I've been wondering about you lately. Since so much has changed with the economy and the current job and housing market I want to know what's going on with you. We have friends and relatives who have lost jobs, houses and savings. Our income has been cut in half since this time last year. But we are thankful to have some income and I even consider it a blessing to be a renter because if we need to lower our expenses we can move. Again. For the 15th time. Just tee teed a little thinking about it.
With all that stuff going on with the economy {I'm not going to pretend like I know the first thing about it} how are you and your family being affected?
197 comments:
Hey Nester---
WOW! What a question! Hmmm... I might have to tell you when it's over! It's kind of an ongoing thing.
It's not all good, not all bad. I have total faith that we are in God's hands and he will provide for our needs. I also know that times of trial and challenge have a bright side even though we don't always know it while it happens.
So, like I said, I'll answer your question when it's all behind us...but I have faith that one way or another it will work out for our good.
Thanks for sharing your great self on Remodeling Guy yesterday! It was fun!
Tim
You are so sweet to ask. My husband sells real estate... I am a self employed faux finisher. So.. since the housing market is in the tank... he has got another job just for a reliable income until the market picks back up. It's not what we want to do... but I will sleep a little better knowing he got his first check today and we'll have another one in 2 weeks. We're praying for the economy to turn around!!!!!
Well here... I am a photographer so not alot of people are spending money on pictures. My husband is a Teacher for children with special needs, and we are in a county that is having to cut 42 positions! So we may have NO income pretty soon. SO MANY PRAYERS going up form us constantly.
We are doing okay...for now. The company my husband works for is closing 23 stores...his store is one that is closing. He could be employed for another 2 months...maybe 2 more weeks. I am planning on filling out applications anywhere I can after being a SAHM for the past 8 years. It's tough...and oh so stressful!
Well our Dave Ramsey 'get out of debt' plan came to a screeching hault. It's hard to pay down debt and build savings when people don't pay us for our work. On the other hand we are one of the few companies who are still in business so we feel very blessed. We know many who are out of work and have lost their homes, so it could be much worse. I guess this has been a HUGE lesson for us in spending less and saving more.
Prayers for those who are without work and are struggling to get by.
I live in Canada and the economy is bad but it is not as bad as it is in some of the areas of the US.
I have had a number of friends/family return from vacations in the US and have silently shaken their heads at what they have seen. I suppose it is one thing to hear it on the news, it is another to actually see it with their own eyes.
Their comments were that they could not believe the number of homes that were for sale and the number of stores that have closed. My parents, just came back from Arizona (they drove) and said that often they were the only ones on the highway...except for the trucks.
My heart goes out to all of you.
my husband works in the video game industry... and strangely, we're still okay. there were a few layoffs, but so far, nothing major.
we have been told there will be no raises this year, not really a surprise. and strangely... here in Orlando, it's become cheaper to buy a home, than rent... so we're buying our first home in a couple of weeks. scary to be entering into such a commitment at this time, but it will save us money.
I think I just fell in love with Tim!
I was about to buy some new bedroom furniture and continue the process of beautifying my "nest", but a financial advisor has recommended to stay as liquid as possible and hold on to my cash savings. I'm okay with that because it means...another DIY project to blog about! : )
And I TOTALLY agree with Remodeling Guy! God ALWAYS provides!!!
Well, we are actually doing much better than most (and sadly to say at the expense of others, sniff, sniff) We have always been very frugal and tried to spend our money wisely, therefore when we sold our home recently we had equity that many do not. Well, the reason we sold is because we found a BEAUTIFUL home for sale WAYYYYY under value. I'm talking sickening under value. It was a home that we could NEVER have afforded before but because of another person's disfortune we WERE able to afford it. I have mixed feelings about it. Do I say "yeah me" or do I secretly feel horrible for the other person, which is what I'm doing? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my new home, but at the same time, well, you know........ ~Jennifer in Texas
DH and I owned our own (very small) business for years and we felt God calling us to NO DEBT- even when it came to our business. Several years ago because of that we were able to enter into a new phase of life and be in ministry full time.
We live with a budget, have never really gone out alot to dinner, Bill even cuts his own hair and does a wonderful job. We really have not, as such felt the slowdown in that we always have lived in the slow lane!!!
THe one are we see that it has slowed down is the housing market and because of the change in career we still have a house in another state that we are trying to sell. THe good thing about that is that it is free and clear so we are not making 2 mortgage payments!
I do so encourage others, if they have not begun to do so to have a budget- if you don't tell you money where to go it will take off somewhere! Take a FPU (Dave Ramsey Course) or find a friend who will help you get spending under control. Now is not the time to be using that CC limit up!!
blessings,
mary
I know it is not you intention but this post brings tears to my eyes. So many people and families are hurting. I am mostly a SAHM, but do substitute teach at my childrens school on occasion. I have been accepting more and more jobs because of the economy.
My husband works for a major shipping company. He and all other management just took paycuts. We feel blessed it was only 5%. It may be more in a few months. They are downsizing as we speak. We think his job is safe but you never know. Even with his discount we are shipping all of our packages through the post office. I am sure everyone is doing the same. He now referees basketball games at night as added income. So my Man wakes at 4:30 or 5:00 for the real job, gets home about 4pm, eats and changes for 4 hours of basketball. It has been rough on the kids to not see dad as much.
I know the Lord will bless us with enough. This whole experience draws us closer to Him. I think that is happening to many people right now. My prayers are with all you suffering. I pray that God will work miracles in your lives as he does in mine. I am careful to watch for small miracles daily.
We honestly have been cutting back and living more frugal since I quit working to stay home with the kids about 3 years ago. So cutting back even more was not THAT hard, just took a little more planning. We cut up the credit cards, and only use a budgeted amount of cash per week. When it's gone, it's gone. It was hard at first, but after a bit, food or fun wasn't that hard of a decision...I have to plan waaaaay ahead for things like hobby lobby trips, take-out pizza, etc...
Here in NW Indiana we have many people who have lost, or will soon be losing, their jobs at the local steel mills. So many families are affected and it is scary for all of us, whether or not we are directly affected. Also, our property tax system is a mess because the state suddenly decided a few yrs. ago that certain areas had been undervalued for decades and subsequently raised their assessed values. Numerous people have already been losing their homes as a result. My husband has a white collar job in Chicago and so far, so good. But the blue collars...I pray for them.
My husband just ended his Army career without the ability to re-enlist. So we job searched and applied for everything from what he's qualified for all the way to McDonalds. Neither of us have even gotten our foot in the door to having a job. It has been a really stressful time, but we believe God has a plan for us.
We just put our house on the market this weekend. It was our first home which we've lived in for 2 yrs. We will be moving accross the country to move in with my parents so he can go back to college and get his degree.
As hard as it has been, I couldn't agree with Tim more. We truely are blessed every day. We have a very strong support and welfare system from our church who are helping us out. I haven't grocery shopped in months other than a few gallons of milk and the occasional fresh produce. I've just been using up my pantry and freezer and am amazingly surprised at how well we've been eating and how far it's gotten me.
We have quite a bit of debt we've been working on paying down, so this is a scary time for us. But I have the faith things will get better soon.
Thanks for asking - it is so sweet of you to wonder. We own a small carpet cleaning business - we had TONS of work up through Christmas. So far this year, we had to "lay off" the gentleman that was helping Hubby keep up with all the work last year. Luckily, it was just this man's part-time work that he just picked up to help pay for his son's LDS Mission. The son is now home, so I don't think the lack of work impacted him too much. We will still call him when we are over-booked, but we haven't had him working at all this year.
We also have the worry that most of our work is commercial, so we don't get paid on the spot - we bill the companies. Sometimes we have several jobs we have done for one company, so they can owe us several thousand dollars at once. If one of these companies goes under and hasn't paid - well we are in serious trouble!!
So far so good though! Overall we are doing ok. We don't have much debt, but we also don't have anything saved up, so we are just trying to save as we can, and really live frugally in case our business hits some really hard times.
We're tightening our belts, expecting the worst.
The New Deal didn't do anything to get us out of the Great Depression, and since what is going on today parallels the action taken at that time, I think we're in this (the recession) for the long haul.
That said, I think a little belt-tightening is a good thing for this country. We're fat, lazy, and lukewarm, if you know what I mean. Sometimes it takes hard times to get rid of the chaff.
Things are getting hard over at our house. I was excited because for the first time in my adult life we actually had quite a bit of money left over after paying bills. My husband's hours keep getting cut. With the amount of hours he is able to get now he can cover the bills and other expenses, but we have nothing left to spend on extras such as decorating, clothing, etc. If his hours get cut more here in the next couple of weeks like we heard will happen he will not be able to pay our bills. However, he will still have a job and I can make up the rest by selling on eBay. We do have our three month emergency fund which is a great stress reliever. If my hubby gets laid off he will be going to work for his old company, however this time it will be field service and my kids and I will hardly ever get to see him anymore.
I am sorry to hear that the economy is getting to you also. I am just leaving it in God's hands and I just know that he will get us through this.
Like Trisha, these posts are not easy to read. It really touching us all. My man had been out of work for one year. I work part time so we got by. He is now working for a "start up" company so with no benefits and no idea how long it will be there - but its something! and we are so thankful. He has provided for us and taught us so much. Right now we are focusing on how we can give and help others in need - which is such a good thing to be focused on. Prayers for your family too Nester!
Your blog is inspiring! As for the economy...my husband and I just finished a year doing camp ministry which we loved but it didn't exactly build our savings :)
We wouldn't have traded that year for anything but it's been a difficult transition. We came back into the world at the worst time to find jobs! When we left camp we spent 7 months without any jobs or income. That finally ended three few weeks ago when my husband found a job. We knew through all those months that God was faithful and had a plan for us, but it was hard and it still is! We're still playing catch up financially and I'm still without a job, but we're learning a lot about having peace in the middle of a storm. God is good!
I'm blessed that my husband still has a decent job and I'm able to stay at home and take care of my girls. Unfortunately, our home's value has taken the brunt of it all. We are lucky that it is pretty much worth what we bought it for, but after all the work we put into it, it's hard to sell it so low. It's only a 2bd 2 bath so we have already outgrown it. Our dreams for a larger more family friendly home will have to wait. Other than that, we have been blessed immensley to be in such good financial circumstances.
Thought you'd like to know I posted a link on my blog to your question. Thanks for asking this of all of us, Nester!
My husband just got laid off a week ago. We have a hefty house pmt (that wasn't so hefty two years ago) he was employed with a co that was a partner with GMC. So we know how that is.
I have been blessed to be a stay at home mom to our 4 amazing children since our first was born 11 years ago.
I would hate to have to leave them to go to work but at this point I will do what ever to help my family out.
My husband has been a wonderful provider. I feel for him right now.
This economy SUCKS!!!!!!!!! OK STINKS!!! Sucks can be a harsh term.
We are blessed and have not been affected too much. We are trying to build up our savings, preparing for the worse, but so far, it's business as usual for us.
I have several friends who are small business owners who are not so lucky.
This is my first time ever posting. The state of the economoy makes me so sad. I do not pretend to understand politics but I certainly feel for all those who are suffering. My husband is in the Navy and we are currently overseas. Because we are not stateside, we haven't seen all of the problems. Our life hasn't changed that much at all.The price of groceries is rising but our income has not changed. Every time I complain about a deployment, I have to be grateful for all our blessings.
Oh Nester, I've been wanting to post on this for a few weeks now. But it's just hard to bring it up, especially when you are hard hit from it.
My husband & I are not directly hit, and thankfully, this is one of few things to be thankful for a teacher's salary. It is definitely an underpaid career, but in times like this, it's such a blessing to feel secure. My husband will thankfully, and I hesitate to say that out of fear, but will not be out of a job.
That said, I have polar opposites in regards to family members. My parents are struggling drastically, because my father is a loan officer. And there are no loans {hardly}. So he is basically out of work. And very drastic measures are on the horizon.
My in-laws on the other hand have their business booming. My father in law is a teacher, but also owns his own carpet business. And because of the booming housing turn around--ie.rentals--he is busier than ever. Which is sad, b/c it is at the misfortune of others, round about.
Thanks for bringing up the subject. I'm sure many people are thankful to be able to talk about it, without having to plaster it all over their blogs for family, etc to see. {At least I know I am}.
I am a senior graduating college in May. I'm living with my parents right now, but really want to move out once i graduate so that i can 'make my own decisions and learn things that you simply can't learn by living under your parents roof'.... but it's kind of nerve racking to think that i just might not find a job that allows that to happen. Or even be able to find a job in general.
One thing I know is that despite what is going on and despite what may happen in the months to come.... i raise my hands and praise God because He is still on His throne and still in control.
Because 'It (life) doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful'.
Often times the brokenness show us more beauty that any other time in our lives.
I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses to this post. Thanks for asking.
well, my husband just got a 10% cut in his pay. My work has slowed down alot. Alot of people i know are either losing their houses or just barely holding on. The mortgage co. are not really helping anyone. Utilities keep going up. And it is scary. I have applied to get an extra job working nights, but there is so many applicants out there I don't think it is going to happen. But i have my family, a house and we will get thru this even if we have to move in all together! lol. mishelle
I have mixed feelings on this. I'm scared in my one income entrepreneur home, but on the other hand, it's been a blessing of sorts.
I've been forced to get more creative with finishing my home by means of creating wonderful things out of thrift store finds. I'm hoping and building on that one in many ways towards future opportunities.
You never know what hard times can bring you. Remain optimistic and be open to change and opportunity. And be proactive towards what you strive for.
I love that you put this out there...
As far as situations, I find a mixed bag out there. Some friends have lost their homes, cars, everything. DH's workplace is always buzzing with rumors of cutbacks. I'm seeing tremendous growth in my direct sales business for both personal and team! My BF's business is also thriving - she owns a resale shop.
