Terrible economy = no money for home brews

[Helmy]

Well everyone its has definately been a long while since i have posted on here. Every time I brew i post somewhere on this site, but have been silent for quite some time. I dont know how it is for the rest of you, but up here in Michigan, the economy is so terrible...How terrible is it? Its so terrible that (insert your own pithy comment here)! I got all excited because today i was planning on making a double batch! I had my day all planned out from the moment i arose. I am sitting at work with HB faries dancing in my head when all of a sudden my phone rings. I forgot to pay the energy bill!!!!! DRAT!!! Stupid energy!! Well there goes my HB $. I was wondering how i managed to come up with enouugh cash for some beer this week and now i know. Well i suppose there is always next week. Fingers crossed! If i dont speak here, happy holidays everybody...Talk to you next year!!!!

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Hopefully things turn around for you and you'll be back to brewing soon.

 

[howlinowl]

i feel your pain. The company I worked 6 year for was sold. 3 months after the sale, the new owners let me and another guy go. I think the company that bought it just wanted the customer base..... since the housing market took a crap here, and since it's coming on winter time, ain't nobody hiring A/C and refrig guys at this moment. When the market was hot, all sorts of people wanted to steal me away, now none of 'em want me. I found a courier job at the blood center doesn't pay as much, but it and my wife's job'll pay the bills until winter's over and maybe things'll pick up next spring. I'll need to scale back the brewing, but figure if I cut out buying commercial brews, I can direct that $$ to brewing. Good luck.

Allan

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Hmmm I get laid off, and suddenly with all the extra time I have, all my cornies are suddenly full, with more fermenting! I'm lucky, though, SWMBO makes pretty good (not great, but pretty good) money so that with me being laid off, we're still OK. If my UI runs out, though, that could be a problem......

 

[MikeFlynn74]

I wish I had your issues-

I make damn good money but have 2 kids and 3 dogs. So I am broke as hell.

 

[Kevin Dean]

I grew up in Michigan, and never realized how terrible the economy was, even during "good" times. It wasn't until moving to the middle of BFE that I realized Michigan is on par with that. The prosparity of Northern Virginia is an amazing contrast to that.

Wishin you the best through hard times!

 

[Seabee John]

This always is an amazing topic for me to talk about. I'm self employed, have been for the last five years... with a seasonal business that relies on the EXTRA cash laying around that people will spend on something they can often do without... Landscaping. Every fall (I live in Minnesota) I have to go look for work. I work as a carpenter all winter long. When everyone else in the union is sitting on the bench, I'm putting in overtime. Why? Because I'm willing to do what I need to do to stay busy.

I've also been in the military for the last 16 years, 11 of them on active duty. I've been all over the world (and always stationed on land - Seabees don't float) I've seen "bad" economies.

I was asked, in Iraq, a question that changed my view of my own circumstances, and maybe my view of life in general.

A young Ugandan man and I were enjoying a couple of neer beers and a smoke outside the exchange in Al Taqaddam Air Base. We talked about family, our homes, our music, and friends back home. He asked me this question after 10 minutes of a jovial conversation: "So, just how bad is the famine where you come from?" He didn't ask IF we had a famine, he assumed we had one. He believed the entire planet has a famine.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the biggest problem amongst our poor people was not famine, but obesity.

Every time I hear someone complain about the bad economy, I suggest they take a vacation to any 3rd world country of their choice, Mexico is ok as long as you are the only American in the town and the nearest telephone is a two hour walk away.

As for me, My ability to make money in any economy in the best and most free country on the planet is only limited to my imagination and determination.

If you think everything I said is B.S. Realize that you are looking at a computer with internet access connected to a website dedicated to a hobby and then tell me I'm full of bull. But I'll bet your worries are pretty minimal. I bet they are smaller than our boys' holding the line in the middle east, and I'm pretty sure my buddy in Uganda has bigger fish to fry just looking for a fish to fry.

 

[howlinowl]

This always is an amazing topic for me to talk about. I'm self employed, have been for the last five years... with a seasonal business that relies on the EXTRA cash laying around that people will spend on something they can often do without... Landscaping. Every fall (I live in Minnesota) I have to go look for work. I work as a carpenter all winter long. When everyone else in the union is sitting on the bench, I'm putting in overtime. Why? Because I'm willing to do what I need to do to stay busy.

I've also been in the military for the last 16 years, 11 of them on active duty. I've been all over the world (and always stationed on land - Seabees don't float) I've seen "bad" economies.

I was asked, in Iraq, a question that changed my view of my own circumstances, and maybe my view of life in general.

A young Ugandan man and I were enjoying a couple of neer beers and a smoke outside the exchange in Al Taqaddam Air Base. We talked about family, our homes, our music, and friends back home. He asked me this question after 10 minutes of a jovial conversation: "So, just how bad is the famine where you come from?" He didn't ask IF we had a famine, he assumed we had one. He believed the entire planet has a famine.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the biggest problem amongst our poor people was not famine, but obesity.

Every time I hear someone complain about the bad economy, I suggest they take a vacation to any 3rd world country of their choice, Mexico is ok as long as you are the only American in the town and the nearest telephone is a two hour walk away.

As for me, My ability to make money in any economy in the best and most free country on the planet is only limited to my imagination and determination.

