Well Folks, I Decided I'm Running In The Red.

[Punch The Clown]

My job is not high paying, but it always paid enough for my family to live a comfortable lifestyle. Well, the last few months I have had to dip into my savings to pay the bills, and I only see it getting worse. I haven't had a raise in a few years and now bloomturd offered us 0,0,0,2,2 with givebacks. My insurance policies almost doubled in the last 5 years, my utility bills are sky high, they just re-appraised my house again so up goes the property taxes, my family's cell phone bill doubled over the last 5 years, groceries are un-friggin believable, gas for the family cars cost about $200 weekly, my wife and my daughter's college tuition went up. It's never ending. Very depressing.

[timshufflin]

Don't forget the de valued dollar. Every single American has received at LEAST a 5% tax increase over the last two years due to inflation/money printing.

[13Fox]

I understand more than most. Couple years ago, I lost my job due to economic downsizing, but was fortunate to get a job laboring for one of my contractors the same day. Still, the reduction in pay, and losing all the benefits meant that the savings was gone after 1 1/2 years and we could no longer pay for the house. Now we are in an apartment 1/3 the size of the house and had to sell many of our possesions. We are now looking at moving away from here and "back home" where hopefully we can get back on our feet. Well, in reality, my wife got a job with the VA, so its hard to pass that up. But to me, the sense of defeat is unimaginable, not to mention leaving a home (Wyoming) that I love and want to raise my son in. Over the past couple of years, we have been kicked in the forehead so many times as we tried to get back up off the ground, it really makes one start to question what the point is...

[Fogtripper]

I understand more than most. Couple years ago, I lost my job due to economic downsizing, but was fortunate to get a job laboring for one of my contractors the same day. Still, the reduction in pay, and losing all the benefits meant that the savings was gone after 1 1/2 years and we could no longer pay for the house. Now we are in an apartment 1/3 the size of the house and had to sell many of our possesions. We are now looking at moving away from here and "back home" where hopefully we can get back on our feet. Well, in reality, my wife got a job with the VA, so its hard to pass that up. But to me, the sense of defeat is unimaginable, not to mention leaving a home (Wyoming) that I love and want to raise my son in. Over the past couple of years, we have been kicked in the forehead so many times as we tried to get back up off the ground, it really makes one start to question what the point is...


Mostly this.

[Fogtripper]

Don't forget the de valued dollar. Every single American has received at LEAST a 5% tax increase over the last two years due to inflation/money printing.


No, not this.

[Punch The Clown]

Fox, I guess I'm not that bad off after hearing your story! I'm still fine. Just gets scary when you have to hit the savings just to pay the bills. I feel like i'm getting nickle-dimes to death.

[Fogtripper]

Fox, I guess I'm not that bad off after hearing your story! I'm still fine. Just gets scary when you have to hit the savings just to pay the bills. I feel like i'm getting nickle-dimes to death.


If you're not good enough at one job, get two. Seems elementary.

[13Fox]

And in the end, we are not that bad off anymore. But for a while, my wife's job and my jobs just weren't getting it done. Now that we are "smaller" things aren't all bad, just not as comfortable as they had been in the past. It was tough for a while and is tough now even. But the hardest part is the "failure". We did everything right and "followed all the rules" and we lost so much because we got sucked into this "perfect life" that every hard working American should have. Now, I have no confidence in the system and a whole new outlook on the American Dream.

In the end, paying bills with the savings sucked 'cause that was supposed to be some of the retirement, college money for the boy, and the occasional vacation. But in the end, I guess savings is for whatever it needs to be for. I guess really, the only thing about paying bills with the savings that chaps my ass is that in the end, we still lost the fight. But, at least we lost with our heads as high as we could and paid for everything with what we had.

Keep up the fight. It'll make you feel better, but you'll still wonder why an awful lot...

