Get Over It

Apparently college students are a little sad and mopey. They were raised to expect everything - they are wonderful and can do anything in the world. There's nothing stopping them. Their "self esteem" is through the roof.

Reality check.

Looks like only 20% of 2009 grads will land a paying job after graduation. And its affecting their precious self esteem.

Boo Hoo.

I had a job every step of the way through my college experience. At no point did I NOT have a job, except for two weeks between getting "let go" (okay, I got fired) and finding a new job. That's it. The rest of the time I worked. Full time. I paid my way...using a couple of small student loans, tuition reimbursement programs through my jobs, and my own hard earned cash.

I didn't have to go look for a job after I graduated because I already had one. And sure enough I'm still with the same company I was with when I graduated.

College is not the be all and end all of career advancement. It has been hyped up and pounded into our heads that you are a failure if you don't have a college degree. I cannot disagree strongly enough.

I love education. I've always loved school and learning new things. But going to college doesn't necessary equate to learning things that are useful in life. I could have taught myself most of what I was spoon fed in college. Only a few of my courses were actually interesting or useful. But I was programmed to get that degree. Now that I have it...I've done jack with it.

In fact I don't even know where the actual piece of paper is.

Hubby and I have already agreed that if our son doesn't want to go to college we won't try to force him. There are so many other alternatives out there, with paths to success just as available. Trade school. Military. Entrepreneurship. And we're not starting any sort of college savings account or "investing" in a 529. Nope. If he does want to go to college he can get a scholarship or a job and pay for it himself.

I do believe that people can be and do anything ... if they work hard enough. Getting things handed to you all your life does not help you...it hinders. And I think some of these new college graduates are finding that out the hard way.

Thank goodness my little cousin had to work his ass off all through high school and college - he is well prepared for the real world and already has a job lined up for after he graduates. We need more kids like him.

I Must Have Great Credit

Because I get a crazy amount of credit card offers in the mail.

But But But...I thought credit was impossible to get these days? I thought it was all dried up!

My credit can't be *that* great. I've been late on bills. We have several loans, though I do try to pay them on time. I did pay off my car loan last year.

What is with all the junk mail? It hasn't gone up in volume in the last few months. It's pretty much the same as it was BEFORE the "crisis".

Of course, not being an idiot, I don't apply for credit cards. I have two that I use. One for gasoline and the other for everything else as long as I can pay it off with cash.

So where is my bailout?

Oh that's right...we were responsible and didn't take out too much credit. So we don't qualify.

Where's the Outrage?

I thought Walmart was supposed to be this evil, anti-union, horrible place to work. Yet Walmart is handing out bonuses, pay increases, and retirement contributions to their employees. Yeah, that sounds just awful.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced it has paid $2 billion this year to its U.S. employees in bonuses, merchandise discounts and retirement contributions.

It cracks me up that if every single employee got an even amount of the bonus pool they got $666. hahahahahaha

Maybe if I lose my job I'll apply at my local Walmart. I'd cut my commute down from 45 minutes one way to 10 minutes one way. Of course my salary would probably get cut by about the same percentage, but at least I'd have a job.

Living on a Budget Sucks

It's been a LONG time since I've gone to the grocery store with such a strict budget. It really sucks. I went over by about $5, which I'll transfer over from my checking account. I have a few more dollars left there from before we even started this.

Of course, I also bought a TON of food for only around $70 ish bucks. I saved over $90 at Albertsons with all their sales and my coupons. The guy behind me in line was impressed. :)

I bought some fish sauce, which was pretty expensive at $3.99. That was one of the most expensive things I bought. I want to make my own Pho beef noodle soup.

Tonight I'm making chicken noodle soup and will have left over chicken to make chicken quesadillas during the week. We're also going to make BBQ pulled pork with a frozen pork roast.

We will have plenty of food for the next week and a half and should have no need to eat out anywhere (which is good since we don't have any extra cash!).

I will say yesterday that when I went to the mall it was hard to believe we're in a recession. I could not find a parking space for several minutes. And even then it was quite a ways away. The place was packed. I sat around and people watched for awhile. Nearly everyone I saw had bags. I was surprised by the kids walking around with those build a bear boxes. And ladies with bags from Victoria Secret and Nordstroms.

The sandwich shop I had lunch at (I had a coupon!) was non stop busy and it was two o'clock....a bit past lunch time. All sorts of people coming through and buying food.

I was only at the mall to use a gift card so I didn't actually spend more than $7 of my own money while there.

We're working hard to save as much as we can. I should know more about my job in the next two or three weeks. Worst case, I lose my job but get a few months severance package and switch to hubby's insurance. It's hard to think about but it could be reality soon. Best case, I keep my job and go on to get two months of maternity leave in October/November...and my two month sabbatical next year.

I'm hoping but preparing.

