Horrible Economic Times - How are You Coping?
By davebrown64
@davebrown64 (443)
United States
January 10, 2009 10:27am CST
Well, folks, here we are. We are in the worst economic times probably since before the Second World War. Millions of people in the U.S. alone are out of work, with little to no relief in site. How are you coping with such times? Are you staying home and weathering the storm? Do you go out to eat? Are you cutting back on traveling? For those out of work, how are you making ends meet? I am out of work and doing freelance writing on the internet and working on my second book. These do not produce a great deal of income, but there is some and it is fun.
Let's talk.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@kttribal (252)
• United States
11 Jan 09
well ive been unemployed for some time now the last job i had was when i was in texas. I came back because i thought that it would be easy to find a job. I turned out to be wrong. now i was lucky enough to find a site that pays me. almost like freelance writing. of course most of the work that is being done is done for pennies at a time. at least it brings in something. other then that there is one more unemployed person in the house that is bringing nothing in. she thinks its kind of funny hahaha while im working like hell to make just 200 a month.
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
11 Jan 09
You are going through the same thing I am. Wish I could earn 200 with my writing. Lots of programs. Takes time, I guess.
Thanks for the response. Good luck.
@kttribal (252)
• United States
11 Jan 09
i got one site for you mturk. if you need it the money really helps. all you really need is a bank account so that you can get your money.
hope this helps you. I too found mturk on mylot. your just competing with the world. youll make something. once you get ten you can cash out. I make about ten dollars a day there. sometimes less sometimes more.
@horses102488 (102)
• United States
10 Jan 09
It is a pretty awful situation for our country isn't it. I refuse to put the question mark at the end of that sentence because it's quite a true statement. There is no question as to whether or not our country is in trouble. I am a college student and coping for me is just as hard as for anyone else. Luckily, my family prepared for such situations and has allowed me to borrow money from them, interest free, rather than from a bank that has extremely high interest rates. I never travel which saves a great deal of money. I'm very lucky to be a student with many connections and job opportunities. I have been affected though. The gas prices have killed my bank this summer that I usually make so that has taken away from the money I would normally use to spend on my bills and my rent. Instead of being unemployed for most of school, I have to get a job now to make my bills. I also am doing more online activity to make a little bit of money because I can't always be at my job and I only make nine dollars an hour as is.
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Good luck in school. I really thought all would be great from the time I graduated. They were for a bit, then things got out of hand. I was a naive graduate and thought that with a job, getting credit cards, going out every night, etc., etc. all would be great. Right! Things have not turned out so good and 20 plus years later, I am in a great big hole.
Thanks for the response.
@horses102488 (102)
• United States
11 Jan 09
That's one thing I'm very careful about. I do have one credit card, but my reasons are different than some people. I only use it once every three months and only charge about 20 dollars on it. Then I pay it off right away so I don't get charged the outrageous interest on it. That way, later on, when I'm trying to buy a house or buy a car I will have amazing credit. It's hard to get approved for stuff when you have horrible credit. You have to build it over time and I might need to get a loan someday with low interest rates so I'm that's what I'm trying to accomplish by doing what I am.
@mrbranan (1012)
• United States
10 Jan 09
It is hard. I thank God my husband has a good job and work and bring in money or I don't know what we would do with 3 kids. I have one getting ready to graduate and 2 still in school. We are taking our tax money and putting it to good use thin year and pay all the bills we can. Most things can't be paid ahead of time like lights, water, gas. But anything that can we are I think that will help us.
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Wow! That is tough to have three kids in school all at the same time. I feel for you. Good luck. I have my elderly mother living with me and my wife, I am out of work, earning little on the internet and having to find creative ways to help pay the bills. At the same time, I am looking for ways to find work.
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
11 Jan 09
Well, we are not going out to eat anymore, unless you count the neighborhood store where we go for an occasional hot dog and coke, we have visited and had coffee at this store for the last 20 years, so it is entertainment also.. We don't even buy the same type of groceries anymore.. I do watch for deals when I go grocery shopping and wait until most items are on sale ant hten stock up on them.. There have been no vacations for the last few years, we haqve plenty of clothing and all of thehousehold and electronic items that we need, so we don't need to make any big purchases, except for when the dryer went out, but we did find a great deal on a second hand one that a neighbor was selling.. Christmas was very sparse, but it wasn't our b-day anyway, so that doesn't matter.. Short of quitting feeding the dog, we have cut back about all that we can.. Good luck to eveyone and I will read the responses to see if I can cut one more corner..
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
11 Jan 09
All we can hope is that things will get better. Who knows, only time will tell. Good luck Donna and hopefully we will all be able to enjoy life again without any obstacles.
@srijshm (1165)
• India
11 Jan 09
The situation is equally bad in India. Recession was followed by terrorist attack on a hotel because of which there was a double blow to tourism.
The worst is yet to come. Prices of commodities are shooting up & employers are becoming stingier. I guess being frugal is the only solution. My job is safe for the time being.
My wife who was a happy homemaker till now, is looking to get employed to improve the finances. I am hoping to make some consistent additional income from the net.
@davebrown64 (443)
• United States
11 Jan 09
excellent response. Please accept my condolences and utmost respect for the Indian people. The terrorist attacks are just unbelievable and it is true how they can really harm the economy as we have seen here in the U.S. since 9-11-01. Unfortunately, I am one who is unemployed and in the state that I live, the unemployment rate has topped the National Average. When looking in the newspaper, you can truly see how jobs have disappeared when the job section drops from 4-5 pages to maybe 3 if we are lucky. My best friend says that I may have to go out of state to look for a job. This is difficult when I have my elderly mother who has a great many ailments, living with my wife and I. I have to sell old items that I hate to get rid of and I also do a lot of freelance writing over the internet and will begin to do a newsletter as well.
Things, we can only hope, will improve, but I am sad to say that they will have to improve on their own. The American taxpayer is getting hit extremely hard and we are continually told that we will be "paid back." I have this to say in finality: Let us all hope that peace comes to this great earth of ours. We can not look forward to some world war that may or may not get us out of this economic mess we are in.
Good luck in India and to all of the people of your great land.
