The "bad" economy
 

So I'm sure you've heard people talking about our bad economy and how hard its been on some people. Myself included.

I took a look at the people around me and saw some thriving while others were losing everything. It lit a fire under me.

I've decided to make a goal to try and progressively increase my income, month by month, no matter what the state of the economy. Currently working 3 jobs and starting 2 other side projects.

Knock on wood, its been working. Work is flooding in left and right for concrete jobs, the detail shop is still keeping me busy and ebay has been good to me all the while.

I just wanted to share this with any of you that are having hard times right now. Sure the economy isn't the greatest atm, but only for those that let it affect them.

Work hard, then a little harder....and eventually it'll come around.

Couldn't agree with that more, good job man.

So...got any job openings, then?

I have my nephew that just turned 17 in mind for helping me on eBay. He's a good kid and I'd like to give him a cool first job, just so long as he gets something done.

With concrete work its harder to find good workers. If these next couple big jobs come in we could probably take on another 3 guys. Not entirely my call though, just yet.

The only thing I can bitch about here is paying $4.25/gal for gas...that in no way actually costs that much. Fuc*ing $.30 price jump when the "storm" came through. I hope oil exec's and the floor traders sloely rot in a swamp of injuries caused by alligators.

Yeah, I think the gas prices have been hurting everyone's bottom dollar.

The last couple jobs we've taken have been roughly 100 mile round trips from the shop, so between the trucks and the envoy we go through more than $100 in fuel a day.

Thankfully the jobs we have lined up are much closer and north of us. I hate driving around in NY traffic on the parkways. :vash:

Vash - Good work on finding motivation and making positive changes in your life.

Mark - I hear several thousand teachers resigned in FL 2 weeks before the school season started (they wait until the last minute to keep their benefits through the summer). You could always attempt to influence and inspire young minds. :)

The main problem, though, is you have to have some specific certifications and they are looking for math, science, special needs and speech pathology teachers. Apparently there is an oversupply of liberal arts grads out there. ;)

There are plenty of jobs and money out there. It is just in different fields than before.

The problem is people are complaining "I can't find a job that pays $125k+ a year in So-cal with my Sociology Degree when I used to work in the banking sector buying bad mortgages" Well no crap douche. Go back to school, get a welding certification and work for a living.

I know, right?! The market for philosophy was so strong when I picked it as my undergraduate major. Bad timing, I guess.

Actually, Mississippi doesn't require certification to teach in private schools (though many private schools have their own certification requirements). I just don't like other people's kids that much.

If I taught history, the world would be a better place.

I believe that you get out what you put in for the most part. In my opinion it takes a number of things to be successful generally (sure some people just fall in to it, but I would say the majority create it). You have to be truly willing to work hard, not content, willing put in the time to create change, make personal sacrifice beyond what you may already do, and not be dumb and make intelligent choices. The situation you describe pretty much checks boxes on most/all of those things and you say things have been turning around, and business has actually been picking up. I'd say I'm not surprised, good work, and I wish more people would do these things and stop making excuses/feeling entitled.

I think there is plenty of opportunity out there for people intelligent and hard working enough to go get it.

The previous-to-previous company (Man, I hate the phrasing on this, I can't get it right) I worked for had something ridiculous, like 50-100 openings for a 200-ish person company even at some of the worst economic points in the recession. There were literally thousands of openings, if not more, in that sector in a very small area. Companies wanted badly to expand, but couldn't find the people. I've actually talked with Vash about this before as I think about it.

There's tons of opportunity out there right now in the right areas - but the jobs market has shifted. Jobs are requiring higher and higher amounts of education/training. That's just how it has become now. Good, bad, I don't know. But the economy is changing, that's for certain. However, as it's always been in the US, jobs and work are there for people willing to look and willing to work.

Anyways, just my :2cents:. Incidentally, my personal experience completely disagrees with "the bad economy" statement. From '08 to '11, my personal (gross? before taxes? Defer-to-Scrappy-here) income doubled.

The problem is that for every dollar you make represents both a dollar and the amount of debt that it carries. Since our government just keeps raising the debt ceiling instead of addressing the problem, you can bet on collapse. When your dollar is worth 100 cents and worth the -.98 cent debt.... You kind of have to work 5 jobs, lol.

that's not how it works.

Tell that to Greece. So how does it all work? It's pretty confusing.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EW5IdwltaAc?rel=0

This is why I came to the previous conclusion.

This probably is better suited for the politics forum, however...

I'm a lot better off than I was 4 years ago. I've gotten several raises, bought my miata, bought a bran new 2010 ranger, and have a lot more money saved up in the bank.

Talk about policies all you want, but hard work pays off a lot more than the influence of Washington.

Always happy just to still have a job

Here's how i judge the economy:

Food Network's $40 a Day ran April 2002 to Dec 2005.

Food Network's $24 in 24 Hours preimeres Sept 23rd 2012.

Oh, my company is doing fantastic also. They hired almost 150 people after me (and this is a relatively small company, 1000 employees).

But both are anecdotes, and to draw a conclusion from them is stupid.

Luck is probably MORE important than hard work. I worked really hard for a company when I was in school. Then the accountant fudged the tax records, stole a bunch of money, and ran away. It doesn't matter how hard you worked when your boss says "the IRS froze our accounts, I can't pay you anymore."

But I am lucky to be good with computers, and so there will always be headhunters calling me up and bothering me.

To add to Nuge's post: It depends on what education you have, what experience you have, and what sector you work in as to how the events from '08-now affected you.

I've seen 3 raises in a year, plus a substantial promotion on top of that during one year alone. But that's just our :2cents: it appears - trying to brush everyone with the events of one industry is obviously inherently a fallacy.

This thread rocks.

FYI, anyone looking for a job. Move to Williston, ND. Lowest unemployment rate in the country. McDonalds is paying $10+/hr to flip burgers, and they are begging for all the help they can get. All thanks to the oil and gas industry :bigtu:

I know somebody who's not feeling the pain at the pump . . .


I'll give you a hint; There are 2 of them with a price tag of 325 million dollars each and fuel consumption of 3378 gallons per hour, per unit..

The DoD bought 1,500 Volts. GM took a $49,000 hit on each, for a net loss of $735,000,000

I wonder, does the DoD get the $7,500 credit?


Does money work in a vacuum?

Just wanted to update this thread for the new year.

So far the winter has been great to us! We have enough work to keep the guys working 7 days a week and more keeps coming in. One of the modular companies just called me to schedule 2 more jobs, meanwhile we already have 2 other big ones lined up to both start next week.

Tomorrow we're taking the day to drive up north to go look at some trucks to buy. I dont want to get crazy and go on a shopping spree, but man it feels great to be able to throw some money around without much worry.

For those of us that work hard, it'll always come around in the end. :bigtu:

I'm at a dead end IT job and it's really been kicking me in the pants. I make bottom of the barrel money for the amount of work I do.

I've been actively seeking other employment but all of it is contract work. Which means I loose my current AWESOME benefits and pension... Plus the nice thing about my job is crazy good job security.

So what's better, shitty pay but awesome benefits? Or great pay and no benefits and the possibility of being out of work?

Anyone have good luck with personal health/dental insurance companies?

Are you young, unmarried and childless? Go contract. Work steady, make a good rep, and slowly increase your salary every time you jump jobs. Eventually, you'll make out.

Never, EVER burn any bridges as a contractor, or it will come back to bite you in the ass. Work hard to develop a good reputation, and it will pay off years later. My last two jobs as a contractor, I was hired sight unseen because of my reputation.

It has paid off. I make more now as a direct employee, have great benefits and found a perfect fit. I expect to be here for the rest of my carreer.

you dont know awesome benefits until you work for fed.

Coming from the guy who makes TSA posters at work.

Fed benefits would be tits.

I work for low funds but get a FoMoCo excutive benefits package. Pretty nice.

Yes the pay is a bit low for the standard but I get a raise every year, no micro managment, I come and go almost as I please and the position is solid. One of my biggest deal breakers is the people you work with. If you can't count on them, can't stand to be around them, don't trust them or have no/get no respect from them then no amount of money is worth it. If you're that person, no amount of education, training or job swapping will help you.

I work for / paid by the Taxpayer, my blue cross is top of the line.

Also the machine shop i'm working at is doing awesome in these times. We are constantly flooded with orders. I'm only part time, but i put way to many hours in just to fill the orders we get. We really are doing good. (lot of foreign car companies, not so much the big 3, who would have thought)

So every week I take my office day to do payroll, make the bills, pay the bills, etc, I fuck around with quickbooks a little more each time.

Last week I started exploring the "reports" section.

So on the 13th I did a profit/loss comparison to last year and I couldnt believe it when I saw we had a 95.2% increase in profit! I just checked again and now we're at a 109.9% increase! Holy shit!

Is it just me, or is that an absurd amount to show for an increase during the slow time of the season for construction? Ohh yeah, dont forget that bad economy.

Any advice on other things I should look at?

My wife works for Fed, so I too enjoy those awesome benefits. Hope there is not a furlough in her future, or yours.

Uh, Federal Government or "The Fed" (Federal Reserve Bank...)?

i didnt say the fed.

if i worked for the fed, I'd just print myself money.

Thought that's what you said.

One problem, The Fed doesn't print currency. That's done by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. ;) The Fed does destroy physical currency, though.

sorry, if I worked for the Fed, I'd have them inject digital numbers into my bank account.

They would do precisely that at the end of every pay period. :giggle:

now we are getting somewhere!

Nation-state post.

gotta make that cheddah