How do you do it? Budgeting

I tried that (and may try it again once I find a market). Problem was what I am good at (computers) is saturated here.. Not quite a computer store on every corner but darn near..

I don't WANT to be rich.. Thats a headache in and of itself.. I simply want to pay our land off, farm and be left alone.. Can't even get that with the way things are going

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

PArts of the country are in a recession right now. Been there, done that. At the time it wasn't so bad because I had nothing to compare it with: we were living in Howies Motel and were just pleased that we could support ourselves. The NEXT recession was harder on us as our house payment was higher.

Ya do what ya gotta do. Crunch the numbers. If you can only find a weekend job that will give you a profit, so be it. If you are better off working on an assembly line or mowing lawns, so be it.

Every recession ends. We all must face them, though.

If your wife works 5 days a week at 16 miles round trip per day..then she drives back and forth to work 80 miles per week..or 320 miles per month.
At 13 miles per gallon..she uses about 25 gallons of gas per month. At $3.00 per gallon for gas..that is about $75 for gas expense per month.
But you say you spend $160 on gas per month? The difference between what she uses back and forth to work..and the amount you say you spend..differs by an extra $95 per month.
What gives?


I gotta tell ya pcdreams..opportunity knocks..but you must open the door. People have provided a ton of suggestions (opportunities) that you can use to save money..and/or to generate additional income.
Some of those suggestions will require you to get out and find work instead of feeling sorry for yourself. Other of those suggestions will mean you'd have to make changes in your lifestyle.
If you are unwilling to change..then you will likely create as many excuses as you need in order for you to justify your complaining. Plus..your wife will continue to be the only breadwinner in your household..while you sit back because you refuse to make someone else rich. (You'd rather your wife did????)

Make good decisions instead of good excuses! Life is good..but you've got to put some effort into it.
Yes..some times in our lives will require more effort than other times in our lives. But nobody is going to hand you a free life..no matter how bad it gets.

I wasn't going to post any opinions on here, but the one job that hasn't been posted and the industry is always needing help is transportation. If you can get you CDL (not too hard) believe me, you'll have a job. You don't have to take a over the road job. I drive for a propane company and the pays above average for the area and I'm home every night. I enjoy making home deliveries, talking to/ meeting new people. Most trucks that I've drove are either 6 speeds or 5 with a 2 speed rear end. so you don't have to be a "real" truck driver to drive one. Just something you might consider.

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For those who fought for it, Freedom holds a special flavor the protected will never know.

Simple really..She doesn't drive..I have to drive her. so double your figure. then remember 2 trips to the grocery store as well

I know I've gotten good advice here. Never debated that.. And never said I wasn't going to use it..

And no I don't want my wife making someone else rich either..Just pointing out how corrupt our economic system is.. Guess I just needed a little pep talk.

Now as I was saying I'm going to find me a job and save EVERY penny and get the hell out of this one haus town FOREVER!!

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

You know.. as someone who lives in VT (just south of where PCdreams has his land) I'm puzzled as to why he and his wife haven't already moved here. Here the market isn't saturated in computer geeks... in fact the few I know who are really skilled are hammered, working as many hours a week as their bodies will take because demand is so high. I've got a geek coming in this morning who is moonlighting from his job with a computer reseller (retail, wholesale, and internet). We made the appointment weeks ago but kept getting put off because other people had bigger disasters. Now, finally, the guy is coming today (yipee!) with a trunk load of technology he's rebuilt for us. I don't know what it is like "down there" but "up here" companies like mine are starting to view our computers like we view our trucks: necessities we need to run our businesses... but we pay someone to maintain the things. I don't want to know what make the truck go, how the drive train works, or what makes brakes brake. I just expect when I get in the truck the mechanic has made sure the thing goes forwards, backwards, turns, and stops the way it is supposed to.

Ditto the company computer equipment. I've got $40,000 worth of hardware and software spattered over four states, three factories, and seven offices. I don't want to know how to integrate all that... I just want it integrated. For this I pay a qualified geek. And not only do I pay him well... today we'll have a catered lunch brought in specifically to keep the geek happy!

A happy geek is a productive geek, but more to the point, keeping a geek has become competitive. You pay them what they ask and a little more on the side to keep yourself in the top ten so when you really need them, they make time for you. And even then you feel honored to have him grace your office! I think Physicians once enjoyed this level of professional respect!

