Changes in your economy?

[crawlerdan]

The economy has changed many things in all of our lives. what are you doing to cope with the rising costs of things and layoffs, lack of work, etc.?


i work full time as a heavy haul truck driver- when we're busy it is not uncommon to work 90-100 hours in a 7 day period. i also work part time at a small ranch taking care of horses, the land, logging, etc.

and i also recently picked up a third job doing landscaping a few days a week.
I'm the only worker in my family (my wife stays at home and raises our kids)
and am dead tired. i firmly believe that the happiest men in the world come home smelly and have callous hands. but its getting hard, what are y'all doin to make ends meet?

[abnormaltoy]

My hat is off to you and your wife! The sacrifices you are making so that your children will have the benefit of a full time mommy will pay huge dividends in the long run. Funny...but, what is considered odd these days is really just old school family life. Just try to leave some time, however short, to spend with them.


I'm not really doing anything different. I've seen hard times come and go. I remember Jimuh Carter and his actuality was worse than this current downturn...although, the possibilities with Obama could mean we see some long term deep doo-doo.

[crawlerdan]

My hat is off to you and your wife!

thank you, i wish more people realized how hard it is to do the right thing.

[BLACKDOG]

Got my layoff notice mailed to me on Monday, picked it up today.  There's a lot of underlying issues concerning our layoffs, and the notice may be rescinded, but if I'm out of a job July 1, I'll just start looking for another one.  Just need to pay my mortgage, ins., and feed me and max, so I should be ok. 

Make sure you say hi if you see me in the drive through window

[Stocker]

For better or worse  I took an early retirement offer a couple months ago (I'll be 60 next month). If the investments do OK, I'll be OK.

crawlerdan, I admire you for doing the right thing. Just don't work yourself into the ground and burn yourself out.  If the Mrs gets a job to help out, it won't be the end of the world...  but of course it would be better if she didn't need to.  And abnormaltoy makes a good point, make sure you have time for the family. Those kids will grow up & be gone before you realize it.

Jason, best of luck with your situation, I hope you don't need to go job-hunting.

abnormaltoy, I also remember the Carter administration.  Better hope we don't see that kind of runaway inflation again, but the way money is being thrown around faster than it can be printed, I wouldn't be surprised...

[red]

military and in a field that is always looking for people, steady paycheck and the only bills i have are vehicles/cell phone.

[Prismo]

I am relying on the home business and renting out the 2 extra rooms in my home to make ends meet. That and fixing everybodys POS cars. There are no jobs in my field right now, many of the local shops have closed.

[kneedownnate]

What is it you do prismo?

The only things I've really done are try to watch my spending a little closer and try to accelerate the payoff of my debt.  If I only had the basic necessities to pay each month I'd actually be able to save some money!

[Toymin8r]

My father did the same thing you did.  He always had more than one job as far back as I can remember.   One piece of advice I can give you is try to include your kids on some of your side jobs or you will miss seeing them grow up.  Thats the one regret my father has is that he wasn't able to spend time with us as kids. 

[crawlerdan]

My father did the same thing you did.  He always had more than one job as far back as I can remember.   One piece of advice I can give you is try to include your kids on some of your side jobs or you will miss seeing them grow up.  Thats the one regret my father has is that he wasn't able to spend time with us as kids. 

ya i hear that, the day after my son was born i got sent to california for 2 weeks, i came home and it looked like he doubled in size...he is my son, he very well could have

[abnormaltoy]

Got my layoff notice mailed to me on Monday, picked it up today.  There's a lot of underlying issues concerning our layoffs, and the notice may be rescinded, but if I'm out of a job July 1, I'll just start looking for another one.  Just need to pay my mortgage, ins., and feed me and max, so I should be ok. 

Make sure you say hi if you see me in the drive through window

Just so we start off on the right foot...NO, I don't want a freaking apple pie with that!!!

Good luck to you, I hope you can stay with your dept. or at least have a short lay off.

[abnormaltoy]

abnormaltoy, I also remember the Carter administration.  Better hope we don't see that kind of runaway inflation again, but the way money is being thrown around faster than it can be printed, I wouldn't be surprised...

Me too! That's what I meant by Carter's actuality and Obama's possibilities. Obama's plan could easily pass the Carter administration's 20+% interest rates and with the Fed printing money at the current rate...the Carter years and their inflation could look like good times someday!

thank you, i wish more people realized how hard it is to do the right thing.

Better you shouldn't get me started on how I feel about the majority of two earner households!

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

I have been laid off since sept. 08 off and on.... I was called back on full-time (for now) about 3 weeks ago when things finally started to pick back up ( I work in the high-end RV business)... during the lay-off I think I made more money doing odd-jobs and buying and selling vehicles then I do now that I am back to work....however I made some cuts and had to start watching my spending during the lay-off period just to be safe.... Dan I admire how hard you work for what you have man.... and for everyone else laid off I sure hope things pick back up and everyone can get back to work and we can put this whole mess behind us already!

