Trying to stay calm in a chaotic world.

**lovestolaugh** · 06-19-2009, 09:03 AM

The more I listen to the news the more sick I get. This country is headed for a huge meltdown and there's not a damn thing I can do about it but hold on. I get so discouraged. I try to save money and also pay down debt but every month I end up just breaking even. Then I question why I should be responsible for my debts when the federal government is the most irresponsible group I have ever known. And not only are they not paying down debt they are increasing it to such a magnitude that our children's children will still be trying to pay it off. Where is the common sense? There is no accountability in this world anymore. I pray to God everyday for his guidance and wisdom to descend on this world. Although, if I were Him, I probably would have shaken my head and walked away a long time ago. He must be in so much pain watching what his people are doing to each other.

Thanks for letting me vent. I know I am not the only one out here that feels this way. Please share with me your feelings. After all, misery loves company!!!!

**ladykemma2** · 06-19-2009, 09:09 AM

turn off the hysterical news. listen to the BBC news for the non-hysteria news. Facts only.

take a deep breath.

take care of you and yours. be the best steward of your money and property that God has blessed you with. watch and prepare.

edited to add: i find that the counsel given to the women of the LDS church is the best out there. very basic, very simple, very calm. do a search on the following: relief society, preparedness, food storage, church welfare, LDS debt, bishop's storehouse, cannery

**frugalwarrior** · 06-19-2009, 09:30 AM

I don't watch tv anymore. I haven't for about 2 months now. I find my thoughts and feelings are my own not some drama on tv. I have lost 17#. I eat better,sleep better,do more,get more done and enjoy the quiet. If i want drama or news theres the internet.
Focus on you and yours and you will have more to give when needed.
Buy recycled,save money for emergencies,keep a pantry and garden,make weighed non impulsive decisions,don't focus on the govenrments spending anymore than you have to.
The reason to pay your debt. is personal integrity. You spent it,you owe it,you need to live w/ yourself,you are an example to others and good to your word. A solid moral code cannot be negetively be influenced by the bad behavior of others. Work diligently to discover "out of the box" solutions to be more efficient w/ your resources. This site is the best tutorial you'll ever find aside from the "school of hard knocks". It's ok to be frustrated just move on as soon as you can will yourself to. Make tea and Sympathy a short meal.

**pop goes the weasel** · 06-19-2009, 09:40 AM

The way i look at it, I take care of my stuff and don't worry about the world's. I can't print off money to help them dig their way out and I don'thave the funds to just give it to them. And really why should we?They did it to themselves. There are so many people out there that need help to put food on the table but yet they make a couple bucks, literally, too much for food stamps and medical help and the government is handing out bail outs to big companies. This is a real sore spot with me. I'm done now

**Momto2Boyz** · 06-19-2009, 10:04 AM

It sounds like you've gotten some great advice! DH and I used to watch the news every morning and every evening, and we simply don't anymore. We catch the weather channel for weather, and everything else, I get off the web. It's much less stressful, if i can just pick the articles I want to see!

Try not to stress, becuase we have no control at this point what the govt does. We just have to hope that they do some good while trying to solve the problem.

**rowdy35** · 06-19-2009, 01:33 PM

sorry to hear that you are stressing off of this.

i just take care of my own house and don't worry too much about things I can't control.

wishing you some "calm" in a world full of chaos.

**craftypam** · 06-19-2009, 02:34 PM

You are absolutely NOT the only one who feels this way. I used to be a newsaholic, watching 2-3 times a day. I quit!!!!!!! I am sick and tired of the news and there up to the minute reporting telling us how bad things are. We as individuals cannot change what is going on except in our own homes. So why watch. Look what they have done about the swine flu. If you don't watch they can't get to you. I'm sooooo glad I quit let them depress me. I already believe that God is teaching all of us something about spending because of the economy. Let's all boycot the news!!!!!!!!!!!!

