BigGameHoundsmen.com

Let me hear about the economy in your area and the changes you've seen in the last few years and what you think the people and government should or could do to improve things. Do you think the info coming through the press is accurate and detailed?

Economy sucks. I haven't had a raise in 3 years now and they have doubled my insurance. They tell us to just be glad we have a job. I am but, it would be nice to see alittle more go into my pocket instead of taking it out. Gas is rising again, food is still the same pretty much. We are taking 3 steps forward and 1 and 1/2 steps back at my house. We still make it ok but, the savings account isn't growing. My hunting account has been cut to 1/3 of what it once was. So much for the being debt free in 3 years we had planned. In a way it's a good thing. We actually set down and took the time to see where we were blowing our money. We cut back where we could and it's made a huge difference. I didn't realize how much it cost us to eat a $5-6 lunch every day. At the end of the month your talking $100s of dollars. We pack our lunchs now. We go out to eat as a family once a month and have a nice sit down meal together and still only spend half of what we spent on fast food. Another good thing is it's slowed the building down. I know that's not good for the builders (like my dad) but, it's good for the people like me who hate to see a new subdivision going in every week when you can drive down the road and see 3 that are empty. It's just a waste of good farm land if you ask me.

It's not gotten so bad tho that we pray for the neighbor kids to roll our yard so we can salvage the toilet paper to whipe our asses with or anything like that.

That is honestly coming from experience. I was poor once. I know what it's all about and that was when the economy was good too. 18 and your parents brake your plate, no where to go but, you got a 22, shells and a tent. The squirrels lived hard in those woods for a while. Sometimes we really forget how bad it could be (for some it's never really be that bad) and we need to be knocked down a notch or two just to see how good we still have it.

I'm in construction and the last two years have been a roller coaster.I have sold dogs and had to wipe away a little moistier from my face when they took em away. not complaining cuz I still have it dam good, but I wish they would get this shit figured out. I feel the mainstream media ignores all of the stories that don't fit their adgenda. I'm tired of paying so much for gas. that is probably what hits me the hardest. I'm really worried about the out of controll spending and how it is going to affect us and our kids. not to mention it seems like the current administration is ignoring what the majority of us want and bulldozing stuff down our throughts.

the odd thing is the extent of the tightening with no explanation on the exact cause in any sector. think about it what is the cause for the recession? the fed government has enacted 6 unpaid furlough days per month in some areas along with cut in other perks no new jobs cutting some existing. the schools are cutting like crazy but still have the same number of students and therefore same income base. I have noticed money being spent on a lake reconditioning project several road improvement projects. some major educational buildings being built and some extensive remodeling. home and commercial construction has screeched to a halt in every area I have been in home prices have gone all over the place with foreclosure sales in every news paper and many people selling second homes and all their toys. the medical field seems to be gaining some ground in most areas.
I think maybe the baby boomers owning multiple homes and loosing so much in the stock market scared them into flooding the home sales with those second and investment homes shutting down new construction until some homes are reabsorbed. but many of the people who recently bought new homes in the easy and illegal finance days are loosing homes to foreclosure and those bail outs never made it to the bottom of the pile. I have noticed some other factors in our decline but would like to hear from some one in manufacture or a finance officer for a manufacturer. our export businesses seem stable?

Its funny. Up here in Northern Ca lots of unemployement. The second hand stores are doing booming business while retail stores are slow. I think people still have money they are just holding it tighter. The market for GOOD horses is still strong and people are willing to shell out the money. The market for trader horses though is non-existent. It has been this way for the last 3 yrs now. Stuff on Ebay is still selling good. Thats my experiences anyway.

BLM still has money for projects. 5000' of heavy wall" .25" " 2"x2" steel ? as a small segment of the project

Around here the two booming businesses are Pawn shops and new car dealers. The Toyota dealer just had the best two months ever. The Pawn shop owner is us up 4x usual.

