I was just thinking today about how many famalies have been hit hard, job losses, foreclosure. I know that i cant spend the money for some things for my jeep. How has all of this affected everyone, and (or) how are you coping with it. Im sure not gonna give my offroad habit up though.
recession effects
- Thread starter Jason W.
- Start date
Dylan W.
lone resident of Bro-Lite Island
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Location
- Mocksville NC
I work in the housing industry(flooring) This mess has turned my life upside down.
At first I was becoming depressed and withdrawn, then after talking with family and friends, I realized it's not my fault. What once was a thriving career, has turned to crap, and there is'nt much I can do about it. My wife has had to go back to work, after staying at home raising my daughter. This helps some, but I hate she had to.
When I work, i make decent money, but when I dont, the bills pile up.
It's been this way for me for nearly a year now. Gone through the savings, and am now living week to week. Seems like the phrase 'feast or famine' has a real meaning now.
Thought about getting a factory job, but noones really hiring. Besides, it's hard to imagine punching a time clock for the man, for 40 hours, after being self employed since I was 20. Not to mention, that I can sometimes make in a day, what a lot of folks at factories make in a week...sometimes. I would be hard pressed to stay on a line job, if my phone rang with a good carpet, or hardwood job for a couple thousand dollars, came up. I would probably get fired quickly, because I could see me calling in sick, and doing the floor jobs. Thats just a little insight into my world right now. Thanks for asking, It feels good to let it out sometimes.
Anyone need flooring installed?
At first I was becoming depressed and withdrawn, then after talking with family and friends, I realized it's not my fault. What once was a thriving career, has turned to crap, and there is'nt much I can do about it. My wife has had to go back to work, after staying at home raising my daughter. This helps some, but I hate she had to.
When I work, i make decent money, but when I dont, the bills pile up.
It's been this way for me for nearly a year now. Gone through the savings, and am now living week to week. Seems like the phrase 'feast or famine' has a real meaning now.
Thought about getting a factory job, but noones really hiring. Besides, it's hard to imagine punching a time clock for the man, for 40 hours, after being self employed since I was 20. Not to mention, that I can sometimes make in a day, what a lot of folks at factories make in a week...sometimes. I would be hard pressed to stay on a line job, if my phone rang with a good carpet, or hardwood job for a couple thousand dollars, came up. I would probably get fired quickly, because I could see me calling in sick, and doing the floor jobs. Thats just a little insight into my world right now. Thanks for asking, It feels good to let it out sometimes.
Anyone need flooring installed?
BrianGreen
SSG Brian Green
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2008
- Location
- Kings Mountain
I took that line job and now I enjoy what I do. I work 3 12 hour shifts Sat, Sun, Mon. That leaves me the rest of the week to do tile (which Ive done since i was 18). When I have a tile job, I do it on my days off.
andrewhove
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2008
- Location
- Durham
I run a part time landscaping business and have lost several accounts because honestly if people are struggling the first cost to be cut is the guy who cuts their grass. It doesn't take someone long to realize they can do it themselves a whole lot cheaper. But I'm still a dependent of my parents so I'm not hurting all that much. I really feel for all you guys that are out of work or who are self employed and can't find much work.
Dylan W.
lone resident of Bro-Lite Island
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Location
- Mocksville NC
Thats exactly what the wife and I have been talking about. I am not totaly against the idea, and I would want the 12 hour shifts 3 days(weekends at lowes warehouse)to leave time to do flooring jobs during the week. I just dont think it's going to be easy to adjust...IF i can find a job like that.But I am willing, and in no way did I mean to knock the line jobs.
kaiser715
Doing hard time
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2006
- Location
- 7, Pocket, NC
I'm in the same boat as Dylan. I do computer and network stuff, most all of my work for several years has been for the same handful of clients -- all but one of which are in some manner of the construction industry (manufacturing, fabrication, warehousing). Things went from slow to really slow to almost totally dead.
I've been depressed this week as I found out one of my clients let all their guys go as of Monday, so a client that was about 15% of my gross two years ago will pay almost nothing this coming year. And that's if they don't totally close the doors.
I know the minimum I need per month to eat, pay my insurance, other bills....and the last sixty days I haven't met that....and prospects aren't looking too good for next month. Same thing, I'd pick up some side work, etc, but nobody's gonna be hiring for a while.
I've been depressed this week as I found out one of my clients let all their guys go as of Monday, so a client that was about 15% of my gross two years ago will pay almost nothing this coming year. And that's if they don't totally close the doors.