Then there is his wife.. an RN? She'll have her pick of places to work. Burlington is too far but I believe they are still paying a serious premium over there for qualified nurses, they're understaffed and have been for years (so understaffed I won't go over and use the medical center there.. I don't care how good the doctors are, they don't have enough support staff). Burlington has pretty high rents if you're looking for something more than a student apartment, but in theory (possibly not a good one, but in theory) one could take a nursing position and a small apartment while the spouse took "anything" and work at the hospital long enough to earn your signing bonus... then grab a nursing job closer to where you ultimately want to be, and bail.

Between VT's excessively liberal safety net, her drive to host "clean" businesses (which usually mean knowledge companies), and her burgeoning medical industry, it sounds like PC would find this state more to his liking than the one he's currently in.

But FYI... we still have that nasty corrupt little economic system thing going here. I, for example, expect my line workers to make me rather more than they cost me to employ. If they don't... I fire them. If it is a systemic issue I replace them with a machine. And I don't put up with an entitlement attitude. You think you're entitled to a "living wage" then produce, sell, create, enough to justify my paying a living wage... or start your own company. I'm not a charity.

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Icelandic Sheep and German Angora Rabbits

oops he meant "but" or rear tell us you meant "but" or posterior. I think we cant say that word here LOL

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

i took on some houses to clean, i set my pay rate(which is low compared to others) and do better than i do working my "real" full time job.

it doesnt take much to get going, make some flyers, putting them out around town, grocery stores, houses, etc. buy some cleaning supplies, make some biz cards and you are almost in. tell everyone that you meet what you are doing and the calls will begin to come in. it isn't easy work though. but since i make as much working 25 hours cleaning as i do working as a teachers aide (pay is really low) for 120 hours a month! some days are long but its nice to have the extra money. just another thought for ya to consider. good luck with your endevors

So save $95 a month by having her learn to drive herself?

In 3 months you'll save nearly enough gas money to get to VT and your wife will get a signing bonus typically as an RN.....sell a bunch of non-essentials on Ebay..sell the house and get off the Dead End ST.

Qwispea and MorrisonCorner got your number I'm afraid.....

And I will also add that if you think finding work is hard and making someone else rich is hard/demeaning.....AVOID becoming a parent....its the hardest, most thankless, non-paying job out there(actually costs you money). I love my kids and take my parenting seriously.....a 10 hr a day factory or service job would be a breeze in comparison though
Hopefully my efforts will pay off in the form of hard working, non-whining, self-starting individuals that know how to cook, clean and keep a sensible budget.

[QUOTE=mpillow]Qwispea and MorrisonCorner got your number I'm afraid.....
QUOTE]
I was thinking the same, Quick run while you still can LOL

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

Trust me I'm trying.. Ain't easy converting a automatic only girl to a manual. LOL

Where did you get the idea that My wife is an RN? She's a CNA, but I would imagine the job oppurtunity would be about the same (little less pay)..

I'm not sure what MC said as shes on my ignore list.. Anyway I won't go there..

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

pcdreams - your sense of entitlement is undermining your own dreams.

If I read you correctly, you believe that you are entitled to a certain level of pay - no matter what the cost to an employer -- re-read what morriscorner had to say about how that works he's right on the money there. It's also likely why he is in a position to hire people and you are out looking for someone to take you on as an employee. And that's what people who have an attitude of entlement are, a burder to an employer.

When I read that your wife, bless her heart, the sole breadwinner in your family...has to be driven too and from work I nearly fell out of my chair -- had me wondering if you haven't got yourself a slave.

Here you are sitting and home, doing underquality home repairs, having two trucks (I thought three vechicles because I figured your wife had one of her own), and waiting for a job of your choice to be offer you, this woman is being toted two and from work and having you make all the decision about where her pay is going?

And please don't attempt to say she's okay with all this because it was your own words that said she and her father were having difficulty understanding your choices.

If I were her, I'd buy you a tent and send you to Vermont with instructs to let me know when you have a place set up for us to live.

Hugs
marlene

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It is the one with persistence and determination that brings great ideas into being.

CNA with experience...$9 plus OT she can always work up! Sell the standard and by a gas sipping rice rocket. Haste makes waste.

I was making $10 an hour just doing bus supervision for naughty and handicappped students...in Maine with no college but experience via fostercare. I no longer have to work outside but I do bust some butt at home w/ gardens and animals.