[KnickKnack]

I picked the wrong time to retire. I have no savings and dipping into my wife's savings to pay the tax bills. Even with that, we are still short. However, I still have some credit left on the cards. :) I guess I just have to sell more on ebay. I can always sleep in the floor when all the furniture is gone. Who really needs a full set of dishes, anyway? Electric light is over-rated too. Yup, it should all be fine.

Oh, and I'm still waiting for the Obama Middle Class Tax Cuts. I lost the $800 work credit for my income taxes this year, so I don't see how this was a tax cut. Plus the school and property taxes went up, as they do every year. Tim is right too. The cost of living is definitely higher. At least I don't have to pay for the gas to commute to work any more.

[Punch The Clown]

Fox, I see the people that live the American Dream everyday. These are foreigners that claim "political refugee" status. They get free health insurance, free housing, utilities, food. They even collect social security disability because they are too traumatized to work. Meanwhile they live far better than most Americans. They live in luxury apartments, drive fancy automobiles, have huge flat screen televisions, and on and on. They go to health clubs and sit in steam rooms and saunas all day on your dime, because some bogus doctor writes them a prescription for "hydrotherapy". They make me sick.

[Orlando]

I have worked 10 days in the last two months(self employed) and havent raised my prices any in the last 6 years
I have sold several rifles and ammo and huge pile of Garand parts to stay afloat. Right now I am OK but if something doesnt change real fast I'm going to have to empty out the gun safe
Worst part is the boredome of having nothing to do
If it wasnt for my wife and her job I'm not sure were we would be
I am thankful, we have a roof over out head and food on the table. God will provide

[seaninmich]

4 years ago I had 80 garands (and an assload of other guns). Today I have 1 garand and no carbines. you guys do the math. I'm working harder than ever (70-100 hours a week usually) and making about what I made in 1996. We get by (barely), but the luxury lifestyle we had grown accustomed to is gone. I am not hopeful that it will ever return. Although it's not fun to do, cutting out the 2 or 3 vacations we took each year and some of the other fun-money expenditures wasn't all that hard to do. The hardest thing for me is realizing that we have no emergency plan. If an unexpected bill pops up (auto repair, home repair, etc) we're pretty much screwed. "savings"?? what's that? haven't had any since Bush was president. I'd have lost my mind a long time ago but Timmy always listens to be bitch and whine and talks me off the ledge about twice a week.

No sense in comparing our misfortunes or having a contest to see who is more f-ed than the other guy. Fact is, we're ALL f-ed. The degree to which matters little. We're all in the same boat and it's taking on water - FAST. My advice - get support wherever you can. Offer support wherever you can. If you can throw your buddy a bone now and then, do it. He'll do the same for you. There is no option other than survival and, ultimately, victory. If we stay together, we'll get through it. I don't know exactly how, but we'll get through it. WE have to. There is no choice

[melloman]

Keep up thy chin - somehow if you do the right things you will get what you need. Just as bad things happen to good people, good things happen too. You are hanging in there and it sounds as if there are no health issues, so count your blessings - "have an attitude of gratitude" and you will realize that even though you may have lost a lot and that things are tough that your life is still good.

[Orlando]

4 years ago I had 80 garands (and an assload of other guns). Today I have 1 garand and no carbines. you guys do the math. I'm working harder than ever (70-100 hours a week usually) and making about what I made in 1996. We get by (barely), but the luxury lifestyle we had grown accustomed to is gone. I am not hopeful that it will ever return. Although it's not fun to do, cutting out the 2 or 3 vacations we took each year and some of the other fun-money expenditures wasn't all that hard to do. The hardest thing for me is realizing that we have no emergency plan. If an unexpected bill pops up (auto repair, home repair, etc) we're pretty much screwed. "savings"?? what's that? haven't had any since Bush was president. I'd have lost my mind a long time ago but Timmy always listens to be bitch and whine and talks me off the ledge about twice a week.

