swellmomma Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 As far as it looks my future holds much of the same just with kids a little older. We are already bottom of the totem pole so to speak, my only concern is if my ex is hit hard and can no longer afford to pay me the amount of child support he currently does. That said I have made my career in childcare, I will never find a time that I can not find a job if necessary, life is just easier without worrying about that right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 LOL! Have to laugh or.... DH is a fund manager. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We've got red flags all over the place. Sweetie is really worried. I guess I am, too. It's almost 4:00 a.m. and I'm still up. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dh works in the tourism industry. So far his job will remain intact. The company he works for is just not hiring anyone new when people leave, and they have cut back hours for some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We're actually going to do really well. We spent ten years either hovering above the poverty line or in low income territory but last year my husband got a job that more then doubled his salary in a pretty much recession-proof area so now we're making that but still living as if we had little money so we can pay off debts and save up for a house down payments. This at a time when everything we'd like to do from buying a house to getting a trailer for camping is going down in price. The thing is it feels wonderful but awful all at the same time. It's just good fortune that put us in this position, not any particular cleverness or work ethic, and a LOT of our friends and neighbours are suffering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 So as long as cars keep breaking and getting wrecked, we're okay. His commission is based on overall profit after expenses, not just percentage of sales. His GM has made some decisions over the past year that have hurt the bottom line and affected his pay already. I realize that in this economy many people will go to the used-part market and shade-tree mechanics if they can't afford to pay for OEM parts and ASE certified mechanics, so I expect that our commission checks will be lower over the next few years. I'm more angry than scared. We live below our means (small mortgage, drive old cars, thrift shop, etc.) and are debt free. We save and have always maxed out the 401K contributions as we are sure that Social Security will not be around when we are 70. We thought we were doing all the right things.... It's hard to watch the market and doubly hard to comprehend that our children will be paying for this bailout. Our childrens' generation may be the first generation to have a standard of living that is lower than their parents. I am also concerned for my mom's future. She was laid off in July after 21 years with the same lobbying association. She has a very small pension and a ever-shrinking 401K (insert flames) account. She's only 63 and she will need that 401K money someday. I hope it recovers by the time she hits 70. I'm frustrated that she is going to have all this financial stress in the later part of her life after working 30+ years. I have to take a deep breath, get some outdoor time, turn off the news, just to keep from falling into a pit of worry. sigh, K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My dh is an engineer who designs pressure transmitters (eyes glaze over, yawns) BUT they are used in nuclear power plants and food processing plants...FUEL and FOOD equal job security I am hoping! France, Germany, and Finland are big customers for nuclear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsdash Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My dh is a pawn broker. I guess he'll be getting busy for a little while but I'm not feeling comfortable in any way when I wake up and hear that the global economy is in a free fall. I'm feeling nervous about the future in general and will do some tightening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My husband and I were just talking about this very thing. He is a lineman and we are so thankful that people need power. He is pretty much guaranteed to always have a job but we never say never. I really feel for all of you ladies being hit by this terrible economic situation that we are in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 . . . to apply for jobs yet. (We are applying, but I don't know that anyone will hire us without PhD in hand.) So, we're applying for fellowships and grants and stuff. Academia is partially isolated from market downturns, since people will always sacrifice to get their kids through school. But a lot of things are dependent on endowments, so when the stock market goes down, money from endowments goes down. This means less available money for those fellowships we're relying on, schools using cheap "visiting lecturers" instead of hiring tenure-track, fewer scholarships for students meaning fewer students meaning fewer classes meaning fewer faculty. But we've got some savings, and dh is ordained in an episcopal system, so we always have the option of being appointed to a church. There's always a shortage of pastors in our conference. 'Specially pastors under the age of 70. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 A bad economy is actually good for my DH because it means more people can't afford to see a doctor until it's too late and they end up in the hospital where DH gets them, usually in a much worse (and expensive to fix!) state. Someone will continue to pay the physicians until the entire system collapses. But we are definately the most frugal people in DH's practice. When Medicare froze up this summer, it became apparent that a lot of the partners didn't have a dime saved. We go without a salary for the first 60-90 days of every year because DH likes to pay everything off like worker's comp, malpractice, 401(k) BEFORE he takes his salary. So we know exactly where we stand every March-ish for that year and DH sets his schedule accordingly. They are changing the structure of DH's practice though right now and that feels scary to everyone. We'll probably come out ahead but with the economy, that's not certain. Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We should be okay. Even if dh's job falls through he is capable of doing several things that could tide us over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasschus Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My husband works as a software support guy and also does designing for an engineering firm that builds chemical plants and revamps them. So far we are ok. There hasn't been any talk about layoffs. Actually, the engineering companies around Houston are looking for people! I am a little nervous about the future though. It seems to be a common topic with other folks I know and the seniors hanging out at the YMCA. So we'll just have to see what happens. I hate it when I'm not in control! LOL Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin in Tx Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My husband's income is 100% commission also. He is an industrial (as in heavy industry) sales specialist. We had a couple of bad months early in the summer but things have picked up a little since then. Phone is still ringing and back orders look normal. That could all dry up tomorrow, though. I think this is the reason why a lot of us supported the original bail out (you know... the one that would have been the better one to pass because it didn't have all the pork attached yet). Credit is very important to businesses. And to state governments. We are just now beginning to feel the fall out of the credit pinch. It take a while for effects to ripple through, and it will take a while before any of the "fixes" will make the slightest difference. Things will probably get worse before they get better. If we get to the point where we can't pay our mortgage, etc., we'll probably be in the same boat with everyone else and we'll just deal with it. We've talked about our economist friends before... the one I always mention told me back in March, right after the Bea rSterns collapse, that it would probably take a year for the fallout to be realized (more failed banks, credit crisis, etc.) and that we could look for the Dow to drop to around 8000 or maybe a little less. Hopefully he was right... because we're almost there, that would mean that this is close to the bottom. Who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We bought a small business last October. We came in, got overhead and expenses under control, changed practices, etc. that led to GREAT months for October and November. December-February are slow in our industry, so we spent the winter getting ready for the season, when things get CRAZY! But, they never really did. By July, it was apparent that the market was on a downward trend. Our customers (small contractors, landscapers, etc.) all say the same thing - things are really, really bad. We have changed our focus to homeowners trying to do their own work (so they can save money) and this is helping some. We've not laid anyone off, but we did cut hours. We are probably going to lose our house and our business. We sunk everything we had and then some into this business. If we could've had 2-3 normal years before a downturn, we would've been okay, but we didnt' get that. The job market for my dh is not good - there are TONS of people out there just like him looking for work. I am not worried too much. We did buy a run-down doublewide in a trailer park and fixed it up so we will have somewhere to live. The lot rent is only $350 a month, so we can keep going on odd jobs for awhile. It is depressing, though, that we will still be broke for a long, long time to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SapphireStitch Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My DH is coordinator of one branch of a creative design department of a medical school...complicated description. He works magic with Powerpoint and Photoshop and digital printers and video cameras.;) The med school has already been through layoffs and downsizing over the last few years. So things are pretty slim and trim there, no dead weight left to prune. DH says their department is doing well; they actually make money for the school as opposed to most departments being non-profit. But a lot depends on what happens to medical care, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. as the economy changes and we have a change of government leadership. Ultimately our trust is in the Lord, and we know He will provide exactly what we need...even if it's not always what we want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dh has a govt. job here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 I think we'll be okay. DH works for a company that provides services to the government, lol. Dh also 'provides services to the government', as well as other governments, so even though he's technically an analyst who independently contracts...I think we're secure. Even if that falls through, he has his military retirement, and when we purchased this house, we did it on that alone, just to be sure that we could get by while he looked for a job. So...in case we have to live on only that, we could do it, and still keep our house. Cars, etc. are paid for. I'll admit that I've even considered what we should do in case the point is ever reached where government paychecks fall through (Road Warrior, anyone?) and we've discussed some further plans to that end. But all in all, dh's mindset of "Stay out of debt!!" has been helpful. Paid off stuff is like a savings account of its own, in a way. For all of my wailing and begging against his (what I've sometimes perceived as) 'stinginess'...I'm glad now that he is wired the way he is. And of course, believing that no matter what, God is in control and that He has a plan (even if we don't, or can't figure one out, lol) does a lot for our mental well-being. As long as we're holding on to that, our future looks so bright, I've got to wear shades. