Is anyone else feeling the crunch of the economy like me? With gas prices at well over $4.00 a gallon, home heating oil above that, and the increases at the grocery store, and at all other realtors my layout has not been touched in a month. I just don't have the $$$ to spend on my toys like I did before.
I'm very depressed.
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
I hear you there. Last night on the way home from work, I had to gas up my truck. I only needed a little over half a tank, and the total came to $88! Even riding my bike to work as much as I can is getting pricy, the last tankful there was $17.
I get really depressed when I look at my 401K fund. At this rate, I won't be able to retire EVER! I'm starting to think I should save all of my money in a couple of Mason jars out in the backyard. I try to keep an "allowance" from my paycheck to limit my spending. It has been $100 a week for years, and this winter, it will take all of that to buy gas to go to work (probabaly and then some too). I'm trying to save up some money to buy a couple of locos from a guy, and I can't seem to get any put back.
The only nice thing is that I do have a lot of stuff put back to work on when I can't afford to go to work any more! At least I won't be bored.
Good Luck, Morpar
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
jamnest wrote:It's like the prototype railroad for me. I have been working on the layout to get it into shape for an operating session. I am not employed right now, but had previously stocked up on supplies for this anticipated time off. Sorry to learn now that I did not purchase enough track or turnouts. I have a staging yard at each end of the layoyut and do not have enough track and turnouts in the inventory to reach one of the staging yards. Like the prototype, construction has halted until the railroad management can raise more funds.
Interesting you say railroad management & raising funds. At the rate I'm going right now, my B&M layout will go the way of the original. Bankrupt...
I've been out of work for almost 1 1/2 years! That leaves ZERO $$$ for the layout! A can of paint or a copy of MR is a cause for celebration for me.I've got 10 years management experience and I can't even get a job stocking grocery store shelves on third shift! I've applied at about 50 places in the last 3 weeks. Got ONE call for an interview. A job I was REALLY qualified for. I got 2 sentences out of my mouth and the woman interviewing me called out to the rest of the people in the office-LOOKY HERE! WE GOT US A OHIO YANKEE LOOKIN FER WERK!!!I REALLY frickin hate living in the South!!
loathar wrote: I've been out of work for almost 1 1/2 years! That leaves ZERO $$$ for the layout! A can of paint or a copy of MR is a cause for celebration for me.I've got 10 years management experience and I can't even get a job stocking grocery store shelves on third shift! I've applied at about 50 places in the last 3 weeks. Got ONE call for an interview. A job I was REALLY qualified for. I got 2 sentences out of my mouth and the woman interviewing me called out to the rest of the people in the office-LOOKY HERE! WE GOT US A OHIO YANKEE LOOKIN FER WERK!!!I REALLY frickin hate living in the South!!
Aw, c'mon, Loathar - the South ain't all bad! There are idiots like that all over the world, and just as much discrimination "up north" as "down south."
I'm sorry about your bad luck, but don't hate the game - hate the player
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
dale8chevyss wrote:Try being over a year out of college and still not be able to find a job.
What was your major?
Maybe it's time to move away from thar' ...come to Houston..There are jobs everywhere here. They need 80,000 truckers in this area alone to move the goods. I don't know what it is, but when the country gets in an economic slump, Houston becomes a boom town....Of course most of the oil refineries are here which my have a lot to do with it....chuck
cwclark wrote: loathar wrote: I've been out of work for almost 1 1/2 years! That leaves ZERO $$$ for the layout! A can of paint or a copy of MR is a cause for celebration for me.I've got 10 years management experience and I can't even get a job stocking grocery store shelves on third shift! I've applied at about 50 places in the last 3 weeks. Got ONE call for an interview. A job I was REALLY qualified for. I got 2 sentences out of my mouth and the woman interviewing me called out to the rest of the people in the office-LOOKY HERE! WE GOT US A OHIO YANKEE LOOKIN FER WERK!!!I REALLY frickin hate living in the South!!Maybe it's time to move away from thar' ...come to Houston..There are jobs everywhere here. They need 80,000 truckers in this area alone to move the goods. I don't know what it is, but when the country gets in an economic slump, Houston becomes a boom town....Of course most of the oil refineries are here which my have a lot to do with it....chuck
I would if I could.
A-No money to move.
B-Taking care of my "ailing" mom here.