[crawlerdan]

i think in the future you may have to come over and help with the 3rz swap i plan on doing when i get all the parts

[Cheesemaker]

Besides the cheese thing, I do odd jobs around my mom's place.  Once in a while my bro-in-law calls me up to help him out with his tree falling thing he does on the side, and assist him in taking care of my moms rentals with him.  And I just became the Mr. Fix-it, renter liaison for a house for a friend of mine.  We are in the process of getting all his mom's stuff out and getting ready to go through the house to get it ready for renting.  My wife works half a day a the local grade school.  I really wish she didn't have to work, but she really needs to work, sometimes I wish she had a full time job.  I'm so tired of just getting by everyday.  It seems like that everytime we get some $ saved up, something comes up and takes it.  Right now our van needs to be looked at, and I have a feeling that it will cost as much as trade in value is. 

I remember my dad working two shifts at the cedar mill, and slinging cedar on saturdays as a family, just to get enough money to put down on the house I own now.  There were two years that I only really saw my dad on weekends, and he pretty much just slept on sunday cause he was too tired to do anything else.  I don't want to get to that point.

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

i think in the future you may have to come over and help with the 3rz swap i plan on doing when i get all the parts

I would be more than happy to help ya out with that man.... just let me know when your ready

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

in your runner it would be easier to swap in the 3.4 (5vz-fe) as the motor mounts and all that bolt right up... super easy swap when you already have a 3.0 powered rig and TONS more power too!

[yjay]

My wife stays home as well. My daughter goes to private school and my son is 2. No changes on the job front, but my wife may home school next year. She did it once before. Something cool that she began doing recently is cupon shopping thru a local(Spokane) online thing called frugalchicliving.blogspot.com. It is posted up by a lady that is a cupon genius, and she works double coupons and other stuff. She has a weekly food budget limit of 50 bucks a week for a family of 5. It saves us a ton, and typically there are people doing similar things online in most areas. My wife comes home with free stuff all the time like deodorant, toothpaste, whatever. I bet it saves us 40 to 50 bucks a week. She got like 8 things of deodorant the other day for 5 bucks, a ton of Rembrant mouthwash junk for free, etc.

[Prismo]

What is it you do prismo?

The only things I've really done are try to watch my spending a little closer and try to accelerate the payoff of my debt.  If I only had the basic necessities to pay each month I'd actually be able to save some money!

I run large 6, 8 & 10 color printing presses.

[crawlerdan]

in your runner it would be easier to swap in the 3.4 (5vz-fe) as the motor mounts and all that bolt right up... super easy swap when you already have a 3.0 powered rig and TONS more power too!

i know- but the 3rz is calling my name. i want the benifit of tiny motor again-and still get the HP i need....something about cake and eating it too

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

ya the RZ engines are great too... I sure do love the power mine produces however I plan to swap in the 3.4 5vz this winter.... I want to be able to run the v6 trans without spending a killing on the marlin bellhousing....I would be down to help ya out with either swap though man just hollar when your ready

[crawlerdan]

ya the RZ engines are great too... I sure do love the power mine produces however I plan to swap in the 3.4 5vz this winter.... I want to be able to run the v6 trans without spending a killing on the marlin bellhousing....I would be down to help ya out with either swap though man just hollar when your ready

well...im patient, can i have your 2rz?  8)

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

haha if I already had a 3.4 for my rig I would give ya  a smokin deal on it....but im too broke to go buy my new motor right now

[crawlerdan]

ya, lemme know when the time comes.

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

for sure man!

[BLACKDOG]

An agreement was reached, and it looks like my job is safe for now

I'm still cutting back on spending, getting wheels back under the yota again so its usable, and getting rid of what little debt I have.  If I do happen to get laid off if the economy continues to tank, I'd like ins. and my mortgage to be the only real debts that I've got, and I want both my vehicles usable/sellable if necessary. 

[crawlerdan]

An agreement was reached, and it looks like my job is safe for now

I'm still cutting back on spending, getting wheels back under the yota again so its usable, and getting rid of what little debt I have.  If I do happen to get laid off if the economy continues to tank, I'd like ins. and my mortgage to be the only real debts that I've got, and I want both my vehicles usable/sellable if necessary. 

smart, so are you ditching the 60s plan?

[BLACKDOG]

smart, so are you ditching the 60s plan?

Nope   already sold all the toy stuff.  I've got all the stuff for the rear, just need to put the gears in, and then put it all together.  Got a 10 bolt for the front, and most of the stuff necessary, just need to buy gears.  I was going to hold out for a 60, but I'm just going to run the 10 bolt for now. 

[TIMS89CRAWLER]

yup and I know you have a carrier for that 10 bolt 

[BLACKDOG]

yup and I know you have a carrier for that 10 bolt 

yes indeedy!