For the Love of Money

I have to turn on the tv

I am taking another look at our budget, and am going to sit down with my husband and really tighten our belts. We have a savings plan, but we keep having emergencies, so we keep draining it. Clearly we need to do more there. We must cut out non-essentials, and I am going to have to start itemizing my taxes. I work from home and my boss does not pay anything towards what it costs to keep me in operation here, so now I'm going to itemize. This is being brought up because we are seeing a tax attorney on Wednesday and we're having our taxes for the past several years re-done. I am also going to start investing in precious metals. I am scared over all of this... terrified really. Just trying to take it one minute at a time here!

Not sure there is much anyone can do now in terms of saving anything that hasn't already been squirreled away. I have a feeling its going to turn out to be, whoever has been cautious and thrifty up till this point will be ok, and the rest will be struggling to get through.

I'm really surprised it didn't go through.

I am also going to start investing in precious metals

The sooner the better. Gold and platinum being the wisest and platinum preferred especially during war. Anyone who has savings or retirement accounts would be wise to do the same as they risk losing more as the value of their paper is heading for a free fall and they are actually some of the ones who will get hurt the worst. Those who don't have any really have nothing to worry about with the exception of the value of their income in comparison to the rising cost of living..

I seen this...and they said they would re-write it again in the coming days. Not that I really understand it all, but that it didn't get passed seems to be a disappointment for those that were on the newsbreak.

Things look pretty glum indeed. For the first time I'm glad I don't have any investments in the stock market. I have my house, but it is paid for and I don't plan on moving. I have a feeling lots of people are going to lose their jobs as a result of this. Very sad...and it is all because of the greed of our nation.

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

They used to tell me
I was building a dream.
And so I followed the mob
When there was earth to plow
Or guns to bear
I was always there
Right on the job.
They used to tell me
I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line
Just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad
I made it run
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad
Now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower up to the sun
Brick and rivet and lime.
Once I built a tower,
Now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits
Gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum.
Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say don't you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember?
I'm your pal.
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?

Hope to win the lottery!!!

Esther, I plan on doing the only thing I can do. Survive each day with God as my guide.

OOPS had to delete my message, messed up.

Donna - Tune in but don't tune out.

Pamela - I hear you. I've never had to worry about anything like this before but the way things look with all of our family businesses we are looking at trouble on the horizon. *sigh*

Sophie - We've got mouths to feed, employees to pay, leases to keep and pay, etc., etc. And on top of this I am trying to sell my house. It has been officially on the market now for almost a month. I doubt that I will sell it anytime soon. I may just have to end up renting it so as not to lose out on any income from it entirally.

I have been squirrelling away a little but not certainly the way business has been for me recently. Luckily working for my Brother that has saved my year and is helping but if he should go under we are sunk.

Cori - So am I but it was a close vote.

DB - You're right...

All this 'mess' is sad, very sad!!!

Marsha - I hope that you're right. I will be watching all of the news locally and international tonight and nightline to get a better grasp of what is happening.

Who knew. When i was living off the land (fishing for catfish at the Nueces River and shooting cotton tail rabbits in south Texas) back in the late 50's, that i was learning the skills i would need for my retirement years.

Cheryl - Unfortunately you are right. But as a good friend on this site has said so many times before (Jeff leading the blind to slaughter), neither one of the Presidential candidates has the power to change the shape of things to come. Neither one.

You are lucky that your house is paid for and here I am stuck with an enormous albatross on my back.

Berf - Once upon a time, there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours,
Think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La

Then, the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If, by chance, I'd see you in the tavern,
We'd smile at one another and we'd say

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La

Just tonight, I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass, I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me?

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La

Through the door, there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts, the dreams are still the same

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La
La La La La La La La La La La

La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la

With all this mess; if I was on the ticket, I'd decline. It must be strictly an ego thing - wanting to be president - because whoever does win is inheriting a big pile of turd that no ONE man, or woman is going to fix. And also, no ONE man caused this although a lot of folks on here like to think otherwise.

Scary. I'm not really sure what any of us should. Am definitely up for suggestions! Our house is paid for but we still have a lot of debt. I guess the house is probably the biggest thing, so we're very fortunate.

Alex - I'll tell you I wish I would too hon.

Lisa - It seems that we are all going to have to kneel and pray very deeply. We are in real trouble.

Phyllis - Indeed. I hear ya girlfriend. It's not only sad but its scary.

I am going to make sure my stockpile will last us at least 6 months. Not sure what the heck else I can do.

Freddie - You're speaking of a place that I know of very well. I was born in Nueces County, Corpus Christi, "The Sparkling City by the Bay."

I guess I can always move down there and fish to eat... :o)

Robert - AMEN to that.

Kimberly - Yes you are lucky but if anyone has any credit cards might as well get rid of the as I have heard rumours going around about certain places no longer accepting credit cards and only cash if you can believe that.

Imagine me trying to sell a house right now? I'm going to have to talk to my realtor tomorrow as there is an enormous glut of new houses in my neighborhood as it is. Having just signed a lease on an apartment and moving has been a pain. No way am I going to move back into the house now. I think I am going to see about leasing it to someone so as not to lose more money on it. That's all that I can think of doing for now other than going to Sam's to load up on canned goods and non perishables and powdered milk and stuff like that.

No one knows what is ahead.

Donna - It definitely sounds like a good plan to me and makes a heckuva lot of sense at that. I too am going to do that this very week.

