How are you doing in this economy?

[OKDem08]

My husband and I are nearing the end of our rope. Sadly enough, we're middle-aged & starting to contemplate the possibility of homelessness....honestly.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

1. If you live in the Seattle area pm me . i'm sure you could have a room at my plce until you make

more permanent arrangements. We got to take care of each other.

[upi402]

6. been saying the same

good for you

[DCKit]

2. "Intentional Communities". Look it up.

We do (and will) have to take care of each other, or we're not going to get through.

[Desertrose]

29. Thx...great link!

Walked away my "normal life" in '93 in search of community in Canada...unfortunately the timing wasn't right then, but I still feel these intentional communities are the way to go.

[FMBM]

3. So sorry...

to hear of your situation... many have used their remaining means to purchase an RV and move to places like Arizona, California, other warm climates.. not really a bad option compared to homelessness....

Think about it... you must have a talent... an idea that you could use to start your own business... I saw a car today with magnetic signs offering piano lessons... I saw another last week offering house cleaning. I heard a story of a lady who does professional albums for weddings.. I know a young woman talented in card-making for special events...

To quote Rev. Jackson.. if you can believe it, you can achieve it...

Just go for it... it will be hard... but you will be alright... you will overcome and succeed...!

[pamela]

9. New Mexico is a great location for fulltime RVing...

You can buy a yearly New Mexico State Parks pass for $225.00 and then stay at any state park for free with no hook-ups or $4.00 a night for a site with electricity. You can stay 3 weeks at a time in any one park and then move to another for 3 weeks and so on. There are parks in the higher elevations of northern New Mexico that are great for summer and parks in southern New Mexico for winter.

My husband and I are planning to move into an RV for a while to travel but not for financial reasons. I've done a ton of research on this if anyone is interested. Mostly, I can direct folks to some really good blogs and resources on this lifestyle. It can be expensive if you travel a lot and stay in fancy parks but there are very inexpensive ways of doing it too. There are a lot of good deals on motorhomes and travel trailers right now. It is definitely something folks should consider.

[pamela]

10. One more thing...

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[FMBM]

34. Thanks

Thanks,

New Mexico is a beautiful state... i lived in Alamogordo as a young child, and traveled frequently through on travels from Oklahoma to California since... So much to see. I hope you have a wonderful visit...

[AzNick]

4. I feel for you... We are doing ok but my wife's business is dead

She is a mobile groomer, she's lost so many clients in the last 2 years, it's unbelievable.

Either they moved out, or they can't afford her services (she has slashed her prices dramatically) or they take the dogs to Petsmart where they do a below average groom job.

We basically live on my IT salary (I am doing fine, my skills are still in demand, but I would hate being jobless) but we had to use our equity and I am about to go through all our finances and tighten things down A LOT.

I am going to basically cancel HBO, cancel the home phone, cancel cable Internet to switch to slower but cheaper DSL, and all these things we do not REALLY need to live.

You are going to say: well, we already did all of that, you probably did last year.

As we all cancel these not-so-necessary services, we are simply forcing more people out of work.

And I am starting to do something I thought I'd never do again: I am going to play paid gigs in bars for $300 a night. Playing in a 5-member band, that means $60 a person for 4 hours :)

I feel for you, sincerely, so many people have lost everything, we are really going to have breadlines soon - ok, we already have them, but you know what I mean.

[Confusious]

5. I'm poor.

But I know how to fix things and have a lot of tools, so I'll survive as long as I have an internet connection.

[laughingliberal]

7. Right there with you. nt

[eridani]

8. Modestly comfortable if the Catfood Commission doesn't fuck retirees over

We have to be pretty careful, but I have a small defined benefits pension and we both have Social Security. This keeps us from going back into the labor force and making finding work even harder for others than it is now.

[travelingtypist]

11. Work my ass off 12-plus hours a day

for $35K cash straight up no benefits or extras. I work from home in my pajamas if I want, so I'll take it any day of the week, love being able to buy $100 shoes if I want. So it goes.