I do see all this bringing us back to our knees in prayer. It can be scary but it's nice to have a hope in something (actually someONE) bigger than our economy.
Thanks for the FREE therapy!
Our preacher said it best "God is still in control no matter who's in Washington".
Thank you for your heart to inquire about your loyal readers. I've made more careful choices about where my money gets spent. I make more meals at home despite the huge urge to grab a meal out. I've participated in the bestest thing ever- Just Between Friends. It's a consignment sale for all things kid related. I have sold items and found great deals for my kids' summer wardrobe. I plan to be involved in the fall as well.
See my post here
http://lifesgreatestadventures.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-heart-jbf.html
or go to www.jbfsale.com to see where the one closest to you is. It's amazing!
So far so good. Our income is still the same and we benefit from low(er) oil and gas prices. We're saving like crazy though..., it would be tough if my husband lost his job.
Wow...reading all of these comments really makes it all hit home.
We have been so blessed. My husband's company has just laid off four more people but he got a raise...praise God! We put our trust in the One Who isn't affected or limited by the economy :) And I remain a SAHM homeschooling our three children. If you had told me two years ago that I would be doing this in spite of the economy...I would have laughed..a lot! But He meets all of our needs and He loves us so much that He even grants some of the wants too.
We are still in the Potter's hands no matter what happens to the country.
Thank you for your concern...My husband & I both have had our hours drastically cut, so our income is substantially reduced. However, God has provided us with buyers for my handmade rosaries...What a blessing! And I have been stockpiling our pantry for the past 4 months or so with rice, beans, H20, canned goods so that we can eat if things turn for the worse. I'm also planning on a much larger veggie garden this year, back to baking my own bread & canning....
I'm coming out of the woodwork. I have been a subscriber for a while, but I never comment because I'd just be telling you how great you were each time.
I am a stay at home mom of 2 babies and my husband works. Every now and then he gets "laid off" but it is basically a reassignment with his job. We rent and we are paying off student loans (the source of all evil), and thus, at the end of bill-paying we have little or nothing. I wish I could decorate and spruce up our place, and get the appliances I need for the kitchen, but alas, we find ourselves in our predicament. Though the economy isn't "good," being in this situation helps us be wise with our money, and though some people think it is a novel idea to purchase used items or go thrifting/garage sale hunts, for us, it is a necessity. We are greatly blessed with perspective though and have found joy in our situation.
Thanks for the though provoking question :)
We live in Wa state and haven't been hit nearly as hard as other parts of the country. I'm so thankful to God for my husband's job and skill set. We are feeling pretty secure at this point. We have been saving for our first house for the last three years and as house prices drop things look more and more obtainable. Although, prices were so inflated that even with the drop the numbers are still scary. We will see what they are like at the end of the year. Im dont talkin your ear off!
WOW what a great question and a heart breaking one for many. I worry about friends and family.. really everyone. I praise GOD for as hard as the times are .. we are doing good.. the biggest hit we took is my husbands retirement.. I hear all the time there are people that lost everything so again we are very thankful. I truly feel guilty when I know I can go out and buy something that some one else can not. My children appear to be doing well also.. My son and his wife , one is a firefighter and a ER nurse so they should be fine. My other daughter is a teacher and I really pray things are ok there. My middle daughter I worry about.. she is going through a terrible divorce and he is being miserable..she has never worked outside the home and is struggling. I truly pray that through all this that the greedy part of the world will learn something from this. I will pray for you and your family and pray for our economy and pray for our nation... I have dear friends that have worked at their jobs for 15 and more years at a job and they are let go.. we need to pray for those people.. gosh... I am sorry about rambling.
What a question. We are so, so lucky right now and I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am. Dh is in the Army (as you know) and we are living in Germany. We watched the US news the other night and were just stunned at a story about the homelessness that is going on in the US. Indy saw it and commented that it looked like the Hobo camp in American Girl (we recently watched it). I didn't connect it, but he did. He was totally right though.
Dh went from being enlisted to officer a year ago and got a substantial pay raise and he is in no danger of losing his job. We have health care, insurance and a roof over our heads. That is a lot to be thankful for. It comes at a price of course but we have no worries about our income.
Our tenants in our house are getting ready to move out and we will lose our rental income. This worries me a lot. We have put the house on the market and fortunately the markets around a lot of bases are still strong so we're hoping it will sell quickly. If it doesn't we have enough money to cover the mortgage for quite some time, but I don't want to drain our savings to pay for it.
I feel so badly for the people who have lost their jobs and homes. I hope things will turn around soon.
We've been living the "college student" life since we got married, so the slow economy is pretty normal for us. Thankfully we bought a very inexpensive home a few years ago and the payments are low and we are ok. We feel very blessed that even though most months we barely make it, we have enough for our needs. My husband's company has a wage freeze right now, but luckily I have a job I do online that helps me stay home. I hope for everyone's sake that the market turns quickly and more jobs open up so people can provide for their families.
We're trying to cut costs wherever we can in our business.....hopefully that will help us ride the wave :)
I posted about this very thing this week. I posted that unfortunately, when my husband's small business suffers, I am forced to pass that suffering on to other small business that I usually support. I sat down and thought about all the small, local businesses, many owned by women, that I could support before the financial crisis. It is a vicious cycle. ;(
My husband lost his job about 2 years ago and was out of work for 10 months. He finally got a job at substantial pay decrease. But it's a job. What he does now has me worried a little. Who is going to buy patio cushions when the economy outlook is so grim?
We're in NE Indiana and the RV industry was, notice I say was, the industry to be in. My brother, after 24 years with a company lost his job the week before Christmas, along with 250 other people. What used to employ over 900 is down to almost nothing. He's 52 years old. There is nothing out there for him right now.
We have saved a nice little nest egg. Being umemployed for all those months taught us where to cut back and not be so wasteful.
As my husband was walking out the door he asked what I thought about putting a wooden deck over our patio. I don't think it's wise and his grand idea for new sidewalks will have to be scaled down some too. It's not that we can't. It's just that we shouldn't.
But I agree with the people that have stated as long as God is on the throne, it's going to be okay in the end.
First off I hope everyone here's who have such awful experiences, have some better luck coming their way soon x
I'm in the UK and it's recently gotten better for my family but it's been a few stressful months.
I lost my permanent full time job last April and managed to pick up a 2 day a week job - but it's temporary. Hubby lost his IT Director job in November and since then we were living off savings, but fortunately he started a contracting developer role this week.
BUT it's in London which is a 3 hour round trip from our house so he's leaving at 7am and getting home at 7.30 at night so he's barely seeing our daughter. However it's not forever and we need the money, so it's got to be done. On the upside is that as contractors we've set up our own company which is very exciting.
However the wider UK economy is utterly in trouble and will be for years, to the point we're thinking of leaving and moving to Canada either Vancouver or Toronto. The cost of living is cheaper, housing is much, much cheaper, education is much better and the countries long term prospects are ok. I can't wait to leave here now, which breaks my heart but I fear for my daughter's generation in the future here.
My husband was laid off in January. We became even more frugal, and even rejoiced a little because we cut back on how many days a week our 3 year old had to go to daycare - and finally we have had some "family time" - a rarity with my husbands job. It also made my life much easier - I went back to full time work as an auditor in June last year after staying home with my son. We were so grateful that we had my income, and thanks to our lack of debt (YAY Dave Ramsey!) and at least 10 months of emergency funds, and our thinking my job was fairly safe - we felt ok with it all. Then this past Friday my employer (a fortune 100 co) called me down to Charlotte - and I found out myself and many others were laid off effective at the end of this month. We are both scrambling fast to try to find something, anything - just to keep us afloat. We are praying, and we positive that no matter what the outcome, God is still in control - His will be done. I thank God for the peace He gives me - without it, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Thanks for asking :) Maybe now I'll be able to update my blog again!!
My husband is a contractor and even in this tough economy our business is booming. Our home is paid for so I don't have a mortgage. Still I worry sometimes about the future. Not only do we have ourselves to be responsible for, we have our employees and their families. So I am being careful about spending, saving as much as possible. Sadly I am afraid the economy is going to get much worse before it gets better.
Thank you for asking such a question. It has been englightening to me, to read the responses you have posted.
We recently refinanced our house, which gave us a very low percentage and we are extremely thankful for that. Grant it, it resets our clock, but we have only lived in our home for 3 years, so we see this being a good investment on our parts.
I am still a SAHM and the job my husband has is pretty secure. So we are just tightening our belts (we are not big spenders and live in the country-we have somewhat simple tastes).
We do have some debt that we are very aggressive with and so there is light at the end of that tunnel.
I have to echo every word that Remodeling Guy said. All of the above is our efforts, but we also know that God has a bigger plan. We will be cared for, and there is always a lesson behind what He is doing. So our hearts are not overwhelmed with fear, due to the economy. If anything, we are just more alert.
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne
Times are definitely tough and uncertain. I think uncertainty is our biggest stressor right now, it feels as if we're walking on eggshells with everything we do and everywhere we go. Hopefully this coming year won't just be about losses and there will be a bright shining light at the end of the tunnel for all of us.
Well, we too have friends who are losing "amazing" jobs all around us so we have REALLY tighten the finances. So we are being careful...my husband too is in a vulnerable "market"type of job!
Thanks for asking!
sandy toe
Wow, now that's a loaded question for me. Let's see, my hubby was a home builder and got laid off almost 2 years ago and we have struggled and gotten into so much debt and almost lost our home too many times to count. 2 weeks ago we almost ran out of food and I have four kids to feed. Good Lord, I went though a horrible depression but by the incredible grace of God I have come out of it now so much stronger in Him. Thankfully (I'm kidding) people still burn their houses down or have leaky pipes so we are doing mostly insurance work which is really hard to get into so I'm gonna give God credit for that one. But, we are still in the home and we haven't quite run out of food yet so I am thankful and grateful for my faith and for God's provision. It's a daily struggle to say I will trust and not lose my mind!!
Hey Nester,
Very good question. We still have jobs, but trying to sell our house has been a disaster! Our housing values in our neighborhood ave plummetted. We can't afford our house anymore and decided to sell it to get out from under the note. We had a buyer and all was going well until the appraisal came back $40,000 lower than what we paid for it three years ago! We are praying that the mortgage company approves a short sale, but they are balking because we aren't past due. I keep telling them that we will be very soon! I agree with the Remodeling Guy, it is in God's hands.
Things are really, really getting tight. DH is self employed in landscaping and I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to hang on. We haven't had a "normal" pay month in a long time. And what's scary is that there really aren't a lot of jobs out there right now. Before, it's always been that he could find a job if things got slow. But...no one's hiring and everyone is being laid off. It's scary times.
I know that whatever happens, it is God's plan for us and we'll get through. We've been blessed with work thus far, through a slow economy and a drought.
As far as changes go, we're trying to really limit our purchases and to be more cautious in any spending. We've never been extravagent but being self employed is a whole different ball game than working for someone. There's all those little expenses that pop up, even though you try to plan. I work for the state and we're constantly hearing about layoffs and furloughs so that doesn't help with morale either.
We've reduced our monthly expenses as much as possible and we're paying off debt as we can though right now we're more in survival mode than anything. I've become the couponing queen! lol. I'm still doing small house projects but it's all being cash-funded, when we can scrape it together.
There are people in far worse shape than we are and I pray for some stability and normalcy to return to our country. On the other hand, people are learning how to be more frugal, how bad credit can be and are going back to cooking at home, spending more time with their families and gardening, and I think all of those things are wonderful. It's time America slowed down and focused on what's important, in my opinion anyway.
We're doing OK. My husband's job is doing another round of layoff's 10% of the employees but luckily he's not one of them. My brother-in-law is a police officer and the city is doing budget cuts which means layoffs, depending on how many he may be one of them. He owns the other half of our duplex and we can't take on his half of the mortgage so we're praying that doesn't happen. My dad lost his job after 28 years and is worried he may not find another one at his age. Hopefully everything will be behind us soon.
We have lived on one income for 19 years. When we first married in 1980, the economy was in pretty bad shape. Interest rates were through the roof, so buying a house was a major issue. With the help of a relative, we were able to purchase a home and so began our journey.
After our first child was born, we wanted to be able to home school her and that required me quitting my job. We did it and have been blessed by the Lord.
BUT the economy is so bad right now and my husband is in a shaky industry so we just have to trust God to take care of us as He always has. My husband is worried. AND we are planning a wedding in May for my daughter. She's trying to come in under $2000, bless her heart. So far so good.
Thanks for asking.
We have both been lucky so far. I am in health care and hubby is in insurance. Hopefully things will not change. These are scarey times. My prayerg go out to all who are struggling. We have a child in senior year at college with two more years to go.
We have been cooking at home, shopping the house (!) and buying very little compared to years past. We've also postponed some major travel plans. Many of our Christmas gifts were handmade this past year, which was kind of fun
! I am thankful for everything I have.
mary
Forot to say we also drive fuel saving cars. My vw gets 46 miles to the gallon. Happy for that!
well, our nest egg crumbled. It was money for our future and we have been paying for college for our kids with our cash reserves, knowing we had some stashed away. But now we are having to ask the kids to take up more responsibility for their own expenses. IE: get loans to help defray the costs. Still they will be luckier than many and graduate with minimal debt.
And, we are noticing a small drop in the value of our home in the midwest, Still, it is concerning. Three houses in our small neighborhood have either foreclosed or are there now. we had hoped to sell in a few years and build that retirement home. Now we are considering staying put and putting some money into remodeling with the idea of staying here long term.