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesloonybin Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My DH works for the state government (IT section). That usually means that his job is secure but you never know...it is not completely unheard of to have state gov't cutting jobs. But we do have a large amount of medical debt. We have cut back alot and are trying even more. I hope this turns around and starts looking up for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dh is manager of a fine jewelry store, a gemologist, appraiser and diamond expert. There has been some belt-tightening around here, but by golly, we are going to celebrate his 30th birthday in style! :) He deserves it. Dh is also an artist. What he really dreams of is some day (soon) making all his money from selling his paintings and working from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in NE Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We bought a small business last October. We came in, got overhead and expenses under control, changed practices, etc. that led to GREAT months for October and November. December-February are slow in our industry, so we spent the winter getting ready for the season, when things get CRAZY! Isn't it nice when sound business practices pay off? Good for you! We are probably going to lose our house and our business. We sunk everything we had and then some into this business. I am so, so sorry this might happen. If we could've had 2-3 normal years before a downturn, we would've been okay, but we didnt' get that. We didn't either. We got 1 1/2 more years of drought (the last of 8 years of drought). The range, which was already in tough shape, got even worse. We had to cut down on numbers (at a loss) which means lower income the next year (right now). The job market for my dh is not good - there are TONS of people out there just like him looking for work. I can so understand....I'm trained as a banker. We did buy a run-down doublewide in a trailer park and fixed it up so we will have somewhere to live. LOL! We just sold our old trailer, so tht we could have some money to put down on a place in town....(closer to work possibilities). It is depressing, though, that we will still be broke for a long, long time to come. Yeah, us too. Hang in there. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 DH is a firefighter with 24 years on the job, so he's very secure. The only potential scare for us comes when the county talks about forcing those nearing retirement (normal retirement begins at 25 years) to get out. That would really, really hurt. But it probably won't happen. I fear much more for the guys and gals now in rookie school or just recently hired. They usually get the ax first. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Wow! Your responses are so interesting. I'm really sorry for those of you who are suffering right now, or see it coming. I'll be praying for you. On the flip side, you guys are some very interesting people! I already knew that, but this confirms it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 We have been following Larry Burketts advice for years and are in a very good position. No worry's here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dh's main job is with the state government, so he is pretty secure. His second job is a bit more iffy - he is a part-time church musician and it's possible his job could get axed, in which case we would lose several hundred dollars a month in income. So far we are doing OK, but we don't have much in the way of extras. Christmas is going to be very tight this year. But I know it could be so much worse, so I am very thankful for what we have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 This is such an interesting board for getting a wide perspective on all events. I, too, am so sorry for anyone who is suffering today for this downturn. I hope in each and every case that five years from now you all can look back and say, "Wow - that was such a tough time, but if it hadn't happened, then ....(fill in the blank with some marvellous outcome)....wouldn't have occurred." Hang in there...we're all on your side; and feel free to come and talk about issues here so we can all support you. As for us, I think we'll be okay. We would be better if we'd managed to sell our house this year, but we have nine rentals we own free and clear and they pretty much pay our expenses. Our only debt is our house and the mortgage is pretty low. Canada (where we are) isn't experiencing the downturn yet but we all know it's coming. The normal things will happen here; houses won't sell, things won't be updated, extra programs will be cut. Luckily my town just went through a boom so many of the things that needed to be done around town were done. dh is self-employed writing online computer games. I'm not sure how that will be affected, but he has no real costs...no employees or anything...so even if he had to pick up an extra job he could still keep it going on the side. The real "effect" for us was seeing our investments go down about $8,000 since spring. We just keep telling each other that we made those investments for the long term - we don't see touching them for twenty to thirty years. We just have to stick to that! That doesn't mean things won't get tight for us, though. We are on a very strict budget. If the price of heating, etc, skyrockets we will have to tighten our belts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clwcain Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My future's so bright, I got to wear shades. :coolgleamA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 (edited) For me, as long as there is crime, there is work because I do criminal appeals. My biggest problem is that it takes a long time to get enough cases in the pipeline to have a steady income, and I just started working again. It can take 2 years to get a trial transcript so I can get to work on a case, up to a year or more for a case to be decided, and for the feds, 3 or more months to get paid after the case is decided and the bill is submitted. I haven't figured out how I am going to work more than full-time, but I will (I also work part-time as the accountant for our businesses, but this does not pay extra). It is a good thing that I thrive on challenges and have done things in the past that everyone around me said could not be done due to time and commitment restraints. As for DH, he has the age-old problem of it taking months to finally get paid, and many of his civil clients are not paying at all because their fortunes are tied to the housing market or their real estate investments (which they are loathe to sell even if they owe us the big bucks). Our lifesaver, although it cannot support us, is the book business right now. Sales are holding steady. We were