Beautiful weather here. We have a 3-day stockpile but I need to make a storage system and buy a freezer to increase that. Other purchases are ahead of that. Unemployment in my area is over 9%. I'm glad hubby is working and I'm not looking.
weather is good here, unemployment last i heard was abou 8%, have a stockpile that would last us several months. Dh has lost hrs and i cant find part time work to make up for what he lost. Glad we have no credit cards, car loans or things like that to pay on!
How are jobs where you are? Unemployment is currently running a 14.8% - thankfully no one belonging to me is out of work at the moment.
Housing? - A lot of people stuck in negative equity & even more can't get into the housing market as banks don't seem to be giving out Mortgages. We built so our equity is fine (even with the collapse of house prices).
Weather here is beautiful for the time being but they say it is going to warm back up...ugh.
Now real sure on unemployment rate but I do know there are quite a few people without jobs.
Lots of empty houses sitting around...forclosures have to be at a new high.
We have enough stockpile to last us a for a long time, a couple of years at least. We have slacked up on our adding b/c money just doesn't go as far as it used to and time, well there just isn't enough of that either. Although, we have been canning the rabbits we have been butchering instead of freezing them.
No stockpile here since we used it up before the move. I am starting to stock up a bit with the sales the last week.
There do seem to be a lot of jobless people ( including my 19 year old) He has put in about 20 apps in the last week. He has an interview on Wed. I have noticed the wanted ads in the Sunday paper having a few more jobs. Especially in trucking. Besides trucking the majority seem to be service jobs such as clerks etc. We recently had a few big manufacturers shut down so there is some pretty stiff competition for jobs. One of the biggest ones is slowly phasing out and that will leave lots unemployed. They built a new plant overseas
According to the agent we used to sell our old home and buy our new one the housing markets are slowly picking up. He did say a lot of that was people buying bargain foreclosures because of the low rates and rock bottom prices. He said though it is picking up he thinks 2012 will be one of his slowest year total sales volume wise because of time on market, the selling prices being way down and the amount of rock bottom foreclosures he has sold. Even with all that though it seems to me picking up at all is a good thing.
Weather here is absolutely fantastic! I have the windows open now although it is beginning to warm up. I'll shut them soon and resort to the AC. Still, highs in the mid-90's with cool downs at night...wonderful! Unemployment in this area is about 7%.
As for stockpiling, I think I could probably eat for at least 2-3 months with what I have except for milk, bread. Now granted, that wouldn't always be exactly what I might want to eat, but...
I do need TP. Deodorant, toothpaste and that sort of stuff is fine. It's really easy for just one person - not like y'all with kids to consider.
I currently have 21 9-oz turkey and chicken packs in the freezer for the dog. I'm cooking his other turkeys today, so that will probably give me about another 20-24 meals. Truthfully, he would would be my biggest concern in a disaster.
Unemployment is at about 7% here, up half a percent or so from the summer. I don't know anyone who is unemployed and actively looking who can't find work. They told DH at work last week that they have 20,000 hours worth of work to do by the end of the year, above the capacity of the employees they currently have. They've been ready to hire people the entire 18 months he's been there and can't find qualified people.
Likewise a friend at an auto shop is still looking for mechanics. He had a guy retire this summer and business is just booming. He'd like to hire 2-3 people and can't get anyone with experience.
No empty houses on our street, but a noticeable lack of 'for sale' signs in general around the city. This area is well established, so no new housing going in and I haven't noticed construction in the outlaying areas nearby. But it may be happening in other parts of the city, I just don't know.
New building/ new businesses going in in a commercial area nearby where some car dealerships went under several years ago.
I have not been aggressively stockpiling, in fact trying to work it down some as I had to throw out some items that we could not eat before it got freezer burned. My upright freezer is pretty full, but the top freezer in the 2nd fridge has space in it now. Waiting for a chicken deal or a bag of potatoes for 99c.
Unemployment is 8.5% here. A good friend lost his job 2 weeks ago, and has found another one already, though for $2/hr less but with better benefits. I know others who've been out of work for several months or even 2 years. I'm lucky that my job is stable, and even had overtime offered over the summer.
I'm happy that it's finally beginning to cool. By cool, I mean it's finally under 90 degrees!
I moved a few months ago, so just starting to rebuild my stockpile. I'm at 2 weeks of food storage right now. Plan is to, each month, add another 2 weeks worth.
