How are you DP folks personally affected by the recession ?

I'm happy to report that I am back to work after being off since last september. It's a crazy story how it all happened. I believe the good lord was looking out for me. To make a long story short, I found the pocketbook of the president of one of the largest ambulance service companies in northeast ohio lying in the middle of the street. Upon returning it to him with 300 cash, four corporate visas, personal debit card, account numbers, among other valuable things; he offered me a job on the spot. His company was just rated one of the 100 fastest growing small businesses in the country and has never layed anyone off since he started the company in 1991. The thing is, I was supposed to start a job with a construction company on a project that was set to last 4 months last wednesday, (I found the pocketbook on monday), then who knows what. After him showing me around the company and interviews with his top brass, he made an offer I couldnt refuse. Today was my 4th day on the job, and I really couldnt be happier. Seeing the reports of layoffs everyday, I feel so fortunate and grateful, and thank the good lord everyday.

total about $750,000. We have circled the wagons around our business and will live in a yurt about thirty minutes away. We found a family that needs help on their farm and will live on the land for free. We will go bankrupt. Chapter 7, so we can lower our prices and serve our clients. Most of our income will go toward keeping the clinic open and food. F@%k the Fed.

will go down as the worst financial year for me (hopefully).

i've had my own business for 5 years and did very well. with that, I bought several pieces of property, some raw land that has been developed (permitted to build), a rental, and some property next door to our home. our children will be going to public school next year (eee gads) as a necessity....that will save us 14,000 a year. that has been the toughest decision...subjecting your own children to something you have a hard time supporting.

I took a 65% hit in 2008. Took a job as a zone manager at Lowe's recently and fly out on the weekends to do my consulting work when it comes in. Times are tough. But, one of my real estate holding will be paying off soon and that should set me up for my new approach to personal finances: peter schiff, ron paul, jim rogers approach. gold and silver, cash and we're moving to get off of the grind as much as we can.

we already garden, hunt and fish and i have good plans for alternative energies for the home and vehicles. we have already stored food and water.

hunker down.

Thank heavens I saw this coming a while ago and stocked up then, because I've been hit hard by the present troubles. I'm not exactly what you'd call essential personnel. Unless you're a tyranical potentate with a need for elegant and timeless visual propaganda. Then I'm very useful. I'm an artist, most often a portrait painter, the dead artist kind. I'm in a sort of 19th century time warp, painting in a classical manner that most people think isn't done anymore. Anyway, I was doing fine, my gallery was doing fine, and there was a year or two wait for my commissioned portraits. Now the mighty have fallen and they're not buying art. I'm still trying to adapt within my field rather than seek employment because I have Lyme disease. That makes me absolutely hopeless as an employee. I wake up every morning without the foggiest idea whether I will be functional that day or not. At least with art, and a kind of art that is specialized and somewhat scarce, I can get away with working when I am able, which may be in the middle of the night, or next week. The whole prima donna thing works for art. I don't think an employer would be amused by my work habits. But I'm also working on some liberty themed graphics to go on clothing. Usually I flatter my sitters, but I don't think Obama is going to like what I'm doing with his portrait. You'll like it, though.

Never had anyone give me anything, never tried to keep up with the Joneses, always lived below my means, stayed employed, and saved.

I'm 66 and have not worked for the last thirteen years and my net worth has increased each year since (power of compounding).

Once, a cousin remarked of me, "Look at this guy, he hasn't gone anywhere for 10 years, now he goes everywhere !" My cousin still doesn't get it (?). Common sense, isn't so common. Is it ?

You don't have to think outside the box. Just think.

1) Own a business
2) Get together with other business owners and your community
3) Make local currency
4) popularize sound currency
5) buy a radio station www.trutham.com (under $1,000) and sell advertising
6) buy a local (3 mile radius) hotspot for internet connections http://metrix.net/ubiquit... and sell subscriptions to your connection
7) start a newsletter for selling stuff with local currency
8) Grow a garden and sell your vegetables and fruit, can and store and sell anything you don't want
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Start getting freedom today by dumping Federal Reserve Notes, Stocks, Banks and anything made outside the USA. Buy precious metals, real estate, businesses, food and guns and get your business community to use local or sound currenc

just informed yesterday that the company is going to take back one week of vacation from everyone, or you could opt to take a 6% pay cut for 9 pay periods (bi-weekly). Basically 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. I'll take it, considering the alternative. In addition, several people were laid off or moved to different positions.

"It ain't what ya don't know that hurts ya. What really puts a hurtin' on ya, is what ya knows for sure, that just ain't so."

Had been a highly successful recruiter. Yeah, not much need for recruiters these days!