going to move to Pittsburgh, where the cost of living is a lot cheaper and work is plentiful for us, but we can't sell our house. It has dropped in value so much that by the time we get it fixed up to sell (not remodeling -- just maintenance & repairs) we wouldn't get any money out of it for a down payment on another house. I'm afraid the monthly cost of heating oil (>$1000) and health insurance (>$2000) is going to kill us. That's quite a lot of money to have to come up with, after self-employment taxes and the cost of running the businesses, on top of everything else. I wish one of us had a steady paycheck, or that I had been able to go to nursing school so I could always get a job with good hours from a homeschooler's point of view. RC Edited October 10, 2008 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Yes! Dh narrowly missed Governor Kaine's (Virginia) ax yesterday. It was a close one & of course, he still has no guarantees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle T Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 DS is a loan consultant for Countrywide (now bought by BofA0). Needless to say, times are not good for us, and will not improve until the housing market picks up. That most likely won't be for at least a couple years. Michelle T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dh is in refrigeration, AC and heating, which will always be needed. Still, new installs and such will probably be down, but we should be okay I think. Not much debt here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 My dh is "director of applications development" which means he designs and oversees the development of software. His employer asked him to downsize the team in India, which then quit en masse in solidarity. That is nerve-wracking. Dh met with a "head hunter" today who told him of a position with a 20% raise (an identical position) with an energy company... which seems like a fairly stable industry. People will always need electricity and gas. So dh is thinking perhaps he should jump on that if it's offered once they see his resume (he's pretty confident), but I think he needs to check out the benefits package before doing anything rash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Dawn, don't feel badly. It's nice to hear some good news on this thread. We are having the same sort of situation here because dh had loads of work troubles between '02 and '06. He was let go twice in two years, once when our 3yo was only 2 weeks old. It was awful. Now that the economy is tanking, we've got our debt paid off and a nice nest egg sitting there for emergencies. Dh and his boss just won 'Team of the Year' for our region and his job looks bullet proof. Although I am so grateful that we're having the best year of our married lives, the irony doesn't escape me. And I guess that can make me feel a little guilty. Barb We're actually going to do really well. We spent ten years either hovering above the poverty line or in low income territory but last year my husband got a job that more then doubled his salary in a pretty much recession-proof area so now we're making that but still living as if we had little money so we can pay off debts and save up for a house down payments. This at a time when everything we'd like to do from buying a house to getting a trailer for camping is going down in price. The thing is it feels wonderful but awful all at the same time. It's just good fortune that put us in this position, not any particular cleverness or work ethic, and a LOT of our friends and neighbours are suffering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 So as long as cars keep breaking and getting wrecked' date=' we're okay. His commission is based on overall profit after expenses, not just percentage of sales. His GM has made some decisions over the past year that have hurt the bottom line and affected his pay already. I realize that in this economy many people will go to the used-part market and shade-tree mechanics if they can't afford to pay for OEM parts and ASE certified mechanics, so I expect that our commission checks will be lower over the next few years. [/quote'] My dh is an ASE certified mechanic at a very small shop. He is the only all around mechanic and then there is a transmission tech. You are very correct in saying people want to buy used parts or try to get their work done out of the shop. His shop was very busy until May of this year. Then it tanked. I did notice when gas prices went a little lower before the hurricanes - work picked up a bit. Then gas prices went up and it tanked again. Now that gas prices are going down again, he is seeing more work. I have NO idea why this is the case other than people feel like they have more money to spend on their car repairs. No clue. I will say that my dh has put the word out to family and friends that he will do side work for half of the standard shop labor rate. He already has about 4 cars lined up for work. His plan is to put any money away that we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 We could very likely lose our insurance. We could not possibly replace it for $5000. Our baby may need heart surgery. This election cycle has been very hard. We are so threatened financially. We couldn't possibly dig ourselves out. We didn't buy a crazy expensive house, we got a fixed rate, we don't overspend. We have done everything right and we could be completely bankrupt. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 (edited) So far, DH (who owns a lawn maintenance business) has seen no decline at all. Over time, though, I fear his sort of job will be threatened by cheap labor and dishonest business practices. There are lawn companies that hire cheap labor (often illegal) so they can in turn give cheaper prices to their customers. This is seen more often in business properties, though, which my husband does not bid on for that reason. Also, many self-employed lawn maintenance persons can afford to charge less because they: do not have liability insurance, are applying pesticides but not doing so legally (licenses and training cost money), claim far less income than they really make, and so forth. There are many firefighters and retired military, for example, in our area who mow lawns as a part-time job but claim very little of the income. It is in truth hard to compete with this, but my husband's customers really like him. He has a good reputation and gets all of his customers from referrals. We do not advertise or anything. We feel blessed in this, but we also trust that our business integrity counts for something, meaning if we operate in good conscience and treat our employee(s) well, we just have to have faith for the rest. Our eldest son has been our main employee for the last few years, but he begins college in January, so my husband hired someone else who will work through next July. We were excited to be able to offer him health insurance on top of his hourly wage. He will work 30-35 hours a week. Though we are often frustrated at living in such a small house, we constantly remind each other that in 2 years, if all keeps going as it is, we will have the house and the van paid for. Honestly, I sometimes cry over my cramped quarters, but I quickly rebuke myself for being so ungrateful. It's just a battle. We have paid off all credit card debt and only have 5 more months to pay on my medical bill. Edited October 11, 2008 by nestof3 added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThelmaLou Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 No decline yet for my dh, but I think a lot could depend on who gets elected. His company contracts with the government and provides night vision technology for the military. They're already talking about possible cutbacks that might have to be made depending on who becomes president. Fortunately, all of my husband's "higher ups" have told him over and over for the last couple of years how indispensible he is to the company. It's nice to hear that, but we realize that these days things are changing very quickly. We're grateful for a job right now, but continue to pray that God will give us wisdom for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percytruffle Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Dh is an engineer. The company he works for has seen a decrease in sales of its product and has slowed production. We have been downsized out of a job twice before, so it would not come as a surprise if it happened again down the road. Right now it is showing a bit of slowing, but he is not in danger at this point. My teaching job at a small Christian school is very dependent on the economy. If parents decide next year that they can no longer afford tuition and send their kids to public school or bring them home to homeschool my job could be cut down to part time or even eliminated. It's the price you pay for being an art teacher versus an English teacher. When times get tough the specials are cut first. It would certainly not be a good time for us to lose jobs. Dd will be transferring to a four year college as a junior next year and ds will be at the community college full time. My worst fear at this point is that college loan money will dry up. I do not want to have to tap out of our retirement savings to pay for school. What we have personally saved for retirement is all we have to depend on. Since dh was downsized and had to start over at a new company twice so far we have no retirements from companies to fall back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 He is an applications engineer in his family's control system business. They are bidding so many jobs and doing so much work he can barely keep up. They do almost all commercial work and there is just a lot of growing going on in Louisiana, especially Baton Rouge. I just haven't seen the economy affect any of that thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 optimistic even when things are absolutely terrible at home: Dh lost his job 7 months ago and over the past 7 months has applied for anything and everything including things not related to his industry and within his industry. He's still not working although he has a lead with a company that really wants him but now I'm afraid with the market conditions they may delay even more in hiring. So, he's at at home with the kids. I started looking for a job 2.5 years ago and with a college degree, although as a SAHM I had little to no experience, and never found anything until my mom told me to apply where she works. So, now I'm a part-time small group instructor at a school for learning disabilities and I tutor on the side. Since we've been looking for jobs for so long I can say with absolute certainty that job listings have just about dried up. Until about 2 months ago there was almost always something to be applied for. Now dh can go several days without applying for anything. It is almost eerie. Our finances are in the toilet but we have a place to live, $1000 cars to drive and my kids are happy and healthy (on state medical care). The only problem we have is dh has a major heart condition and isn't covered by health insurance. We hope that he doesn't have any major relapses. Dh and i had a lot of issues when he was working and now that he's not he's been forced into making some changes that he was unwilling to consider before. We are both happier and are making better choices for our entire family. For that reason, I'm very optimistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 13, 2008 Author Share Posted October 13, 2008 optimistic even when things are absolutely terrible at home: Dh lost his job 7 months ago and over the past 7 months has applied for anything and everything including things not related to his industry and within his industry. He's still not working although he has a lead with a company that really wants him but now I'm afraid with the market conditions they may delay even more in hiring. So, he's at at home with the kids. I started looking for a job 2.5 years ago and with a college degree, although as a SAHM I had little to no experience, and never found anything until my mom told me to apply where she works. So, now I'm a part-time small group instructor at a school for learning disabilities and I tutor on the side. Since we've been looking for jobs for so long I can say with absolute certainty that job listings have just about dried up. Until about 2 months ago there was almost always something to be applied for. Now dh can go several days without applying for anything. It is almost eerie. Our finances are in the toilet but we have a place to live, $1000 cars to drive and my kids are happy and