But like the remodeling guy, we feel we are in God's hands and we are blessed. We've prepared for years by reducing our debt and living within our means and putting back both cash and investment reserves. By doing this we have at least created a cushion around us.
And while my husband's job is safe for now, there are downsizings going on in his industry as well, which might surprise some people, oil and gas... yes, this economy has negatively affected them as well. You just don't hear about them on the news. Unless they are making profits which some people think is criminal, apparently.
My husband and I have been building our own house for the last 10 months. Thankfully, we sold our last home at the same time, so we've been living with family. Two weeks before we moved into our new house, my hubby got a 12.5% pay cut (after dodging about 6 layoffs over the course of 2 years). So, he started looking at other options. Again, thankfully...the day before we move into our house, he got another job offer that is with a much more stable company. We are thrilled and constantly reminded of how God provides for us. We are truly blessed.
For our family, so far we are good. The hubs has made it thru 2 large rounds of layoffs.But I will tell ya, the minute he loses his job, we are outta here {Illinois}.
moved here almost 2 years ago for his job, and I'm not diggin the midwest.
Great topic!
With the economy the way it is, I made a radical choice to simplify my life. I work for a family owned business and they have not been hurt terribly bad by things but business has slowed and I have been worried. I began to think about my family 1800 miles away and what I want to be when I grow up. Sitting behind this desk provides me finacially security but it is not doing much for my spirit. So on the 30th of April I will pack a truck full of all my belongings and take a job as a florist/crafting/gift shop/decorating girl. I will move to a 600 ft. cottage in a town of 3000 and make a salary that would have sent me into the biggest panic attack you have ever seen 2 years ago. I am so excited and terribly scared all at the same time. I plan to live up to my blog name I will be country girl, city chic :)
I think that there is a lot of fear being pushed at us through the media and politicians. We have always lived a simple life since I became a stay at home Mom. Every year it seems taxes increase, food prices go up while the box, or container size goes down. I like to think of it as a game. And I will win. It's important to budget. And I've also become a huge coupon clipper. I have saved so much money and started stock piling for our family. Since I've started using coupons and getting creative about dates nights the economy hasn't effected our family. I'm so grateful for my husband's job and for all the blessings in our house. You just gotta beat the system!!
it is so eye opening to read "real people's" responses to your post. we live in johnson county, kansas, which is pretty "uppity." i think a lot of people live beyond their means here, so by all appearances, we are falsely "protected" from the failing economy. but i'm still worried. i am a dental hygienist, and i am pretty confident in my job security. no raises anytime soon, but at least i have a job i like. my husband is in the IT security business and deals with government contracts, which have been hit hard. in the past, he typically gets a 5% raise each year. this year, his commissions were drastically decreased and his accounts have all stopped spending money. again, we are pretty confident in his job security, but he definitely won't be making any upward movement this year. we have about 3 months pay in savings, but in the big scheme of things, 3 months isn't very long to find a job should we lose one of ours. i definitely worry. we don't have any excess after we pay our bills anymore since his commissions were cut. it's gonna be a long year.........
Despite all that is going on, last year was probably our best year financially. We started Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover last year. In 11 months, we paid off over $16k in debt. We are now debt free except for our house! We are currently working on building up an emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses. After that, we'll move onto increasing retirement, college savings and paying extra towards our mortgage.
We are actually making less now than we were a few years ago. But it seems like when we started handling our finances in accordance to God's will for us, he blessed our efforts beyond what we thought possible.
Prayers to all during this difficult time.
http://carolinamomma.blogspot.com/2009/02/debt-free.html
My husband is a firefighter, so I am guessing that we are ok. Then again, he told me last night that a local dept (not the one he works for) is going to be cutting 12 to 24 firefighters. You know times must be BAD to cut emergency personel!
First of all, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Tim's response, and what a great one to start all the comments. YES, GOD will provide for us. It may not be exactly what we thought we wanted or needed, but HE will provide. And what MinnesotaMom said is true.....it will not hurt us at all to tighten up a bit, and work just a tad harder....and keep persevering. It is easy to appreciate less all the blessings we have. I think I could print off these comments and have a prayer list that would take me through a month! Let's all be praying for trust in the Lord thru hard times....and a refining of us that will glorify God on the other side of getting thru this! Thanks for your concern for all the readers.
Suzanne
Hubby is in the building industry (correction...WAS in the industry!)
Went to half time January of 2008 and was laid off in Sept. I work part time. We are ok. We have always been frugal and savers and lived below our means. We can't go out recreational shopping but the bills are paid. The secret to surviving is to cut your unnecessary expenses BEFORE things get their worst. Can you do without cable? Cell phones for the kids? Expensive gifts? We do. Those are luxuries, not necessities. Dump the money drains and start building a rainy day fund, cause it is going to rain and keep raining for some time.
It depends on your definition of doing good I guess. We are doing okay but will be taking some days without pay shortly. While we are thankful my husband still has a job, it is scary to know that income can just be taken away. I'm mostly worried about my dad. He is very close to retirement and the constant threat of layoffs or his office closing completely is always looming. Very stressful.
I'm thankful to have found Dave Ramsey a year ago. It has changed my thinking in such a positive way, it can only help us get through these tough times. I had a talk with my kids about it this morning. Wasn't sure what kids at school were saying so I gave them an age appropriate (errr..I hope) talk about it. Lets all cross our fingers it rebounds faster than we think it will.
Thank you for asking! I emailed you pics of my prints you linked on your blog. Can't say thank you enough. Talk about budget friendly, they are gorgeous for the price and I just love them!
~Michelle
Last July ('08) our lease was due to expire. The rental office was going to raise it $100. Not in the budget of a single income nest. We decided to move & found a place that was $160 less than our current rent & it was in one of the top rated school districts in OH. Praise God!
Also, eating more beans, rice, canned salmon, pasta, no more soda, not eating out (we try to have date night once a month, though), planning a patio garden for the spring.
Thankful that my parents live 8 minutes away & have a huge backyard that my kids (6&4) can run around in since our complex doesn't have a playgroud like most complexs in the area.
My husband packs his lunch/dinner everyday. He works 4 10 hour days which is 8 meals that would "eat" into our food budget. Not to mention that his waist line is shrinking due to the lack of fast food being consumed. He has also started running becasue of it.
In the winter months we wore more layers instead of turning the heat up. Summer is another story. We have a son w/asthma and the a/c is a life saver for him. We try to go to a lot of indoor activities i.e. COSI(Center of Science & Industry) where we are able to bet a reduced membership based on income. Also, the local mall w/kiddy play area.
God is good all the time, He is faithful to the end.
Thank you for all the great decorating ideas. I can't believe all the things I can do w/my "junk."
Well, it has (and continues to be) a hard time here. Sorry for such a gloom and doom picture, but...
My husband is/was a builder & a licensed electrician, but as the bottom fell out of the market... well, you know the rest. So we are left holding the last house he built, which at the time was worth about $400K, and now is worth $220K. Which is less than we owe on it. We will be moving into the new house, since we're paying for it as well, and trying to rent out the one we live in now. We're almost to the foreclosure point on it.
So, we have no income and have been living off of savings. There is no work right now. And, honestly - where I live you can't even get hired at Wal-Mart or McDonalds.
These are scary times. And there really is no end in sight in this area. The worst case scenario for us is that we lose both houses and have nothing. Thank goodness we have no credit card debt.
BUT - and it would be awful - both my parents and my in-laws live close by. We *will* have somewhere to live, and we *will* have food to eat. So many others are truly out there on their own, with not even family to fall back on.
And I will not allow myself to worry about the rest.
Unlike so many friends and people I hear about on the news, we're doing ok. DH works for IBM and they just had a huge round of layoffs last month. We were really scared since he knew that 1/2 of his team was going to be let go, but we ended up surviving it. Praise God, because I'm a SAHM. We both would have been working at Home Depot or something until he found another job. I actually have a Masters' Degree, and my career of choice did a lot of good for the world but didn't ever bring in more than $35k a year.
We're just keeping our fingers crossed and hanging on. DH looked at his 401K yesterday and it's down about 40% from this time last year. That's REALLY concerning, so hopefully the stock market will turn around and we can get that money back. We're in our early 30s, so we have about 30 years before we can touch it. We're hopeful that it will be enough time.
Hang in there, everyone! I have faith that this thing is going to turn around. It may be a year or so, but we're gonna get back on track.
Honestly, things haven't really changed too much for me - I was already strapped for cash to begin with! I have a renter now, and go out to eat less, but I have been slowly giving up things like buying books (sob!) and soda for several years now. I have also made friends with my local baristas, so I can usually get my tea or coffee for free!
We have been hit here. My dhs hours have been cut to nothing at work, and I'm a stay at home mom for 6 years now. We are both puting applications in to see who can get a job first. Our younger kids just don't seem to understand why we can't go and do things or go out and eat. I hope they don't have to grow up like this, but then it might help them for when they get older. I am thankful that are debt is only are house and no credit cards or other loans. Now if we can just keep food, electric and are house we will be fine. Time will tell and things will get better I keep saying it is just going to take time.
I'm working harder! I have a job in a marketing agency and I've determined to make myself as versatile as possible so when or if we start to lose clients, they'll look at me and say, "No, we can't let her go because she knows how to do this, this and this". If I can diversify myself, I hope that my employer will look at me and say that they can't let me go. My husband and I are putting away money, because there will likely come a day when one of us will not have a job. With my husband owning a mortgage company, we are constantly on our knees before the Lord looking for his provision. I've been laid off from two jobs in the past two years, so I feel for the people that are being laid off right now because I know what they're going through.
We're losing our house. My husband is self-employed and his business income is down significantly. Never thought we'd be in this position.
But my good friend's husband was diagnosed with leukemia last week - the prognosis is not good - so that has put our situation into proper perspective for us: our family is healthy, our children are happy, our marriage has been strengthened by our struggles and God is still the same God He has always been. :-)
The main thing we've seen is our home value drop almost 100K - at least, that what comps in our area that have been foreclosed on are selling for, though there are others on the market closer to what we bought at. We only bought 2 years ago, with the idea of staying in our house for 5 years or so until we could afford something bigger. Now we're not sure when we'll be able to leave. At least we're able to afford the payments as long as we're careful with our budget (glad we didn't fall for those mortgage people who were offering us those loans that we KNEW we could never afford - shameful!). Your site has really encouraged me to beautify our home with the resources I we have, and that's a real blessing.
Hi Nester, thanks for asking this great question!
Personally we're doing fine--thanks to a husband that manages our money well. But we do have close friends that aren't in such a good position. I feel that since there's nothing I can do more than pray and keep hope in God--then that's what I'll do.
My husband was laid off this past month...but by God's grace he begins a new job this next week. We had been tightening our belts and cutting back for a while and trying to stay liquid and a good thing we did because COBRA kicked our heinies for the two months we will have to carry it! W O W - but cannot go without it with two small children and such.
We are positive. We have our health, a supportive family, and I work my own business part-time from home to be there for the kids, so I just ramped up working on that these last few weeks.
Great question. It feels good to get things like this off one's chest!
Hey Nester,
This post and the comments remind me of just how much God is working in our society. My husband and I trust Him to bring us through any obstacles, but it is so nice to hear so many others out there that depend on Him too! We are so lucky to be His.
We were fortunate, in a way, to go through a layoff in Dec. 2007. My hubby was able to find another job with the same company before his end date. But it did give us a serious shock and made us take stock of where we were financially and start us talking about where we want to be financially.
I have been a SAHM for the past 11 years, and we've lived on 1/3 of what my husband makes now for the first 5 of those years. We can live on that little again. It's hard, but we know how to do that, and we know how important it is to save, even when making that little.
This year, my husband's income has dropped by 15%, which is the extra we would have spent on vacations, furniture, and the like. We are so blessed that we can continue to live comfortably in our home.
The steady income does have the price tag of not seeing my husband/kids not seeing their father, Monday-Thursday of each week for the past 13 months. And some days, it doesn't seem worth the cost.
We have many friends in uncertain situations, particularly being in a banking town and layoffs occuring every day. It is sad, and we pray for them all. We also try and help the Lord provide by donating what we can to the local food banks and to our church which helps many programs in our community. I hope this is what will help us all get thru these financially troubled times: Save what you can, Spend only what you can truly,honestly afford, and give what is left..money and of your time/talents.
My Hubby is self-employed so we have suffered ups and downs for the past several years. Things are basically the same now...not much worse. Luckily, my job is steady...at least until June of next year. So hopefully, the economy will be on the upswing by then.
Our financial situation has been gone the opposite of everyone else's. In fact, this month my husband will have [more than] quadrupled his salary. 6 years ago, our neck of the woods suffered it's own little mini-recession and it seemed like we were the only ones in America not flourishing. Now the tides have turned, it's a new day, and we give God all the glory.
I really hate to say this, b/c I know so many people are struggling, but we are doing pretty well. There have been small things that have effected us- our retirement accounts have nearly been wiped out (but fortunately we are young, so we don't dwell on that), bonuses here at my job were cut down and we will not be getting COL increases this year. Fortunately for us, my husband took a new job as a teacher last summer so the increase in his pay has helped tide us over (its funny to me to think that as a teacher he got an increase in pay, but he was a youth minister). Since he will have this summer off our girls will stop going to daycare and he will watch them all summer. The savings from that will go towards wiping out about 80% of our last credit card. For this I am so grateful. This time last year we attended Financial Peace University, so we also feel very grateful to have come to a point where we stopped racking up debt and started to get our finances in order at just the right time.
My prayers are with all of those who are struggling so much.
Wow...reading all these makes me very sad...I am very grateful that my husband and I are in the medical field and our jobs are very stable...but I wish we were renting, our house is upside down and we are outgrowing our home quickly...but we continue to have faith and that's how we get through our trials and tribulations. BTW I love your blog...