I just puchased my home this year, so equity is not an issue with me. In this region, median home prices are up 8.8% from a year ago. Regardless, many people here are still way under water. There are still a ton of foreclosures.
Unemployment for my state of New York is at 9.1%..
I know alot of friends/family out of work because there isn't any work..mostly construction,carpenter..myself included as one of the umemployed in the healthcare feild.
Weather is so beautiful now that the cool day's has moved in a few day's ago..I just bought myself a pair of LLBEAN winter slippers that the mailman just delivered a few hours ago....my cold feet are really enjoying the warmth right now!
I'm "ALWAY'S ADDING" to my stockpile....I'm seeing huge inflation on certain item's in the store's now..I'm really concerned that we will see the crime rate skyrocket in my area as people become desperate for money.
We've had gorgeous fall weather. Nippy at night.
Dh is still working project to project. So we have work but are not relaxed about it. Makes you feel bad when a person quits and you grab their work load and cheer. Kids are still searching for work. Ds is finding bit work but not a job (depression style).
Our debt is dropping and we are doing w/o to do so. 3 more mortgage payments on the first mortgage. But the CC's are outrageous from helping Ds w/ school and pet bills. Recently went back to shopping in part at Aldis. Saving at least $20.00 a 2 week period and i can combine another trip. Dropped the phone ins. to save $24. and a lot more little stuff.
Have seen help wanted signs up after the college kids left which is better than last year. However a new trend is purposely hiring too many w/ the intention of dropping some. teen are getting it.
My hope is that people are learning to handle money and budget but Costco on a SAT. sure isnt a good indicator.
I have a better by a bit feeling. As long as we have work in 2013 things could be a lot better financially for us.
the weather is beautiful here.my stockpile is ok wish it was better but it is what I can afford..most of all the young people I know are out of work....I see many more people my age working at the grocery store..I see a lot of people who are losing their homes..It scares me...
I am blessed by what I have.....it could be much worse
Our weather is great this week. Wish it would stay like this for a long time, but I heard the heat will be coming back
My stockpile is so-so. I've been working on it this summer for the purpose of eating out of it over the winter to reduce our grocery bills when we have less money coming in. We probably could survive off it for about a month, not including milk.
I'm not exactly sure of the unemployment rate, do know it is running slightly below national average. The downside is that most have had to take retail and service jobs, after losing other professional positions. My BIL is the manager of a fast food restaurant after running a camp & conference center for years. The one he was working at closed due to funding. The only job he could find was in fast food.
Talking to people around town everyone is struggling to make their bills. Most have not seen any pay increases in years. My dentist office is offering me a very low monthly payment plan so I can have needed dental work done, something they were not very open to a few years ago. Bartering and trade are becoming the new normal in my neighborhood.
Personally, I am grateful that my DH still has his job and the side work he does on weekends. I have managed to pick up some jobs here and there, nothing steady. It just seems like every time we think we might get some extra money to put aside Murphy comes to visit...so we are treading water, nothing more. I worry more than I probably should about inflation because I am afraid it might send us right over the edge.
Unemployment here is at last check was 10.6% and soon to get worse as they just released that a local grocery store is closing, they are closing a developmental center next month, etc.
Weather is fantastic currently.
Stockpile is thin this year as the drought made gardens/crops wither - we have enough to manage 4-6 months (usually have enough for over a year at this point).
Housing- lots of homes for sale, no one buying. I own some rental property and have waiting lists of people wanting to rent, but can't prove income.
The weather has been nearly perfect for the past two weeks; warm days, cool nights, sunshine. The gardens are producing. We have lots of corn, green beans, a few tomatoes, some peppers, eggplant. The greens are doing well.
Our food stockpile is great; HBA not so good. We don't have our winter's wood and don't have a good place to store it. Last winter it was out all winter getting wet. We had to clean the chimney nearly every week because of all the moisture in the wood. We don't have the money to build a woodshed right now. We have to come up with something very soon! I hope to be prepared to be snowed in for at least 6 weeks. A long-range forecaster (I think his name was Bastardi) is forecasting a winter similar to the late 1970s which for us was BAD!)
Most of our neighbors are retired or self-employed. Everyone seems to be doing OK. Everyone I know is canning and freezing food like crazy. It's a busy time of year here, trying to get ready for winter.
No I have been using my stockpiles. I have medical bills that I am trying to pay off.
How are jobs where you are?
You can get jobs but decent ones with benefits that you can afford is a different story. Also people who have jobs with benefits that were decent in the past the companies are using the economy to not give bonus' out or raises, plus letting people go and piling work on the people that are left. The can be making profits and still doing this!
Housing?
I am in an area where the real estate did not take as bad a hit as other places but sales have slowed and prices did drop some what. New buildings are not being built like they were.
Here in North Eastern Alberta it is booming they are projecting 3000 people will move to our area in the next 1-3 years...Our town is currently home to 7000...so it is a huge jump. A started home is $200,000...and the average house costs 400,000.00
Jobs: Jobs in town have gotten worse since I lost full-time govt job due to health discrimination. I'm resorting to returning to office support work. It's really disheartening the pay is almost fast-food wages plus being required to dress up for work. It's no longer a subsistance job but still one doing the work of 3 people only a decade ago. As with many who have an employment gap, we have too many versions of resume floating around in homebase so unable to get many interview calls any longer.
I'm having great luck looking for jobs in smaller communities within couple of hours.
Housing: Holding auction tomorrow to dump house I've owned for 12 years. The reason is multi-faceted including job situation just mentioned as well as long running problems with former friend who turned out to be a very troubled person. I've dealt with the trespassings and vandalisms for 9 years now and it's just time to call it quits here as there is no end in sight. I have couple of neighbors who know this group of people and I'm just tired of being verbally harassed by people to whom I'm never talked. It's unhealthy here.
Looking around on Freddie Mac web site found home foreclosure program for which I may qualify that could spare my credit, leave me owing nothing and streamline the short-sale process. As I know the house won't go for enough to cover the loans, this is a relief.
Weather is finally fall like here, our unemployment for the state is slightly below average, but the community I live in has one of the higher unemployment rates in the state, above national average.
I'm still working for the moment, been with same company for 10 years with only one raise 7 years ago. They have me contracted to another company which is going through a lot of restructering and cost reduction, in the next year they will be laying off 29,000 people. They have already had the first round of layoffs and early retirement.
Things are pretty good here in western Washington. We are getting our usual beautiful fall weather. Unemployment is 9% in the state which isn't good. However my specific industry is doing well. Real estate is picking up again. Inventory is low and prices are starting to rise.
My stockpile is fairly low and I am figuring out storage in my new home so I know where to keep it when I start building the stockpile up again.
Unemployment rate is @7.5%. I work for a Government contractor and after the first of the year we are supposed to have another round of layoffs. This year we had 3 rounds of layoffs. I am nervous about keeping my job so this year I concentrated on paying off my smaller debts. Where I work most of us are in a holding pattern due to the election. I like the pay but hate knowing that the government literally holds my fate in their hands.
I'm currently stockpiling as much as I can - food, bathroom supplies, cleaners, you name it I'm stocking up on it. I currently have enough food for at least one year. I need more bathroom supplies, cleaning supplies and those types of things. I'm stocking so much because I'm terrified of losing my job next year.
Housing...I'm starting to see a few new houses built. Not much but it's a start. Beyond that I have no clues about the housing market.
Starting to see a few help wanted signs too. Mainly waiter/waitress type jobs. But it's a start!
Stockpile is still holding out well, and this week I learned how to use acorns to make 'acorn bread' (similar to pumpkin loaf), and I am now absolutely addicted to using acorns as a food. DELICIOUS!!!
Job...I still have one, though my crippling illness and 'arse neighbours' have decimated my student enrollment in the past 2 years...and if it gets any worse, I won't have a job at all, will have to apply for social assistance once my emergency fund is drained, and then my 'arse neighbours' can pay for it from their paycheques and taxes, instead of allowing me to live in peace and normalcy, so I can work.
Housing...no change for me yet, I'm the only one who takes care of their unit and grounds, so I'll probably be here for a while yet, unless I have no work, and am again pushed into a smaller unit (public housing).
Been raining here...pretty much all summer...raining today. We're in for another windstorm (had a BAD one not long ago, took down trees, took out power lines - some without power for 4-5 days). Our stockpile is good. I added a lot to it in the last couple weeks. Added mostly crackers (wheat thins, triscuts, etc) and canned goods. Also, added a box of powdered milk as a 'just in case'.
Housing is stable here and rentals go fast. I don't currently know anyone who doesn't have a job and wants one. Overall, things are pretty good...
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