I Feel Like I'm 18

And not in a good skinny way.

When I moved out into my own apartment (with a roommate of course) I lived on Top Ramen and Macaroni and Cheese. Almost literally. After each payday I would have at most $20 left after all my bills. I was very adept at only spending $10 when I went to the grocery store.

That's how I feel again today. I just got paid but every penny went into our emergency fund where we can't touch it.

And while I've been couponing for almost a year I've never had to be so conscientious of what I'm going to buy at the grocery store this weekend. I literally need to plan it down to the dollar because we only have $65 to work with and it has to last us until the 25th when hubby gets his next paycheck.

It's definitely an interesting experiment to live this way while we still have a choice. And I know that we can do it, and will be glad for doing it if I get let go. I doubled our emergency fund just by putting my paycheck in it today. (No, it wasn't very big to begin with but we have two of them...this is the most accessible and smallest one.)

My plan for the weekend is to get milk (using my $1/1 coupons)...as many as I think we can afford since we go through it fast so let's say $10 for milk. That should get me at least 2 gallons (yes, I'm still buying organic). Then we need bagels because that's what I eat for breakfast (and hubby does too)...those are on sale and I can price match them at Walmart for $2 each. They're normally over $3.50.

I'm planning to get some green grapes - they are on sale at Safeway and Albertsons for $0.99 a pound. I really need to eat some fruit and the thought of these doesn't make me gag.

So I'm up to about $15.

Safeway has bread on sale for $1...it's the cheap stuff but we can eat the cheap stuff.

And Albertsons has a coupon for $1.69 for Kraft Singles and I have $1/1 coupons so I can get them for $0.69 a piece. I'm going to try to find some more coupons and get at least 4 or 5 of them because hubby loves this stuff and it's really expensive normally.

My goal is to spend no more than $30 between the few stores I plan to hit. It doesn't take me that much time to go the different stores because I have a specific list and know exactly what I want - so I'm in and out. Oh and I have a $10 coupon from Albertsons off my next order so that will help a ton.

Walgreens has a few things on sale that I can get for free (or even get paid to take them) so I'm going to try to go there too ... as long as it doesn't cost me any money out of pocket.

I'm a planner so this is actually kind of fun for me. But it does bring me back to my college days. I'm not sure how I feel about living on Top Ramen now.

What Does a Dollar Get You?

Kirby Wilbur mentioned a blog called Carpe Diem this morning so I decided to check it out. The first post I saw is fascinating.

I was arguing with someone earlier on another blog with whether or not we are better off than our parents generation. I certainly am, and the charge on Carpe Diem shows just one reason why.

The comments are fascinating though...tread there if you dare. :)

So, Should We Save or Spend?

Another interesting article (subscription required) in the Wall Street Journal about Americans becoming thriftier as the economy gets worse (or they perceive it to get worse).

It basically says that the economy will suffer worse because Americans are starting to save more.

Uh Huh. And how is it a bad thing to save more and spend less?

Usually, frugality is good for individuals and for the economy. Savings serve as a reservoir of capital that can be used to finance investment, which helps raise a nation's standard of living. But in a recession, increased saving -- or its flip side, decreased spending -- can exacerbate the economy's woes. It's what economists call the "paradox of thrift."

U.S. household debt, which has been growing steadily since the Federal Reserve began tracking it in 1952, declined for the first time in the third quarter of 2008. In the same quarter, U.S. consumer spending growth declined for the first time in 17 years.

That has resulted in a rise in the personal saving rate, which the government calculates as the difference between earnings and expenditures. In recent years, as Americans spent more than they earned, the personal saving rate dipped below zero. Economists now expect the rate to rebound to 3% to 5%, or even higher, in 2009, among the sharpest reversals since World War II. Goldman Sachs last week predicted the 2009 saving rate could be as high as 6% to 10%.

As savings increase, economists say, spending is likely to contract further. They expect gross domestic product to decline at an annualized rate of at least 5% in the fourth quarter, the biggest drop in a quarter-century.

"The idea that the American family will quickly spend us out of this recession is a fantasy. It won't happen," said Elizabeth Warren, a professor of law at Harvard University who last month was named chair of the Congressional oversight panel tasked with overseeing the distribution of the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program funds.

I understand the argument that spending will helps us out of the recession - but how about the argument that we don't need to spend frivolously. Maybe families don't need three cars, a boat, and four wheelers.

My spending has gone down but not significantly. I save all year to buy Christmas gifts and spent most of our gifts fund...that is what it is for. We plan to take a few days in April to celebrate my hubby's 40th birthday - the cabins are at a minimum $200 a night. I bought two Wii games after Christmas. All unnecessary spending but not spending that I see as detrimental to our overall budget.

Could things get tight? Heck yes. If I lose my job I certainly won't be spending money on video games.

