Am I the only one.... - Page 2

[KatWrangler]

Well for us it smacked us between the eyes on February 1st when my husband was let go due to the economy. He was the 2nd highest paid employee but has less seniority than the highest paid employee. The company wasn't getting any new work in and what work they had was either being put on hold or all together canceled by their clients. There is NO work here in Montana for my husbands profession. We are being forced to relocate for new employment for him. Whenever, he gets a new job.

As far as food goes. Our budget is extremely tight and we are buying very little. What we do buy is the cheapest we can find.

[Redifer]

Buffalo has been in a recession for years now... so this is nothing new. Every year for the past 5, housing goes up, heating goes up, food, everything... while businesses either leave, cut workers, cut benefits, decrease starting salaries, etc.

So, we've been feeling the crunch for quite some time. And it hasn't showed any signs of getting better. However, ours has a lot more to do with local politics than federal, so it doesn't much apply.

But, by the end of this month, we'll be living in Tampa, so at least if we're homeless, the weather is nice Family is all concerned about how we'll make it. We're poor here (like, truly, POOR)... if I'm gonna be poor, I want to be poor in good weather!

[boysrus]

It is something I only read about as well. We live in town and I am taking the bus more because gas is so much, but I like taking the bus, so no biggie. My dh bike commutes everywhere so no difference there.
We shop for groceries at an outlet store,a dn their prices have remained steady. Sadly, the good dairy in our area is going out of business because the cost of upkeep is too high, so that is one thing I have seen.
The housing market here has slowed but not gone down any. We have student loans and grants and those are holding steady. DH is a waiter adn has still been making really good money.
My favorite thrift shop is still having 99 cent Mondays.

[karne]

Oh yes, it hit me this week with the news. I guess I knew in my mind that food was creeping up, and gas prices are crazy, and many friends we know are having difficulty selling their homes. But I am very, very careful as a sahm, so I normally stretch a dollar. But now I am feeling anxious in a vague, uncomfortable way. Like worse is coming, but perhaps if I didn't read the wall st. J. I wouldn't feel this way? I don't know.

[Sharlla]

We're doing well. I just got promoted which means a pay increase. Financially we are doing very well (even though we are technically "low income") because we have 55% of our net income left after living expenses.

[Petersmamma]

Originally Posted by karne

Oh yes, it hit me this week with the news. I guess I knew in my mind that food was creeping up, and gas prices are crazy, and many friends we know are having difficulty selling their homes. But I am very, very careful as a sahm, so I normally stretch a dollar. But now I am feeling anxious in a vague, uncomfortable way. Like worse is coming, but perhaps if I didn't read the wall st. J. I wouldn't feel this way? I don't know.

This is exactly how I feel, except that I'm careful as a WOHM!

[Ary99]

My husband is in the mortgage business and was just told he will no longer be getting a monthly bonus. This translates into a $12,000 a year decrease in income for us. Also, grocery prices have increased in our area. Milk is around $3.30, but I rarely buy it as we drink soy (which is thankfully cheaper).

Gas is where we are really feeling it. On car is a hybrid, but the other is a minivan.

So, yes, we are feeling the recession.

[mommyddeville]

Gas is what's been killing us recently. My husband started a new job 9 months ago, and it's 35+ miles away. It means he's driving 75 miles a day. . . . which is killing our budget. Now, he just got a new job in a big city. We'll have to sell our house, and are hoping to come out even on it. We'll be renting there, because we can't spend $400k for a house! I don't know if this is the best move in terms of income, but it's a more secure job, and that's what we value the most right now. He also won't have to drive to work, and the bus will be free!