So has the economy really affected you?

[honooryuu]

my best friend just lost his job. i do feel for him because he is helping his mom out with the rent and the house bills. it came as a shock to him, and now he doesnt know what to do. i have been suggesting places to him all morning that may be hiring. hes sitting at the unemployment office right now.

 

[metta]

^
on top of that.....credit card companies are going to tighten available credit this year so that people will have less credit available to them. At least that is what I read towards the end of last year.

 

[btiger]

I'm a teacher and paid a supplemental contract for one of the groups I teach. That contract was cut this year and because the district is in such bad financial shape, they want everyone to take 5% pay cut between now and the end of the year. We were also told that first teachers should not plan on having a job next year because there needs to be a 10% reduction in staff for next year. Fortunately, I'm not in that boat.

 

[Fucker29]

No, I'm rich enough not to notice the difference.

 

[fjancsi80]

It hasn't afftected me yet except the general bad mood and the fact that it is a bit frightening to live in the only EU country which is officially on the verge of financial debacle.

Me and my mother are lucky that we are not so deeply indebted as other families but my mother still has a relatively small credit of about 7500 Switzerland Francs. The Hungarian currency is rapidly losing its value so her monthly pay is almost 150 % of the original. Her salary dries up around the 20th day of the month so I have to help her in the last two weeks. With a bigger credit we would be bankrupted. Luckily we were cautious not to borrow more money before.

Devaluation of the currency means that travel became a lot more expensive but I hope that I will be able to go somewhere abroad this year.

 

[frankfrank]

Yeah, you could say it's affected me.

Back when people had money to spend, my truck would roll 3,000 miles a week.Then I went down to 1,000 miles a week.Since I get paid by the mile,it's been sucking bad.

I quit a job in December,to work with a local outfit.Well, that's been a waste of time so far.Who knows,any day now might start pulling containers out of the port of Newark..Oh yay.

Now,I'm looking for a job pulling tankers.

So far this year, I've only made $2,700 .

Down from near a grand a week.You might say, it's been rough.

That sounds bad.

Now that you mention the downturn, I think I'm noticing that the trucking job ads have disappeared from the satellite radio channels that I listen to. Back in fall there were lots of ads promising very sweet things like "an average of 2,100 miles per dispatch" [may not be exact quotes, but it certainly set off my bullshit alarm even then - like maybe they assign you three dispatches per year or something?].

I should ask my dispatcher friend in Indianapolis whether he's noticed any big changes recently.

EwanSF:

I'm struggeling to find work at the moment and lost my last longterm job in august thanks to the "credit crunch" as it was being called at the time (sounds like a discount cereal doesn't it?)

Actually, it sounds like a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - but I'm also hoping that the need for such a flavor passes quicikly!!

 

[Corkles]

Well I've been cut by four hours a week at my job and unless I want to take the pay cut,my vacation is being destroyed.

The good news is I am interviewing for 2 other jobs.

I am grateful that I have not been out of work,but losing 8 hours every two weeks is costly.

 

[wastingmymind]

For some reason my workplace doesn't fire anyone unless you're sexually assaulted someone or robbed the place. Instead we cut hours, and my $230 a payday shrinks in half. I can't afford transit and my debts at the same time.

 

[TickTockMan]

I'm sure you're not a joke Thynight. If I've learnt anything I've learnt that if you can do something once you can do it again. You were successful before so I've no doubt you'll do it again.

Thanks.

I am sure in time I will be that guy again, but it will be awhile. I did a lot of things to get to where I was that I am not proud of, and am not willing to do them again so I know it will be harder this time. Luckily I don’t give up.

 

[TickTockMan]

That's the way Thynight. It may take time but if you do it right it will be there to stay. Penthouse or Poor House you've got to be able to look in the mirror and say "do I need botox?"

I’m not quite sure how botox works, but I think I would have to have liposuction first. lol