Water too. Who knows what is going to happen right?

I believe we are in big trouble (I hope I'm wrong)

I keep my shelves stocked with food I learned that from my mother who lived during the depression.always buy a little more than you need and it adds up.as far as meat goes I live in the mountains and am surrounded by it.I think I'm one of the lucky ones.

Tough economy to sell a house and getting worse. I watched mine lose 45% of its value in the 9 months I had it on the market. Renting is probaly the way to go. I did a rent to own so my tenant has an insentive to maintain the property. I use zillow.com to get prices for the area. Its prices are better than nothing and Realtors will tell you anything and everything.

Elaine - You are indeed one of the lucky ones my dear.

Continued blessings to you.

David - You can say that again. I'm going to look at that site and check it out. I can only imagine how much mine will lose. 3000 square feet with five bedrooms and there is a glut of these on the market around here.

I really think that leasing it out is going to be the best route unless I decide to give it away - bah!

Thanks for the tips. Good idea on that leasing to own bit. Good food for thought indeed.

Unfortunately they will eventually take the bailout. I wish that they would not. The USA is a house built upon sand and the bailout will simply shore it up for a while and allow the problem to continue. The entire problem is based upon greed, greed at the top and right on down through the bottom. One should NOT buy what they do not have the money to pay for when the bill come in. Period!

Just passing through

Ah, yes. The Neocon National Anthem...

I don't think that I'm going to stock up on canned goods, and I certainly won't be buying up any gold right now at $1000/ounce!

Liz - Exactly. Unfortunately as you say this country is built upon sand and unlike a house of cards will eventually fall.

For too long I was amazed at how people here in Dallas would be overextended on all of their credit cards practically living off of them and driving their big fancy cars and big houses all over this city. I was one of those until the late 90's when I discovered that cash was the way to go.

We live in a country of over indulgence where the sky is the limit and as long as one has that almighty credit card they will buy what ever fancies them. We are not living in the same era that we were in before and I do believe that what is happening right now to our economy is serving to awaken many who have been asleep for far too long and living in the status quo.

I for one know that I am facing an uphill battle with several different things due to the economy right now with my trying to sell a house to having a career that most look at as a luxury. No one wants to pay for a decorator for anything these days. I am lucky if old clients want to buy a new sofa or chairs these days. Thank heavens for referrals. That's why I am now working for my Brother because to be without a steady income in these unstable times is akin to living on the street.

I too hope that the bailout doesn't happen and yet I have mixed emotions about the entire thing. To have small businesses in our family and not to be able to secure the loans necessary to keep them running is going to bring us all to financial ruin.

I truly fear for the future, and all I can do is pray.

Marianne - Thank you.

Ron - Ah yes. You recognized it.

Warren - I don't know what the answer is in regards to food. All I know is that to continue buying my groceries at Whole Foods is no longer an option for me. It certainly is better to buy there but to do so would only mean we could eat but we wouldn't be able to buy gas for our vehicles. I think it's time for us to shop at Sam's.

As for the gold, that is one area where we are lucky. We were smart to jump on the bandwagon when gold was way low. I recently sold a gold necklace for $4,500 that had cost the person who bought it for me $600 less than six years ago. Astronomical and unbelievable but very true.

I don't know what the answers are right now but for me, I am thinking on the safe side. Call me a pessimist of which I have never been in my life but I must truly think of the future at least for my Parents and myself (and my cats of course).

Rita - Greed overtook everything else and now we are all going to have to pay for it.

Selene - Good way to think of it, at least we're young but imagine the surprise when my 77 year old Father's stocks dropped from 37 dollars to 25 dollars each?

Not a good thing and now especially since they are talking about taking social security away...what are people to do and how are they to live?

Stocking up on staples is probably a good idea. Let's not forget the floods in Missouri and all the crops that were completely wiped out. Corn and wheat will be very expensive in the very near future.

My plan is to wait until Esther's done stock-piling then I'll go stay with her. LOL. Joking, hon, I think.....................

Jose - I know the situation is looking rather dire. Time to start planning ahead and putting those nuts away before winter gets here.

Robert - No free ride here Mister Burnham. Everyone must pull their own weight around here. What day do you want to do your dish washing, mopping, vacuuming, washing dishes and cooking? I'm already on the schedule and so is Ceena so what days do you want? :o)

Its a huuuuge mess.. and its not gonna get fixed anytime soon. I'm just glad I have no mortgages or credit card debt or any of that!

Suze - You are lucky kiddo!

I have a huuuuge mortgage to pay and I must pay for it for being empty now for a month! Gonna have to lease it out before I go off the deep end...

Money. . . yummy.... Oh wait, that's what got us into this mess! Sorry.

Good time to invest!

We have virtually no bills but the house and utilities. We have always kept emergency funds plus are socking away as much as possible. Worrying about new taxes next year has us scrambling to figure out what to do about that however.

David - How right you are...

Charles - Wondering what to do about next year is right...best to continue socking money away as who knows what is going to be thrust upon us then.

I don't worry about it at all, changes nothing, and money cannot be eaten. Not worth the paper it's printed, we'll either survive or we won't. Simplify. Learn what truly are needs and what are not. Many would be suprised what they can do without, once you lose everything the first time, you figure it out. It's all stuff after that, only people, and banding together will matter

going thru your stuff to replay your kindness, even if i've seen it before!!

<3 Krystal