Well, my hunny WAS a Mortgage Broker so 'nuf said right??? Now that he's moved on from that field, we're living on a comfortable income but before it was hard having no income for a few months last year. I'm making an effort to only buy what I need and use what I have. It's tough but a must do in times like this :o)
~Rachel
We are very fortunate this time around. My husband was out of a full time job for about 3 years when the IT bubble burst back in 2002. He is now a supervisor working at a hospital here in KC. Funny thing, hospitals really NEED their phones and computers to work, so I think his job is pretty safe. I sell uppercase living and sales have slowed dramatically, but I also just had the biggest show I've ever had so who knows. I know the Lord will provide for our needs. I may not always look they way we desire, but he will provide.
It's a tough situation for so many people. For the first time in our marriage of nineteen years, money is a worry.
My husband and I both grew up in households with the philosophy that you don't buy something unless you can pay for it with cash. I have to thank my wonderful father and mother teaching this to me.
My husband had to close his mortgage business almost two years ago. Unfortunately, my husband has never worked in any other field except the mortgage business so jobs are pretty non-existent for him. Thankfully we were very smart with our money. There were alwyas good times and bad times in the mortgage business, but nothing ever like this before. When times were good, we saved a lot. We have college funds for our children. We paid off our house. We don't get unemployement, so thank god we have savings to live off of. But reality is, it won't last forever.
We have many friends, that spend everything they make. We could have very easily got caught in the "spending frenzy" but thanks to our upbringing we thought about our future. We could have very easily gone out and purchased a much larger home when times were good but we did not want to be house poor or the burden of having to worry about it.
We did splurge on a few things. Our children got to be involved in a lot more activities. But there was also give and takes during the good times. We'll do this but cut back here.
Now were making lots and lots of cut backs. My point is, I think people need to think more about money in the long run. Put more money in savings to be ready for tough times come, for retirement, for college funds, and god forbid if a serious illness comes. Don't spend everything you make. Do you really need a mini mansion, do you really need the nice cars if you have to have large monthly payments, do your kids need every new gadget that comes out? Be smart with your money and teach your children the importance of it.
Oh goodness, I have been struggling with this all weekend. On Friday, my normal grocery shopping/errand day, I was in line to pay for our groceries and a girl, probably my age or younger with her toddler had about $300.00 worth of groceries in bags, heading out the door, when her food stamps card did not work. I had a lot of mixed emotions of her using her food stamps money to buy 30 frozen pizzas, 5 bags of potato chips, and 10 cokes – yet, on the other hand, I felt completely embarrassed for her and humbled. I worry constantly about our money and although we do need to watch our finances, we are overall well in that department – here I am, completely sickened by my $100.00 worth of groceries in all 5 bags (cheese is so expensive), but you know, at least I can afford them. It really made me think and my attitude has been completely different since.
We were planning on using our income tax money to purchase a back yard fence for our new home, however – now, we are paying off a small signature loan we both got when we forfeited our apartment leases to buy our dream starter home when we got married, and a few other little bills and then sitting on the rest in our savings account. My husband was lucky enough to be offered a new position with a nice raise and we will be using his leave money (a lot of leave he hasn’t taken) as a savings account builder as well… I just couldn’t spend it and have peace of mind in this economic situation. Our city is pretty secure – making our jobs pretty secure, but you just never know. I would always rather be safe than sorry.
I suppose we have been very blessed to not be tremendously affected. Attitudes have been changed, however. My husband never paid much attention to my frugal pursuits, now he tells me all the time how grateful he is because he knows the skills I have learned will get us through tough times. It has also made him aware that nothing is guaranteed and that we need to plan for the future. For us, there have been benefits, but we are careful to remember that so many are struggling so we do what we can to give more.
We have jobs. We have family. We have a home. We are blessed. The economy situation is dire, yes. But there are a lot of other issues that the president keeps ticking off his list that make me even more concerned for the country. And then there are situations in the rest of the world: Israel; North Korea; China. It's scary. I pray. I pray a lot.
I feel it's ongoing too and that we'll see more to come for a while yet. At the moment, we feel extremely blessed and grateful. I'm still a mostly SAHM (4 kiddos, 3 FT, 1 PT- doubly blended family- ages 12, 9, 8 & 7). I'm the Nursery Coordinator at our church and a Scrapbook Consultant Assistant @ home, both very PT positions. DH is still employed with the same company he's been with for almost 9 years.
There have been lay-offs/downsizing there, bonuses taken off the table and a wage freeze that we've felt.
In the coming months we're anticipating an 8% decrease in DH's pay, but thankfully he'll still be employed with benefits. I also have a blessing that landed in my lap for some extra money flow (cleaning house for his boss, which in time could lead to the cleaning account for the compay DH works for). DH and I have a seasonal biz (summer-fall), but that one is very much the flip of a coin as to how it'll pan out this year. We started it just a couple years ago and while it's not turning a profit yet, we don't owe anything for the biz and have the worst of the start-up costs pretty well behind us. DH and I have plans for a work from home start-up for me once the seasonal biz winds down in the fall. Really keeping our fingers crossed on that one. At this point we feel creating our own destiny regarding additional income is the way to go.
We paid off all our debts (except the mortgage) at the end of 2008. Fortunately, we made a smart choice when buying our first home and purchased on the low end for the area we're in. It's been a DIY-er's diamond in the rough, but it's finally starting to feel like a real home. We've altered our original plans, going from looking to sell in the next couple years and upsizing to a bigger place to staying put and reinvesting in the home we're in by integrating the covered front porch into the home's square footage. This would allow us to reconfigure the living room, add another bedroom (main level master), enlarge the foyer and create a larger home office space for myself. It would also allow us to still consider adding the last child we'd like to have to our family, since we would have the space (addt'l bedrm).
If things got too tight we could sell and still walk away with something in our pockets and rent or live with family. We've been on a tightwad budget for several years now, so pinching pennies, recycling and making cutbacks isn't as hard for us as it might be for others. Though it was hard a few years back at first, we're now thankful that we had those testing struggles then. We're not as easily rattled by what is going on with the economy now. Just hoping and praying that we'll see a turn around soon for so many others who are really struggling. We're also trying to use this a teaching tool for our children, to show them how even when we might have less it's still important to give, because there are still many others who need so much more. The other lesson in there, is about how to be smart with money and save rather than spend and spend wisely, you never know for sure what might happen in life and it's better to be prepared for the worst than living it.
Thanks Nester for putting this out there!
We are surviving here. I am a SAHM who does childcare to help with our income. My husband has been without work several weeks here and there but is now getting 24-32 hours.
The economy is not good but in a way I think maybe people will realize that we were a country spending everything that we had and then some. It seems everyone has to outdo their neighbor/friends/family.
I pray that things turn around soon but I am afraid it will get worse before it gets better.
Sarah
We are working hard on our finances to get out of debt. Utilizing the job my husband still has and trusting in God to give us consistent wisdom. We will have our cc debt completely paid off in the next week or so, we are very excited! Then we will start working on our home loans. We are hoping to pay off our house rapidly so that we are better lined up to do what God has in store for us and we are no longer slaves to the system.
I am on a much more conscious budget these days and I am finding more and more recipes to try. No longer do I stock up on cookies, I make them. Treats are occasional not every night after dinner like my family used to beg for.
I also utilize my saving receipts, if I don't use something I will take it back to get the money back.
Coupons are a lifestyle I adapted to a long time ago, I am just even more strategic these days with them! I will wait until I can use it to the most efficient level now.
Great post!
I hate to day this but a lot of people wanted CHANGE and boy oh boy are they getting it. It is such a scary time my neighbor owns a gun shop and his sales are through the roof he has never had better sales. People are fearful, he thinks that is what is driving the sales. So while most are hurting there will always be some that profit.
The people in DC are not hurting one bit, but I think come next election they'll get theirs, I pray !!!
Timely post and I hope you don't have to move again
My husband works in Law Enforcement. He plays a vital role and has been there long enough that we think he won't be laid off. But 1/10 of agency has been laid or taken retirement to meet budget (and they are still not close to meeting it). We've taken a pay cut. We've started saving instead of putting more into our snow ball.
We had our home up for sale for about a year. It was beautifully staged etc and we lowered the price over 50k with no interest whatsoever. We didn't need to sell but wanted to change our lifestyle and possibly state. Now I get a bit concerned we might have to sell.
I do worry because someone is always being laid off at his work or they talk of more pay cuts. I can also get into a frenzy over the news. I choose not listen as much as I used to and bring myself back to reality with prayer, trust in my Father and hope.
I figure we've been through very hard things before and if we need to go through this he will see us through as a family and intact. Maybe finacially worse or better as long as he is with us.
We've been pretty frugal most of our married lives, but are now becoming supersavers!
Well, we sold our home last year (closed in December) and had to sell for about $20K less than our mortgage. I praise God that it all worked out, though, and we were able to sell it. We lived in a one-horse town that was really hit hard by the housing market. We needed a different location and a different layout since we have children. We were very blessed to buy a new construction townhome in the same adorable town that my husband works in. I blogged the whole experience, and I just have to say that no one could see what we went through and doubt that God made our move possible. He is just utterly amazing. I thank Him daily for His many provisions, especially now. Sometimes when things are hardest, we feel closest to Him, and I know that I never want that feeling to go away no matter how wonderful things are going for my family - I pray daily that we always keep our gratitude. :o)
We have lost all of our retirement fund and we are just 3 years from retirement, oh well. We have used most of our reserve, but we still have jobs and are building it up again, oh well. We have gone a strict budget which we have never done before, oh well. So, if your question is about money, oh well. But if your question is how is my life going, one word--fantastic.
I am going to speak a bit about this at A Woman Inspired Conference, but God definitely provides! In amazing ways, long before we anticipate what our needs will even be!
xoxo
Well, since we were already on the lower-income scale, we're still doing the same. Luckily my husband works for a pretty secure company that just merged with another company, and while they're laying off vp's and executives like crazy, seeing as how he's at the bottom, he's pretty safe. He's actually getting his usal miniscule raise for the year, since all the big-wigs (who don'teven NEED raises) are forgoing theirs to make it happen.
And I think we're okay in our little house with little mortgage because the only way to go cheaper is the rent an apartment and then we'd only save $100, I think. So there are advantages to already being poor and being in the smallest residence possibly possible.
Thanks for asking...My husband got a new job last November because the company he was working for was slowly going under...He took a pay cut, but it's better then not having any income. It's a govt contracted job so they are promised for one year, hopefully the economy will be up by then. We do struggle trying to pay the debt that we accumulated with the higher income, but that's a reason I started designing blogs to try and bring in some extra income to help out so we aren't too behind on bills. Praying hard for us all!
I'm pleased to report that we have not been affected at all by the economy. I've started shopping less on frivolous things though just in case. Hubby's job and the company he works for have been around forever and they are back-logged with two years of work, so *knock on wood* for now we seem to be good, as are our children who are all married with families of their own. I worry a great deal about all of the people who have been affected by it in serious ways with the loss of their jobs and or homes.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
Well, our retirement and college fund investments are less than half of what they were not so long ago. I didn't put any money into our Roth IRAs or kids' college funds this year because a) we didn't have it and b) it's depressing to watch money shrink. Money is tight, because we had a baby and the bills that come along with her and also our health insurance (we're self-insured) has gone up.
But my husband got his annual raise this January, so we're doing okay in terms of incoming funds.
I think the biggest change for us is that we're more cautious. Withs spending, with investing, with planning for the future, etc.
This is such a timely topic for me. my DH just lost his job last month.
Even with that I still feel that we are very lucky. We can survive on my income. There are some families that cannot live on one income. We were lucky that we are a bit older and bought our home when prices were lower. Our mortgage is very small and manageable. There is nothing that we need, no big purchases to plan for. We are blessed.
Interesting to see the responses. We have been very blessed that so far my husband's job has not been affected. He is in defense contracting and we are waiting for the new budget to be released next month, but his company just won a new contract and gave out bonuses last month, so we're not really feeling it.
I am sometimes torn because our spending habits have not changed much. All the doom and gloom talk makes me think, ack! we should hold onto every cent we can, but then I think how if everyone stops spending at small businesses and such then the people who own those businesses are suffering. We recently remodeled our kitchen and single handedly kept our contractor employed for two months. Some people would say, why spend money like that during this time, but why not provide two months of work for a family who otherwise might not have any?
So far so good over here. Despite working in the totally changed finance industry, my husband's job seems fairly secure. We paid off our debt in the fall (thanks to Dave Ramsey!) and rent right now, so our expenses are quite low. We're currently building up a bigger emergency fund and then plan to start saving for a house. I think there will be opportunities to come in that area (sad, I know, for those who bought at a high price). And if anything bad DOES happen, it will just be that much more savings in the meantime.
Hi Nester,
With the economy the way that it is right now we are just happy to have paying jobs and a house to rest our heads in. Im hoping that it picks up soon but not holding our breath.
Im recycling to decorate and buying used to save money. I've never been good at coupons but am definitly learning to use them now.
Thanks for your good ideas.
~Ashley
It's not looking good here. My husband's company is laying off weekly, so we are on pins and needles. Always looking for ways to penny pinch. I have been contemplating going back to work and putting school on hold again. I'm still praying for a little hope.
So far so good for us. However we are not making any major purchases right now. We are trying to bulk up our bank account as a safety factor. We have 3 grown children who are all independent, but two of them work in the banking field. We want to be in a position to "help" them if either of their jobs should tank. It's a scary time...I have friends who have been job hunting for a LONG time, and friends who's income has been greatly reduced, as well as a retired friend who has gone back to work. All of us are feeling the pinch to some degree.