[ThomWV]

12. Surprisingly we're doing pretty good, great in fact

[old mark]

13. Better than I ever expected in most ways, but short of cash this year...

we are paying off our mortgage and all "extra" is going to that. We are both retired-my wife on disability-BUT our investments are doing very well and we have extra income from that...we are planing to have more miscellaneous work done on the house, too, so we are cash poor right now, but not hurting, just a little tight.(No more guitars this year, and no second car.)

mark

[fasttense]

14. My husband is one of the 99ers.

When his unemployment ran out we started going to the Farmer's Market to sell our produce and flowers. We looked around and figured the only thing we really had was our land, so we started farming it. It is back breaking work for very little pay, especially when you are in your 50s. But I've been active all my life, so I can handel it.

I've got my military retirement so it helps pay most of the bills. But it is not enough for both of us to live off of and pay the mortgage.

It's been very tough. I thought that by the time I was in my 50s, I would be slowing down not working harder and harder.

If the Obama Cat Food Commission has it's way, I'll be digging and turning sod until I'm 70, just 20 more years of back breaking work. I can do this, I can do this.

[Th1onein]

15. My business is booming like never before.

And, fortunately, I'm at the point now where all of my previous loans are maturing and I'm about three payments from paying everything off. It will be good to be debt free and actually have something to show for it.

I'm spending a lot of money on people in my life who are having a rough time, though. Glad that I have the ability to see them through this rough time.

[JustAnotherGen]

16. I've got to be honest

I'm doing well - as I work for a wireless company. However our landline division has had tremendous layoffs. Point blank - people working two or three part time jobs (if they can find them) are opting for wireless as opposed to landlines, since they are never home anyways. Our prepaid is doing great as well - because people are dumping the financial burden of a plan and controlling their costs.

That said - I do feel the pressure - and it's the fact that I help supplement my parents prescriptions. My father is now retired - but 12 years ago suffered a massive stroke. My parents were savers - and what their commercial insurance didn't cover - they had to pull out of two savings accounts to bring him back to good health. So even though my mom still works (she's 62) and my father at 67 has access to the V.A. . . . his medications are over the top, add in physical therapy for my mom, etc. etc.

We had a come to jesus last Christmas where I told them to start sending every single bill to me.

I share this, because I kind of 'relate' to Keith Olbermann's 'speech' he gave after his father's death. I make a decent salary, enough that I can save. I have job security. But these things allow me to assist my parents in their health care so they can focus on the heating bill.

I don't know how my peers in their 30's that have parents in my parents situation - but don't have the means to help the people that brought them up - how they sleep at night? The stress. The anxiety. Worrying - is dad going to have his diabetes and blood pressure medicine?

And then like others have posted - are my parents or me going to lose my home?

Someone in real life told me on Thursday to stop ranting and raving about infrastructure. I can't help but think that while we extend unemployment benes and TANF - we also need to throw as much money as we can rebuilding - and putting people back to work. As my friend Chuck says - Yep, I've been in telecom for all of these years - I'm now out of work 9 months. But there's nothing that says I wouldn't swing a hammer for my country if the opportunity presented itself.

The solution to the unemployed and the UNDERemployed - We all have to come together and bite the bullet in terms of cost - and get people back to work doing something that America really needs.

Sorry for the rambling - but it breaks my heart that people want to contribute, can contribute, and there's nothing there for them to do . . .

[Mariana]

17. Doing pretty well - we expected a layoff but it didn't happen

and now it looks like it isn't going to.

A friend hasn't been so fortunate, and she and her daughter will be moving in with us next month until she can get on her feet. She's working now, but it's too little too late and she just can't get caught up in time to save her home. It sucks so bad, this woman has worked her ass off and raised three children alone (one is still in high school), she had savings and she only had seven years left on her mortgage. It's all gone.