My brother wants to Appentice my almost 12yo son for Oil Burners and plumbing...(my husband also does this but is in sales right now same field) and the contractors my husband sells to are dieing for good help AND they give you a vehicle/cell phone to use! My son will get minimum wage and housing during the week. If you have any interest in these type of jobs and have the phone book for VT call/ email all of them. My husband has 2 job offers a week still....doing burner work.

Get your bus driving license or oil truck driving (same license as bus but with Hazmat)....is possible to make $50 a day for 3 hrs of bus driving and then $10 an hour delivering fuel...7-7....with slowness coming during Summer season(you could take a layoff or make arraingement with oil employer) when the homestead needs most attn.

Its not easy but it does get easier.....nothing ventured...nothing gained...

Edited to add what I missed

I'm not saying I'm entitled to a certain level of pay at all.. I'm more than willing to start at the bottom if there is potential for upward mobility.. What I do expect is just compensation when I prove my abilities time and again..

I've NEVER been a burden to an employer.. I've always busted my arse and not complained or let my aggrevation show in my work.. But you can darn sure bet My blood pressure has gotten high repressing all that..

One thing thats wrong with employers today is they don't have any loyalty to the employee but expect you to have it for them.. For example most companies can find a million excuses to let you go if your close to retirement age (didn't say it was legal but they find ways) and theirs nothing you can do. But just let the employee try something of a similar nature and they'd be out the door so fast..

so that argument dones't hold up on that count.. Now I don't deny there are a lot of lazy worthless workers... but I am NOT one of them.. nor do I tolerate it when I'm the person in charge.





Actually it was MY father.. but thats neither here nor there... Now you're simply not making sense.. So you are saying that they were right to tell me to stay at a job where We were actually LOSING money and getting even further behind??

And if she told me to do that I'd be on the road tomorrow.. You can bet I'd get it done because THAT is where I want to be.. Not stuck here in this S**thole of a town..

Pardon me if I don't feel to sympathetic for anyone who decides that money is more important than life itself..

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

Hmmm, sounds like her standard of living would be better without you.

Now, what are you going to do to hold up your end of the bargain?

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Rudeness is a small man's imitation of power.

LOL It really was not that bad at all she is just being herself.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

I had to jump in to this. Pizza delivery, with as low a mpg as you were getting and as much as fuel cost is, would certainly make you lose money these days unless the pizza folks paid you mileage.

You should be able to amend those returns for up to 3 years back, I am in the process of amending my 2005 for some overlooked farm expenses. You may have several thousand dollars in unclaimed refund waiting for you, I really can't stress enough the importance of looking into this today!

I attached a link that lists some springfield MO employment agencies:

http://www.hellospringfield.com/YP/c...NTAGENCIES.Cfm

I totally sympathize with not wanting to make the 'system' wealthier off your sweat & toil, but right now there isn't a choice. You have to play the game to make the money you need to tell the system to ---- off and go live as you like on your land, right?

That is really my theory as well, I wish I could go live on our land and be independent, but until the mortgage is paid off and we have our other business running well enough to support us, I will keep working in a cubicle in corporate America.

Good luck! Keep your chin up, I spent a long summer unemployed after a corporate buyout and layoff so I know how it feels. Keep getting out and finding new places to put your contact info, the more folks you meet, the higher the chances are you will walk into your next job today.

Why are you going to beat the poor man up it sounds like he is trying hard to find a decent job. He worked hard in the past at a dead end job that ended up costing him $. His wife is no slave (please) I dont think anyone has those in America anymore.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

Don't know where this came from but I think you're way off base... Care to explain the second part of you post?

If you're saying that I'm to lazy to get a job you're dead wrong.. Big difference between not wanting a job and not being able to get one..

And if you're saying I'm controling your dead wrong again.. I just finished school and we had a long discussion about what we wanted to do next as far as in life.

We decided that I would spend 3-4 days a week filling out apps/ handing out resumes and the rest of the week getting the house fixed to sell... So I guess if that makes me lazy then whatever...


I've recieved a lot of good advice from some on this thread and total s**t from others. Par for the course around here it seems.. Ok I'm through arguing .. I think my time is better spent LOOKING

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"Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Rumi

Some people think anyone who does not slave away at any type of paid job however little the benefit and however much the control/humiliation is lazy never mind them.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer