Mrs. Furious ... Recipes, Rants & Reality

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

20 comments:

TUWABVB said...: As usual, you sound completely level-headed and responsible. Honestly, I am NOT, NOT, NOT saying that this economic state is a good thing, but the one blessing about it might be that it teaches families who lived off credit cards that you can't live that way. Hopefully, all of America will learn what it's like to live within your means. And that's not meant to sound harsh - because I only recently became fiscally responsible - and I had to learn my lesson. Thank god you were so responsible before all these things hit and thus, you are in the best place you can be under the bad circumstances. Keep it up! :); February 3, 2009 at 3:21 PM
STACI said...: Amen.

We are more like you guys then I thought. :)

We don't have CC debt because we can't afford to have it. End of story.

I stayed at home with my boys and I'm glad I could.

DH isn't getting raises or bonuses either (going on 2 years). So frustrating.

My job isn't a stable income so we don't count it.
My fantasy is to become a very rich Personal Trainer and have DH retire and do what he loves.
Yeah, total fantasy. :)

But, even with our belt tightened I'm happy to still have an income coming in weekly.

LOVED your comment TUWABVB. So true. :); February 3, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Julie said...: Did you say that your credit card APR is 30%?!!!!!???

It really is a crazy time. While my husband was not laid off in the big layoffs that took place last week, he just found out that may have just been round 1.

Your situation with the medical bills piling up is awful and unfortunately happens to so many people. It's just wrong. I hope the US can make something work with universal healthcare AND low out of pocket expense. I live in Massachusetts and we actually do have universal healthcare. Universal healthcare does not mean free. Whatever we got going on here in Massachusetts though is something that the US should look at. Your insurance sounds like it totally blows. I am so sorry.

PS Mrs F, I bought some of the vanilla/chocolate "oreos" from Whole Foods...yum, but big mistake. I just ate like 10 of them while watching your video.; February 3, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Shirls said...: I just wanted to let you know I missed "reading" you while I was away :0); February 3, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Mrs Furious said...: TUWABVB,
I agree. I think that it will force people to realize what their actual cost of living versus their desired spending differential is. If this hadn't happened people were just going to slowly drown in debt. Now we all have a chance to rectify our spending and may come out of this in a better position financially than we were. We might have less stuff and less status but our bank accounts will be a more honest representation of our actual wealth.; February 3, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Staci,
What does DH love to do?!

And that's how I feel about credit card debt. We can't afford it... and it scares the shit out of me.

Julie,
Yeah. After watching Suze Orman on Oprah in January I thought I'd check the APR because she was saying that they can just randomly jack them up. They did. We still have one with a lower APR but it was also raised... meanwhile that is on cards that have no balance... so it's not like they were raised because of that.

Shirls,
Welcome back!!; February 3, 2009 at 6:08 PM
lucinda said...: We'll keep the light on for you but we don't eat Spam, ever.; February 3, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Mom,
You do eat deer.; February 3, 2009 at 6:15 PM
Andrea said...: I have to agree with TUWABVB so true we live so much out of our means that all the sudden not working is like a slap in the face if only we all knew what we were doing before we started doing it.; February 3, 2009 at 6:54 PM
STACI said...: Mrs. F~
Not sure exactly what he would do. He's a welder right now and while he's good at it and loves his job, he doesn't want to do it forever. It's very taxing on the body.

He is very skilled at woodworking. He has made most of our furniture. Dining room table, bed frames, sofa table, all our trim work, numerous shelves, etc. I know he gets a lot of enjoyment out of that type of work.

Agreed...CC debt is so scary to me that we don't even have 1 CC.; February 3, 2009 at 6:55 PM
lucinda said...: Deer is local, lean, antibiotic free and less than a dollar a pound and doesn't make you gag like Spam.; February 3, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Staci,
" we don't even have 1 CC."
That is hardcore.

Ooh.. he's practically Amish ;) How nice that you all will have that furniture to pass down to your boys.

Mom,
The gag reflex is relative.

Andrea,
"if only we all knew what we were doing before we started doing it"
Exactly.; February 3, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Heather said...: We don't have a CC either. Actually, that's not true. We have one. Tucked away in a very hidden place, for true emergencies only.

But I've proven to myself over and over and over that I cannot be trusted with a CC. Cannot.; February 3, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Heather,
interesting.

I think I'd spend more cash.; February 3, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Kiki said...: Mrs.F, Word.

Lucinda, Yum.; February 3, 2009 at 10:44 PM
STACI said...: LOL...pratically Amish! That made me spit out my coffee! :)

BTW...It's only been 6 months of "hardcore". :); February 3, 2009 at 10:57 PM
Elizabeth said...: Deer, see this just reminds me of being at the Ranch and ordering the venision, and dad leaning over and whispering "Bambi"

Also, I have a CC, I use it too much, and hide it in a drawer when I remember to. Like now.; February 4, 2009 at 12:40 AM
Mrs Furious said...: Elizabeth,
I've never been able to get behind venison. It's just way too gamey for me.

So I just sat down (again) and added up all our expenses and then subtracted that from our income... and like freaking usual... we should have a surplus. I still have yet to figure out why we don't and what that money is actually being spent on. Grrr...; February 4, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Dinahsoar said...: Hey Mrs. F...it's been awhile since I stopped by...lost my bookmarks, just getting everything back...sorry you're having a tough time..you're not alone..my husband whose been with his company 21 years took a 10% paycut for the next 6 months, nothing paid into his pension, no 401k matching and he will probably lose his job the end of this month due to company downsizing...and even if he doesn't the company is headed for bankruptcy...., also my son whose been with his company since college took a permanent 10% paycut.. It's really bad everywhere and likely to get worse. Our citizenry for the most part has been living on credit. The house of cards has tumbled and we all are being affected...I imagine it will get worse, much worse before it gets better.

I heard an investment advisor when questioned as to what to invest in answer: "if you can't eat it, don't buy it".

We all have to get adept at cutting corners. I've spent most of my life doing that, even when I didn't have to. If you take it on as a challenge it helps. I've never shopped at the Good Will for clothing, but a lot of people do--and they do it on purpose, not out of necessity. Now a lot of us may have to do it out of necessity.

I think our global economy is making us--countires--equally poor. And I'm afraid that so much of the money in the simulus package isn't going to do anything to fix what ails us.

The upside of all of this is that it forces us to realize we aren't self sufficient. It's easy for me to forget that I really do need God when all is well.

Hang in there...; February 4, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Dinah Soar,
Welcome back :)
I am sorry to hear about your husband's job. I hope that his job isn't cut!

And, sadly, I agree that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that things are likely to get worse before they get better.; February 5, 2009 at 4:12 PM

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