No sense in comparing our misfortunes or having a contest to see who is more f-ed than the other guy. Fact is, we're ALL f-ed. The degree to which matters little. We're all in the same boat and it's taking on water - FAST. My advice - get support wherever you can. Offer support wherever you can. If you can throw your buddy a bone now and then, do it. He'll do the same for you. There is no option other than survival and, ultimately, victory. If we stay together, we'll get through it. I don't know exactly how, but we'll get through it. WE have to. There is no choice

Amen Brother!!!!

[herrmann]

I lived through the bad inflation years of Carter. 20 years in the Kerosene Kingdom called Vermont. Moved to Indiana for economic reasons and after 20 years, am doing well. Change jobs, change venue but don't sit and take it !

[herrmann]

P.S. This may seem crass, but what I learned about myself is that money is far more important to me than where I live.

[13Fox]

P.S. This may seem crass, but what I learned about myself is that money is far more important to me than where I live.

Once the heart experiences the joys that it wanted through an entire childhood and early adulthood, leaving a place as wonderful as God's front yard is unimaginable! Less than two months and I'll be gone, with a tear in my eye...

[LEAD POISON]

GLOBAL ECONOMY. When our goverment allows and encourages manufactures to follow the lowest wages of the world for profits.
We lose the backbone of our economy,and all follows down.
NOTHING will change until we have jobs that put the AVERAGE and BELOW average educated JOE back to work in THIS country.
That is NOT going to happen anytime soon.
I AM A PROTECTIONIST,THIS IS MY COUNTRY. Not Europe,Not Asia,Not Africa.NOT CHINA.
We don't need anything they have,We have it here.
It's time to use our own resources.
EAT THIS.

[canes7]

I've been on the edge of being homeless. I, like almost everyone I know, have had to go thru real tough times and had to let go of somethings I really loved. Life is full of compromises, especially in the early stages. You might have to give something up in the hopes of reattaining it later. If you hold on too tight to something that isn't meant for you right now you end up sacrificing your future.

I hope one day to unpark my ass from the desk I am at now and get on with life.

[timshufflin]

This thread sucks, thanks for that Stu.

[Orlando]

What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger.
It was tough times in the early 1980's and we survived and we will make it through this. Times like these make me thankful for what I do have , friends ,family, which are truley important
Material things are just that , things.
Really not all that important when you get right down to it.

Now you feel better Timmy :)

[herrmann]

I think the TIM is afraid Sean will slip in and steal the show, so he struck first.

[Punch The Clown]

GLOBAL ECONOMY. When our goverment allows and encourages manufactures to follow the lowest wages of the world for profits.
We lose the backbone of our economy,and all esle follows down.
NOTHING will change until we have jobs that put the AVERAGE and BELOW average educated JOE back to work in THIS country.
That is NOT going to happen anytime soon.
I AM A PROTECTIONIST,THIS IS MY COUNTRY. Not Europe,Not Asia,Not Africa.NOT CHINA.
We don't need anything they have,We have it here.
It's time to use our own resources.
EAT THIS.

LP, we will never have a real economy in this Country again. OSHA, PESH, NIOSH and labor unions destroyed it. Our entire economy is based on speculating instead of on iron and steel. I seriously doubt if we will ever see anything manufactured-I'm not talking about assembled-in this country again. There is a scrap metal dealer near where I work. Trucks, vans, and even people with carts pull in there all day long selling scrap metal. The owner says all the scrap gets sent to China and business is a boomin.

[Rick B]

You will enjoy this some. Rick B

[u<object width="512" height="288"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/BQM2dK8Wj-BF3yQb0HnD-w"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/BQM2dK8Wj-BF3yQb0HnD-w" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="288" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object>rl]http://www.hulu.com/watch/326776/the-tradesmen-making-an-art-of-work[/url]

[13Fox]

This thread sucks, thanks for that Stu.

Actually, it has provided us manly men the opportunity to collectively grow a vagi... um heart, and get in some wonderful bonding time!