This is certainly a DIVERSE topic. I guess I am a Baby boomer born in 46. Now retired somewhat I am NOT saying Hounders are lazy .Perhaps it is a different enviorment that I grew up in .My parents had lived through the depression and until my father died he always preached to me " DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT " type mentality I guess it sunk in. Today if you are out of work I guess you feel that YOU are living in a depression type era.Sadly we now live in an era that everyone want EVERYTHING NOW. Housing ,Vehicles,Toys etc; When the wife and I got married there was none of this 3-5% down or less to buy a house.We worked 2-3 jobs to save up the money to purchase our first house. Keeping that same mentality .i always kept that 2nd job .for items like New pick-up ,guns, dogs, toys and seperate investments.like Real Estate .I was just AFRAID to make those purchases out of the Household budget. Did I miss a lot of things YES . Would I do it again Yes .Should others be doing the same I guess it depends on what you want out of life.I guess the point I am making is for a working JOE to be able to buy a new rifle or buy a fairly LATE MODEL pick-up for cash without worrying about affecting the household budget puts ones mind at ease.
Was I extremely LUCKY In some reguards YES from a financial standpoint Particularly with the timing . I realize it is no longer the 70's 80's or 90's . I have since liquidated my assets and put into trusts monies for Kids and Grand-kids for their housing and college needs . Leaving enough for my Retirement living. Up in Brownville area of Northern Maine which has ALWAYS been a POOR economic area the buying oppurtunities have always been and continue to be very good . Typically you can still buy a house in the small town 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath 45-50,000.00 $$$ I won't go into details ,but But I bought an old Dairy farm on 250 acres paid cash $200,000. My son started re-habbing the house ,Had some guys helping him for $12 /hour cash some of these guys had been out of work for 2+ years costs were about $60,000.00 Replumbing ,electric ,Frame work ,interior finish etc;ended up selling that place to a guy who had came into some money for $350,000.00 Again LUCKY on the Timing. Picked up another piece of property that bordered on the Paper Company land went through the LURC -Land use regulatory commission . Got approved and my son started looking for contractors . Got bids from Concrete , Framing, Plumbing ,Electrical Heating ,Ac, Masonary for fireplace etc; Well when I notified the contractors who they were up against the bids suddenly were reduced about 40% on average . Again was it timing at the height of the recession or people looking for work at any cost Certainly left room for some upgrades.,bigger house, larger garage , bigger patio etc;.

I suppose the moral to this story is :as a consumer there are lots of Bargains out there. And as bad as the economy remains Hardly a week goes buy when someone knocks on the door wanting to know if they can Mow lawn ,plow snow ,do odd jobs,stack firewood etc. Just really a shame to see all that going on. Again we must ask ourselves " HOW BAD DO WE WANT THINGS AND WHAT SACRIFICES ARE WE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH" . Would I do the same thing today YES . My biggest concerns are the young kids starting out today and the CHANCES they will have in life.With-out winning the lottery or having an inheirentence the future looks Bleak for our Youth .HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT

After pondering our "current economic downtrend", I think the cause, is that the American People and their Gov.'t are overleveraged and have a tremendous lack of confidence. The money is there, it just is not being spent. JMO

Liontracker : Very true Govt and people being OVER-LEVERAGED .Why would you buy something you may NOT know if you can pay for it or not . Probably why My credit is so low ,If I can't pay cash I probably don't need it . Lots of PURCHASES are made in the hound world from IMPULSE BUYING and NOT thinking things out.

Bob, I would think you could expand that thought to 90% of all purchase in the US are based on emotion and/or impulse. And that, is thanks the the massive marketing campain that this country has been brainwashed into over the last 40 yrs.

what is the old biblical saying " SEW and YE SHALL REAP . I have bought things "ON SALE" but NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE ON SALE . Just have to have the right MINDSET.when the wife and I got married ,I think we had $100.00 total . I think we both wanted "IT " Pretty badly .Just goes to show if we can do it anybody can. Sad to see so many people living paycheck to paycheck . and NOT getting anywhere . I guess they are NOT MOTIVATED enough. LIFE all depends on your PRIORITIES.

LOL!! I almost forgot, but at the end of my wedding day, I had exactly a five dollar bill!
Talk about starting with next to nothing!LOL

and now what You are a multi-millionaire . just kidding I jut hope you and others are getting the point I was Making. I do have compassion and sympathy for those in that position ,But have a hard time figuring out why people let themselves in that position .Too many people today are of the GIMME GIMME mindset TOOOO dependent on surviving with the GOVMINT HAND-OUT.

bob baldwin jr wrote:and now what You are a multi-millionaire . just kidding

I was doing pretty good until I got into hounds!LOL

But I get your point loud and clear. In fact, schools should teach that point in economics class. But then again, that would break the financial system and the Gov.'t...