Retraining...may start a blog...would some of you guys visit? :):)

Not spending as much. We're doing ok for now. Trying to stock up. Buying metals when we can...

We make motorcycle batteries and it looks when people get laid-off they pull their old bikes out of the garage and put new batteries in them.

I graduated in May, did some consulting work over the summer, got a full time job in September that lasted until the beginning of this month, and then I was let go. I'm hanging by a string now, but I have a second interview with a company so I'm hoping it goes well.

My parents have been reeling. My dad has been out of work for almost a year. He has lost two vehicles and will lose his house if something doesn't turn quick. He was VP in the real estate and development industry, and that industry has been destroyed by this mess.

http://federalfallacy.com

Look around you and you will see that production is falling. So stock up on things that you absolutely need. It is also a good idea to invest in tools and items that will produce food, clothing and other necessities that you can produce yourself. Then of course if you have money left over invest in precious metals for trading. But only do this when you have everything else well stocked. Remember, when production falls, less product and the price of those items will rise even against gold. Those who got the most gold out of the 49er gold rush were those who had merchandise to sell.
grant

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World's Greatest Business
http://www.gbemembers.com...

"The Number one reason people lose money is the FEAR of losing money." Sir John Templeton

the way I used to. I pay the bills and save the rest.
Rarely ever eat out anymore and the only luxury I will spend money on is quality pipe tobacco.... my favorites being mottled English Flake and deep, ripe Virginias.
It's still a bargain in spite of the tax.

Full Virginia Flake:
http://www.tobaccoreviews...
Penzance:
http://www.tobaccoreviews...

"It's just one big club... and WE ain't in it!"

My husband's employer has gone to 2 shifts working 3 days a week on the production line. Admin/Manager staff still working 40 hr week until March 9th, then they are going to a 32 hr work week. His company is a steel manufacturing plant (steel trusses, joists etc.) One of the biggest in the industry. The cuts are acrossed the board not just in Florida. They have plants in Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina (can't remember them all) and they are reducing hours everywhere.

We are prepared and have planned well, but it is still very surreal!

Since I quit my job I have been garden crazy and it is starting to warm up so I can get to planting, I have the potatoes in the ground and today will plant onions. I know people get pissy about garden threads, but to me it is as vital as guns and ammo!

!!!Truth is treason in the EMPIRE OF LIES!!!

I've had a few recent job offers that were pulled because of the economic disaster. One job was pulled three days before my start date, and minutes before I was going to be on the road moving to the new location. (That hurt!)

It takes money to interview and much more to move. I might have a 1 year contract job on the other side of the country by the end of March. This is a major company that has lost 62% of its stock value since November. I'll take the job if it is offered, and it is a gamble for potential ROI, compared to staying put and engaging in other avenues of income.

For now, I do all aspects of PC work, general handyman work, (electrical, sheet rock, roofing, tiles, paint, plumbing etc), and making/selling electro-mechanical analgesic devices of my own design.

I can "re-skill", but I doubt the government parasites that toss the term around could do the same. (sunsue) It isn't as easy as deciding to move "where the jobs are", but balancing the advantage of the jobs/markets right where you are and the uncertainty of ROI in far away places.

"...do you have the ability to move to find work?" What, are you in prison? Barring physical force (jail) go to where the jobs are.
"..shall not be infringed."

I am mostly feeling the inflation.

I run my own computer repair business, and I've never had more work. My business grew by about 70% last year, but I think that has a lot to do with the way I run my business.

I have very low overhead (work from my home), no business debt, and no employees to pay (other than myself). I treat people the way they should be treated and keep my rates on the low end of the market ($50/hr.), and I actually have to turn away some work.

There's nothing wrong with big businesses, but it sure is a lot easier when you're small. I'll never have to worry about laying off, and I love my work. What more could you ask for?

On the other side, I have a lot of friends who are getting killed by the recession (contractors especially). I just hired one of them to paint my living room, and it was the first work he's had in a month and a half after grossing $100,000+ last year. Another contractor friend of mine had 17 employees, and now he's down to 3.

Our county runs on manufacturing and retail, and both of them are drying up. There's been hundreds of layoffs in our county in the last 6 months, and the rumors are that at least one of the plants may close completely.

Eventually, I expect it to catch up with my business, too. For now, I'm just thankful that God provides!

things are still okay. Hub has a good job, but we see the writing on the wall. Stocked up, going weapons shopping this weekend, got my seeds for the summer, buying clothes for son for the next couple years in advance, had dinner with our financial guy last night and have a new approach. BTW, our analyst said he has never been so scared in his life, and can no longer tell his clients to keep $ in stocks. Even to his own financial detriment, he is urging everyone to get out of stocks.

