Your current "on the ground" economic report

[djwayne]

Originally Posted by citykittyatheart

Actually, yes I can. It's better than nothing! Granted it's not an easy way but it's better than starving. I lived for three years on $8.25/hr part time, not well but I lived. I didn't go out on the weekend or spend money on stupid things like cigarettes, or eat out. I spent my time at home researching & developing my current business, which pays quite a bit more and DID allow me to buy a house. And I'm NOT an old-timer! At least not yet-

Okay then, let me ask you this...would you do the same job for $6.00 bucks an hour ?? How about $4.00 ?? At what point would you decide it was more trouble than it was worth and refuse to take the job ?? Pretend I'm the employer and you're the job seeker...how low will you go ?? I want dirt cheap and don't give a damn about your expenses. Remember anything you agree to is better than nothing. You won't mind living in a shantee so you can work for me ??

[MtnCat]

Don't mean to get between you and citykittyatheart, but I started out barely above bottom, too. To make ends meet I had a roommate, walked to work (no car and no public transportation) and bettered myself to get a better job.

Things are so tough in northeast Tennessee, guys are putting ads on CraigsList and notes on community bulletin boards, "Willing to do odd jobs -- clean your gutters, mow your lawn, whatever. Please call: 423-123-4567. Ask for _______."

A few entrepreneurial types have started small engine repair shops and the like, because folks are hanging on to items instead of chucking them and buying new. Like the Holmes room heater I'm looking at right this minute. That model isn't made any more (I checked). Looking for someone who knows what he's doing because it's an electrical appliance, but it would be nice to have the option of heating just one room to comfort level if something should happen to the heat pump and I don't want to fire up the kerosene heater.

[blue123]

Originally Posted by MtnCat

Don't mean to get between you and citykittyatheart, but I started out barely above bottom, too. To make ends meet I had a roommate, walked to work (no car and no public transportation) and bettered myself to get a better job.

Things are so tough in northeast Tennessee, guys are putting ads on CraigsList and notes on community bulletin boards, "Willing to do odd jobs -- clean your gutters, mow your lawn, whatever. Please call: 423-123-4567. Ask for _______."

A few entrepreneurial types have started small engine repair shops and the like, because folks are hanging on to items instead of chucking them and buying new. Like the Holmes room heater I'm looking at right this minute. That model isn't made any more (I checked). Looking for someone who knows what he's doing because it's an electrical appliance, but it would be nice to have the option of heating just one room to comfort level if something should happen to the heat pump and I don't want to fire up the kerosene heater.

reminds me of the stories granny used to tell about the great depression, when folks start pulling/strait'nin nails and savin'um in ol'e mason jars then you know.....the depression is here

[works4dhs]

I wonder how much is financial crisis and how much is quality of living. I read somewhere most people's second largest expense (first being rent/mortgage) is cell phone bill. almost everyone has a cable/satellite bill, possibly internet. I think part of the problem is viewing these as necessitites not luxuries.
having said that...there is no shortage of folks doing without and still barely breaking even. I don't know if this is a bump we can get through or the new norm.
I do know high fuel prices affect everyone, directly or indirectly (electrical generation, transport). if we had gone ahead with Keystone and allowed more drilling we might all be a lot better off.

[Amaranth]

Originally Posted by works4dhs

I wonder how much is financial crisis and how much is quality of living. I read somewhere most people's second largest expense (first being rent/mortgage) is cell phone bill. almost everyone has a cable/satellite bill, possibly internet. I think part of the problem is viewing these as necessitites not luxuries.
having said that...there is no shortage of folks doing without and still barely breaking even. I don't know if this is a bump we can get through or the new norm.
I do know high fuel prices affect everyone, directly or indirectly (electrical generation, transport). if we had gone ahead with Keystone and allowed more drilling we might all be a lot better off.

I have thought the same thing. I notice it's the people with cell phone contracts and cable TV, etc that complain about struggling sometimes. Or the person who told me they were stressed about moving because they couldn't fit everything on their moving truck and they weren't sure how to pay for the moving truck. We suggested selling some of that stuff. They balked at the idea. Then a few days later they said they got a new $65 video game and couldn't wait to settle into their new place so they could play it...

Everyone asks us how can we possibly have expenses as low as we do. It's about priorities. Now I am not saying this is why everyone is struggling, but certainly some could make some changes and not be living from month to month.

[MtnCat]

Confirmed (to me) Christmas Eve, published publicly elsewhere so I was behind the curve:

Sears in Morristown, TN will be closed. The liquidation sale is going on right now. Guess they'll have to drive 45 - 90 minutes if they just *have* to shop at Sears. Or order via the Internet.

[citykittyatheart]

Originally Posted by djwayne

Okay then, let me ask you this...would you do the same job for $6.00 bucks an hour ?? How about $4.00 ?? At what point would you decide it was more trouble than it was worth and refuse to take the job ?? Pretend I'm the employer and you're the job seeker...how low will you go ?? I want dirt cheap and don't give a damn about your expenses. Remember anything you agree to is better than nothing. You won't mind living in a shantee so you can work for me ??