[eilen]

18. Husband got a job-- 3 states away

but we are happy he is working. Now for catch-up. We had some care repairs that went on credit cards and want to pay those off. Then we have to shore up our savings again. Our son is a senior in high school this year and has those expenses. I just made an appt. at Sears for his senior picture for his yearbook. We did some school clothing (shoes, 2 pr jeans, 5 t-shirts, 2pr socks, one hoodie) shopping and I'm flat out already. This past Thurs, he got his first paycheck so I am certain we will be fine this month for mortgage and other bills. We plan to see each other Thanksgiving if I can get the time off.

[zippy890]

19. hubby & I are doing ok. live in Mass.

things aren't too bad around here, we're fortunate.
both have jobs. hubby works construction and has had steady work.

people buying houses, we have 3 new neighbors in our modest neighborhood, the people
that sold the houses weren't foreclosed or anything, just moving on.

so far so good

[bobbolink]

20. Welcome to my neighborhood.

As for how I'm doing... and thousands of others on disability.... we are being cut off, with no alternative ways of surviving.

If I had anything, it would be time to update my will.

[dana_b]

21. I have a job

as far as I can tell, that's a great thing - even if you hate that job.

I hope that things start looking up for you and your hubby. My sister and her husband (both in their fifties) are out of work and just lost a business too. If things don't happen for them soon, they can stay in my daughter's bedroom and we'll share mine.

[Ramulux]

22. Poor, unemployed and hungry

At least I have somewhere to live but living off of like 10 bucks or less a week isnt really enough to do anything or keep yourself healthy.

[Taitertots]

23. I was broke as hell going into the depression

I'm still broke as hell, but I've got a lifestyle that doesn't require much money. It is one of the only benefits to being old poor.

[Silent3]

24. I'm fortunate to be doing well.

Things don't seem quite so bad in New Hampshire as some other parts of the country. I do have two friends out of work, however, so it's not all roses here by a long shot.

[lunatica]

25. I declared bankruptcy in June

My mother used to live with me and we did OK because I worked and she had a pension. She died in January and now I can't make enough to pay the equity bill although I pay the mortgage. I'm trying to keep the condo but will probably lose it in time. I've been slowly spiraling into homelessness for years. My mother got sick in 2005 and had dimentia and was bedridden since then. I had to stay home for a couple of years so I used up all my retirement.

I'm not afraid anymore though because my mother doesn't have to go down with me now. I can easily move into a small trailor as long as I have my job.

[laylah]

26. Not well at all; however,

I do have a lifeline. Fizzgig's dad is so damned awesome. He breaks the mold of ex-husbands.

For those of you who are hanging on by your nails, I send love and healing thoughts. I am so sorry for your plight. If not for Jack, I, too, would be there. :hug:

Jenn

[earth mom]

27. I'm so sorry to hear this but please don't give up!

There are so many ways to make an income if you get creative.

Just as someone upthread posted, you could clean houses, bake bread or cookies to sell, walk dogs...something.

There is also ebay and etsy where it is totally possible to sell on both sites and make a living-many people do.

There are also flea markets, farmers markets and craft shows to make money at too.

I know it seems bleak at the moment, but do some brainstorming and I bet you will come up with great ideas.

Good Luck! :grouphug:

Here's a story about a lady that baked her grandmothers apple cake and sold enough to keep her house out of foreclosure:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32186013/ns/today-today_home_and_garden/

Here are some success stories on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/success-stories/


Edited to add that our family is doing pretty good right now BUT we already went through the hell everyone else is going through for 10 years up to 6 years ago when my husband finally got a decent paying job. Believe me, I know all about living on the edge, almost losing the house, taking everything of value to the pawn shop for a loan and not being able to pick it up, being totally screwed over by payday lenders and on and on and on. Just total hell on earth shy of losing it all. I had to get really creative back then which is why I posted what I did. I have been hugely inspired by etsy the past few years and wish etsy had been around back then when I needed it.

[northofdenali]

28. Just got laid off from a job I thought was a real thing.

My unemployment is 1/10 of my salary.

Bye bye, house.

[SammyWinstonJack]

33. ...

:hug:

[renate]

30. we had a small car problem recently that for some people would be catastrophic

It really made me think about how for many people disaster is just a fall of the dominoes away. If we hadn't had a second car to take us to the store to get a new battery... if we hadn't been able to afford home access to the Internet to learn how to install that battery... if we'd had to call a towing company and if we'd had to be towed to a shop that took advantage of our lack of knowledge about cars....

