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

[ohiofarmgirl]

I think this is the calm before the storm hits

Me too. Hope I am wrong, but not counting on it!

yep. i know they are alarmists.. but the nightly news tonite was just depressing. we still keep laughing about the "double dip." we're thinking its just all part of the same slide.

We just keep stockpiling ammo and food.

thats what i'm talkin' about!
;-)

 

[murphysranch]

and my hubby thinks that my drying kale, chard, beet leaves, turnip leaves is embarrasing and I'm not supposed to tell anyone. Shhhhh.....

 

[SKR8PN]

and my hubby thinks that my drying kale, chard, beet leaves, turnip leaves is embarrasing and I'm not supposed to tell anyone. Shhhhh.....

He will change his tune when he starts EATING that food!!

 

[Beekissed]

I've always lived at or below the poverty line....so no new thing to me. I guess there will just be more people joining in my party.

 

[savingdogs]

We have never been rich but had gotten to where we felt comfortable. We thought we had lots of home equity, but that ended up being just a falacy and were unable to sell our home when my husband's pay was cut. I lost my hearing and feel very lucky to be employed at all, but I am one of the "underemployed", doing manual labor for not a whole lot, but mostly because at this point I'm one step away from disability from my illnesses. But the medical bills have killed us!

We are raising more of our own food and making our own things and still we are not coming out further ahead.

 

[tortoise]

Everything is fine here. There are a lot of homes for sale and no one is buying because the lakes are green and slimy. People are just moving to clearer lakes.

It's a tourist town, so things will slow down. Unemployment isn't too bad - not in the news or anything, but being a small town there aren't many jobs to be had. I imagine that if someone loses a job, it would be tough to find a new one! There are 2 or 3 empty storefronts that have been empty for years - just not nice buildings to rent out.

Being in the conservative midwest, the economy didn't get artificially inflated so not so much of a collapse.

We're being a little more conservative with spending since my fiance just bought an SUV and has a car payment now. I'm disabled but don't receive SSI. I manage to earn enough to pay my car payment and a little spending money for things I don't expect my fiance to pay for - like Victoria's Secret. Plus saving up for a wedding at some future date whenever we've saved enough for the party that I want.

 

[gettinaclue]

Things are actually improving here. I did lose my job for about 8 months, but was lucky enough get find employment for better pay and better hours. School just started here today and I now have both kids in school and will be able to be home when they get home, so that ginormous childcare bill is now gone HURRAY!!!

Around here, I see a lot of signs for short sales and for sale signs in general, but for now at least, it seems to be leveling off. There is definately a lot of un- and under-employment, but it seems people are learning to cope a bit better with the economy in general.

 

[PamsPride]

My DH is underemployed, but I am just thankful he has a job! In this area jobs are hard to come by and I have seen several men in my church having a hard time getting employed and these are not lazy men! These are men that will take any job that will pay the bills. I don't see a lot of houses for sale because I think people are afraid they won't sell so they don't even try. I have only seen one house in my area that is an obvious re-po with a for sale sign that is on my regular route to town. I am sure there are probably more I just don't see them. Money is tight for us. I am not sure about everyone else in my area.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

I have lived here for more than 30 yrs., in one of the poorest counties of the the second poorest state in th US. Mississippi is #1 poorest, WV #2, so I have never experienced the prosperity that you'all are apparently being separated from.

DH has always been a hard worker and a workaholic and has a good job, I don't work outside the home. In our own niche, I suppose that we are prosperous. We do not have high expectations. If you don't climb so high then you don't have very far to fall. I just made that up.

We live in a tourist service community and it has been unusally slow and quiet this summer.


Our stuff hit the fan in the 1950's when the coal mines began to close and the Companies that closed down and went elsewhere, left the people here permanently unemployed for about 3 generations. ( Service jobs and seasonal: food, lodging, ski-patrol, cashiers, bank tellers, crafts, and retirees, largest business here is the nursing home.)

What used to be one of the largest "company stores" is on the street that I live and I live in an old "company House" that can't be appreciated in value, and is unmarketable even in the best of times, because of the mine subsidence damage.

Average time it takes to sell a house in my town is 5 years. Very few, maybe one, has sold for, in excess of $100,000 for a long time.

I would say no to your ? for my part. (Because when The 'Stuff'HTF you will not have to ask, you will just know.)

I believe it will get much better for everyone eventually? I saw on the news that people are paying off much more of their debts now, and that is actually bad for business, but in the long term that could be a stabilizing factor, maybe???

 

[FarmerDenise]

It has hit the fan for us. No money coming in and bills to pay. Too old to get hired. Both of us have health issues that rear their ugly heads when we go to work at our professions. But I haven't even had responses to my resumes.
So we are living on the edge. Doing our best to cut out more and more stuff and doing without and making do. Fortunately we have created out little farm a few years back and manage to eat well thanks to that.
There are many vacant houses around us and more theft and vandalism. We have had to increase our security, as have our neighbors.
I am just holding my breath and keep preserving and stockpiling...:/