MouthyGirl.com

In These Hard Times

This summer we had the hardest time financially that I can remember having since I left home. I was actually unemployed for nearly two months, a terrifying two months. I am incredibly lucky I found a job quickly, and to boot its one I really really love.

Just when I became unemployed, my husbands hours were cut by 8 a week, that’s a significant difference. I panicked and have spent the entire summer waiting for the house of cards to fall.

It didn’t. We made it work, barely at times. I budgeted religiously, made detailed grocery lists and can tell you we have lived a week and a half on $70 in groceries. Its been a real scrape.

This is not a unique story. You have one just like it, others have stories far worse. The economy has taken a hard hit and those of us earning money are wary of spending it.

The government talks about reforming healthcare and I understand that its important, trust me I did customer service in a major hospital call center, some changes are long overdue.

I think the time and money investment could be better spent getting America back to work. How can someone worry about their healthcare if they have no job to pay for it? I think the unemployed masses would agree food and shelter should prolly come first.

I’m disappointed our government doesn’t realize this, but that’s to be expected isn’t it. At least we know Washington is listening to us somewhat about the healthcare extreme makeover and not just passing any old legislation.

How have you been holding up in these hard times?

Tags: economy, hard times, recession

The Salary is WHAT??

This is a random post in a forum, not mentioned here by someone frustrated….

Just have to vent about the current state of the economy. I have been unemployed since being laid off last year. I have applied to do everything, but it sickens me what people are paying us desperate people who have to put food on the table. It’s really sad that our time is worth so little !!!

I worked an hour at QT the other day and made $1.88 (I’m fast). I worked an hour at CC and made $1.92 transcribing. That means I would have to work about 315 hours just to make my rent payment. (while ignoring my kids, housework, and lets not forget my own life) That’s 78 hours per week and that’s only rent.

I am a certified teacher and applied to teach and received once response from a company paying the following:

$10.00 for BAs

$11.00 for MAs

$12 for PhDs

Did you ever imagine when you went to college that your would be happy to take such a wage? Imagine…. $12 per hour for a PdD !!!!! How sick is that ????

People are now working several of these ridiculous jobs just to eat. (and they are still eating rice and peanut butter). We have NO extras in our home, rent, power, and that’s it. The phone is out and the I’m using my neighbor’s Internet via wireless.

I am just shocked that things are so bad that people are scrambling for jobs that pay them so little. It’s amazing! I think it would be better for people to do nothing on welfare than stare at a computer screen for under $2.00 per hour. Even if it’s just extra money…isn’t a person’s time worth more than that ????

I think it’s very demeaning!

Tags: amazes, economy, followers, job, teacher, unemployed

In Dire Need of Good News

I am a news junkie, but I must say I have to search and search for some happy headlines. They are few and far between. While some say there are glimmers of hope, I am seeing more and more despair. I’m having a hard time finding that silver lining, and the pit I feel in my stomach is getting bigger.

For example, in California the state is facing a huge budget deficit after voters rejected $6 billion in funding measures (i.e. tax increases). Arnold is making the “tough decisions” on what to cut, and the cuts are affecting primarily the poor. He is planning to eliminate the CalWorks and Healthy Families programs, which provide cash aid, employment services and health services to the state’s poor. Overnight, California would go from one of the most generous states to one of least generous in aiding the poor. Sure, it would save the state about billion dollars this year, but the result would be hundred of thousands of poor people left out on their ass with nowhere to turn. That is just plain cold and callous to me.

It isn’t like the poor in California have much opportunity, either. In some counties, unemployment is around 25%. It is in the double digits in just about every other county. It’s not like the poor are going to be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make a go of it.

It isn’t just California, though. Currently, 47 states face budget shortfalls. Most of them are making cuts to health care and education to fill the gaps. This means, though, that there are more job losses, which is turning the recession into a bigger one. The really sad thing is, the more job losses there are, the more demand there is for social services like public healthcare. Unfortunately, many desperate people will be turned away the one and only time in their lives they need help the most.

I’m starting to understand what the Great Depression felt like, and why they called it that. It wasn’t just about the economy. It was the feeling, too. That feeling is here today. For those of us out of work, the prospect of finding another job is slim. Once the unemployment runs out, there is nowhere to turn except to the charity of neighbors and friends. Those of us who manage to keep our jobs, are living in fear of losing them with the understanding there might not be another to replace it. We put up with more from our employers and work harder for less money.

It’s starting to feel bleak. We all need a little good news. We need a silver lining.

Tags: budget shortage, CalWorks, economy, education, friend, friends, Great Depression, Healthy Families, job, money, news, recession, silver lining, socialism