healthy (on state medical care). The only problem we have is dh has a major heart condition and isn't covered by health insurance. We hope that he doesn't have any major relapses. Dh and i had a lot of issues when he was working and now that he's not he's been forced into making some changes that he was unwilling to consider before. We are both happier and are making better choices for our entire family. For that reason, I'm very optimistic. Janice, I was reading your post and remarking to myself how upbeat you seem! When Bud was laid off in early 2002, it was frightening for us, but I can say without hesitation that is was the best thing that could have happened for our marriage, so I understand where you are coming from. I pray that your finances will quickly turn around, and that the other improvements you've found in your life will remain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Dh and i had a lot of issues when he was working and now that he's not he's been forced into making some changes that he was unwilling to consider before. We are both happier and are making better choices for our entire family. For that reason, I'm very optimistic. This spoke to me. I can remember tough times in our 25 year marriage where I was more settled and less worried than I am now. Part of that is probably that I was too ignorant to understand tough times. Ignorance is bliss? :) As far as how the future looks for us? I have some anxiety because my dh has a good job that if lost would not be easily replaced. My real irritation is that he and I can not seem to take advantage of our good income and save up for a rainy day. I feel his job is as secure as we could hope for, but I know things can change lightning fast with this weird economy. There are LOTS of jobs in the paper here. Especially for nursing and other medical. Also quite a few other professional jobs---accounting, IT, and then lots of clerical. My niece, 20 years old, moved in with us to look for a job in our city and was working within 24 hours. She is making 8.25 an hour with no experience...doing inventory of files going into storage. Anyway, I feel for those of you out of work. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Mandamom, My husband delivered pizzas when he was trying to get his lawn business built up. Or, is there a service your husband can provide to people until he gets hired? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I feel his job is as secure as we could hope for, but I know things can change lightning fast with this weird economy. There are LOTS of jobs in the paper here. Especially for nursing and other medical. Also quite a few other professional jobs---accounting, IT, and then lots of clerical. My niece, 20 years old, moved in with us to look for a job in our city and was working within 24 hours. She is making 8.25 an hour with no experience...doing inventory of files going into storage. What's frustrating to people that I have known is that if you *do* have significant work experience, that companies won't hire you because they figure you will leave as soon as you find something better. Some people just want a job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 What's frustrating to people that I have known is that if you *do* have significant work experience, that companies won't hire you because they figure you will leave as soon as you find something better. Some people just want a job! That is a good point. Oh and I forgot to mention, at my dh's company they are having a terrible time even getting someone to interview for the programmer openings they have there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Mandamom, My husband delivered pizzas when he was trying to get his lawn business built up. Or, is there a service your husband can provide to people until he gets hired? >>> He's doing some handy man stuff now which is helping but nothing consistently. Since we have a 2 year old at home he has to take him whereever he goes. Our cars were so unreliable that driving for a living weren't going to help (at the time one car was getting under 10MPG due to many issues). Ironically, we both met while working at Domino's pizza 9 years ago :) so that we are bother very well aware of. Right now I'm not stressing that he isn't working because I know he's trying his hardest. Hopefully the right thing will open up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 What's frustrating to people that I have known is that if you *do* have significant work experience, that companies won't hire you because they figure you will leave as soon as you find something better. Some people just want a job!>>>> I really believe this has been a huge factor for why my dh is still job hunting. He has applied for everything from the local grocery stores to Walmart and Target to a variety of warehouse positions (including ones with hiring signs out front) and no takers yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockermom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Well, I am now unemployed. RockerDad's hours have been cut. Our landlord has had a stroke. I don't know if we'll have a home soon. I don't know if we will be able to afford it if we do have one. No one seems to want to hire me. Working outside of the home (I was working from home) will most likely mean that my 16 month old son will be spending his days with strangers who don't love him. If something doesn't change, our future doesn't look too bright right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Janice, I was reading your post and remarking to myself how upbeat you seem! When Bud was laid off in early 2002, it was frightening for us, but I can say without hesitation that is was the best thing that could have happened for our marriage, so I understand where you are coming from. I pray that your finances will quickly turn around, and that the other improvements you've found in your life will remain. Thanks so much. I appreciate the kind thoughts :). It is still kind of odd to me how I can be so optimistic with him not working (given the other changes in our lives) and how unhappy I was when dh was working (before said changes). So, I'll keep being hopeful and maybe he'll get a phone call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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