My husband works in the oil industry in Canada and we made it through a round of lay offs. We have a TON of oil friends that are all out of work. Some companies aren't drilling until the price of oil goes up.
We also have a cattle ranch and cattle prices are miserable. The Saskatchewan gov't just came out with some help so we've applied for that.
I am so greatful every day that my man is still employed and that our expenses are pretty minimal.We live a pretty quiet farm life. If it wasn't for hockey and figure skating we would be hermits!
Thanks for asking Nester,
ps I think you're great
All I can say is wow. WOW!
This post is an awesome one Nester. Its amazing to me how much dialogue you got out of 6 words!
I read every post, 105, I think. Your commenters are sooo much a part of the American fabric and what is going on today.
It is amazing what has happened to our wonderful country. I makes me want to scream, kick the wall, cry. Looks like most of us are definately feeling slippery under our feet. I hope for the best to each and every one of you.
Me, now on unemployment,my Moms awesome interiors business shes owned for 22 years-(worked for) in the tank. Lucky to have 2 people stroll through the store. a day.
Husband is lucky to deliver the mail for 13 years, so thats alright.
I just hope that we ALL perservere and come through this better people.I know, we are good people now, but..
then we have the stimulus, the omnibus, the bail out the pork..I wish they wouldnt be spending my money like that! or my kids money like that! when do we say when? I mean Im behind Obama, again with the buts....Its scary, just sooooo much money money money.
Good luck! Im sending all the good vibes and Karma I can muster to everyone!!!
Lisa
coastal nest
My hubby does still have his job, thank goodness! I am a SAHM of four and homeschool, as well. I do not like the uncertainty of this economy and who know what tomorrow will bring? I am trying to be thankful that he has a job today!
We have really reevaluated what we NEED and what we WANT. We try to only buy what we NEED and we are definitely putting more in savings. We also tried to take advantage of the low interest rates and refinanced our 30 year loan to a 15 year loan. Prayers go out to everyone who is struggling.
Well, I guess we are worse off then most who have posted here. My husband lost his job in Aug. 08,our house was foreclosed on in Sept. 08, our 12 year old car stopped running two months ago, our grandaughter ran off to do drugs and left us raising her baby. We are currently renting a house for $1300 a month and living off food stamps and $268. a month social security. We are slowly going under. To top it all off, we got a letter in the mail saying we were no longer eligible for food stamps. We still have WIC on the baby though so that will help some. We spend a fortune on diapers and baby food! My husband just cannot seem to find a job! We are living on $1700 a month, down from the $5000 we used to spend. The future looks bleak, except that I know the Lord has kept us so far and that he will keep us in the future. He has brought us through so much. We lost one of our cars, our home, our country club membership, our alarm system, our cell phones, our satellite, you name it. We live very frugally. All my underwear has holes in it and my dryer is about to go out. My refrigerator is 15 years old and freezes everything inside. My hope is stil in Jesus, however. I hope I can keep my internet for now. It's all I have left for entertainment!
We are so far okay. My husband's company pledged not to lay anyone off for the next 6 months and all the management took a 5% pay cut, all the way up to the CEO. My DH is a computer programmer and we are praying continually that his job will be safe. His account is up for renewal this summer and that would be the real determining factor in his employment as he is part of a dedicated team for that account. I am a SAHM and have been for the last 8 years, but it's looking like I may need to dust off my teaching license and be ready to re-enter the sub ranks -- not because we need my income right now, but to be ready in case the worst happens. We know several people who have been laid off; some in the housing industry have been out of work for months. It's hard to believe how quickly things have gone downhill. I agree with an earlier poster that a little belt-tightening is probably a good thing, but it's hard to watch when there's no end in sight.
My hubby was a project manager in the auto industry. His company closed a year ago and he is still unemployed. We have always been very frugal people and lived well beneath our means. Thank God, as now we are sitting ok. After staying home with my children for 10 years I just started a residential cleaning business to help us get by. That's all we want to do is just be able to get by. Hubby is going to grow a massive garden this summer and we will be getting some chickens to cut cost on our grocery bill. It's not cheap to feed a family of five! Yall know that!! Families, freinds and neighbors all need to pull together and help each other out!! That's how it should be. Lets all just be thankful that we are not living in the tent cities that are erupting across America!! Looks alot like the Great Depression to me!!
Prayers to all of you!!
we are on a very strict budget. I just went to the market and bought very minimal stuff and it was $100. It makes me sad and depressed.
Well on a lighter note I am having a giveaway on my blog so check it out!! Jacki
It's been tough. For several reasons. Some because of personal things I am going through, but I did have to get a job. I am substitute teaching at my daughter's elementary school. Not the best job for steady work. Some days I work, some days I do not, some days I don't think I have to work and the school calls me while I am driving to school to say a teacher called in sick and they need me, but the hours are perfect for being a single parent with two kids. Now all the schools are cutting budgets. Yikes! I will keep drawing and know that this summer I will get business drawing as I sit in Seaside drawing at Casa Costa some weekends.
Some days I don't feel like posting a perky post on my blog, but I try and I always feel better doing so.
Karol :0)
We don't live in a high cost housing market but the house we bout 15 months ago appraised at 11% less then it did the year before when we tried to get it re-financed. Also, of the 12 houses on our block 3 are for sale. Our 403B is down 41.7%
My husband is a minister and all church annuities are way down also which is fine unless your church draws a lot of budget support from them.
Reading through all these comments, I feel very sober. We live in an area of the country that has not been affected nearly as badly as most. Financially, we're at the best place we've ever been as a married couple. We have been paying off our credit card debt and will be free of that this summer - which I am so grateful for because it is one less bill to pay. My husband's job appears to be very secure. I still worry. It feels too good to be true at times. I do know God is in control, though. And I also believe that a lot of good will come out of all the bad. I have heard people saying that this was going to happen for many, many years and really, it is no surprise. I just wish so many people did not have to suffer.
We have always lived a very frugal lifestyle and I believe this has helped us in that we don't have to cut back on so many things - we never had them to begin with.
Girl, you are such a peach to ask.
I cannot work right now as I await working papers here in Canada (I'm American). We were married a year and a half ago and immediatly bought a house. We were scrimping and pinching with everything in us (I sent my hubby to work with cereal and chocolate chips for his lunch.) Since then, he's actually working this whole month without a day off...seven days a week, 10 hour days. And getting overtime. We are blessed by that right now. Since we were living so under what others were a year ago, now we are finally coming up for air, debt free, feeling really good. His job may end soon...he's a plumber and the hospital that he is helping to construct will soon be finished...so, we hope to save a lot of the extra money he is making right now. We realize right now we are really blessed and definatly know it can all go away quickly. We are praying hard and trying to remain steadfast. Giving when we can to help others too.
As an interior designer I am well aware that this is a luxury service. In this economy my phone isn't ringing much. I am still doing one day redesigns "Using what you own to transform your home." is my trademark.
The extra time allows me to take a few more classes at college.
I am hanging in there and riding it out. I have faith that the economy will turn around.
I'm posting as anonymous because it still embarasses me. My husband has applied to jobs all across the board. He has a job that brings in around $1200 a month and we're a family of six. We have had to open ourselves to options of food stamps, and medicaid for insurance. Which was never in a million years a situation I pictured myself in. But you know, we are provided for. As God has stripped more away from us, He has also met our most basic needs abundantly. We are not living lavishly, we're back to renting, but I find in myself a much more thankful heart. Where there is great need, there is a greater God. Any good/blessings that come our way I now give all the credit to Him. So by the world's standards we're failing and flailing. But spiritually speaking, I am in a better spot than ever. Funny how that works.
Wow, reading all these comments makes me so sad. So many good people struggling so much. I am happy to see that so many people have faith in God. Sometimes in a society that's always trying to take God out you start to wonder if there is many that believe in Him still.
Times like these are hard, but I believe if we put our trust in the Lord he will help us and make us better people. That's what trials do. I wish any that read this the very best. Let's all pray and look for opportunities to help others.
We are still okay for the most part. My husband works for the auto industry. Sigh. We got married pretty young and have spent 7 of the 10 years of marriage in school. We finally got out thinking the future was bright and this is what we have to deal with.
We are currently trying to sell our home. We feel the auto industry is an tsunami waiting to happen and we want out. My husband has a job offer in California in health care which is so much more stable. We just need to sell our house first. Don't know if it will happen though. Houses just are not selling around here. So many without jobs. We are going to have to come up with alot of cash to get out.
Just hope and pray that we can continue to provide for our 4 1/2 kids.
So far our family is doing well financially during these turbulent times. Just being extremely conservative in making purchases. I'm even using liquid soap from the Dollar Tree instead of splurging on the fab ones @ Bath and BodyWorks...Using coupons more and not buying my three children the amount of clothing like I used to. We know that the bottom could fall out of our little world anytime just as it has for so many families. Our family is more spiritual. I know I pray much more...
about a year and a half ago i was a stay at home mom and my husband made 3 times what he's making now...in real estate development. it was pretty nice but unfortunately it is gone. thankfully, however he has gone back to his previous job and our income was cut tremendously! i found a job at my son's school and we are making it! God will supply your needs...you just have to let him. Needs and wants are two different things! We have cut back ALOT, we had to. But it's ok, we're going with the flow!
Thank goodness for little side jobs and my jewelry business...that extra cash can make a difference.
we are so thankful for where we are today!
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chr. 7:14
This is the solution to all of our problems, If we seek Him and find His will for ourselves and our country, God is faithful and just to forgive our country, as a whole, for blaspheming His name and forgetting that all blessings truly come from Him.......NOT the government or the "almighty dollar" that most Americans serve these days.
wow, you opened a can of worms with that one! ;)
my hubby just lost his job on friday AND we discovered on the same day that we're expecting our second baby. interesting irony, but we're very thrilled. we're hoping he can find something sustaining soon!
My husband has his own financial advisory firm, so the good is that he's been in business long enough to have a great clientele but every day is hard for him because he's feels like if he was a Doctor having to tell a patient you have cancer...clients are scared & frustrated and he has to deal with it day in and day out. Because he is a small business, he is going to feel effects of a tax increase and to top that off, the landlord for his building two weeks ago wanted to up his rent $1,500/mo for the upcoming year!!! They said the architect mismeasured the building...geesh!! God provided there b/c they came back and settled on $700...so that is better :)
We are trusting God for our needs but def cutting back and use the cash envelope system which really works!
Thank you for your wonderful blog and for even asking how people are doing :)
hey nester- wow, big topic huh? It was so upsetting to read through these emails and hear all the suffering and hard times - and then on the other hand it is comforting to know we are not alone.
My husband lost his job last week and my company is a bit on the desperate side. We are looking to make a big move soon to a different area. These are tough times..and it just became really real for us!
I am a SAHM, and have been for the past 6+ years. My husband is a financial advisor, and is paid on 100% commission. I don't have to tell you how scary things can be, or how stressed he is. I turn the TV off every time I hear about the DOW or the recession, or any other negative statistic. That only puts fear in people that isn't needed. All we can do is wake up today just like we did yesterday, and do the best we can at what we do--whether it's a paid job or being a SAHM like myself. Trust that God will provide. He hasn't failed me yet! We still have a home, a bed, and food. God is good! Even at our "bad times", we've still got it GOOD!
We are hanging on my our fingernails and praying things get better. We farm the land that has been in my husband's family for 70 years and times are so, so tough. But, the sun rises every day, my kids are healthy and happy, and I know God will see us through -- no matter which direction we take. My prayers are for peace and blessings for everyone commenting here today. God bless!
Kristina
We thought we were pretty secure with my husbands job. We were wrong. Because of major canceled contracts, they had to downsize and management positions with higher salaries were the first to go. We just bought our first house, so we're feeling a little stressed! We literally made our first house payment on wednesday and lost our job on friday. It's just scarey that everything is so unpredictable! Thank goodness for savings accounts!
I am counting my blessings. My husband's job is secure for now so we are trying to bulk up our savings. We had hoped to move to a bigger house - this one was just right for 2 of us - it's pretty cramped with 6 of us! - but while larger homes have come down in price, small homes like ours are not selling. So we are here for now. And trying to purge STUFF as much as we can to make more space. But honestly, I can't complain.
My husband has his own financial advisory firm, so the good is that he's been in business long enough to have a great clientele but every day is hard for him because he's feels like if he was a Doctor having to tell a patient you have cancer...clients are scared & frustrated and he has to deal with it day in and day out. Because he is a small business, he is going to feel effects of a tax increase and to top that off, the landlord for his building two weeks ago wanted to up his rent $1,500/mo for the upcoming year!!! They said the architect mismeasured the building...geesh!! God provided there b/c they came back and settled on $700...so that is better :)
We are trusting God for our needs but def cutting back and use the cash envelope system which really works!
Thank you for your wonderful blog and for even asking how people are doing :)
Thanks for asking, Nester.
Our income is probably down about 10-15%, but we're making it fine. Not much for savings and plans for fixing up the house are on the back-burner. Like many others, we're tightening our belts. We've always lived rather modestly, so I'm not sure my kids notice the difference.
Knowing friends are losing jobs and seeing stories on the news about record number homelessness breaks our heart.
Keep praying!
I feel really blessed because I do not see any difference around me. We are in Huntsville, AL and Forbes listed us as one of the best cities to weather a down economy. They say our housing market is strong- we are recieving base realignment people from D.C. and they all need homes. I have not heard of anyone losing a job around here. All I hear is talk about food and gas prices being higher.
I have always been frugal and so I am doing the same- chasing deals with coupons and pretty much living the same lifestyle. I have always bought most items at garage sales instead of retail stores.