For so many people these days, a car repair bill would mean choosing between rent and food. Or if they couldn't afford the repair bill, they'd have no way of getting to work and no way of getting to even make that choice.

We are very very fortunate indeed.

[PJPhreak]

31. Rough,

Our water heater crapped out,new one will be here next week and I am gonna attempt to install it myself,one car down for the last two months,other in need of some maintenance,motorcycle offroad due to lack of insurance,outta work for over a year,health Ins...fuggetboutit,will be using on a small wood stove this winter,no money for propane,house in need of things like a new proch deck,winterizing,foundation work,bicycle down,needs a new headset bearing,only a coupla months left on my Vision card.

I went out to "Fly The Cardboard"yesterday to try to rustle up some work...Any Work,got hassled by the Co.Sherrif....It sucked.

Edit to add: My saving grace is that I own the "Cabin" that I live in (Think Shack...We call the place "The TuffShed") so no bankster is gonna take it...Ever!

Been homeless,If there is Anything I can do to help,Please Let me Know. If you live in the Midwest (Eastern Kansas-Western Mo.) I have a large Yard that one can park an R.V in...The Neighbors won't care...and if they do,to heck with 'em!

[FreeJoe]

32. We're Fortunate

It's terrible to hear how many people are struggling. I'm down in the Texas Gulf Coast area and things are going fairly well here. Only one neighbor had a long bout of unemployment.

We're very fortunate. My wife and I were financially very cautious when we were younger and it paid off for us. We're debt free, have a comfortable home, and plenty of reserves. Of course, we're all still in this together. If the economy completely collapses, we're all going down.

[dimbear]

35. Doing OK in Norcal...

Been retired a long time, going to turn 65 soon so that medical emergencies don't loom so large as a threat. My income is very small since beyond S/S it comes from interest, which is currently roughly nothing. Luckily thru long practice I have learned to live on.......... almost nothing. It helps to have really cheap hobbies, such as downloading free books and puttering.

Lately, however, I see food taking a larger and larger cut, in spite of haunting cut-rate groceries. Ominous that, at least a bit so.

[sofa king]

36. Eh, it could be worse.

Sure, I have a three hour, seventy-five mile round trip commute on a moped that's absurdly dangerous and freezing cold even on summer mornings, but if I can score twenty hours a week from that part time job every week in a given month, I can pay my half of the rent.

This year will mark the fifth year in a row (or is it the sixth?) in which my income has fallen well below the poverty line. But I've already been homeless, jobless, sleepless, suicidal, alcoholic, and delusional, and I beat the odds on all those things. I don't have time to hate myself anymore.

With all of that behind me, life is actually pretty damned good now. With lots of free time, I get to indulge in lots of interesting hobbies like hiking, fishing, writing and editing a magazine, reviewing cigars, creating a comic book, teaching an adult education course on the Civil War, and making reproductions of carousel horses. Some of those hobbies might even pay off one day. I read more than I ever did before. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my life. I have the best and most understanding girlfriend in the world, who might also be the world's greatest cook, pastry chef, and blues singer. We live in a plantation house (okay, we live in the musty wine cellar of a haunted plantation house, but it's still awesome and this year, the heat is included in the rent). You simply wouldn't believe whose bedroom I slept in up until this year. My other blessings are still too numerous to count.

Poverty has shed me of every bad habit I ever had (the cigar-reviewing excepted, and the cigars are free), so my daily expenses are next to nothing. With three bucks and a gallon of gas in the tank I can go to places like this, and I regularly do. I easily empathize with others who are just entering the long twilight of poverty, and sometimes I even have helpful advice. In short, it's made me a better person, and in some respects I have finally become the person I always wanted to be--more tolerant of others, more caring for myself, maybe even more thoughtful of the friends and family who stuck with me all these years.

I would like to think so, at least, because otherwise this experience has been a nightmarish pain in the fucking ass.