" types going about their business as usual (new cars, etc.

See, this fits us. Our super old farm truck just bit the dust, so we had to buy another. It's used, but not super old. It's not that some people are oblivious, but we are very fortunate to have our jobs, same pay, same benefits or lack thereof.

We're used to low pay and have been scaling our spending back all along, ramping up our earnings on the side (eggs, meat birds, vegetables) all along.

So, I cross my fingers that things will stay okay. We have savings built up for emergencies, only a mortgage to pay off (farm truck bought by farm corp that husband is employed by) and no other debt.

 

[chicksbestfriend]

What part of the country are you in Chicksbestfriend?

Thank god you have the resources to pull through.

thank you for the warm welcome! I live in Maui, Hawaii. God has been gracious and kind, sure hope he continues to extend his hand and wisdom over us!

 

[abifae]

You can also sew. And translate for the mentally interesting...LOL

You also have a knowledge of history and you can understand patterns. Plus who knows what mutant autistic super powers you have.

I can see your super hearing and sense of smell coming in real handy.

"Abi, you have guard duty again!"

Bwaa haa haa

I'd be VERRA good at that.

*nod nod*

do i get a rifle? don't you have to have a rifle to be a sentry?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I see signs of both in my area . . . lots of oblivious "business as usual" types going about their business as usual (new cars, etc.

See, this fits us. Our super old farm truck just bit the dust, so we had to buy another. It's used, but not super old. It's not that some people are oblivious, but we are very fortunate to have our jobs, same pay, same benefits or lack thereof.

We're used to low pay and have been scaling our spending back all along, ramping up our earnings on the side (eggs, meat birds, vegetables) all along.

So, I cross my fingers that things will stay okay. We have savings built up for emergencies, only a mortgage to pay off (farm truck bought by farm corp that husband is employed by) and no other debt.

No, it doesn't fit you. You bought a used vehicle. I'm talking about those who are buying brand new. And honestly, I am a little biased about people who buy brand new vehicles to begin with, as I don't feel they are spending their money wisely. But that is JMO. If someone has that much expendable money, then they can blow it away if they feel like it. If someone has that much money they can afford to be oblivious. I worry more about those who may not have much in savings but are still spending as if times have not changed.

 

[Rebbetzin]

Thankfully my husband still has his job, though many have been laid off around him. I notice prices increase on many food items each week.

Crime is very high, my next door neighbor was robbed just a few days ago. Being we are not far from the Mexican border, we have lots of crime anyhow. But, seems robbery is way up here in our neigborhood.

A couple fellows in our congregaton are self employed, both are struggling to keep their guys busy. They are both in the business of block and stone work.

My son in law is struggling to get jobs for his company in CO, they are an insulation firm, mostly Commercial jobs.

For years my husband has beat the drum of, get out of debt, have a pantry with food and water for 30 to 90 days. Cash outside the banking system to pay essential bills for 60 to 90 days.

This past year he has stressed getting Passports. And having them ON you! This may just be a "Jewish" thing. In Europe, many waited to "get papers", thinking things couldn't possibly get any worse. And very quickly we were not allowed to leave the country, except to go to concentration camps and be converted to smoke.

When you see the storm on the horizon, leave before it hits.

Proverbs 22:2-4
2 The rich and the poor have this in common,
The L_RD is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the L_RD
Are riches and honor and life.

What may be coming will make the Holocaust look like Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. (IF these are "the" days spoken of by the Biblical Prophets)

Don't think it can't happen here. Germany was a very "educated and sophistcated society" in the 1940's.

I don't see things getting better any time soon.

 

[ducks4you]

Expect shortages and **gulp** some people going hungry.

I believe that we need to do everything we know in order to be prepared for the inevitable downturn the first 1/2 of 2011. I do not take my ideas from the media's stories. Instead, think of how people react when they are about to be hit by a hurricane--they stock up on everything that they need, and they strip their grocery and hardware stores bare.

I know that we have had several posts on what to have, and lists of what you need---won't bore you that--do a search here and read them.

I have not seen much deflation here--most items still cost the same or MORE than they did two years ago, when this all started. What I have been doing all year is stocking up for one year's worth of goods. I now have one year's worth of several items, such as tp, and shampoo. I have 6 months worth of other things, like laundry detergent. You can figure out your needs in just a few days. Maybe take a weekend and make it your priority.
1) figure out our daily/weekly/monthly needs for non-perishables
(I still have stored a bottle of ammonia, that is 15 years old, but is still usable for cleaning.)
2) study up on expirations for frozen items. Meat, for instance, is only good for about 6 months, frozen.
3) Buy canned goods for what you don't have or cannot grow/butcher, and LABEL them with today's date with a Sharpie
4) Package staples like flour and sugar and package them so that insects cannot get inside of the packaging. I have NEVER had dry sugar go bad on me.
Finally,
5) Throw away!! Make room for new food, and new supplies and get RID of anything that you cannot use. (Remember my excitement about the up and coming garage sale?)

 

[framing fowl]

MyT Man and I are still okay personally but I'm taking on a full-time job in addition to my 30 hour/week used to be full time job in order to pay down debt. The urgency has become a lot more real for us. A year ago I never would have considered giving up my free time and doing anything this crazy. Today I can not imagine not doing it.

I do notice little things in the neighborhood that I walk in. I've walked this neighborhood consistently for about 3 years 4-5 times/week. It used to be that on average I would come home with 50 cents to a dollar in change that I had picked up on the roadside 3 days a week. Now I might pick up a coin once every other week.

The other little thing that I noticed this morning that is probably an indicator of much larger things is the garbage. It used to be that on garbage day, over 1/2 of the containers were filled to overflowing where the lid wasn't closed. Today I noticed exactly 4 containers that did not close and one of them was because of a cardboard box that they didn't break down. I doubt that anyone in that neighborhood is even conscious of it.

Crime is definately up in our neighborhood. We've been robbed once while we were gone on errands and we had someone break into our house in the middle of the night within the past year.

 

[i_am2bz]

I was laid off from IBM after 20 years, & now make about 2/3 what I made there. I work for the county; they haven't laid off anyone (SO FAR) but we haven't gotten a raise in 2 years & were told not to expect one next year, either. Good thing I've usually been a frugal person & really never lived "high on the hog", but it's still worrisome. Thank the heavens for my chickens, & that I bought a foreclosed MH with 3/4 acres that's 1/2 the monthly payment of my condo in Vermont. We sold 2 of our cars, paid off the credit cards, & am diligently stockpiling food & other supplies. I'm always looking for "doing more with less" - one reason why I love this site!! I spend a lot of time wondering "what if...". I just hate the thought of being dependent on the government - or anyone else, for that matter...