The only change we have made is to put off doing our kitchen countertops and a fence for our yard. We have the money but do not want to spend it and then have struggles later. I am expanding our garden to help with food prices. I am trying to store up our basic foods when I get great deals. I feel that instead of increasing our savings- which is not growing very well at the moment- it is better economically to buy food at today's prices rather then have the money saved and have to buy food at a higher price later. The food is in a sense my emergency fund of sorts. I am going to buy garage sale clothes to sell in our Kids Mart Consignment that happens twice a year. It pays for me to cloth three of my five kids (the other two are teens and they do not have a lot in their size)
I have read some of the other comments and feel so much for those of you struggling. I pray you can trust God to supply all your needs. I love to see people gathering together to help one another. I know that if our area did have a downturn I would be willing to babysit or have people over for a meal or try to repurpose clothing for people to wear.
Hi Nester,
I am from Texas, and honestly, other than the housing market slowing down, we haven't seen the real economic downturn yet. Restaurants are still impossible to get a seat in, malls are still jam packed, traffic is heavy as always. This does worry me for the future when we do get hit with the really hard stuff. I hope it all gets turned back around, and if not, we all have a lot of adjusting to do. I certainly think that not only do we need to ask the Lord for help during times like these, we need to thank Him daily during the rest of the times. When everything is fine and dandy, we forget where it all really comes from.
It is rough on us. As small business owners we have taken a big hit. We are losing our home and have to take our kids out of their private school (although they are paid through the year, so that is a blessing that they can finish the year). I'm slightly surprised at how well I am handling it all, a few years ago if you told me I'd be in this situation I would have had a panic attack. We are getting by, we are fed and warm, we have a roof over our heads (for the moment, LOL). We are likely going to downsize from our 3000 square foot house into a 900 square foot apartment, but that is ok. We (my husband & I) are learning what is truly valuable in our lives, and hopefully we will be able to teach our kids some powerful lessons through this.
Here come preachy Pretty Organizer...
1. So far so good. Hubby is in Commercial real estate but is a Mapper for corporate and brokers NEED him (he's also a whiz at what he does so he's not on the bottom of the totem pole).
2. Life with 8 means financial crisis ALL. THE. TIME. Going to Wal-Mart and splurging for the household necessities (shampoo, diapers, and pants for my 12 year old that will last him for the next 2 weeks until he grows again) upsets our economy.
3. We've been jobless before. Hubby lost his job about 6 years ago and we were out of work for 9 months. I've learned a few things. Live within our means, set something aside for a rainy day, PAY YOUR TITHING!!! This alone has done miracles. The minute you're faced with paying your mortgage or your tithing... pay your tithing. Never fails... checks arrive the next day, friends drop groceries at your door, dead relatives leave you their fortune... obedience to the law of the tithe has great blessings.
This has been a great opportunity to teach our kids about how life really has been for others. Up until 50 years ago, people worked HARD for everything they had. Though circumstances are hard for many around us, we have a great time to teach our kids about the value of work, being responsible, wise spending and being grateful for what the DO have!
Off pulpit now... Time to go cook a meal from scratch... because I have to... um... get to.
It's really humbling to read so many stories of how people's lives are being affected. My DH and I are doing fine right now. His job seems secure, and if it proves not to be, there are several similar companies in the area, one of which has tried to recruit him several times already.
We have money in savings and a manageable mortgage on a house whose value is holding steady. We are doing some small-scale remodeling projects to help bring the house up to date and increase its value.
I have a small amount of CC debt that will be paid off in a few months, and apart from our mortgage, that is all the debt we currently carry.
And our local economy is still doing pretty well--this is an area with lots of military money and jobs, which has helped shield us all from the worst of it so far.
My sister's family is in really dire straits, however, in northeastern Ohio. And my parents, who live there as well, are working themselves to death to try to help keep her family afloat. It's horribly, horribly stressful for them all, and it's a burden on my heart, when I'm so many hours away from them and can do nothing to help out. And I feel a lot of guilt at being comfortable while they struggle. And it puts a strain on relationships, too, which is something I'd never realized before. My family is having a very hard time communicating with each other right now.
We are trying to be wise about our spending...we've never lived a big flashy life and have always haunted the thrift stores and yard sales. We'll continue to do so and to try to save as much as we can, and pray for everybody who's having a hard time. Thanks for posting about this...it helped to talk about it a little bit.
My family is doing ok, but we have felt it for sure. Mr B's line of work has slowed considerably but he has picked up other work in the construction trades. Even though things are slowing there God has blessed us. Last year was a tough one though, we made about 20% less than previous years, that put us in a tough spot now and I pray this year goes better for us.
One thing I would like to mention, as I was reading many of the comments here it seemed that some of your readers who still have money are feeling guilty about it, I want to say to them. "Don't feel guilty about it, but do consider where & how you spend it. If for example you are going to get new floors done in your house think of the tradesman that you are supporting by providing work for him so he can take care of his family. And please don't expect him to work for half his regular wage out of desperation to get the job."
Our lives have changed a LOT lately due to the economy. My husband was in building (on a 100% comissioned salary) and I've been a sahm for nearly 8 years now. My husband's career has always been very blessed and we haven't struggled with money...until now! We have no debt (other than the house) and our cars are paid for, and we even had 9 months "emergency fund" put away. But, that's almost gone now! My husband lost his job yesterday in a layoff. Sooooo...I guess I'm going back to work! I homeschool my kids right now, but I'm gearing them up for going to public school this fall. In the meantime, I am trying to find work at night so that I can keep them home until next school year, with the intention of going back to work full-time once school is in. It's crazy! It's all so surreal! We want to sell the house SO badly, but we just bought it two years ago and we're in one of those brand new mega golf club communities and the neighborhood is hurting badly. All of the builders have foreclosed, so we're competing against bank owned homes at significantly decreased prices. But, we know that God has something awesome planned for us. We're thankful for the "easy" years and now we're up for the challenge!
Thanks for asking!
Andrea
We live in the DC area and bought our home (with a conventional 30 year fixed loan) at the peak of the housing marketing with a 20% down payment. With the housing bubble bursting here, we have lost over $180,000 in equity and are now upside down on our mortgage. We couldn't sell even if we wanted to. Thankfully we don't want to, but we would like to refinance for a lower interest rate and can't.
We're making our all our payments, paying all our bills and following Dave Ramsey's plan to get out of debt in hopes that we can set ourselves up to be "recession proof" incase on of us loses our job.
For us we are doing okay. My husband has a good stable job and just got another raise. I don't have to work because we worked hard to live debt-free except for our house, live in a modest home that we can afford and not buy things on plastic. I am grateful for that.
I do hope that those who are affecting by this having a silver-lining very soon! (I wouldn't mind if all the money will lost from our retirement and daughter's college fund would magically find it's way back into their proper accounts!)
Sweet of you to ask! Like your family, we have been directly impacted by this. Things are looking pretty dire, and never before have we had our faith tested in such a way. My husband has only had steady work for 18 months of the last three years, savings are gone (As frugal as we have always been, its very hard to save enough to offset this kind of unemployment), no health insurance now, have tried for 3 years to sell our home in California, at least 329+ resumes sent out with no response, now behind on the mortgage yada yada. I'm a teacher who has only been able to find a teaching asistant job in our small city. So how do we cope? We can only wait for God's timing and help. "He who has promised is faithful. Has He said and will He not do it?" We know He will help us as He always has!
Wow! You are going to get a lot of responses to this Nester! You hit a nerve! As a faithful reader of your blog, I hope the responses will all be kind. People are quick to judge others for their financial problems, saying they have credit card debt or live beyond their means. Please do not do this! Believe me, with the vast majority of people this simply is not true. Dave Ramsey and other financial gurus do have good things to say, but when one is completely up against the ropes and have tapped every possible resource, it is not as formulamatic as these people like us to believe. Savings drain, children get sick etc. As my grandmother used to say, "You can't bleed a turnip!"
Wow - I'm gone a day from blogland, and look at the discussion you have set off. Well, as you know, we're in the midst of our "God watch." I can't wait to see what God will do...in His timing, which isn't always ours. With hubby being unemployed and me SAHM-homeschooling the kids, I just know that the Lord is going to do something great through this. It may just be that He uses it as a character building time....again. With that being said, I am more convinced than ever that living BELOW your means, doing what ever you can to get out of debt, and then attempting to save - even if it's just a few dollars a week - for that "what if" day is crucial. Our "what if" day is here and I'm so thankful that we heeded that advise and now have a little wiggle room and margin. I'm not panicked, I am not afraid because the One who holds the keys is greater than all that.
My husband's job is still intact, but who knows for how long? We have contemplated selling our house (which we haven't even lived in for a year yet), and moving into a rental just so we won't have that burden when/if something does happen.
We, too, have moved about 15 times--nah, only 4 times in 7 years of marriage. But that's enough. Getting used to it now!
I'll tell you it has been rough...my husband was in realestate down here at the beach...with all the storms and rising cost of insurance he had to leave...had to eat and we were running out of money fast...got a great job in Fall 2007 only to get laid off March 2008, after 6 months of NO paychecks(I'm a SAHM with 3 kids)...we were blessed with a very stable job but for 1/2 the income...some how we have made it with lots of odd jobs. I even went to work at Guthrie's Chicken Fingers while my kids were in school and baby in MDO so Santa could make a stop at our house. It has gotten me to start sewing and painting again so that has helped out some...I went from not a worry to a constant worry about money. We still say how blessed we are..we are healthy and so are our kids. Faith is a great thing to have!
I want to encourage your readers that God is SO incredibly faithful and will provide. My husband lost his job in July 2008 and has only earned three paychecks from contract work since then. I work from home and make about 1/3 of what he was making. But we have been blessed with money and food every month. We are current on all of our bills except our rent, we are renting from my MIL and she has been more than gracious. If you would have asked me in July what I was going to do about this I would have told you I'd fall in a heap and nearly die. But I didn't and God has, as I said, been incredibly faithful. It has grown our faith so much. I don't worry about anything anymore. So if anyone out there is struggling, put your faith in God, because in the end, He is all that matters any how.
After being with my company for over 8 years, I was laid off, as was almost everyone in my dept. and many others. The real kick in the pants? They are now hiring for our positions, but won't consider hiring anyone back. They want people on the cheap. I won't mention the company name, because you've raved about them many times. ;)
We're fine though. We starting socking more $ away early on when we saw this could be a possibility. So we're good on that front.
But I'm bored! I miss working!
Hi Nester,
Thank you for asking us to share. So far my husband's job is secure, but my job in a startup non proft went south last week and there is no money for any of the staff to continue to be paid.
However, I feel confident that I will find another position that is better paid soon...my resume has brought interest and I have had 2 interviews in the last few week.s
The challenge is that we had to deplete our savings when our boiler suddenly died in the middle of December...that $8000 would have brought a lot of comfort over the next few months...oh well, I have faith that good things will come our way.
I think we have not begun to experience this recession, and I am very scared.
As I pray for wisdom, I am putting off repairs and liquidating things we can sell.
We didn't have money before. Don't have money now.
I try not to worry about it and just cling to this verse: Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
In the midst of all that is happening, the Good Lord has sold our home and has lead us straight to a cheap rental home in a safe neighborhood. We are humbled and joyful knowing that the Author and Perfector of our faith longs to give good gifts to His children. In Mark, it says believe you have received it and then it will be yours. So we must believe before we recieve. This is all very new to me but we believed He had already given it and He has opened up His hand.
We have cut things like cell phones, cable, and eating out in obedience to Him. Less is SO much more. We have simplified and that is so good. We are praising Him for allowing more family time. We are taking pleasure in the simple things like a walk, an evening on a play ground and singing with dad as he plays his guitar. We are trying to wear out most everything in joy knowing that the Lord has graciously given us all things. So we enjoy each thing as long as it can go. Just simple life yet such joyful life in Him! M
Nester -- very nice of you to ask... We are truly blessed, both my husband and I are employed. It appears my hubby's job is secure and we do not worry. I work part-time, so that has been a concern, but I can not complain. The company I work for has been so flexible with me and my pay is very fair. So I am just trying to build the savings
my heart goes out to friends that are struggling and I feel for the so many americans losing their homes. As we sit and discuss our options to sell our home and purchase a new one, I thank the Lord for all His provisions.
Well, my business (turn-key pckgs for condos) depends on the second home market doing good and let's just say there aren't too many folks looking to buy/furnish a vacation home at the moment. I've pretty much come to a halt and it stinks.
My husband is a finanical planner so he's getting A LOT of calls :) However, we are in a tight situation right now. Our house goes on the market next week and needs to sell. We just cut all "extras" this week (i.e. Dish network, cell phones, etc) My business coming to a dead stop is not good.
Thankfully we believe and trust in our amazing God and know he can always see the oasis over the hill in the desert, even when we can't! :)
We are cutting back , we would be fine if I hadn't decided to quit my full-time job to persue interior decorating , who knew all this would happen .
So we are cutting back and I am even selling unused items that I have been keeping in my basement , extra things I don't want , I am liquifying , it feels good.
We, like so many others, are in a tough situation. My husband's income has dropped, they've stopped all raises and even company matching programs. Several weeks ago hundreds of employees were let go. My husband has seniority in his department, but that doesn't mean he is safe.
However, we have a LOT of family that would help if we needed it, and we owe on nothing except our home. I know we will be okay. God has seen us through 12 years so far...
it's when we are at our weakest that His strength is so evident.
Wow, its interesting to reading everyones situation. I am an apt. manager, thankfully. My husband got a job recently with another Apt. management company, and my daughter works for yet another property management co. I guess its a good business for us to be in right now.
Gosh this economy sucks right now. Its the only thing my husband and I argue over, it has been causing alot of stress. We arent sure if either of us are safe with our careers. I just pray everyday it will turn around soon! We are being frugal in everyway just in case!
