Your Current Economic Status?

[Mike03]

Poll question: Your Current Economic Status?

Where I live, things are changing very rapidly, and for most people who live in my city, things are changing for the worse. I am just very curious to know if this is a widespread phenomena. Please participate in this poll if you feel like it, and thank you in advance.

[blonndee]

1. I chose

"I'm getting frightened, and I'm getting gouged right now. I can't keep up with my bills."

I went to buy groceries this afternoon for the first time in a month. I'm down to canned soup that I can't make because I can't afford milk, a few canned sauces, condiments, noodles, and some frozen green chile. I do have some frozen chicken breasts that I'm trying not to make because it'll be so expensive to buy more. I'm almost out of toilet paper and I have no feminine supplies for next month. I know I need at least the staples and I was all excited about finally getting to the store today.

But I sat in my car in the parking lot for a good 10 minutes, paring down my list to the bare minimum, double-checking my checking account balance, and I just panicked. I was too afraid to go in and spend any money. So I left, deciding to go back tomorrow once I felt I had a better handle on what I absolutely had to have to eat. I feel like I've totally lost control of my life because of my debt and the price of living. It's so embarrassing making excuses to the other teachers why I don't ever participate in the Thursday potluck.

[Mike03]

8. My heart goes out to you so much...

Maybe we should have a system here at DU where we can help each other out through donated funds or something.

[blonndee]

12. I appreciate it and I think your idea is a good one. But not for myself.

I'm not going to starve or anything. I still have internet access, obviously, and I have TV and phone. It's just now hitting me, and I'm trying to figure out what I can get rid of. (Phone is first to go. I don't WANT to live without TV but will if I have to.)

I think that's why I panicked today--I've never been rich, but I've never been so very scared to spend even one dollar. Even when I was making $8.50 an hour by myself in Phoenix ten years ago, I managed to pay the bills and somehow scraped by. Now I'm living the cliche, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Since my student loans have come due and I owe the bank and my credit card for moving expenses, and still have hospital bills (due to being under-insured last year), and was unemployed for three months, I started out this new job WAY behind and I can't see how I can possibly catch up since everything is getting more expensive. It's really scary being in debt and never having ANYTHING left over, and having late bills every month while I wait for the next paycheck. If my car breaks down or one of my dogs gets sick, I'm in deep doodoo. I just feel for those who are unemployed or who have even less. If I'm having panic attacks over going to the grocery store, I can only imagine what it's like for those with children or who have less than I do.

What happened?

[Speck Tater]

2. I've always been comfortable, even when unemployed.

As a big proponent of "voluntary simplicity" I buy almost nothing, have no debt, drive a 15 year old economy car that runs fine, buy basic food staples in bulk from a restaurant supply house, don't buy packaged or prepared foods, don't eat out, haven't been to a mall in 3 or 4 years, use NetFlix for entertainment instead of cable or going to the movies, vacation at home with a good book, use a second-hand computer purchased on eBay for a hundred bucks, use an $8/month cell phone instead of a $30/month land line, grow lots of my own fruits, berries, and veggies, etc., etc. My income is technically below the poverty line, but my life is rich and fulfilling, and I have everything I need and want. I don't feel poor at all, and I couldn't care less what happens to the stock market.

"He who knows that enough is enough, will always have enough." --Lao Tse.

[bigwillq]

3. Good for you.

:toast: :bounce: :hi:

[Bright Eyes]

4. I am, without a doubt, in the lower class.

But I have it better then many, I would guess.

[MercutioATC]

5. Other:

I'm very comfortable with my job security, I have a decent income, and I have saved for retirement (in 8 years).

However, it's not like I have "no worries". I've just restructured my debt so that I'll be debt-free except for my mortgage by the end of 2008. With prices increasing as they are and the declining value of the dollar, I'm not feeling as comfortable about the next 8 years as I used to.

[Jed Dilligan]

6. Other: weird economic limbo

I just got out of a six-month battle to get my contract in place, and it's only for a year. I'm drawing the best rate of pay I've ever made, but I haven't seen my first paycheck yet. It's been hand-to-mouth and some credit cards for a while. I can't get used to the idea that the check IS coming. I feel doomed to this weird endless battle to stay one step ahead. I don't plan to live any differently once the money does start coming in, so I should have a few months cushion at the end.

My employers are pretty happy with me, though, and I have a good feeling they will make more opportunities for me when this contract is up.

[Adsos Letter]

7. other...

we earn in the $140,000 range, with good job stability; we could be doing better but I am in school right now, and my youngest daughter is just finishing 12 years at a somewhat costly ($700.00 p/month) private school, and will start college in the fall.

Sooo....things are tighter than they could be. I am not complaining; however, you asked for our situation and I had to choose "other," so I felt a need to explain...

[taught_me_patience]

9. other

I'm young (under 30) and my fiance and I make a combined 220k plus. However, the cost of housing really sucks right now. I'm very optimistic about the future of the economy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Both retired. Good pensions. Health Insurance. And, we're cheap dates.

We live in a semi-rural setting on 3 acres of woods and meadow. No debt but the mortgage. Have federal health insurance carried over into retirement and Long Term Care insurance.

We're readers and our idea of a good time is a good book and a nice place to read it. We have both. And, we enjoy each others company despite being married for 27 years.

Couldn't be more content.

[Adsos Letter]

13. you sound like us...

except for the retirement and acreage :D ...we hav e excellent health insurance through my wife's employment (which will carry over into retirement, which is soon). Having health insurance is a major comfort factor.

We will be married 30 years this year.

[tavalon]

11. We were doing okay until this month

And, no, we didn't overspend on Christmas. Our insurance got changed to a high deductable with HRA, which the short version means I have to come up with about $6000 in the next month. After that, until the end of the year, we should be doing about as well as before, assuming my hubby (the less job secure one) doesn't lose his job but even with that, I could start working overtime and cover his loss of income. Thank goodness I'm a nurse. Overworked though I might be, at least I have a secure job, working in a unionized hospital.

[Adsos Letter]

15. My wife is the Pediatrics director of 4 clinics for a large

not-for-profit HMO...healthcare is, indeed, a good source of job security, damned hard as the work may be. My wife worked the floor for years, so I know what you mean...

[no name no slogan]

14. I'm alright, but only

because I sold a house a couple years ago before the crash and haven't bought anything else.

I was off of work most of last year because of medical reasons. If I didn't have insurance I would've had bills topping the $40k mark. Thankfully I've still got a job for now, but it could go either way if my medical conditions persist.