Depends. I have indeed refused jobs that involved jerk bosses and/or sweatshop level pay. How hungry am I? Usually there are other options, especially if one uses a bit of foresight. Otoh sometimes a jerk boss or sweatshop conditions can keep one from starving while seeking that better option.

[jd]

the state of idaho is and always has been relatively poor when it comes to finances. Boise has its wealthy but most do not make much our unemployment however is low in fact many work 2-3 jobs. I myself often work 60 hours a week via OT. I make 9.33 an hour after a year on the job I can also make performance pay. Despite this I do not make enough to get by comfortably and or prepare for hard times if I lose my job its gonna be bad and thats the case for most here I've known many at work who've lost their job and become homeless our shelters are over run. I currently live with and am helping my family who lost their business with the down turn (dad can't find work and is disabled brother also can't find work. 22% of young people here are unemployed and not in school.

[djwayne]

Here's another ominous sign. Greater Cleveland's bus sytem RTA announced that last year saw 2 million more bus riders than the year before. They are claiming it's because of a uptick in the economy. If the economy is upticking so much than why aren't those 2 million riders driving their own cars ?? I know for a fact that I'd rather drive my own vehicle than ride a bus.

[djwayne]

Money is so tight for some people...I recieved some coupons in the mail for cigarettes, I don't smoke but I know a lady who does so I asked her if she wanted them...she can't use them because they are for menthol cigs, and she smokes regulars, HOWEVER she wanted the coupons because she knew somebody who could find somebody to sell them to, and make $.50...she said "hey, fifty cents is fifty cents."

Just makes me want to cry......

[citykittyatheart]

Originally Posted by djwayne

Here's another ominous sign. Greater Cleveland's bus sytem RTA announced that last year saw 2 million more bus riders than the year before. They are claiming it's because of a uptick in the economy. If the economy is upticking so much than why aren't those 2 million riders driving their own cars ?? I know for a fact that I'd rather drive my own vehicle than ride a bus.

Well let's see-if Cleveland is anything like Seattle, then parking your car downtown can be very costly indeed. Then there's the price of gas these days-riding a bus is MUCH cheaper. Traffic can be very stressful; riding a bus cuts down on traffic therefore stress for everyone. Taking a snooze on the way home can be very refreshing; this is not possible when driving.

I gave up driving around 1982 and haven't missed it. I know for a fact that I'd rather take a bus than drive. Of course I can also support my local cabbie when necessary.

[djwayne]

Originally Posted by citykittyatheart

Well let's see-if Cleveland is anything like Seattle, then parking your car downtown can be very costly indeed. Then there's the price of gas these days-riding a bus is MUCH cheaper. Traffic can be very stressful; riding a bus cuts down on traffic therefore stress for everyone. Taking a snooze on the way home can be very refreshing; this is not possible when driving.

I gave up driving around 1982 and haven't missed it. I know for a fact that I'd rather take a bus than drive. Of course I can also support my local cabbie when necessary.

Another bad sign about the busing is that drivers are getting robbed at a much higher rate. Driver safety has really become a big issue here. That's another reason I don't like the bus, you never know what the other passengers are up to, it's a very shaky crowd at best.

[LadyFenix]

Another Oregonian checking in.........things continue to get worse in the town that I live in. New small businesses continue to open up and are lucky to last 3-6 months before the "Going Out Of Business" signs appear in their front window. The only new restaurant is a Pizza Hut. I don't know how they are doing, because I don't eat out, any more. Older small businesses that have grimly tried to hang on continue to close.

Still lots of homeless living in their cars. The vagrant/panhandler population has thinned out, some. Mostly, because it has been so dang cold here, this Winter. The two thrift shops in town both have lines waiting to get in, every morning, before they open up. I don't know how much of that is actual shoppers or just people wanting to get inside someplace warm where they can get out of the cold weather.

Something new that I noticed, on the main highway driving out of town.......there are wooden signs in the fields along the roadway, now. Obviously homemade, with hand painted lettering. Things like: "Exp. Finish Carpenter Needs Work. No Job Too Small"........or "Exp. Trucker Needs Work". Etc.

I see people in the grocery store carefully counting out their money before getting into the check-out line (and usually first taking some items out of their cart that they decide not to purchase). Also observed more people digging into their pockets and/or the bottom of their handbag to come up with enough change to pay the bill for their groceries. Still seeing families with clothes and shoes mended with duct tape. Fewer people swiping debit or credit cards........and more paying with cash. And the ever-present food stamps and WIC vouchers.

Overall......I'm not seeing ANYTHING to make me believe that we are not already in a Depression situation. And I have absolutely no doubt that it can.......and will......get a lot worse.

[MtnCat]

Had lunch with a friend today who lives more-or-less an hour south of me. We met about 1/2 between our homes, so I was driving in an area I don't usually see.