We are very blessed right now. I am a teacher (could retire this year, but I'm not) and DH is an insurance agent (self employed). His business is not great, but it's steady for now. Fortunately, my teaching job is secure and provides health insurance. I can attest to the fact that God will supply all our need according to His riches in glory. Thanks for asking about us. I was beginning to think folks in blogland were immune to the woes of the economy. I pray that it will turn around for everyone soon!
My husband was laid off 3 years ago and works at a job that pays $30,000 less per year. So our adjustment was 3 years ago. Now that we have our budget figured out, we haven't had to change much. I am just thankful that my husband has a pretty secure job. They did stop the 401K matching program for the rest of the year, but we weren't putting much into it anyway. We are paying down debt instead.
I am emotionally affected by the economy because the state that our Country is in right now and is headed, scares me to death.
I will try to remember what Tim said, that God will provide.
We are so lucky that DH has a job in the healthcare industry. And that he actually has a small PT job on his weekends off to help pay for our DD school. My daughter made the comment the other day that we were not rich. I told her if we were talking about money, then she was right we were not rich. But, we were rich in so many other ways. She gave me a puzzled look. So I explained that we had a home to live in, her father had a job, we ate 3 meals a day. I told her that sometimes our many blessings make us more rich than money ever could.
Six years ago I quit my job and my husband took one at a local children's home. They provided housing so we sold our first little house and moved into a parsonage. We learned how to live on his small salary. I have to say that it was hard for me because it seemed like we were going in the wrong direction. We struggled with where God seemed to be leading us.
We have been talking alot about that decision lately. It wasn't really a financial one. I wanted to be able to see him more since he was in ministry and to be at home while our children were young. It made sense for us.
We can now see that the changes we had to make were good preparation. We don't have any extras and don't spend much money other than bills. We were able to pay off his school loans on his salary.
Thankfully, his job is pretty secure. They are even fixing up a bigger house and moving us into it. However, when you already live on faith and other people's giving, an economic downturn is extra scary. Nonprofit giving is up. We pray that it stays that way.
As I read these comments, my heart hurt for your readers who are hurting because of the economy. I was encouraged, though, to read that so many trust in our great God who saves.
Oh my, I just finished reading all the comments that I did not get to read yesterday. Wow. I just want to say I have prayed for everyone here. There is so much power in prayer, we just need to pray for each other. I'm so touched... thanks Nester for the subject, I'm sure it was a little cathartic for some people. I said a special for the anonymous grandma raising her grand baby and for the lady whose hubby is in construction asking for people to not ask the guy to make half his pay to get the job, well AMEN to that. My husband gets that on a regular basis. If you want the job you should be happy for anything you get they say and want it done for nothing. Imagine how those people would feel if they went to work and the boss said I'm paying you half this month and if you want the job you'll be happy for it. Yikes. Well, you guys really blessed me just seeing your faith in all of this. Please don't lose it. In the worst time of my life I came so much closer to God and learned so much that I never would have. Turn to him and you will be refreshed.
We live in Michigan and my husband works in the auto industry, so as you can imagine, we are on pins and needles all of the time.
I am trying to find more ways to make money online through blogging and writing and surveys, just to help out. I would really like to start making even more, just in case my husband does lose his job, but there are no 'get rich quick overnight' ways...you have to work at it and that is what I am doing. Learning all that I can, just in case...
I hope we all get through these rough times OK.
xoxo
Things are tough over here. This was supposed to be the year we finally could breathe in financial terms. My husband took a new job last Aug. that was a huge increase in salary and benefits and we were thrilled. It was with a construction company, though, and, well, this industry isn't doing too well to put it mildly. He was an engineer on the management team whose position was eliminated after 5 months. He was given the option of a lay-off or laborer job. He took the laborer job and we are so thankful he was given this option, but it is hard work and a 3 hour roundtrip commute after 10 hour days. We never see him after years of him being home by 2:00 every day. It's hard, very hard to never see him. I still believe this was the right move b/c I'm sure his old company is in dire straights by now, but we just didn't see this coming. In my daughter's preschool class, we're up to 7 out of 10 families have a the dad laid-off. Things are rough, but we feel very fortunate we have something right now.
Wow, it's more widespread than I thought. We live in MI so I see the decay here and somehow think that its just here.
Life is so good. My degree is in Construction Management, so (not unexpectedly) I've had to find work in a different sector...but I do have really good paying work. We don't have any kids yet and my husband has a stable, well paying job also.
We're paying cash for my husband's $80,000 MBA program. We just paid off our car. We only have a few thousand left on an undergrad student loan and that will be done by July. Then we will just have our very manageable mortgage, which is very manageable because we were able to build a home very inexpensively (I'm talking I had a builder build it just because I truly couldn't build it cheaper myself). I feel so blessed.
We do have a kind of insane lifestyle (have for a long time). We never eat out. We don't have TV at home. We eat cereal and PB&Js for a good portion of our meals. We pay a 10% tithe of our gross income to our church. The financial peace is worth any (in our case relatively small) sacrifices.
Thanks for caring and having a spot for people to share.
My husband is in bankruptcy law, so as far as job security goes, it looks like he will continue working overtime. At the same time, it is very sad because that means that there are so many individuals and businesses having to file. He is booked solid with appointments weeks in advance.
Thankfully, we have no debt and rent the home we currently live in...and we're on a VERY tight budget. Very tight that it hurts sometimes, but I get to continue to stay home with our boys and it makes it worth it.
In these uncertain times, the only thing I know for sure is that God is faithful and He will take care of His kids.
Hi Nester. I comment on your blog frequently, but today I am anonymous. Yup, the economy is affecting us for sure. We have four children, and I am a cancer survivor. Cancer cost us $30,000, and this is with insurance! This pretty much wiped us out. My husband has an MBA and worked in the medical products field until 20 months ago. (Lost his job in downsizing) He has sent out hundreds of resumes to all kinds of companies to no avail. We will move anywhere. Last year our income was only $17,000, no health insurance now, threat of foreclousre, the whole nine yards. We cannot afford our basic living expenses. It's very hard for me to keep faith, but I know He says, "The righteous will not be moved." He promises, no matter what, the safest place is in His hands.
Wow.
Annon, can I call you that for short? I have no words but sent up prayers for you.
love to you always,
Nester
wow... I read about half the responses and just couldn't read any further. I am amazed at how many people are suffering. I truly thought this was being hyped up by the media... I guess we haven't been hit so hard, but then my husband works for my families business so we are stable there, and we've always lived frugally by necessity. And we live in the country where most of the homes are owned by families who've owned them for decades, so we don't see the housing situation here- there never were any houses for sale to begin with- they just pass from father to son, on and on and on...
I agree with another poster who said that we have a house, my husband has a job, we have food and five healthy children. we will be ok. this country, though, makes me wonder. Congress and President Obama are passing so many things that will ruin this country and it seems like people in general don't notice or don't understand the impact that will come. I pray that eyes will open and that the people of this country will come forward to say "enough is enough".
One thing I have seen is the grocery bill rising to new heights. We've been planning a vegetable and fruit garden for our yard- I'll be starting seeds in the basement with cheap walmart florescent lights in a few days. One of the seed companies says they have a $10 seed set that will grow something like $600 worth of food- if that number system is right, we'll be growing about $1,200 worth of food this summer. What we can't use right away, we'll can or freeze- what we can't can or freeze, we'll share with family and neighbors who need it. If things do get tighter, I'll be able to raise a few chickens for eggs as well.
Another thing I'm doing is teaching my kids- meaning my own children and "my girls" (my Girl Scout kids, I'm a leader for two troops). I'm teaching them to be as self-sufficient as possible- how to sew on a button, make a patch on pants and make it look fun and trendy, how to grow food, how to make something from nothing... hopefully those skills will help them and their families in this time.
thank you for asking, Nester- I truly had no idea how bad it really was.
We're ok, right now. My husband's company is having "down weeks" where the plant just closes and people either take vacation time, or don't get paid. Because of his position, he's still getting his salary and having a lot of time off. Basically, it hasn't really changed the pay-check-to-pay-checkness of our lives.
How it's affected me personally, is my heart is breaking for so many people. People are worried and sad and in real trouble. And they don't see that bright side that Remodeling Guy is talking about. (I agree with him, though -it's there!) So, it's caused me to see the need to pray harder for these people. And to have an attitude of thankfulness that it hasn't gotten bad for us yet.
We live outside of San Antonio and I saw on the news that the bad economy is just starting to effect our area a little. I told a friend last year that the boom of building in this area was scarey. Too much all at once. There are a lot of empty buildings. Who really wants to start up a small business right now? My husband works in pro baseball as a coach. He does not make the big bucks. He actually makes an average salary. I have learned not to think I know what other people make by their job description. He does hitting lessons with kids during the off-season from baseballto make extra money. I have been a SAHM for 20 years. We do cut back but it is hard sometimes. In 1994, baseball players went on strike and that caused a lot of coaches to lose jobs. My husband was one of them. I understand how hard it is and that it can happen to anybody at anytime. My husband and I have discussed recently that baseball may ruin itself with the high salaries players are getting. We don't see how corporate owned ballteams can continue this trend. Something is going to have to give there. My husband has one more year on his contract with the Braves and we hope he will continue to have a job and a new contract after this season.
About a 18 months ago I took a leave of abscence from my job to take care of my sister who was terminally ill. My husband assured me we could make it on his income. When it became apparent that my sister would linger for a while, I quit, thinking that after she died I would go back to work.(She died last month.) 4 months ago my husband got laid off and can't find a job. He finally took his Social Security, but that's not enough to make it on. I'm 57 and there are no jobs available for older people.
I know that God will provide for us, but we have the responsibility to change the way we live and be better stewards. We are planting a large garden and will put up enough food for the year. We don't waste water or power. We live in the country, so we make every trip to town count. No driving to town just for the fun of it! And fast food is completely out of the question!
For too long Americans have lived beyond our means and it's catching up to us! I'm not griping about our circumstances. We got ourselves in this mess and we need God's help to get us out!!!
wow! My hubby works in the financial industry and has kept his job. I think that because he has always chosen to be honest despite not getting big bonuses when everyone else did paid off in the long run. It is hard because you always wonder in the back of your mind if his bank is going to fail but we keep our fingers crossed and have been a bit more careful with our money and are thankful we never jumped into anything we couldn't afford to begin with.
First of all! I've been following your blog for only a little while and I can honestly say that you are inspiring!!! My friend and I chat about your ideas all day long!
As odd as it sounds to me to write, we are in pretty good shape. My hubby works for a company that provides business services to charter schools and was even asked if he could do someone else's job in addition to his, so we're pretty sure his job is secure. Not to mention a few other business prospects we never saw coming might be in his future.
I'm a nanny for a little boy so I can "stay home" with my little man. But we have some pretty big debt. We took out a HELOC on our house 2 years ago, which was really stupid now that we think about it. Student loans, 2 cars and minimal credit card debt not to mention hospital bills from our son... but we make it by. The Lord is in all things, and I really truly believe that he will take care of our needs. In my eyes, this bust in the economy is a lesson... and the sooner we learn to regulate ourselves, the better!
I hope all who are having troubles know that He is always with you, and that He sees and cares about your needs and that you are loved!
wow....before i commented, i read the other comments....some with a big lump in my throat. we, like others, are finding ourselves downsizing. the economy is ok here...but, we see the effects of it already...our house is for sale and we are trying to buy a smaller one. my dad is in the steel business and he is really stressed...my husband is in the internet marketing business and things have been steady, but not like they were....i have been very convicted lately to pray more, be thankful for all things and deal with my wants....lay them at the cross and watch God provide the needs. He is mighty...i am just blown away by everything He is doing in so many lives...He is great.
I sincerely hope that for those who are experiencing tough times, doors will be opened that lead to bigger & better things.
My DH works for a newspaper. Well, if you still read them, you know that they are suffering and long-standing papers (Rocky Mtn. News, etc) are closing. So far, he's still employed, but employees have been forced to take 3-4 "furlough" days each quarter. His first ck. came last week with one day w/o pay. What a shock!
Fortunately, I'm about to start a 25 hr/wk job and both our cars will be paid off within the next few months. Would love to move because with two teen boys, were kinda squeezed for space in 1600 sf. But with only 7 years left on our 15 year mortgage, we're staying put.
Here's to better days ahead!
I started to respond yesterday... We are definitely feeling the affects, and have been for almost 2 years. My husband got a promotion at the beginning of 2006 which brought us to NC from CO. We listed our not-even-two-year-old house just as the housing market there was crashing. Sixteen months later, with help from my husband's employer, we sold the CO house, and had to take $30,000 to closing. But God provided all the funds, so we felt blessed for ourselves AND the cute couple who got such a great deal on a fabulous house!
So we have been renters, starting from scratch. Which was a good thing, since in June 2007 my husband's company let him go! Since then, we have been experiencing self-employment, unemployment, and under-employment. It has been a wild ride. Up until the first of this year, we were ok. Now we are not making it each month. I don't know how it will all work out.
I have been a sahm for 12 years, with my little business on the side. I am doing everything I can to ramp it up. But it is slow in growing. I have applied for lots of jobs, too, but nothing has come of it.
Through all this, we have experienced many blessings, though! My husband's faith has grown from his head into his heart, which was a huge answer to prayer. Our last 2 years in CO we had no church home. Here in NC we have a wonderful church home. Our family has grown closer, our marriage has grown stronger. We see the Lord at work all over our situation. These are scary times, but we prefer to look to the future with hope. Psalm 84... better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere!
Thanks for asking, Nester! I will be praying for all these many needs. Blessings!
First of all... if the lady that is raising her grandaughter needs a fridge..if she lives in SC or near SC (GA, NC) PLEASE leave a note on this blog.. I have a fridge for her!