If you think everything I said is B.S. Realize that you are looking at a computer with internet access connected to a website dedicated to a hobby and then tell me I'm full of bull. But I'll bet your worries are pretty minimal. I bet they are smaller than our boys' holding the line in the middle east, and I'm pretty sure my buddy in Uganda has bigger fish to fry just looking for a fish to fry.

I hear ya. My wife is originally from the town of Barobo, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. On my first trip there, I was suprised by the poverty. Lots of small shacks nailed together with whatever they had along the roadway.

If things don't pick up here, I'll probably start my own refrig buisness. But, it'll probably take me a couple years to get the ball rolling. But, I wouldn't have to be very busy to pull down what I make working for someone, and I own all my own tools and equipment, have to get a van and ladders and refrig recovery machine (they were provided by my previous employer).

Allan

 

[Ryanh1801]

This always is an amazing topic for me to talk about. I'm self employed, have been for the last five years... with a seasonal business that relies on the EXTRA cash laying around that people will spend on something they can often do without... Landscaping. Every fall (I live in Minnesota) I have to go look for work. I work as a carpenter all winter long. When everyone else in the union is sitting on the bench, I'm putting in overtime. Why? Because I'm willing to do what I need to do to stay busy.

I've also been in the military for the last 16 years, 11 of them on active duty. I've been all over the world (and always stationed on land - Seabees don't float) I've seen "bad" economies.

I was asked, in Iraq, a question that changed my view of my own circumstances, and maybe my view of life in general.

A young Ugandan man and I were enjoying a couple of neer beers and a smoke outside the exchange in Al Taqaddam Air Base. We talked about family, our homes, our music, and friends back home. He asked me this question after 10 minutes of a jovial conversation: "So, just how bad is the famine where you come from?" He didn't ask IF we had a famine, he assumed we had one. He believed the entire planet has a famine.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the biggest problem amongst our poor people was not famine, but obesity.

Every time I hear someone complain about the bad economy, I suggest they take a vacation to any 3rd world country of their choice, Mexico is ok as long as you are the only American in the town and the nearest telephone is a two hour walk away.

As for me, My ability to make money in any economy in the best and most free country on the planet is only limited to my imagination and determination.

If you think everything I said is B.S. Realize that you are looking at a computer with internet access connected to a website dedicated to a hobby and then tell me I'm full of bull. But I'll bet your worries are pretty minimal. I bet they are smaller than our boys' holding the line in the middle east, and I'm pretty sure my buddy in Uganda has bigger fish to fry just looking for a fish to fry.

Very well put!!!!

 

[Seabee John]

have to get a van and ladders and refrig recovery machine (they were provided by my previous employer).Allan

Ask around a bit. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to help a guy starting out on his own. If it wasn't for some of the people giving me work, tools, advise, or good deals on stuff I never would have made it on my own... And all they ask in return is that you do the best you can and be productive. People love winners.

 

[Kevin Dean]

And all they ask in return is that you do the best you can and be productive. People love winners.

Not many in the world that will do that, but the point here is great. Sometimes, people get WAY to caught up with the idea of "only green bills have value". A friend of mine, a decent web programmer, was robbed a few months prior to his wedding - attacked with a tire iron and his laptop was stolen. Not only did he have no laptop, he had no tools to do his work. He set out on the longest trade of barters in the histroy of man, eventually doing some programming work for small businesses that resulted in him getting a laptop (directly, as a trade) which he used to barter with several places to pull off the most extravagant wedding I've seen in a while.

The point there is that just because your bank statements are too low doesn't mean you've not got a steady source of valuable commodities in which to bargain with.

 

[Seabee John]

Not many in the world that will do that, but the point here is great. Sometimes, people get WAY to caught up with the idea of "only green bills have value". A friend of mine, a decent web programmer, was robbed a few months prior to his wedding - attacked with a tire iron and his laptop was stolen. Not only did he have no laptop, he had no tools to do his work. He set out on the longest trade of barters in the histroy of man, eventually doing some programming work for small businesses that resulted in him getting a laptop (directly, as a trade) which he used to barter with several places to pull off the most extravagant wedding I've seen in a while.

The point there is that just because your bank statements are too low doesn't mean you've not got a steady source of valuable commodities in which to bargain with.

I love the barter system... if not for the reason that great relationships develop, for the simple fact that Uncle Sam gets screwed out of a few tax dollars.

 

[McKBrew]

Thanks for your post Seabee, I think all of us need something like that once in awhile to remind that things aren't no where near as bad as we think.

 

[Bourdon]

It's amazing how good we have it in the USA. We may have a ****ty president, the economy may be going downhill, and we may be getting laid off. This is the land of opportunity and there are food banks, shelters, social security, unemployment, and welfare to help you through those rough times. Other places around the world do not have that. The greats of this country are proof that even with a little know-how and effort the little man can make it big (Rockefeller, etc..)

 

[MikeInCtown]

Helmy, I feel your pain. I'm in Ohio and see how the economy is going. In my line of work you almost need to know someone to advance into a bigger position. I'm surprised you are really looking for work though since most guys like you have an abundance of heating work through the winter. (and maintenance of indoor commercial stuff as well)

Anyway, good luck with your search.