C-Diabetic...Can't get a CDL license! Trucking is the one thing that has a lot of openings here and I can't do it.
I've been offered my old jobs back in Oh. and Fl. if it weren't for the moving money and the "mom" thing.
Sorry. Didn't mean to vent. I'm just at my wits end these days.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My Mom and Dad went through the great depression. When I was growing up, I saw them save everything. My Dad used to get used lumber and pull the nails and straighten them out. I thought he was crazy. But guess what? I'm doing that now at 64. I am saving EVERYTHING.
Take the hobby in a new direction. Start scratch building. Modeling is still modeling, it just takes longer and costs less to scratch build. I have been on a $60 per month hobby allowance for 20 years. I have learned a lot about scratch building.
The only thing I think I have done right in the last three years is I bought a Civic Hybrid almost three years ago, just before gas prices started going up bad. I get 50 MPG City or Highway. I just love it. However, five years ago we switched our heat form Propane to oil. That's a bummer. I am now fully retired on a fixed income, so far so good. We are getting ready to expand our garden again. Every little bit helps. Glad I stuck it out and retired from the Navy.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
gandydancer19 wrote:Take the hobby in a new direction. Start scratch building. Modeling is still modeling, it just takes longer and costs less to scratch build. I have been on a $60 per month hobby allowance for 20 years. I have learned a lot about scratch building.
May be that's even a better direction. You are really doing railroad modelling and not railroad collecting. You earn all my respect for your scratch building projects.
Reinhard
We're on a fixed income and last night I sold a nice camera on eBay to raise some extra cash. Fortunately we are able to use public transportation and don't even own a car, but the high cost of gasoline will start having a ripple effect on many consumer products.
Wish those folks in DC could get together for a change and start doing something constructive instead of blaming everyone else for the economic problems we face.
I'm gonna be scratch building some more buildings and rolling stock, and maybe practice some weathering techniques. But there are no major purchases planned for the railroad.
Wayne
Modeling HO Freelance Logging Railroad.
This recession and inflation is breaking the backs of many families, it is very sad and very madenning also. Those of us on Fixed Income are really getting clobbered. Heating oil here in the Northeast is at $4.25 a gallon for #2 heating oil. Propane and natural gas are all headed UP as well, and if we have an early Winter, or a severe cold Winter, hold on to your wallets. I have 4 cords of wood ready for Winter to keep two woodburners going. Last year I used 520 gallons of oil for 12 month period, and I am going to try to reduce that use even further.
And guys, the REAL rate of inflation is between 8 and 10%, NOT the phony 4% that Fed is trying to tell us, so don't look for a COLA of over3.5% for SS this October. BUT, you can bet your life that Part "B" deduction for Medicare for those of us over 65 will be raised, and take away a large chunk of SS COLA increase.
I guess we will be buying more kits and Blue Boxes...."hear that Athearn???"
Went through this in the 1970s. The cost of gas reached the ungodly price of $1.00 or more.
Deal with it. You will survive. Stuff happens.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
When this year's election is over, we won't be constantly bombarded with "bad economic news" around the clock. Trust me, there is plenty of good economic news that remains unreported or under-reported. This seems to occur every four years, regardless of which way the political monemtum is headed.
Once we stop hearing as much doom and gloom, we'll all feel more optomistic, and we'll begin to more forward again. As Marshall McCuhen sp? noted 45 or more years ago, "The media is the massage."
chicochip
richg1998 wrote: Went through this in the 1970s. The cost of gas reached the ungodly price of $1.00 or more.Deal with it. You will survive. Stuff happens.Rich
Yeah, but ground beef wasn't $4/lb. then.
Tatans-Amen to those words brother! I WISH I could even get $6/hour here! Unemployment's over 9% here. And that's what the county says it is. NOT what it REALLY is!
I'm glad I stocked up on some basic modeling supplies when I was working. I've got enough stuff to keep me busy for a while. I was drooling over an IHC Hudson at MB Klein last night. $59! Really hurts to not even be able to THINK about buying it! Even scratch building supplies are out of my price range because of the 100 mile round trip to get them.
richg1998 wrote: Deal with it. You will survive. Stuff happens.