I know the minimum I need per month to eat, pay my insurance, other bills....and the last sixty days I haven't met that....and prospects aren't looking too good for next month. Same thing, I'd pick up some side work, etc, but nobody's gonna be hiring for a while.
1-tonmudder
Doin my part to stir the pot.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2005
- Location
- Greeneville TN
My business has always be up and down so it doesn't seem soo bad,but I can tell things are slow cause nobody's buyin any 60's 
.My wife on the other hand is a different story.She works for John Deere and they have finally started to slow.She is off this week as a result of it.They told the employee's a month or so ago that they had 15000 mowers in warehouse at the plant another 15000 in another warehouse,and Lowe's had another 15000 in one of their warehouses that they will not pay for until they ship them to their stores. Thats 45000 mowers!!!!
We have never been able to understand who's buying them to start with.When people are loosin their homes they aren't goin to pay 3-5K for a mower.
Financially we are in pretty good shape.I made the last payment on her car today,we have 0 cc debt and all we owe for besides the monthly stuff is our home. We got a good rate and have a reasonable payment.
We haven't changed our style of living/spending habits much but they weren't very extravagant to start with.
I have seen alot of good stuff go for cheap and know lots of people are struggling.Take this however you will but we feel we have been blessed to be in the position were in.
.My wife on the other hand is a different story.She works for John Deere and they have finally started to slow.She is off this week as a result of it.They told the employee's a month or so ago that they had 15000 mowers in warehouse at the plant another 15000 in another warehouse,and Lowe's had another 15000 in one of their warehouses that they will not pay for until they ship them to their stores. Thats 45000 mowers!!!! We have never been able to understand who's buying them to start with.When people are loosin their homes they aren't goin to pay 3-5K for a mower.
Financially we are in pretty good shape.I made the last payment on her car today,we have 0 cc debt and all we owe for besides the monthly stuff is our home. We got a good rate and have a reasonable payment.
We haven't changed our style of living/spending habits much but they weren't very extravagant to start with.
I have seen alot of good stuff go for cheap and know lots of people are struggling.Take this however you will but we feel we have been blessed to be in the position were in.
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
I took that "line job" 35 years ago. Now I've been retired for 5 years, Sam sends me a check every month, the house and cars are paid for as well as the kids college. We have no debt and life is good. I've seen economic ups and downs in my 60 years, nothing quite this bad maybe, but I believe it will turn around again. IMO the key is to get a decent, reliable job, stick with it and live within your means.
OTOH, my wife is a financial consultant and their business is BOOMING! She can hardly keep up with the load, people wanting to move money and invest in this low market. They handled over $4 million in Febuary alone and it hasn't let up yet. Most of her inside information believes that for now the worst is over and that things will begin to pick up by early summer. Hopefully there will be some jobs opening back up for those that desperately need them!
OTOH, my wife is a financial consultant and their business is BOOMING! She can hardly keep up with the load, people wanting to move money and invest in this low market. They handled over $4 million in Febuary alone and it hasn't let up yet. Most of her inside information believes that for now the worst is over and that things will begin to pick up by early summer. Hopefully there will be some jobs opening back up for those that desperately need them!
SHINTON
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2005
- Location
- Triad area of NC
It really is about diversification and cash flow management.
Diversify the ways we make money - having as many "side jobs" as possible so that if one slows the cash still is rolling in.
Second - cash flow management... you would be shocked at how little cash you need if there are no debt payments / interest going out the door.
But so far - I am seeing some signs of recovery with my clients. A contractor for the state told me yesterday it appears that he has gotten a piece of a new bridge project (part of the 800 billion stimulus) and so that should be starting this summer. (He has seen some other pending quotes get approved from the state / so things are finally moving again!)
Housing is prob gonna be the last area to ramp up again / they honestly were the last area to go down, the houses were getting built really deep into the recession before trickling to nearly a stop now. I suspect 2010 before we seeing many new home starts...the existing market will have to sell first.
Factory jobs - are great but to be safe / look into "recession proof" places. For example - education is BOOMING because everyone is pickup up certs, degrees etc while they are out of work. Even if you don't teach, there is tons of support jobs for those colleges, etc.
Energy, especially "green" is going to be huge...if I was looking for a place to work it would be at a windmill mfg, or solar power or at a WVO / biodiesel refinery, etc.
Diversify - if I had land and skills I would be starting up my own WVO / biodiesel facility / and getting contracts with the city, etc to supply 5/95, 10/90, etc. I would be looking at friends / farmers with empty tobacco fields about planting stuff I can turn into fuel.
Diversify the ways we make money - having as many "side jobs" as possible so that if one slows the cash still is rolling in.
