| Jun 18 @ 12:55 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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RavinLunatic
Posts: 1,289
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If you had no work and little money, what would you do to make ends meet? What would you do to change your circumstances? Would you get out there driving around looking for help wanted? Would you browse the internet, buy newspapers? Ask friends and family for help (money, work, ideas)? Go to the government for assistance? (If they are not bankrupt and can still assist)
Would you freeze up and do nothing? Would you blame others, the economy, someone else? Would you rant and scream or DO something? Steal? Sell or hock stuff? Con people? Would you do what it took in a moral and ethical and respecting of others way to change your circumstances?
Give a story of what you have done or tell what you would do if you have financial difficulties.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:03 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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kjac
Posts: 8,163
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If I lost my job and was broke, I'd probably go back to school, get a new career, and finally do something with my life.
Oh wait, that's exactly what happened.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:17 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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For me, I own most of my house and I've lowered my payments as much as possible in the light of expected layoffs (still haven't affected me though) and I'm currently renting one room out. If my son does move back east, I'll have one, possibly two. more rooms I can rent out. I've lowered expenses, but I can still lower more, which I'd obviously do. If worse comes to worst, I'd probably look to sell my house. I know there's a double wide not far away from where I live that would be pretty comfortable - two bedrooms, the master's actually bigger than my present one. It's 18K cash, private sale means no sales tax here, so I'd probably do that. Since monthly rent there is less than 350 bucks including water, I could probably survive there fairly comfortably on Social security as long as it lasted.
As for future income, I'm studying statistical analysis and marketing in hopes of obtaining some contract work to bring in a buck or two by working up mailing lists for marketers based on demographic information that's available on the web.
Have I thought about it? Yep, sure have. I usually have Plan A, Plan B, etc. etc. This still looks like a viable Plan A. Or maybe B, if I can still afford to stay in my house. I have to admit I'd really miss my backyard, but the trailer park's over 55 folks, and I actually know a couple of people in there already - good people.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:26 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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lj450
Posts: 9,550
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I would welcome the new opportunity to stop chasing the dollar and start living. Travel unconventionally, live unconventionally, and see parts of the country I have never seen before.
Ive actually thought of dropping everything and just do it anyway. We choose to live the way we do. Oft times we feel that we must conform to the "norms of society" to fit in......but is that really "living"? I wonder sometimes.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:36 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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RavinLunatic
Posts: 1,289
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I have always been able to make money and I ain't too proud to do cheap labor. Everytime I have had no work, I went out and asked for work, got minimum wages and worked til a better opportunity came up.
I have called people on the phone that I knew offering my labor for $7 - 10 an hour to work unless it was real far then I would always make a minimum offer to cover my gas and travel time. But I have cleaned houses, sold bait, done garage sales, hocked things. I have cut grass, trimmed trees, done small repairs. I don't care, put me to work. I am HAPPY! I can't understand people that won't take what they can get. It totally confuses me.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:40 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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lj450
Posts: 9,550
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I just have a hard time worshiping the dollar these days. There should be more to life than being chained to a desk and paying bills. Call me crazy.
Money cant buy happiness. If thats true, then where should we be looking?
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| Jun 18 @ 1:41 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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Fender
Posts: 8,489
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There should be more to life than being chained to a desk and paying bills.
I actually agree with you...I'm fed up of working like crazy...Then all I do is more work. I never have fun. It sucketh. 
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| Jun 18 @ 1:42 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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RavinLunatic
Posts: 1,289
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Really. I am usually happy anyway. When I am doing things I love to do....and I tend to love any work I do with my hands and mind involved (hey, that is pretty muc everything!) then I am happy.
When I am not happy, it rarely lasts and it only lasts if someone else won't leave it alone.
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| Jun 18 @ 1:57 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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I'm kind of torn between two possibilities...work's actually still fun a lot of the time. I still love solving problems, and while I've definitely lost a few steps over the years, I'm still better than the average bear at it. One thing I have to say is that it's rarely boring. On the other hand, I would SO love to be able to just work when there are emergencies (that's my favorite stuff) and putter around the garden, experiment in the kitchen and do something different the rest of my time. Instead it's document, organize, streamline and optimize.
If I keep working, golden handcuffs; if I retire, learning frugality. I figure I'll keep working till they decide I'm not worth the price they're paying and keep preparing for frugality in the meantime. I guess I'm kind of like St. Augustine - grant me chastity, but please, not yet!
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| Jun 18 @ 2:25 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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sweet5red
Posts: 9,692
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minimum wage goes up july 1st.. to over 7.40 an hour.. so raymond makes only 7.00 an hour so they will have to give hima raise.. he works 52 hours a week and any over 40 is overtime.. i dont get my raise in august since state employees raises were froze starting july 1st thru june 2010.. so the early employees this year that got their merit raise will not get it next year..
when raymond was job hunting, i was the bread winner and bill payer but he is making up for it.. he does try and i love that man.. i have paid off a few bills and working on the balance i owe the hospital for my 2 hand surgeries.. raymond cant draw his retirement or 401 k until 2013.. so we just hang in there .. and i told my boss i am retiring in 10 years.. at 63 or will try..
