We're doing a lot better than we were 5 years ago. 5 years ago I was pregnant with the twins and the doc took me off work so I was on unemployment/mat leave for a year then home with the kids for another year. One income doesn't cut it. Now I'm working, making a good wage, Chuck's making good money at his job, and we're finally getting somewhere. Plus we moved from the country to the city before the twins were born so our car expenses have gone way down in spite of the price of gas.

Life is definitely better than 5 years ago.

Chickie.

Well, as for me, I know that I am headed in the right direction, but sometimes the sacrifices you make to get ahead make it feel like you are on your last legs.

Trees, that's some good advice. I'm still working every Sunday and late every night (as much as I can stand.)

I've fought the small town that I live in. I run a small shop and the townsfolk like to use me for a bank. Now that the local economy has tightened up even more, the sitution has gotten worse, and the locals that actually do have a buck or two are shopping hard to save a dollar. That forces me to lower profits to keep their business. Those that won't pay you, call you a crook, and i've almost choked a couple of people lately over it.

I've cut alot of the rift raft out, and it's kind of turning me into a grumpy guy. I guess that's the hard part of doing business is that it's hard on your attitude sometimes. You want to help everyone you can, but when your own family suffers, UNICEF has to come to an end.

On December 1st, I went full time myself into my machine shop work, and I hired a helper to do the flat repairs and oil changes. When we slow up, he helps me clean parts, etc.

I'm looking for a brighter 2005, but every Christmas, I swear that the next one will be better, and low and behold it's the same old fight year after year.

I might never conquer my condition, but they will drag my dead body out of the place before I quit.


Brian

Life is just great! Atleast here in America.

is that Starvin Marvin?

We have a DNA match!

I've learned Tree's lesson along the way too... lol, our toys get us in trouble don't they? Everybody I've talked to is angry about the fact that they didn't invest young, so I've invested well. I have some assets too in some of my possessions (mainly just the bird is worth some money, I guess). I feel good about the decisions I've made, but this is in no way an easy job-market.

I do see a lot of people these days who are satisfied with very little. I guess that's not good or bad, to each his own. But it seems like in the land of the free and the land of opportunity, many people say they're happy and successful just because they're not starving. Having two kids, a decent house, a couple of decent cars and 45 dollars in your pocket after you pay the bills every week, is not success, it sucks.

K

hahaha

4x4 I wonder if you'll get a free sports watch if you adopt the kid in the first picture?

I have to make the last payment on the business in 2 weeks.

Even though the profit margin percentage has stayed the same, and volume is up, actual profits are down. Health insurance has gone up 61% since 2000. Fuel has gone up. Vehicle costs have gone up. Liability Ins. goes up, workmans comp is thru the roof (With ZERO claims) Customer payments are slower, Manufacturers are increasing prices every 2 months (Steel, fuel) , so profits are WAY down, yet we can not increase markup, because of the competition. He works out of his basement, and subcontracts everything to "pickup truck sub-contractors" with no benefits. Sorry. Can't do business that way. I'm "ole skool".
Social Service recipients, on the other hand are doing 22% better. Perhaps there is room for me?
Because of the payments I make on the business, it is considered income, (which in reality, it is, I'm buying equity) and I am taxed accordingly. 55% total taxes. Lovely.

What the (*&^ happened to Equal Rights? Why should I/We have to work, while SS recipients sit on their butts watching Oprah? They recieve annual increases in "their check" , yet WE PAY MORE IN TAXES EVERY YEAR? ***??? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't you be REWARDED to WORK? WHY ARE WE PENALIZED HARDER for working?

Brian- good post man, but I have to stop. I can feel my jugulars pulsing, and my health insurance sucks. I'd have to wait in line in the ER with heart failure, behind some fatarse with 14 kids with the sniffles on welfare. All for $950.00 a month......

Ho ho ho .... Merry freeken Christmas....

IS it Beer Thirty yet?

Benaway2long:

You spoke the exact words and spoke for every small to large business in the USA.

The problem with what you said is:
*The billionaire actors, that think we should all pay more taxes to support the useless.

*The 8-5 hourly worker that can't comprehend anything you just said.

*The politicians that don't care as long as they get more control of a higher percentage of your money BECAUSE they can spend it better than you!

That is good advice for anyone regardless of income.

The wife & I have done just that for the last 4 years. Unlike my friends that own one HUGE home, We own many small ones that we rent out.

In 4 or so more years they will all be paid for and that will add a few grand ( after expenses, taxes, insurance ) per month in income. I can't wait :-).



In Alberta you get less than $600/mth on Welfare. Does not sound like a great life to me.!!

I am glad there are some lazy people out there. It makes it easier for those who want to work to make money.

I worked with a woman that bought at least 3 starbucks coffees a day. She said they cost her over $3.50 each. Over 30 years that is about $81K. Not to mention it is money you earned and paid taxes on and income you lost from investments.

We won't go into one of my clients that owns 2 hummers ( h1's ) but will not drive them in the winter. You can buy a nice house for $260K+ CND or better yet a small house and invest the rest.

I here you there. I'll agree with you about the rising cost expneses. I just received my basic business insurance renewal and it's up 20 percent. Also my health insurance has increased fifty percent. I had to return the automatic debit I usually use because it's so much higher than it used to be.

The only thing that I know to do to combat it all is reach out for the unusual like burning french fry grease in a diesel VW rabbit, and collecting aluminum cans. For every dime I cut in one area, someone raises another area of expense on me a dollar, and it becomes a one step forward, two steps back type of scenario.

I particularly hate the holiday season because of the overall lack of business. I guess you tie a knot in the end of your rope and hang on.

Its always something killing my plans.
My wife lost her unemployement and I work a job thats rewarding, but not very financial rewarding. HG

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I was built with the body of a God! To bad it was buddah.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jou...&journalid=2415

What do you do for a living hemmie?

Two great pieces of advice! The amount of disposable income people have scares me at times. Restaurants on almost every corner, specialty stores that stay in business, I think most peopel could go through their homes, clean out cupboards, drawers, etc., pile up posessions that they could live without, I know the pile in my house would fill a small dumpster. What would you be willing to go without if it meant the diference between eating or not? My life has improved the last 5 years, I have a wife that works and makes as much or more than I do. One of three...Hemmie, I did the rewarding jobs, I worked with the handicapped for about 14 years, good experiences but there came a time I had to think of my future. Life is full of twists and turns, being able to recognize the right turn in the road is a lot of luck sometimes. Dan

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