Second - cash flow management... you would be shocked at how little cash you need if there are no debt payments / interest going out the door.
But so far - I am seeing some signs of recovery with my clients. A contractor for the state told me yesterday it appears that he has gotten a piece of a new bridge project (part of the 800 billion stimulus) and so that should be starting this summer. (He has seen some other pending quotes get approved from the state / so things are finally moving again!)
Housing is prob gonna be the last area to ramp up again / they honestly were the last area to go down, the houses were getting built really deep into the recession before trickling to nearly a stop now. I suspect 2010 before we seeing many new home starts...the existing market will have to sell first.
Factory jobs - are great but to be safe / look into "recession proof" places. For example - education is BOOMING because everyone is pickup up certs, degrees etc while they are out of work. Even if you don't teach, there is tons of support jobs for those colleges, etc.
Energy, especially "green" is going to be huge...if I was looking for a place to work it would be at a windmill mfg, or solar power or at a WVO / biodiesel refinery, etc.
Diversify - if I had land and skills I would be starting up my own WVO / biodiesel facility / and getting contracts with the city, etc to supply 5/95, 10/90, etc. I would be looking at friends / farmers with empty tobacco fields about planting stuff I can turn into fuel.
redneckjeep87
Landscaper Extroidanaire
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2007
- Location
- Woodleaf, NC
one of my best friends/neighbors is a history teacher....no work for him....he's been tryin for a while. hell charlotte mech is gettin ready to lay off 500 teachers.......not sure where you got that info from. not bashing at all just wondering. i too would love to have the money to start up even a small biodiesel setup, even if it was just enough to run my dads two diesel trucks haulin our mowers on a daily basis, that would save SOOOOO much money.
just an idea...for you and anybody else reading...
check your local pizza joint...they're constantly having to fire drivers or have them quit...
nothing to do with the recession, just some "excessive" spending on my part...but I starting delivering about 6 weeks ago...the money's not too bad...
you get to (at least where I work) take a good bit home each night, and then a bi-weekly check to cover the salary portion...
plus...you can generally get evening/nights shifts which leaves your days open for your other (tile, flooring, etc) jobs...I'm still working fulltime at AT&T, and about 3-4 evenings a week at the pizza joint.
Greg
madcowdungbeetle
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
I was laid off 2.5 months ago... Fortunately my living expenditures outside of my mortgage and truck payment aren't that much... and with my tax returns, I'm paying off what little credit card debt I had.
If I could line up a roommate I'd be set.
I don't go out, don't eat out, and try not to spend money...and I try to do some side-work where I can.
I've been applying for jobs out the ass, basically anything I can find that remotely interests me, in some cases jobs totally unrelated to my previous work...
The problems I'm running into is:
For jobs outside of the Engineering world no-one will touch me. I keep getting told I'm over qualified, and they assume, just based on my degree and previous experience, that I'll be bailing for more money as soon as something comes up.
Or, I can't even get a face-to-face, with Engineering jobs I'm qualified for, because right now it seems a lot of firms are using the shitty economy to grab up Experienced engineers, well more experienced than me, at discount salaries.
If I could line up a roommate I'd be set.
I don't go out, don't eat out, and try not to spend money...and I try to do some side-work where I can.
I've been applying for jobs out the ass, basically anything I can find that remotely interests me, in some cases jobs totally unrelated to my previous work...
The problems I'm running into is:
For jobs outside of the Engineering world no-one will touch me. I keep getting told I'm over qualified, and they assume, just based on my degree and previous experience, that I'll be bailing for more money as soon as something comes up.
Or, I can't even get a face-to-face, with Engineering jobs I'm qualified for, because right now it seems a lot of firms are using the shitty economy to grab up Experienced engineers, well more experienced than me, at discount salaries.
maulcruiser
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2005
- Location
- Bladenboro/Wilmington, NC
My BIL has been hit hard. He's up in the Garner area, and since the housing market has shut down, so has he. He does interior finishing, like crown moulding and the like. He has traveled recently to WV to build a barn for someone. Gotta find the work where you can.
For me, I've heard the rumors circulating about cutbacks within the fire service, but we haven't had anyone to be laid off yet. It's definitely crunch time as we've minimized our budget as much as possible without losing personnel. I hope it all gets straightened out soon! For those that have lost their jobs, I wish you a quick recovery. I know it's tough...
For me, I've heard the rumors circulating about cutbacks within the fire service, but we haven't had anyone to be laid off yet. It's definitely crunch time as we've minimized our budget as much as possible without losing personnel. I hope it all gets straightened out soon! For those that have lost their jobs, I wish you a quick recovery. I know it's tough...