we dont live beyond our means and arent fancy people.. we are country.. Sweet n Louisiana
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| Jun 18 @ 2:54 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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Fender
Posts: 8,489
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Good for you sweet. More people have to realize that a job is a job...Take it while you have the chance because someone else will grab it, that's for sure 
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| Jun 18 @ 3:05 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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beckyiv42000
Posts: 14,576
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Been there with the no money thing..at one time when I was single with just the one daughter I had trusted my BF to be giving the rent $$ me and my brother who lived with us to the landlord cause both of us worked way early and he didnt.. well yeah you can guess what happened .. before they could legally evict me I had to move.. I didnt want and eviction notice on my renters report... I had to put everything in storage and ask my mom to take care of my daughter while I continued working...since my mom lived with my sister I had to make sure that it was okay with my sis too.. me I slept in the car.. showered at friends but eventually got back on my feet ...sold a bunch of stuff.. I mean when you dont have a place to live you dont really need much ..but the thing is I worked.. I waited tables.. and then some construction... then waited tables again.. then cashier.. and side work anytime I could find it... not working or being able to find work is just one excuse after another  and the ploy of those who dont WANT to work
eidted to add.. oh and even my kids know enough to pick up bottles and cans to cash in 
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| Jun 18 @ 3:17 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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RavinLunatic
Posts: 1,289
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I have lived in a car before. It was not even mine, I don't think. And worked at Dunkin Donuts at $1.10 an hour, all the donuts and coffee you wanted. Arf, took years before I could stand the smell of a donut again. Finally got enough to rent an apartment and let s few others stay there. Then moved when they were shooting needles.
Yeah, been down a hard road and not too proud to scuffle to make it.
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| Jun 18 @ 3:50 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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Carol386
Posts: 3,705
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Being in the situation right now really sucks - being in a part of the country where the unemployment rate is higher than the national average sucks even more! I have been out of a job since the middle of November - since that time I am up to over 1500 resumes sent out. I hit the pavement every day filling out applications and dropping off resumes. I have been turned down by McDonalds, Long John Silvers (all fast food places), all the local gas stations - what most tell me is they know that when a better job comes along I will leave, they don't want too put time & money into training someone that they know will leave. From someone who used to do HR I totally understand that - from someone that really needs a job, it pisses me off.
To make ends meet I do work for a friend with an ecommerce business (that buys my dog food & my gas for the truck). I help another friend by cleaning her kennels twice a day (she has 29 Great Danes - thats alot of s*#t to scoop) - this buys my food. My unemployment goes for my truck, house & utilities. I make too much money on unemployment to qualify for any type of assistance or retraining -
My last boyfriend went through my $40,000 nest egg so when he decided to move on, I had to start all over again - then the economy took a dump and I have been through what little I was able to save in that short amount of time.
It is certainly one of those circumstances where you can say you would do this if this ever happened to you - but when you are in that situation, your thoughts and actions certainly change just to survive - unfortunatly speaking from experience (Not looking for any kind of a handout - just a job please!)
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| Jun 18 @ 3:51 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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katydid438
Posts: 8,019
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I worked as a chamber maid for $8/hour between nursing jobs, which paid between $35-40/hour.
The thought of being totally broke and homeless is out of the question for me....it would have to be very severe circumstances for me to look for a hand out.
I almost once offered to let someone stay with me and help them get a car  ...thank gawd I came to my senses in time....
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| Jun 18 @ 3:55 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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Kenn159
Posts: 4,402
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I consider myself lucky and am very thankful that I've done a pretty good job of supporting myself all these years in being self employed, and the best part is, I enjoy what i do. [well, most of the time  ].
All of my adult life I have bought and sold,[ebay etc], and the other half of the time i do handlyman work[ie carpentry,tile, roofing, bla bla bla] for a generally awesome group of customers. 
Now to your question. There have been a few times over the years when the handyman work got slow and I didn't have a lot of resale stock to sell.
So what I did was canvas for work. Meaning, I would get business cards made up, and would spend hours going door to door and sticking my business card in the crack of the front door or in the mail box.
Then I would make up road signs and stick them in the dirt or post them on a pole near street intersections, where people could read them while they are waiting for the light.
I've on several occasions even worked at day labor for minimum wage.
You got to do what you got to do, and there is a saying, when there is a will, there is a way.
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| Jun 18 @ 4:03 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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Carol386
Posts: 3,705
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Kenn - I have a friend that does "Honey Do" work - the place where he gets more work from - he puts up flyers at the local tanning salons! He made an investment in some of the plexiglass "frames" - he gave them to the salons, he put them up in the rooms and he goes in and provides the flyers - about 80% of his business comes from there - just a suggestion for ya
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| Jun 18 @ 4:03 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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katydid438
Posts: 8,019
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You got to do what you got to do, and there is a saying, when there is a will, there is a way Kenn!
You have to go out and look for work,,,,sitting around complaining and wasting too much time on-line does not get the job done!
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| Jun 18 @ 4:05 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do?
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RavinLunatic
Posts: 1,289
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Absolutely, Kenn. I have had it up to here (waves hand over my head) listening to all the excuses why this and why that. The whole point is, YOU have to get your ass up and DO something. Weeks of sitting on your ass just makes your ass bigger....I speak from experience.
I have called friends to ask if they needed help cleaning houses or repairs and offered huge discounts to just stay busy and stop using electricity and drove an hour and a half for $50 in pay. That was before the huge gas cost increases. I would have to charge more now if I drove that far. Of course, the point is, people know and trust me.
I still CAN do massage and will if necessary. I have offered to work with a friend to show him my skills and I may go to work with him part time because his worker is an alcoholic and he has to drive a long way to pick him up since his helper's driver's license was revoked. It is the DESIRE that helps.
I feel bad for you Carol that it is so terrible there. Have you tried housecleaning services?
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| Jun 18 @ 4:17 PM |
If you had no work or money, what would you do? |
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Kenn159
Posts: 4,402
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Thanks Ladies  , and good idea Carol on the plexi ad thing.
I don't take for granted one second, and I do feel blessed to have work in this sucky economy.
But bad economy or not, there will always be some work, you just have to open yourself up to the possibility of it.
Hell, if all my forms of revenue dryed up tomorrow, going door to door mowing lawns in the summer wouldn't be beneath me.
YB
This is prime mowing season.
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