DUers in the US: How Are You Doing in the Bush Economy?

[BurtWorm]

Poll question: DUers in the US: How Are You Doing in the Bush Economy?

[Warpy]

1. Desperate until my pop died

Now making ends meet.

[BurtWorm]

2. Terrible what it takes sometimes to get a little money in the bank.

[Warpy]

12. I'd rather still be desperate and have my pop back

[acmejack]

19. No kidding.

Not much of a trade.

[raccoon]

22. I'm in the same situation. nt

[bobbieinok]

35. retired...would be in trouble if mom hadn't died (was 92)

and left 3 kids some money. She had $$ b/c my dad saved and never spent money for anything. He had $$ b/c he and mom were lucky enuff to be of the generation that could raise 3 kids and send all to college on 1 income.

[dysfunctional press]

3. well...monday morning we're going to pay off our mortgage-

20 years ahead of schedule...

woo-hoo!!!

[salin]

4. I am doing better - only because of the advanced degree I was able to

afford to pursue during the Clinton Adminstration.

[phylny]

25. We are doing okay, also because I furthered my education during the

Clinton presidency.

College costs, and New York State property taxes, are eating us alive. But we'll be okay in the long run, thanks to the large, unpopular corporation my husband works for....

[Seabiscuit]

5. Doing all right but plenty to complain about.

Prices for everything are skyrocketing thanks to the gluttony and greed of the big oil companies.

I was better off before Bush took office.

I'm comfortable but not wealthy enough to truly benefit from his tax cuts for the rich.

[leftofthedial]

6. unemployed or underemployed since 2002

with no end in sight

lost two businesses and been laid off three times by others

cannibalized life savings

Struggling mightily until recently; now desperate.

[Janice325]

9. unemployed

about to have rotator cuff surgery on Wednesday. It wasn't due to anything work related.
It's been going on since December.
It hurts. :cry: I'll be glad when it doesn't hurt so much and I can start looking for a job, depending on what the outcome of surgery is.

[acmejack]

21. Heal well & feel better.

[Janice325]

26. Thanks, acmejack

I'm trying to. :hi:

[mcscajun]

7. I had my head above water and doing nicely in 2003, then...

...offshoring hit my department, my work was sent to India. I can't compete in the IT field anymore, so I licked my wounds, took early retirement to keep my medical benefits, and went home and downsized my life and my expectations. The plans I had for home improvements and actually getting some decent furniture, maybe travelling overseas, all shot to hell.

Now, I'm working part time, doing a little freelance PC and web work when it comes along, and using my savings to pay my mortgage. I'm hoping to keep the wolf from the door until I can start drawing on my IRA without penalty. That'll be in mid-May, 2011.

Under Clinton, I was finally joining the middle class, not just pretending at it. Now, I'm sliding back down the ladder and looking at scraping by in retirement. The good news? I came from having nothing, so at least I have experience with that.

[Greyhound]

31. So familiar, I feel for you sister.

:hug:

[TomInTib]

8. I'm not living in the Bush Economy.

I make my own decisions (am I the Decider?) and have divorced my financial dealings from the overall clusterflack.

And I am part of a group developing a large tract in Dominical, Costa Rica for the rest of us.

[area51]

10. Unemployed & looking for work--

like many others.

[BurtWorm]

11. To my desperate and struggling DU brothers and sisters

all I can say is

:cry:

I'm sending you all white light.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

13. Could complain,

Husband at GM, turned in retirement papers May 1st, May second while voting he had heart attack..just glad his insurance is still great at least until we retire or this administration lets GM declare bankruptcy and take our pension etc down with it :( He says he is never voting again! He was gripping about how the touch screen machines could steal his vote, he wanted paper. I told him from now on I am getting him an absentee ballot. Here in Ohio, I doubt that they get counted fairly. But financially we are pretty good, fourth child graduates next Saturday from college and only one more to go! At least we have money put aside for her. I mainly worry about the kids. We are not leaving them better off, that is for sure.

[BurtWorm]

16. Congratulations on your child's graduation.

And welcome to DU! :toast:

Hope your husband gets well soon.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Doing well. Despite Bush and his pack of felons.

But, I, and my wife, are both retired from Government jobs with good pensions plus inexpensive health insurance. Better off now, in real terms, than when we were working. Less gross income, but more spendable cash.

[Deja Q]

20. Don't worry. They'll dismantle that too.

[Cleita]

15. During the Clinton administration I was able to invest a little

for growth to increase my nest egg. I haven't been able to do that since * took office and my income has dropped 30% since then due to various factors, one of which I can't blame on *, mainly my husband dying and my SS being reduced because of it.

[earth mom]

17. Doing a bit better ONLY because my husband got a decent paying job

after we lived 8 years as the working poor. We would still be in that situation but for this stroke of luck.