Right at 5 years ago.. we lost EVERYTHING!! My husband got into somethings he shouldn't and for about a month, I could not even feed my children. I went without eating so that my kids would have a little bit. I was WAY too proud to ask for help, and I come from a family that once they found out, swooped in.
It has taken 5 years, and I am a different person (as well is my hubby), but looking back I am thankful for it. It has prepared my husband and I for a time as this. The Lord has begun to bless us, in ways we NEVER thought would happen. Our marriage is better than I EVER thought it would be. But financially... we are doing well. We have learned how to manage our money, we tithe, and we are trying to help when we feel lead by God. My husband is working 2 jobs, both he loves, and both provide for us and are very secure. I pick up sub jobs here and there to buy extras, and help us work the "Dave Plan." Thru GOD'S MERCY and GRACE we should be debt free in less than 2 years... and I say that as a testimony!!! We also live in an area of the country that has not been hard hit. There are losses but NOTHING like other areas of the country!
I would like to tell everyone, though about a progam in many churches called ANGEL FOOD. For $30 you can buy a box of food that will feed a family of 4 for a week. It has meats, veggies, eggs, cereal, shelf stable milk... www.angelfoodministries.com . They are in most states and you can find out locations, etc. by visiting the website. There are NO income qualifications and it is good to help families stretch their food budgets.
I am SORRY about those that are going thru tough times. Lean on God, look to Him, serve Him faithfully and you will come out of this according to His PERFECT will!! It is thru the fire that Master refines us into what he wants us to be for Him.
And to the blogger that was embarrassed about posting that she had to accept public assistance... we had to as well! I was SO embarrassed that I made my hubby go get groceries so no one would see me using the food stamp card! (i only went when there was cash!) So i have been there!!
I will be praying for you all! :)
Leanne
My husband's work had to lay off 25 people last week, most from his department. We are very grateful that he still has a job, but also are so sad for those you lost their jobs. I know God is in control, and try to remind myself daily that I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.
It breaks my heart to see what is going on with the world right now. We personally have not yet felt the effects of the economy, but we're not exactly safe either (as I don't think many are).
I have health issues that prevent me from working right now, so we live on one income. The biggest worry I have is if my DH loses his job, I am without health care -- and even with insurance we pay about 150.00 a month in medications alone so it is scary. Everything else is material, but health care is so important.
My DH's company had layoffs a few months ago -- they laid off around 12 people out of the 150 some that work there. It is a company that builds machines and the technology to run them. My DH is a software engineer. He feels somewhat secure because there are only 4 in his dept including him and so far they have more work than they can handle, but sales are down -- so it is a fearful situation for me.
I pray that the economy will turn around soon and that if it doesn't we will all have the important things we need to get by -- food, shelter, health care.
The economy is in a bad place right now. But, like most everything else, it's just that place in the cycle of ups and downs. Fortunately, we have been okay so far. All we can do is spend wisely, pray hard and wait it out. I hope and pray that soon enough, things are on the upswing. Unfortunately, I don't think this administration is going to do it. I hope I'm wrong...
I can attest that the Lord is faithful in all things. I'm fortunate to live in an area that has not been affected too badly by the economy, but I have worked on 100% commission for some time now. While things are definitely slower, I know that He will continue to provide for me. I have been through ups and downs in the past and have always come out stronger for it. The Lord is GOOD.
Hi- First of all I love your blog. I just found you recently. During this hard time we have been through some hard things but we have also been blessed beyond measure. We lost ourhome and my Grandmother in the same 2 weeks. But, we were blessed with a rental nicer than our own home, a business that is flourishing and a happy healthy marriage and family. All I can say to those that are struggling is hang on and please do not loose hope.
I just finished reading the previous posts and wanted to say that everyone...our country and society are in our prayers.
I guess I may be one of the very few but we actually received a 30% salary increase this year. My husband and I are in an industry that is doing very well.
That doesn't mean we're out there spending it. We live by simple means...enjoying things that we love but looking at better ways to purchase them.
We don't have rent or utilities because it's part of our contract so we're putting bonuses and reimbursement checks into savings.
Its been so hard reading through all of these and seeing people that are in the same situation as we are.
Right now, I am writing this from an internet signal that I am bouncing from one of my neighbors. My internet got turned off 2 days ago, and my electricity will be next.
My step dad lost his job unfairly 3 weeks ago. I work from home as a graphic designer, but I am booked so far ahead that no one new is booking. I also work part time at ULTA (THE LORD IS SO GOOD!!) but its still not enough to support the whole family.
My brother in law thought he was going to loose his job, but the Good Lord made it so he didnt. BUT...he has been working and has only been paid ONCE in the last 3 MONTHS! Its just crazy!!
Its scary knowing that I have a child that might have to go live with my sister until I can pay for the utilites in my home. I am so very blessed to not have a car payment or a house payment, because they are both paid for in full. But the possibility of a forclosure is not gone because of the $4000 house taxes.
Sometimes I feel like I cant keep my head above the water. But I trust in the Lord that He has a plan. He always brings me through, and I am leaning on His strength to keep me strong for my family right now.
Thank you so much Nester for sharing this and to everyone else for letting us all know that we are not alone!!!
I will be praying for everyone!!
--Nikki
Thank you for caring about all of us out here in blogland.
Things have been difficult for our family of four since my husband became medically disabled in 12/2005. SSDI and long-term disability don't pay a whole lot. Medical insurance for our family takes 1/6 of our income, and co-pay and medication costs are out of sight. We live in New York, which has very high taxes, and I don't mean just property taxes. With the down turn in the economy and the increasing prices at the store (and other places), I look for ways to cut, but there comes a point where you just can't cut any more. My husband needs a very expensive medication (we're talking $300 - 600 a month until we reach the Medicare "doughnut hole", when we'll have to shell out several thousand dollars), and we just don't have that kind of money . And, like so many, our investments have taken a huge hit, which is of tremendous concern since my husband probably won't live another five years, if that.
Still, in the midst of all this, we've never gone hungry, the bills have never gone unpaid, we have plenty of clothing, and our house is paid for. God is on His throne, and He knows our needs. He's never failed us yet, and I know He won't start now.
First off...can I tell you that I just LOVE your blog. I wish I had your sense of style. I wish that you would just come to my house and "fix it up".
Are you ready to cry??
Five years ago, my husband's company moved us to Vegas. He was in mortgages, a big shot (paid VERY well). We get here for him to turn the state around (like 20 offices), hire, fire, train people, get them making money. Last year when the economy turned...they laid him off. NOW...this happened to be the same month that our 1 year old has his SECOND OPEN HEART SURGERY. seriously. I thought we wouldn't make it. All those stresses.
But, he's taken a job in a less desirable industry and does his thing for us to have insurance and an OVERPRICED house that we're stuck in due to the economy.
If you'd like to see a miracle man, check out our blog:
http://rollersinvegas.blogspot.com
Sending much love your way...
and what a thoughtful question to ask.
We have always lived paycheck to paycheck and in debt. Since the turn in the economy, my hours have been cut at work, but I still bring home 90% of my income I did before. I work for a architectual hardware supplier, so when people aren't building, people aren't buying hardware. I had to pick up a second job, but it's only a few hours a week cleaning offices. I consider myself very lucky to have it.
My husband works for a generic drug manufacturer, who is still hiring. In the last 2 weeks he has got a raise AND a bonus! He is very fortunate to have this job, even if it is just manual labor. We are very lucky that our whole family is insured medically for about $20 a month through his work. Ask a sick person and they will tell you, if you have your health and your family, you have everything.
My husband's car died, so we share now, but we conincedently work across the street from each other & work the same hours! How awesome is that?
So in conclusion, we are just treading water like we always have! We don't have any spending money. Just enough for the bills, groceries, and gas, but we will get through it.
Wow! How very diverse the responses have been. It is scary to say the least about what is happening in our country. We are being cautious just in case. Thankfully we haven't been affected, but are ever mindful that we could be at anytime and are doing our best to spend wisely. My husband has always been great about saving money and I am very thankful. The Lord blessed us with a house 6 years ago that was below market value due to the previous owners misfortune of being foreclosed on. We don't have any plans of moving at the moment, but I truly feel for all of those who need or have to sell right now. I am praying for those around us who are struggling and will be praying for those who posted on your blog. God is in control and we must trust in him always. God Bless.
Saw this quote by Billy Graham on a church sign the other day: "Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has."
We just had a new baby - and child care costs will triple (infant care is expensive). We're just trusting that God will provide as he always has.
I believe the quote above is so true - and I think we're all going to come out on the other side of this better, stronger and wiser.
Nester,
I've been reading your blog for about a year and love it! You've got such a big heart and a great spirit.
So far, we're okay. My husband works in a dairy lab and since people are still buying milk, he still has a job. However, there is constant talk about how milk prices are plummeting, so who knows what will happen.
What has helped us tremendously is that he can work on cars. As a side job, he buys cars, fixes them up and sells them. We try to save all of that profit (after taxes) as our extra fund - for emergencies, unexpected medical bills, etc....
My brother recently moved in with us because he lost his job. He's working with my husband on the cars and he's getting to know Christ a little more each day through my husband's witness... so in a big way, it's a blessing that he was out of work.
We're hanging on and praying for the best. I do notice we're giving more. Recently, we were reading in the book of Acts about how the church made sure all of its members had their basic needs met, and we really took it to heart. We're doing okay now, so we feel it's our responsibility to help others. One day, it might be us who needs help.
Kristy
Funny you should ask...my husband just lost his job this week. Up until then we were doing pretty well. We felt blessed to be able to send some money to friends who were struggling during the holidays. And then a couple weeks ago my husband felt God prompting him to help out two couples we know and we anonymously sent cards containing gift cards to them. We don't know what's in store for us ahead, but we have peace about it and are excited to find out what God has in store. We took a Dave Ramsey class a while back so we did start putting away an emergency fund....best thing we ever did! Thanks for asking.
Goodness, what a lot of responses! Nester, I am so glad that you broached this topic. I think that sometimes in Blogland we try to convey the perfect little world, and it just isn't like that for so many of us now. (Suffice to say, we are in survival mode like so many who have written.) That said, I did have to agree with an anonymous poster above who felt that it is so easy to judge those in financial trouble when we are sitting comfortably. The usual criticism is that they overspent in the past, credit card abuse, you know, the usual suspects. But life is simply not that easy! We don't always know the tests and trials God has for us, and it is impossible to prepare for a catastrophic event. We should be gentle with one another and be careful we don't have the "haves and have nots!" Anyway, love your blog and all the beautiful things you do on a budget. Your cheerfulness is so appreciated, and my heart goes out to all who have written.
I don't know if I'm just naive or if I'm just one who refuses to see bad when it's coming... or if even believe that it IS coming. But I don't yet feel affected by the economic downfall we're in.
I grew up with nothing, on food stamps, and when those weren't available, my mother would steal food from the store to feed us with. I had used clothes, used everything, and sometimes, we had nothing.
Over the years, I've been through enough times of being one couch away from homelessness that I learned how to be grateful for the smallest, most seemingly insignificant of things. I learned that I'm not entitled to anything, and I REALLY learned that you almost always get what you expect. Because of this, and because I've always survived and said "I'll be ok" when something bad DID happen, I've truly always been ok in the end, always had exactly what I needed when I needed it, and ended up learning something from the experience.
At this point, I think I've had so many things happen in my life that I'm just ever the optimist, never believing that I'll ever have less than what I already have, or rather, less than what I need. I've already "wished" my way into a fabulous marriage, a great 3bdrm home, two new trucks, the most amazing 6 month old daughter on the face of the planet, and most importantly, I'm really, really happy. Some people today call my method "The Secret", but it hasn't been a secret to me - I've been doing it since I was a small child... it was the only thing I really and truly had - my hopes and dreams.
So in this economy, I'm not blind to what could happen... I just don't sweat the possibilities. Thinking about them gives power to them, sucks energy from you, and makes you stress about something that may never happen. I have today, and today I'm doing great. I'm not running out and booking a Tahitian vacation or anything and we have cut back our spending quite a bit, but I'm not wasting time worrying about the "what if's". I know that I'll be ok if something happens, so I don't stress it. If today is my last day on the planet I don't want it to have been spent worrying about things I have little to no control over, taking time away from listening to my daughters precious belly laughs or hearing my husband tell me how much he loves me. It is these things that make us rich, and since I can take them wherever I go, I will always have what I truly need.
Since my husband hasn't received a paycheck since last May, we are having to move from living in our dream home to a rental. That is, if we can sell in this market. I thought I would live here until the day I died but I didn't realize how things can change. I retired from nursing ten years ago and now if I want to return I have to go back to school for a refresher program. In the meantime, I'm working in my husband's company (no pay of course) to help out.
In the midst of all of this, I have to say that the Lord is amazing. Good has come out of this. My hubby and I have grown closer. He's come to respect my judgement and skills, which are different from his. And I'm realizing that it's just material possessions. This really isn't my hom. Life is so short and I really don't want to get so attached to the things of this world. Sorry this is so long but I guess we're all impacted by the current economy in so many ways.
I pray that this is an opportunity for people to get back to the basics.
How is the economy affecting me. Well I am presently packing, to put everything in storage, we have tiil the end of the month to be out. My husband lost his job as a truck driver, when he became ill. He then in the process had open heart surgery in December. Now to find another job..that is just not possible in Michigan, at this time. God is closing this door in our life for some reason and I know he will open another. I am just praying he sees fit to do so before we are homeless and living in a car with 2 young children. I have finally realized that it is out of my hands and I can not shoulder it myself anymore...Maybe that is what he wanted me to realize. So the economy is affecting us quite negatively, BUT has also brought me to a stronger faith...
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