But our savings has increased as well. I just paid off my car - WOOHOO! And that extra money each month will go into our various savings accounts. I don't see that as a bad thing. Sure, I could take that $400 a month and spend it in the "economy" but that would not create more security for my family in the long run (though hubby would argue that ammo does increase security and he'd love to spend that money on ammo each month!).

The article focused on a couple of families who made decisions many of us made in the last decade. Refinancing to pay for home improvements, with the belief that the house would continue to increase in value, is something we did at least twice (I think maybe three times). But the bank never let us take out more than the home was worth at the time, limiting us to 90% of the value. And we used that money each time to make a home improvement and pay off other debt.

I also always cautioned my hubby that we need to be careful because home values don't always go up (look at me...I made a prediction! LOL). Thank goodness I'm more cautious than some others. I never looked at our house as a piggy bank for 'stuff'.

I have no idea if our house has dropped a ton in value ... I'd rather not think about it. We're not going anywhere soon so we're still investing in our home. We just installed new floors in the living room and hallway.

Pretty, right? The dogs seem to like it.

So we're still doing our part to stimulate the economy. Just not on "crap" we don't need.

Who the Hell do They Think They Are???

So a company lays off a bunch of workers and they refuse to leave - staging a sit in. Shockingly, they are also union workers.

"About 200 employees have been staging the sit-in in shifts since Friday, the last scheduled day of the plant's operation. On Saturday, about 50 workers could be seen through a window sitting on chairs and pallets on the factory floor."

What do they want, a pat on the back? Obama apparently thinks so, since he's siding with them. What a shock right?

"Employees there were laid off abruptly last week and have occupied the factory, saying they won't leave until they get the severance and vacation pay they say they're owed."

These people need to get a life and move on. The world doesn't revolve around them and companies have the right to lay people off. If the company is going under what makes them think there is any money left to "give them what they're owed" ... and besides that, they aren't owed anything. This idea of "gimme" just permeates everywhere.

Oh but they aren't just blaming the company. They're also blaming Bank of America, which got a piece of the federal bailout and apparently the ex-workers think this requires them to help out. Huh? What kind of logic is that?

"United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers officials say the company’s $5 million line of credit was originally opened with LaSalle Bank, which was bought out by Bank of America last year. Bank of America received $25 billion in federal bailout cash, which Republic workers say obliges it to support the company."

Riiiggghhhtttt...

These spoiled ass union members can kiss my big butt. People are getting laid off at my company...and they don't get to hang around for 60 days afterward. One of my friends just found out on Friday ... she is now cleaning her desk. She couldn't even talk to me because she started crying. She's been here for over 20 years!

I have no sympathy for the whiny babies demanding benefits from a company that is going under. Tough shit. Life isn't fair (as my liberal mom told me my whole life). Stand up. Get out there and start looking for a new job. If one isn't in the area. Move.

And a Survey!



UPDATE: Via Pamibe... Yes, let's punish a private business (Bank of American) for choosing who they do business with. That's the ticket! Morons.

Maybe the Labor Unions Should Just STFU

Vallejo California is petitioning the courts to void the collective bargaining agreement that straps them with overwhelming pension promises. Of course, the unions are peeing their pants with worry.

"With the downturn in the housing market hammering revenues, Vallejo is asking the bankruptcy judge to void the collective-bargaining agreements that led to those salary and benefit arrangements. And the possibility of hard-fought union contracts going up in smoke has struck fear in the heart of labor groups.

The California Professional Firefighters union proclaims, "If allowed to stand, Vallejo's attack on its own employees would send shock waves throughout the labor movement." Gloster, the attorney representing Vallejo's firefighters and police officers, says..."

Maybe the unions should have thought about not biting the hand that feeds them by strapping them with outrageous benefit payments.

We had a bit to do with Boeing here a little while ago. Instead of thanking God that they have jobs, the union was bitching and moaning about their health care. Good gravy. Their 40 something day strike put Boeing more behind on orders and caused serious damage to the company. Do they not see the counterproductive nature of their actions!!??

I honestly just do not get it. I'm just thankful to still have a job (for now).

Not a Space to be Seen

What happened to the supposedly horribly bad economic picture?

Driving around this morning to run my few errands I had to go Rite Aid which is by the Target. Holy parking situation batman! I have NEVER seen the lot so full. Every single space from the doors to the street was full. I did manage to get a space in front of Rite Aid but only because it wasn't super early. When I checked out the cashier (who was also the manager) told me that when she got to work at 5:30 a.m. she had to park in the fire lane!

Who are these people?!?!

I got up super early one year...I think around 4 a.m. to go to Mervyns. It was fun but I don't need to do it again. Some lady cut in front of me and elbowed me in the boob! What the hell!?!?!

So people stampeded at a Walmart and someone died!!!! Are there any gifts or deals in the world worth that!!?? I didn't even see anything in the Walmart ad that was worth getting up early for, let alone stampeding for.

Thankfully my errands were much more calm. I got wrapping paper (15 rolls!) for $0.77 each. Really cute paper too. I may stop by tomorrow and get a couple more. We need it at work for our two adopted families. I got a rice cooker for $6.50. And an electric can opener for $6.50. I was pretty happy about that.

Oh and I got Hot Wheels for $0.49 a piece, 64 count Crayola for $0.99, and little Webkinz (buy one get one free) for $6.99 (so basically $3.50 each). These will all go to the adopted families kids at work. They also had stockings on sale buy one get one free so I got 10 for the families.

After taking my Trooper Bear to an agility trial (to get used to the sounds before we actually trial) I headed home. My mother in law and sister in law and I went to lunch and then to the mall. I found a 500 thread count full sheet set, regularly $105 on clearance for $34 and then 40% off and then another 10% off using my Macy's card. How awesome is that!?! It's part of my brother's gift. Mom is getting him a new bed. Thank God. He sleeps on a mattress (with no box spring) on the floor. *sigh* Long story.

Even though I had a good time today I'm feeling incredibly depressed right now. Tears are on the verge at each moment. I'm exhausted and anxious.

But our Christmas tree is up! Lights and decorations up. So all is not lost. I'll take a picture and share soon. =)

If You Ignore it Will it Go Away?

I check Instapundit daily...multiples times a day actually. Today Glenn links to a Wall Street Journal article about ignoring the market until February.

I'd love to. I really would.

But I can't. Because I work in the financial world and my job is seriously at risk. We had an e-mail announcement from our current CEO and then a meeting with the head of our department. It's scary. I had a total panic attack yesterday.

I'm feeling a little better today. The fact is that I have no control over what the company decides to do. I don't agree with all of their decisions but it's not my company. I just want to keep my job. So I have to pray that the market starts to even out and we stop bleeding money.

If I do lose my job...the world won't end. The chance of hubby losing his job is slim to none. We'd have to scale back a lot but we'd also save a bit in gas, parking, insurance, etc. Plus with my coupon addiction we've got plenty of food stocked up. =)

If the author of the WSJ article is right December might be even more stressful as people sell off their stocks to take advantage of tax benefits. I can only hope that the company looks into the future and doesn't make short term decisions out of panic.

Here's hoping!

Wow...Someone Owes Peter Shiff a Drink and an Apology

Via Ann Althouse, an interesting compilation of Peter Shiff trying to warn us of impending doom and being laughed at ... sometimes that guy on the street corning yelling about the world ending is right.



Not that I think the world is ending. But he's right ... medicine doesn't always taste good but it is something that we have to take in order to heal. The economy is sick and needs to take the medicine in the form of a recession.

Bailout for the Yellow Pages!

Since the government seems to want to save every business, regardless of relevance of business model, the yellow pages industry might as well jump in with their hands out.

Is it any wonder that Yellow Pages publishers are struggling (WSJ paid subscription required)? When was the last time you actually pulled out that big brick of a book to look something up?

Well, actually I did use it on Friday. They have coupons and I wanted Chinese food. =) But I had to search for it because I wasn't sure where hubby had stashed it. And even if I hadn't been able to find it I'd still have ordered because it was Friday and I deserved a treat (or so I justified).

"Print and online ad spending on yellow pages will plummet 6.3% next year, more than double the rate of decline expected for broadcast TV, according to forecasts by Wachovia analyst John Janedis. Within the next four years, ad spending will fall 39% in print directories alone -- the steepest projected decline across all local-media categories, according to media-research firm Borrell Associates.
...

Facing the real prospect of extinction, the publishers, many of which have considerable debt, have been slashing jobs, scrapping dividends and exiting unprofitable markets. Shares of two of the biggest publishers, R.H. Donnelley and Idearc, have plummeted 99% in the past year."

Maybe instead of delivering these ridiculously large books every six months they should make delivery optional and charge people a few dollars. If they really want one then they can pay for it. And if it is a product that people are not willing to pay for then it should go the way of the horse and buggy.

What Recession?

Driving home from work on Friday night the Olive Garden parking lot was absolutely packed. I suppose if people are especially depressed they're looking for comfort food.

My mom went to the mall this weekend and said that it was much busier than she expected. I'm sure the sales are helping to get people in to shop. And it seems that the same is happening in other regions as well.

We had our annual craft show on Friday at work and I expected fewer sales than previous years. I lowered my goal for the day and did notice that there weren't quite the crowds as we've had in the past. Thankfully I did make my sales goal. Which means that I can buy more supplies and keep those economic wheels turning.

And as soon as I apply for my gun permit we'll be looking for my first gun ever and doing our part to make sure gun sellers have a great Christmas.