[uppityperson]

18. struggling, not desperate yet

things keep happening, bills piling up. Still paying off trip to Katrina-land, abcessed tooth, another broken tooth, car engine doesn't run well with no oil (lesson to beginning drivers), work has dropped way off, must drive to work and gas prices up, food costs more, trying to pull $ together to send UPjr off to college. Things keep happening and I am worried about being able to ever catch up.

However, I am not desperate and here is why: I have a home to live in. Unfinished, yes, but unmoldy and with good windows and wood stove. I have a 16 yr olf car to get to work and store, will be making payments for yrs but it has a "new" (35,000mi) engine in it. I like my job, will have to get a second one soon if my business stays part-time, but will be able to work evenings since UPjr is grown. My teeth are a problem, but will figure out something, even pull them leading to upper dentures. I have gained 20 # the last few yrs so can now eat less, it is spring and local farmers market is starting up again so will buy veggies there and work on my own veggie garden. UPjr is off to college with a good financial aid packette for this yr at least, this will help.

Finally, parent is in 80's and will probably not be around more than another 20 yrs (sad), will proabably inherit a couple thousand which will help.

[Kansas Wyatt]

23. Time to slam America down on the table to balance everything

So everyone (upper, middle, & lower classes) has an equal amount of money to their name.

Since the upper class always claims that those below them are only losers, they should have confidence that they will rapidly regain their wealth and won't be without their wealth for long.

[FlaGranny]

24. Struggling because

I just had to come out of retirement to work again after two years. Prices of homeowners' insurance, gasoline, groceries, and utility bills are the main reasons, in addition to my husband needing a new van for work and we had to borrow money for a new roof. Things were getting tight and too much pressure on my hubby. Went from no bills to bills again. Sigh!!!

[Autonomy]

27. DESPERATE! !!exclamationpoint!!!

I am a college grad and law school dropout, and I cannot even get so much as a restaurant job where I live. The competition for even an administrative assistant position is so great that you have to either know the person hiring, or have 5+ continuous years experience at one company doing the exact job required. Unfortunately, I end up overqualified by education for EVERY job for which I am not underqualified by lack of experience. My loan forbearances are up in a few months, and I can't even afford a pack of smokes without borrowing from someone. I will be living on the streets and eating out of dumpsters soon.

To further illustrate my situation: I've applied as a volunteer at local hospitals and charities and never even get a call back. I can't even get a job working for LITERALLY NOTHING!

Maybe "desperate" is an understatement?

[stepnw1f]

28. Struggling

Just surviving, not really living. What's Freedom like? I guess as an American I am suposed to buy it.

[Maine-ah]

29. I don't know wtf we're going to do.

hours still aren't up at work. I have no health insurance, I'm pregnant(yeah, I know that was a choice, it was very unexpected after 11 years together), can't pay many of our bills, we haven't had raises in over two years. I have applied for another job, and looking at others.

there's my sob story.

[Greyhound]

30. Story of my life, born right after the baby-boomers.

They slipped in just under the wire (coincidence?) houses almost paid off, children out of college, retiring just ahead of the impending corporate bankruptcy, still have some health insurance so they can survive illness, and so on...

We, OTOH, are just starting to reap the benefits of growing our careers when "the new economy" eliminates all of our work. After 10 - 15 years and just getting to the point where we can breathe a little, suddenly it's "sorry you make too much", "we're moving your job to (India, China, Russia, wherever)", "We've just imported your H-1b replacement, you wouldn't mind training them in exchange for a recommendation, would you?".

So now we're middle-aged, over-qualified, with aging degrees (still gotta make those loan payments), and get to try to start over again... at the bottom... competing with the twenty-somethings still living at home for the ever-shrinking pool of jobs that pay less than half what we were making.

Just remember, when the shit really hits the fan, we're going to be the leaders of the revolution.

[Buns_of_Fire]

32. I passed "desperate" a few years ago

Now, I'm pretty far into "resignation" and "acceptance." Not "defeat" yet, but I must admit it's not looking too good for the home team...

[Ignacio Upton]

33. I'm doing slightly better economically than in 2000

However, the price of things has gone up a lot, and I don't like what Bush is doing to the overall public.

[GoneOffShore]

34. We're OK but the first 3 months of the year

were absolutely scary.

It's bizarre, because we have our own business, and it can be 'seasonal', if working for ad agencies and production companies can be considered in that light.

Advertising is changing, and where the money is going is different than it was 3 years ago.

[AllieB]

36. Treading water

My husband and I haven't had a significant raise since 2000, and our property taxes and costs of food, gas and other necessities have risen dramatically. We are contributing less to our retirement plans than we did in the '90s due to the Bush economy.

Now I'm going to wait for the comments that are bound to appear on this thread touting how great the Bush economy is.

[ribrepin]

37. Doing O.K., but daughter, husband & baby had to move in with us

Less disposable income what with inflation and all.

[Greyhound]

38. Kickin it 4 the weekend. n/t