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Last summer I sold my house, auctioned off most of the possessions and furniture, cashed in all my stock, and moved to an Island in the Marianas.

I have no crystal ball, but the writing has been on the wall for a couple of years now. Most people didn't quite believe it, but I did, and I am very happy that I got out with my cash and have a nice place to live.

Thank goodness the sale of the house and possessions gave me a pretty good nest egg so I don't have to worry about working for the moment. I could always teach here but am busy writing books, which is fun.

Last, I may have mentioned this before, but it is worth repeating. One of the books I read in 2007 was THE MAYAN CALENDAR AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS by Carl Josef Calleman. I was a bit skeptical, since I don't usually read stuff like this, but several friends encouraged me and I got the book. It's not only amazing, it's accurate. I don't know beans about the Mayans, who they were or what they did, but they had some very bright guys create this calendar 4,500 years ago and it has been consistently correct.

According to the Mayan Calendar, we are in a 'dark time' now that will extend through late 2011. At 2012 the calendar stops. Calleman speculates that by then, all the bad stuff will be over and we will perhaps enter a more humane and enlightened time. I hope that is the case.

In the meantime, as the world continues to deteriorate and the likelihood of martial law looms on the horizon, I am happy to be far, far away from the U.S. mainland. Whether it will be safer here is a good question, but at least there is a certain amount of autonomy withing the Marianas.

If you need a place to escape to, consider the Marianas (Saipan, Tinian, Rota and nearby Guam). They are U.S. territories, U.S. post office, U.S. dollar and rents are cheap. Food is a little pricey, but the beer is cold.
.

I know things are bad. God..reading all these posts is so depressing...but think y'all. Think and keep thinking. You'll find your niche.
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So, nothing new yet. I did have my best business year in 2007, my worst in 14 years in 2008 and now 09'...whatta we got? I am going to start growing edible plants just in case, get some chickens, enlarge to garden, maybe put in a fishpond, store up on firewood this summer...
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www.AmazingGrassesLLC.com

That is our ultimate fall back plan. We hope it does not come to that.
We tried to move to the country in May 2007. The other house never sold, our RP friend / neighbor there lost his house and now it is up for short sale next to the house I was trying to sell. Neither one is likely to sell, anyway. We rented it to a disabled Vet, who has missed 2 1/2 months rent in the past year. We cleaned out our savings on the campaign / convention and just can't absorb that kind of hit month after month. We tried one more time to make him understand that he needs to pay us, let the car payment or something else slide... We will see. He did pay this month - yay!
We got ripped off on this house - although we love it anyway. But the inspector failed to notice that only half the house actually had a foundation. And in spite of new windows and siding this tiny little house cost us $600 to heat the first month! We pulled a woodstove in, froze out butts off last winter cuz we got too small a stove... This winter is warm and cozy. I do love wood heat - but it is messy! Anyway, we are probably going to sue for fraud on this house, and hope we can win that suit before we lose the house.
I sold my first coop today! Made pretty good money, if I can do two or three of those a month we may pull out of this even if we have to stay here and try to fix the foundation.
If all else fails we have 2 gold claims and will be staking more come spring. Every one of you ought to consider getting in on a claim. Each person can get 20 acres, and if you work it you can live there. And YES there is gold in Idaho! You can stake claims in other states, too, but this is the state where I will help you if you want or need it. If anyone wants a claim, please email me. I have this notion of a summer of a bunch of RP folks camping out, gold mining, partying and letting the fearmongers try to get us drawn into violence. We will be so far in the mountains we will not even know what they are up to. And all the time we are digging, the price is rising... :)

My husband doesnt get to work much and wants to change jobs...but the days he needs to go check are the days he has to work...I cant hold a job...bad health...He was hoping to get Shaw Construction to hire him..They have been hiring steady here...but the only 2 days he can apply...hes working his regular job...
We're behind on the rent...(and 400 is as cheap as we can find now)cant afford to stay..cant afford to move..leased out our house..the payments where killing us.. stopped paying the credit card bills..its not much a month but instead I put the money to gas and food.
We would love to find like minded people that we can get along with..rent a place and split the bills..maybe grow a garden
So heads up people..if you know construction..Shaw in Gaffney SC takes the appls...the job is..right now..in Caroleen NC building the Duke Power plant..Duke is hiring people from Shaw..damn good pay..housing is kinda cheap here...Also upstate SC in Gaffney-Greenville-Spartenburg...jobs are coming in.....just wish my hubby had a day off when they hiring..which mostly is tuesday-thursday but noooo he gets mondays and fridays off...grrrrrr
Samsung is just one of the places thats hiring