**sabrelvssammy** · 06-19-2009, 03:51 PM

i don't think we can blame just the gov't for all the problems of the world...the people in the streets helped get us into this mess too...

i think the biggest problem with our society today is the people that feel they are 'entitled'. They're 'entitled' to food stamps. they're 'entitled' to welfare, they're 'entitled' to assistance of any and every kind that is avbl out there...now don't get me wrong...there are truly some 'deserving' people out there that need a helping hand now and then...but these individuals who have made a career out of getting everything for free...they PISS ME OFF!...and that's where i blame the gov't for allowing it.... it's like letting a spoiled rotten child have everything they want and then not being able to figure out why they are a 'spoiled rotten child'...

i see it more and more every day in my small community where the poverty rate is pretty low to begin with...and having my rental properties and being personally involved in so many peoples lives on a daily basis has really opened my eyes up wide...i watch families where the parents don't want to work (read- DON'T want to work)...and they exhaust every means possible to get all the money they can to pay their rent and their utilities (which they keep their homes at 85 in the winter and 65 in the summer)...then when the bill comes in at $700 for the month they start looking for help to pay it...when the gov't says 'enough' or 'no'...they go to the churches for assistance (places they aren't even members of) some months i will get checks from 2-3 different churches just to help pay someone's rent...and this whole time they are tearing up their residences and when i go to do repairs i get to walk past them lying on the couch in the mid-afternoon watching their big screen tv with bags of empty doritoes and coke cans strewn about the room...(you think i am kidding or exaggerating?) i promise you...i'm not.... and this is not an isolated incident...this is the MAJORITY of my renters..! I would think that the less you have the more appreciative of those things you would be. But that is just not the case. 90% of my tenants live with clothes strewn about every floor piled so high that you don't see the floor...the layers of clothing have 'become' the floor coverings...knickknacks, toys, dishes, personal items, trash, you name it...thrown about the entire place. i finally got so fed up with it last month that i sent letters to everyone telling them to CLEAN IT UP...it's become a fire hazard and i'm tired of seeing my homes destroyed when i have to stop in.(it remains to be seen if they actually DO anything about it)....

so until we start some accountability on a personal level i don't think things are ever going to change...some of us will continue to work our asses off while others will sit back and watch us and collect our taxes...while we eat beans & rice in our 50 degree home in the winter...they will be enjoying steaks in theirs with the heat on high and sitting in their shorts in december....life is so unfair....and you can blame the gov't for that !

ok- thanks for the rant ...(i still don't feel better though)...lol....

**craftypam** · 06-19-2009, 09:11 PM

I agree with you and KNOW you are not exaggerating. What I will never understand is why the government cannot hire people to check these people out to find out if they are legitimate. They cannot afford it????; yet they keep giving some of these undeserving people money for years.

**strezzed** · 06-19-2009, 10:16 PM

I agree also. Sad, but this is the situation in many societies around the globe. Even when it comes to retirement, many people rely on the government to fund it because they've worked hard and deserve it. I agree with working hard but don't agree with relying on anyone but yourself to fund your own retirement.

**mauimagic** · 06-19-2009, 11:10 PM

Great ideas that focus on not drowning in the bad news programs and dealing with realities of our own lives. I find I am much happier doing these things. Frustrations pop up - but it's easier to tame them by listening to my heart and common sense.

The only thing that I can control is how I react to anything. My choice, my life.

**mamamia** · 06-20-2009, 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by sabrelvssammy

i don't think we can blame just the gov't for all the problems of the world...the people in the streets helped get us into this mess too...

i think the biggest problem with our society today is the people that feel they are 'entitled'. They're 'entitled' to food stamps. they're 'entitled' to welfare, they're 'entitled' to assistance of any and every kind that is avbl out there...now don't get me wrong...there are truly some 'deserving' people out there that need a helping hand now and then...but these individuals who have made a career out of getting everything for free...they PISS ME OFF!...and that's where i blame the gov't for allowing it.... it's like letting a spoiled rotten child have everything they want and then not being able to figure out why they are a 'spoiled rotten child'...

