What I have noticed is two things. Everytime I go to town that is four miles away . So it is pretty well daily. The money I expend is much more than it was in the 2008-2009 period.

The other item is we are fortunate to have surplus income. The surplus is now somewhat smaller each year. It is not our buying and spending habits as at our age they are pretty static. It has to be the higher average overall costs.

An example that is perhaps not typical. I needed some brushed nickle trim today for a granite tile countertop. The last time I purchased some it was twelve dollars a length. Perhaps two to three years ago but no longer since I last purchased.

It was twenty one dollars and some change a length today. So eight lengths were not 96.00 but 170.00. Gas was also 5.89 an imperial gallon in town today. Or 4.97 per american gallon.

Wages are definatly not on the increase yet. So it has to be hurting many. You are right in that we have become by and large a more materialistic society as well.

Perhaps about the most noticeable change in our buying habits is I source a lot of items off ebay and the web now on a very frequent basis. Usually after mailing costs I pay approxamatly 50 percent or less of the average local retail prices. Also save the 15 percent sales tax as well on most transactions. The savings on one item may not seem signifigant but over the year it really adds up. We are talking many thousands of dollars here alone. Primarily since I always seem to have a house build or rehab job of some sort going on.

Also the low return on investments that are fairly safe is now far lower than inflation. This is a concern. I understand low interest for borrowers will persist for many more years unless it stimulates too much inflation. Even then the current policies may stay in effect. The whole mess is still far from sound at this time. There is still not a lot of room left to absorb any form of major hit or even moderate one on the current economy.

I am well aware of how fortunate we are as a household at this time. We do not take it for granted either. We also feel badly about the amount of families in distress. The amount of bankrupcies and other forms of insolvency no longer indicate a healthy enviroment for a growing percentage of the population.

What I have noticed is two things. Everytime I go to town that is four miles away. The money I expend is much more than it was in the 2008-2009 period.

The other item is we are fortunate to have surplus income. The surplus is now somewhat smaller each year. It is not our buying and spending habits as at our age they are pretty static.

An example that is perhaps not typical. I needed some brushed nickle trim today for a granite tile countertop. The last time I purchased some it was twelve dollars a length. Perhaps two to three years ago but no longer.

It was twenty one dollars and some change a length today. So eight lengths were not 96.00 but 170.00. Gas was also 5.89 an imperial gallon in town today. Or 4.97 per american gallon.

Wages are definatly not on the increase yet. So it has to be hurting many. You are right in that we have become by and large a more materialistic society as well.

Perhaps about the most noticeable change in our buying habits is I source a lot of items off ebay and the web now on a very frequent basis. Usually after mailing costs I pay approxamatly 50 percent or less of the average local retail prices. Also save the 15 percent sales tax as well on most transactions.

I also expect the job market to shrink further for young people just starting out. There was an expression coined years ago about the lost generation. I hope it is not going to be that one as well that is seriously impacted by circumstances.

x2

__________________
Jim

I lost my position in mid 2003 ( okay I did not lose my job but when I went there someone else was doing it) I started a company with a friend and by 2006 they had cleaned out our accounts and disappeared. I started another company with another friend and he disappeared 1 year later. So after spending my retirement money trying to live on and keep my home. While all this was going on my wife was completing her degree in nursing ( while still working her job of 23 years with an airline) Through all this I did more and more of my own maintenance ( I had gotten out of that habit somewhat when I was working a lot) During this time period I made a few late mortgage payments but kept them up. The lender sent a letter stating that if I was having trouble making my payments I should contact them and see what we could work out. What a load !
I tried for almost 5 years as we slowly increased our income they kept losing paperwork etc. They finally foreclosed in January of 2011, apparently in the state of Virginia it is extremely easy for a lender to foreclose without so much as an appearance before a judge. So for the last 12 months we have spent almost $20,000. on an attorney to fight the foreclosure. Anyway through it all I have a few bits of sunshine:
1. My wife's work ethic
2. My kids are fantastic , no problems & straight A's
3. I can work on the benz with help when needed from this site and have not been let down
4. My extended family
Thats my rant now I need to go bleed the brakes on the 85

__________________
92 500E Silver 66k
82 Porsche 911SC 84K
68 Cadillac ( Gone Now )
03 Suburban Z71 200K
85 300SD 217k From Original Owner ( Dad )

I don't make much at work, but it's a blessing in disguise, in a way. If I was some loaded trust fund baby, I'd probably have some brand new car that I just dropped at the dealer every time it needed anything in the line of maintenance or repair. I think that necessity has been the cause for me learning auto repair, which I think has taught me good moral character when it comes to fixing anything in my own life...