I noticed several "At Auction" signs along TN State Hwy 354 and at least two homesteads/mini-farms for sale (5 +/- acres and 10 +/- acres, respectively). Once I parked, I realized I'd done so at the wrong end of "downtown" -- it's a total of about five city blocks -- and walked to my destination. As Lady Fenix mentioned, new businesses are coming and going at an alarming rate. Several start-ups are now out-of-business. A sign in one window read: "Fixtures and sales racks for sale. Call ____________." Another read: "To Rent Eventually. Remodeling in Progress. If interested, call __________."

This particular town is the oldest in Tennessee and the downtown district relies heavily on "tourism." (Not Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville.) The cafe was doing a good lunch trade, and I think the bakeries/confectioners may do all right if they can hang on through the winter. But I'll be surprised if the art shop, upscale clothing boutique and other non-essential businesses last through the summer.

[Boomer Lapua]

Maybe my perspective is a little bit different...
I managed a grocery store for seven years, and have a pretty good eye for spotting retail trends. What I'm seeing is that there is a MASSIVE propaganda campaign going on to try and persuade the American people that food prices are increasing "as should be expected" at a paltry "3.2-4.8%" Yes. That was the number I heard on ABC news tonight, January 22, 2013. The reality I'm seeing on the ground is that a quart of mayo that has consistently sold for $.99 for YEARS, now costs $3.78. Frozen mangos were $1 per bag in 1999, were still $1 per bag in 2010, and are now $2.97. Tilapia fillets, $2.99/lb in 2010, now selling for $5.99.... for a 12-oz package. Salmon fillets up from $1.99/lb to $7.99/lb. Sirloin tip roasts used to run once a month for 99 cents/lb, now go for $4.99/lb and are NEVER on sale. Pork Sausage, store brand up from 99 cents to $2.79. Toilet paper? Double 2010 price. Same is true of nearly every item in the store. But the sheeple are actually chewing and regurgitating this bizarre 4% number, apparently oblivious. Is anyone else seeing this??? It occurs to me that we are staring down the barrel of hyperinflation, and the primer has already ignited. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this.

[MtnCat]

Welcome to SB, Boomer. And to answer your question, yes, there have been several threads about the rise in grocery prices. Some members chime in and post items with dates and price comparisons. Some members disagree that it is all that serious, but "to be expected" and cite rising transportation costs and other things which "explain" the price increases.

2013 will definitely be interesting, and not necessarily in a good way.

[Gamecock]

MtnCat said "2013 will definitely be interesting, and not necessarily in a good way." The Chinese having an old saying . " may you be cursed to live in intresting times". I think this year will be more of the same as the last few years. BAD The unemployment claims going down is because the govts can no longer afford pay the claims. I saw recently that the state of SC was closing about half of the unemployment offices in that state can not afford to continue to pay those claims. best be able to fend for yourself to some degree.

[The Heretic]

Originally Posted by Gamecock

MtnCat said "2013 will definitely be interesting, and not necessarily in a good way." The Chinese having an old saying . " may you be cursed to live in intresting times". I think this year will be more of the same as the last few years. BAD The unemployment claims going down is because the govts can no longer afford pay the claims. I saw recently that the state of SC was closing about half of the unemployment offices in that state can not afford to continue to pay those claims. best be able to fend for yourself to some degree.

Your post doesn't make sense.

1) Unemployment numbers are only partially based on those making UI benefit claims. They also count those who are not eligible but are still looking for work. Yes, people who got so discouraged that they are not looking for work are NOT counted, but then if they aren't looking, the government doesn't consider them to be in the job market and in a way that makes sense; I don't see how else they could tally those numbers.

I was once unemployed for 2 years. Only for the first six months did I get UI benefits. There wasn't a week where I wasn't looking for a job until I finally got one. I could not afford to NOT look for work.

Someone who doesn't have a job and isn't looking for a job isn't unemployed, they have just given up or have other sources of money or they are homeless.

2) Closing a UI office isn't going to reduce the number of people qualifying for and receiving UI benefits. Most states allow you at least mail in your forms, many now allow you to do it online or via the phone (it saves a lot of money to not have them have to come into the office).

[The Heretic]

Originally Posted by MtnCat

Welcome to SB, Boomer. And to answer your question, yes, there have been several threads about the rise in grocery prices. Some members chime in and post items with dates and price comparisons. Some members disagree that it is all that serious, but "to be expected" and cite rising transportation costs and other things which "explain" the price increases.

2013 will definitely be interesting, and not necessarily in a good way.

Food prices have been going up for some time now. I don't see them going down overall again. The cost of energy, the drought (including the drought in Russia), climate change, arable land being developed for housing and commercial purposes, small farms being sold to large farming outfits. That and a number of other factors will cause food prices to continue to increase overall.

Moreover, it isn't just climate and weather here in the USA, but all around the world; we import food from all over, and we export food too. As demand increases due to failed crops elsewhere the prices here will be impacted just as much as elsewhere. It has been this way for decades; I remember when I was a kid on the farm (40 to 50 years ago) and the talk was sometimes about how the Russian (then Soviet) grain harvest impacted the price for our crops.

[works4dhs]

my question is, at what point does a person say screwit I'm getting out of the work scene and just sitting home collecting? at what point does the gummint draw the line? and how many people can do that before the economy breaks down from lack of productivity?