i see it more and more every day in my small community where the poverty rate is pretty low to begin with...and having my rental properties and being personally involved in so many peoples lives on a daily basis has really opened my eyes up wide...i watch families where the parents don't want to work (read- DON'T want to work)...and they exhaust every means possible to get all the money they can to pay their rent and their utilities (which they keep their homes at 85 in the winter and 65 in the summer)...then when the bill comes in at $700 for the month they start looking for help to pay it...when the gov't says 'enough' or 'no'...they go to the churches for assistance (places they aren't even members of) some months i will get checks from 2-3 different churches just to help pay someone's rent...and this whole time they are tearing up their residences and when i go to do repairs i get to walk past them lying on the couch in the mid-afternoon watching their big screen tv with bags of empty doritoes and coke cans strewn about the room...(you think i am kidding or exaggerating?) i promise you...i'm not.... and this is not an isolated incident...this is the MAJORITY of my renters..! I would think that the less you have the more appreciative of those things you would be. But that is just not the case. 90% of my tenants live with clothes strewn about every floor piled so high that you don't see the floor...the layers of clothing have 'become' the floor coverings...knickknacks, toys, dishes, personal items, trash, you name it...thrown about the entire place. i finally got so fed up with it last month that i sent letters to everyone telling them to CLEAN IT UP...it's become a fire hazard and i'm tired of seeing my homes destroyed when i have to stop in.(it remains to be seen if they actually DO anything about it)....

so until we start some accountability on a personal level i don't think things are ever going to change...some of us will continue to work our asses off while others will sit back and watch us and collect our taxes...while we eat beans & rice in our 50 degree home in the winter...they will be enjoying steaks in theirs with the heat on high and sitting in their shorts in december....life is so unfair....and you can blame the gov't for that !

ok- thanks for the rant ...(i still don't feel better though)...lol....

Absolutely believe it, because I've seen these things too often with my own eyes! But I really think the problem is that sometimes when people get things for free, they have no appreciation for them. Now mind you please, I know that's not everybody. But I can't help but feel that those who make those "floor coverings" out of their belongings really hold no value to them because no "sweat equity" was involved to get them, kwim?

The other lousy thing about this, is that it makes it hard for people to want to give anymore. In the back of our minds we have to wonder, are we helping to feed hungry people in true need, or are we just contributing to someone's laziness? Personally, I've gotten particular as to where any donations go. I always start with family, and then most times, others that I know. It's terrible, isn't it?

Glad you put your foot down sabre. But I do understand your frustration! I'm sure nobody "handed" you those properties either. But see what I mean about the respect thing?

Enough said already!

Call me blabber mouth...lol!
Theresa

**annymoll** · 06-20-2009, 09:41 AM

We do the best we can, with what we have, under the circumstances.I try to maintain a happy attitude.I am confident that I can provide for myself, and help out family and friends if needed. We have always planned for those uncertain times and it sure is paying off now. There are GREAT deals to be had.(Sabrelvssammy-must you rent to unemployeed slobby people?There are ways around that. We have been in your shoes once. I refuse to deal with a little Cabrini Green.No job..... move on. Good Luck .)

**lmbaker520** · 06-20-2009, 09:51 AM

I agree with a lot of you here. The way that I get my news is through the internet. I don't watch the mass hysteria that is TV news. I have even started avoiding some of my local stuff. I think that the TV news sometimes makes problems bigger than they should be. They need to stick to the facts and keep the emotions out of it. (man that sounds harsh but anyways...)

**FrugalMomof3** · 06-20-2009, 04:17 PM

I totally understand where your coming from. I get upset and disappointed in our world today. I am breaking even with a little left to spare so no EF for us, if things get any worse, I will cry.

I agree about people thinking they are entitled when, face it, it's a gift to be given help. We are a family of 4 making ends meet (just barely) but we make too much for foodstamps which would really help us right now. It's a shame that so many people take advantage of such opportunities, it makes me sick to my stomach. Gosh how I wish I could get some help.