But money can be nice.

There are those of us that are the complete opposite of what you describe lol. Myself included. I'm fairly diversed in my skill set but my social skills could use some improvement. I've very low interest/tolerance for small-talk and b.s'ing.

__________________
Cruise Control not working? Send me PM or email (jamesdean59@gmail.com). I might be able to help out.
Check here for compatibility, diagnostics, and availability!

(4/11/2020: Hi Everyone! I am still taking orders and replying to emails/PMs/etc, I appreciate your patience in these crazy times. Stay safe and healthy!)


82 300SD 145k
89 420SEL 210k
89 560SEL 118k
90 300SE 262k RIP 5/25/2010
90 560SEL 154k
91 300D 2.5 Turbo. 241k
93 190E 3.0 235k
93 300E 195k

That is one tough situation overall to experience. The two friends that let you down are not that unusual in todays world either.

I would like nothing better than to start up a business with one of my currently unemployed and waiting for unemployment benifits son in laws. He just does not have what it takes unfortunatly.

I just have one word......NAFTA.

Ross Perot was right about that 'sucking sound'.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

There are not enough of your type coming along the pike with the latest generation. It provides the person with a certain amount of security and the flexiability to function better in difficult enviroments.

I think I am all caught up for the mean time, and still pulling a paycheck. Some surface rust to hit on the underside and clean the interior when the weather breaks. It was a routine that every time I jumped in and drove, I found another issue. Just need to find 2 straight steel rims and 2 tires on the cheap and stay out of the unemployment line.

Well you may be quite right. I suspect Canada benifited more than the states did from it to some extent. At least the monetary flow was contained in north america with it.

The really cheap labour presence of Mexico was and still is damaging..Their society just do not have the means to consume enough material goods and resources from other north american members to offsett what they produce for trade.

X2!!!

My father taught me to get educated in TRADES! mechanic, electrician, Plumbing/pipefitter, Boiler tech, Oil furnace service, HVAC, Refrigeration, General Contracting etc...
get CERTIFIED in a field, and learn as many fields as you can growing up.
you will ALWAYS have someone needing to employ you. or you can employ yourself!
really, make a trip to the junkyard, pull a few parts off a car, and sell them. install them on someone's car that needs the part. you will make money.
then graduate to buying a car that someone needs parts from... you'll make a LOT more money. (do not store dozens of cars in your yard however... , it'll bite you in the arse!!!)
electricians are often in demand, and the work is fairly easy, and there is little brain work with the job.
refrigeratin/HVAC is quite a bit more complicated, but very easy to find employment.

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

X10 on the trades, or commodity skills alllied w/ your education.

Classic laugh for me was the occupy London protester saying they had an MA and no job. MA was in ghost stories. As much as I support the occupiers, I'm light on sympathy here.

Commodity skills (CAD) got me back in the job market during the big suck (2008- present) and have had me trading up as contracts have ended. I've thought of operating/building engineer training as well, some stuff just can't go undone, the pipes have to run, and *****pipes have to be cleared right away.

I'm definatelly going to encourage my sons to have practical skills about things that can't be done over the internet from a desk in India, or shipped in from China.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I know this guy. All he does is scour junkyards up and down the east coast harvesting, of all things, certain BMW rear ends. Apparently, this item is no longer made.

He also harvests Volvo lenses which he sells for $50 a pop. Happy as a clam.

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Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

Almost done with my degree but I know how to turn wrenches, dig ditches, do basic carpentry, and proper lawn care.

I'd love to learn how to weld and really go to town with it.