Everything Is Going Up In Dollars Except Our Paychecks. What Are The Less Fortunate To Do?

i work 2 jobs; cell phone agent and personal fitness trainer.
i live in a small town that has one of the highest unemployment rates in all of Virginia. there are store/maunfacturing/business closings or layoffs nearly every week.
most of my friends have recently been laid off (i’m not exaggerating) and things are just looking very gloomy.
so groceries are going up… electric is going up… gas goes up sporadically… it seems like everything is going up except the paychecks (for those of us lucky enough to have a job).
i have lost alot of my personal training clients due to these job losses and there has been alot of people cancelling their cell phone service also due to these job losses (putting me at risk of losing my job as well).
i have even completely turned off my heat because i can’t afford to heat my very small apartment.
i live alone and trying to make it but sometimes i feel it would be easier to just curl up and die.
i feel such doom and gloom i don’t even want to live anymore because it’s just a miserable feeling not to be able to live comfortably when you are very physically and mentally ABLE to work and very WILLING to work but just CAN’T FIND enough work.
am i alone or does anyone feel as miserable about our economic status as i do?

Posted On: July 4th, 2009
Posted In: Personal Fitness
Tags: , , , , , , ,
  1. edthespa -

    You’re certainly not alone in this economy as someone who’s under-employed and really feeling the pinch as your basic expenses outpace your wages.
    You’re also correct (in my opinion) that econonomically speaking, the sky is falling.
    You can think of it as a game of musical chairs. Every few weeks the music stops, a few chairs are taken away, and we all scramble for the remaining ones.
    The trick then is to make sure you get your chair.
    1. Focus your job search efforts
    (A) on the fields that are likely to grow or remain stable, e.g. health care, alternative energy, personalized services to the very wealthy, services necessary for people who become unemployed, need to relocate, etc.
    (B) on building your personal network of contacts in those areas. Applying online and mailing unsolicited resumes is a dead-end; you need to make contact with prospective employers to get on their radar before there are openings.
    2. Be realistic. Top candidates are taking 6-12 months to find work; most of us are taking 12-24 months these days. You could get lucky and be re-employed in a week, but plan on this being a long-haul process.
    3. Chip away at building your qualifications for a better job. If schooling’s out of the quesition for financial reasons, at least try to get hands-on experience in your field of choice as a volunteer.
    4. Get way, Depression-era-creative about controlling costs. Is it time to take on a roommate? Can you get by with public transportation, or at least use it more to lower your vehicle expenses? Your phone internet are indispensible, but cable TV is $60/month you can save. Think Survival Mode for the time being.
    5. Exercise and eat right. Staying physically and mentally sharp will help you manage the stress much more effectively and will positively impact how employers percieve you. Fruit, veggies and yogurt are just as cheap as fast food, and you don’t need a health club membership to do a daily walk or some crunches.
    6. Keep a journal so you can see your progress and identify what things are working best for you.

    July 4th, 2009 at 2:47 pm

  2. MikeGolf -

    The sad thing is that you are going to just have to tough it out until the next set of elections.
    The spending bill that was just passed is going to cost more new jobs than it will create. (The money to finance the programs will come out of the capital and investment markets – which is where funding for new business and business expansion comes from.)

    July 4th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

  3. Pfo -

    You’re not alone, their are lots of regions similar to yours, and lots of people that feel that miserable.
    Things should get better eventually, just hang in there.

    July 5th, 2009 at 3:59 am

  4. BadKarma -

    Don’t worry as I’ve been told by my democratic betters, you’re just a dirty unwashed subhuman southerner who deserves to be in the situation you’re in.
    Oh and look forward to more taxes.

    July 5th, 2009 at 4:55 am

  5. how_woul -

    Welcome to Obamanomics. Expect this to get worse, as Obama’s policies cause massive inflation and continued economic chaos.

    July 5th, 2009 at 9:27 am

  6. oprah-lookalike R -

    Are you white? Then obanana doesn’t care–so get used to it–suck it up and die–and see if this presodent notices one white death?

    July 5th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

  7. Darwin -

    Get a different job! If there are two things I don’t need they are a cell phone and a fitness center membership when I lose my job.

    July 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

  8. RE -

    You are going to have to get creative, like people did in the Great Depression. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and think of ways to get out of the box you find yourself in.
    1. You live alone. Maybe you can’t afford to live alone any more. If you could share rent with a roommate, that would lower expenses for both of you and the company could cheer you up. If you have family in the area, consider sharing housing with them.
    2. If there are no jobs where you live, live where there are jobs. The health care industry is one sector that is still hiring, and there are others as suggested by Ed the Spartan. Maybe you need to get retrained to work in one of those, and move somewhere else to work if there are absolutely no jobs in your area. Maybe you and some of your unemployed friends could train and move together.
    3. As a personal fitness trainer, you know the benefits of exercise. Are you out there walking or jogging? That ought to give you some mental energy as well as physical energy and fresh air.
    4. Don’t forget it’s February. A lot of people feel more miserable this month and get the “February doldrums.” Hey, spring is right around the corner and things will start looking up!
    5. Are you still paying for cable TV? Going to the movies? Those are luxuries you can do without. Rediscover the radio and the public library. Join some clubs. Do volunteer work to help those less fortunate than yourself. That should help put things in perspective for you. Don’t forget that time is money too.
    6. Remember the old New England rhyme: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Were you in the habit of throwing away socks with holes in them? Darn them. Take care of your clothes and shoes and they will last longer. Do preventive maintenance on your car or you could take the bus, bicycle or walk more if necessary. A car is a big expense.
    7. Do what the rest of the world does. Barter. There are a lot of goods or services that you could trade your expertise as a personal fitness trainer for. Before there was health insurance, my grandmother used to barter her skill as a seamstress for medical services for her children. She made clothes for the doc’s family, including a wedding dress for his daughter, and he took care of her kids. All you have to do is get out there and pitch your ideas. Always have business cards with you.
    8. Form a food co-op for economies of scale. Buy foods and household goods only on special, in quantity, and divvy up costs and shopping time among friends and neighbors. You can do the same thing with cooking. Get together with friends and chip in. It’s cheaper to cook for a group than for one, and the camaraderie is just gravy.
    9. Hard times like these bring out either the best or the worst in people. Make sure that they bring out the best in you. And no, you aren’t alone.

    July 6th, 2009 at 1:44 am

  9. EC HERE -

    Recovery from the last disastrous 8 years is going to take time. The stimulus package targets everyday Americans. Please continue to do your part work, pay taxes, maintain savings, recycle, reuse and renew.

    July 6th, 2009 at 8:08 am