Best advice anywhere.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
/quote
Ditto. Enjoy the Hobby.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
.
loathar wrote: Yeah, but ground beef wasn't $4/lb. then.Tatans-Amen to those words brother! I WISH I could even get $6/hour here! Unemployment's over 9% here. And that's what the county says it is. NOT what it REALLY is! I'm glad I stocked up on some basic modeling supplies when I was working. I've got enough stuff to keep me busy for a while. I was drooling over an IHC Hudson at MB Klein last night. $59! Really hurts to not even be able to THINK about buying it! Even scratch building supplies are out of my price range because of the 100 mile round trip to get them.
I pay 9 dollars per gallon of gas and 5-6 dollars per LB of ground beef. Welcome to Sweden.
Magnus
MrKLUKE wrote: I agree with the 3 guys that say "DEAL WITH IT". We can roll over and die OR we can fight it, live smarter, think of new ways to make money, etc. NO, I don't make much money but I know what to cut out and I can figure out ways to adapt. I understand people with physical disabilities and things like that have a much harder time. BUT, to all the healthy people out there...figure it out man!! Gas at $4/gallon is a pain but how much does the bottled water cost if you base it on a per gallon price? MORE than gas. How many people think nothing of that kind of stuff? It's a mind game. Gotta stay sharp and out-smart the system. Most of all, gotta stay positive and stop dwelling on the negatives. You won't get ahead that way. I was pleasantly surprised to see some positive thinkers out there. I'm lovin' life. It's short so embrace it. We have become a spoiled nation. Jeff (MrKLUKE)
I agree with the 3 guys that say "DEAL WITH IT". We can roll over and die OR we can fight it, live smarter, think of new ways to make money, etc. NO, I don't make much money but I know what to cut out and I can figure out ways to adapt. I understand people with physical disabilities and things like that have a much harder time. BUT, to all the healthy people out there...figure it out man!! Gas at $4/gallon is a pain but how much does the bottled water cost if you base it on a per gallon price? MORE than gas. How many people think nothing of that kind of stuff? It's a mind game. Gotta stay sharp and out-smart the system. Most of all, gotta stay positive and stop dwelling on the negatives. You won't get ahead that way. I was pleasantly surprised to see some positive thinkers out there. I'm lovin' life. It's short so embrace it. We have become a spoiled nation.
Jeff (MrKLUKE)
Ditto, Ditto, Ditto. Suck it up, folks. Ride a bike to places. If the grocery store is within biking distance of your house, use your bike (gotta run that by my parents). Do your scenery the old way, get the natural materials. Hey, no matter what, you'll normally be alive. So suck it up, and quit complaining. It'll pass, just like the great depression. I get so tired of hearing crud like "global warming" or that "the economy is bad". It's doomsday crud. Forget about it. Oh, and the OPEC ain't helpin nothing either.
chicochip wrote: As Marshall McCuhen sp? noted 45 or more years ago, "The media is the massage."
Close. Actually McLuhan. And it's "the medium is the message." Although it sure feels like a massage at times.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Packers1 wrote: MrKLUKE wrote: I agree with the 3 guys that say "DEAL WITH IT". We can roll over and die OR we can fight it, live smarter, think of new ways to make money, etc. NO, I don't make much money but I know what to cut out and I can figure out ways to adapt. I understand people with physical disabilities and things like that have a much harder time. BUT, to all the healthy people out there...figure it out man!! Gas at $4/gallon is a pain but how much does the bottled water cost if you base it on a per gallon price? MORE than gas. How many people think nothing of that kind of stuff? It's a mind game. Gotta stay sharp and out-smart the system. Most of all, gotta stay positive and stop dwelling on the negatives. You won't get ahead that way. I was pleasantly surprised to see some positive thinkers out there. I'm lovin' life. It's short so embrace it. We have become a spoiled nation. Jeff (MrKLUKE) Ditto, Ditto, Ditto. Suck it up, folks. Ride a bike to places. If the grocery store is within biking distance of your house, use your bike (gotta run that by my parents). Do your scenery the old way, get the natural materials. Hey, no matter what, you'll normally be alive. So suck it up, and quit complaining. It'll pass, just like the great depression. I get so tired of hearing crud like "global warming" or that "the economy is bad". It's doomsday crud. Forget about it. Oh, and the OPEC ain't helpin nothing either.
I love it! Words of wisdom from a 15 year old!
Go get a job, move out of your parents house,try and support yourself, then lose your job and all you've worked for and see if you whistle the same smug tune there junior!