20 to 1 November 28, 2007
Posted by spacemom in : Current Affairs , 1 comment so farJust before we headed to Cleveland, I got a panicked txt from my sister. "Call me. About Mom" I called her and we talked. Mom and Dad are in a tight cash flow point. This is expected as their second house is for sale in Florida (Anyone looking for a great 3bedroom house on the Space Coast?).
It’s been on the market since July and it’s stressing them. I calmed my sister down, but then found out that most of the Christmas money that is normally sent for her to buy gifts for her kids is non-existent this year.
My parents did them a favor of helping during a hockey tournament. Gas is up to $50 a tank (I just put $42 in my car last night). Between hotels, gas and food, my parents spent $600 for the help.
Her In-laws can’t afford Christmas money this year. Her MIL drives only about 6 miles to work (12 miles round trip), but is finding the gas costs are eating into the family budget (her FIL is disabled).
I talked to Jay and we sent a little extra this year in our Christmas cheque.
In Cleveland, the Saturday paper had a top story of the local applicants for a Wal-Mart super center. 6,000 applicants. 300 jobs. That’s 20 applicants for each job. Think about this. For each person who gets the prized job, usually minimum wage, at an employer known to treat employees like slaves, 19 people will walk away with out a job at all.
We’ve been pretty insulated. Jay and I tend to save like mad. We have both been in the position of eating Ramon noodles for lunch/dinner until the next paycheque came in. Once we got out of grad school and into "real work" with "real pay", we paid off credit and started saving. Saving and saving and saving. Once in a while, we spend too much. Jay puts a hold on all spending and makes us budget for the next 3 months.
These 3 things; my parents, my sister and the Cleveland Wal-Mart have suddenly brought home what tight economic times are like right now.
Kind of scary when you stop and think. I think my cleaner is getting a little extra in her holiday Thank You cheque this year….
