Ben / PA

Lucky for me, m boss has had the company running without debt for years now. We are in position to weather the storms. We just came off our best show season in recent years. People are starting to want American made goods again and that's a plus.

NChunterman

Magic unfortunate for you but fortunate for the foreclosures are on a rise and I just picked one up. Purchased a 2000 sq ft brick home with an external 1000 sq ft finished mother in law suite and almost 2 acres for less than 100g's.

As for my job, I work at the home office for the second largest home improvement retailer, Lowe's and business is extremely down. My job is somewhat safe as I save the company over 8 million just in day to day activities and forecast for close to 2 billion in sales. But no ones safe right now.

TJF

Things areok for me... plus I got enough dirt on the boss in the last 20 years...he wouldn't dare fire me !!

Tim

WV Hunter

I work in the financial business, 100% commission as well. Things have slowed down somewhat as a whole due to the economy, however I happen to be very lucky in that the 2 companies I workwith aredoing very well,so I am pretty busy. In fact, if any of you have a background in sales or finance, and are in need....send me a pm, I might have an opportunity you.

One word of advice....if you have money in the stock market (IRA's, 401k's, etc) I would move it to a cash position as quickly as you can (don't liquidate it, just move it to cash). I dont have the crystal ball, butall indicators point towards a DOW of 6000 or even less before we are done. That means if you don't stop the bleeding now, you will be down another 25% from where you are now. Most of you know that you've probably lost 40%or moreduring the past year....that means you need to earn 65-70% just to get back to where you were (at a 40% loss). Likely? Not anytime soon with the stock market, maybe not in most of our lifetimes - and thats if the market bottomed today. Honestly, I'm worried about what most folks will do....they get VERY poor financial advice for the most part. Times are tough, but they are gonna get tougher before its over...unfortunately.

As far as the economy and my personal spending....it probably won't affect me too much, but I am pretty stingy with what Ibuy each year anyhow. I'd rather invest it for the future, and with some of the investments I have paying strong double digits per year (even in this economy), that sure beats spending it on frivolous stuff that I didn't really need anyhow. My wife calls me the scrooge...LOL, I call myself "thrifty". Hey she hasn't had to work in 13 years,she shouldn't complain, right [8D]

BigDaddy12t

I wont be buying ANYTHING for a long time. We just got cut from about 60 hours a week, down to 32 hours a week at work. I really dont think I will make it halfway threw the summer, before I start losing things.

louddrummer69

I've been doing just about the same as before. Getting ready to buy a new home. I've found a nice money stream of selling wood. I sell a cord for 160 bucks to folks in Kansas City. It has all but paid my Colorado elk bowhunting trip in September so far.

early in

That's cheap for a cord of wood! They're getting $200 a cord(hardwood) in my area of Pa.

buttonbuckmaster

Things are tight here, but we are surviving. Most of our financial problems have been medical bills with my oldest son and daughter.

louddrummer69

down

louddrummer69

Well we cut wood in a rural area where they are only getting 60 bucks for a cord. Most folks there cut there own wood I guess. The running rate around KC is about 150 bucks. We charge a little extra if they want a whole bunch of hedge/osage orange. Regardless, it is a good workout and puts a little money toward my extra curricular activities. With buying a new home every bit helps! Too bad we didn't have those PA prices. We have a guy who wants 9 cord of wood for the remainder of this year and next! That would be a nice chunk of change.