[andyt]

You're leaving lots out. Like the loss of middle class jobs. The old semiskilled, well paying union jobs. There just aren't enough high tech jobs for all the people displaced, and not all those people could learn to do those jobs. That's a much greater concern than people trying to keep up with the Jones'. The middle class is getting hollowed up. Some are moving on up to the uppper class, but many others are dropping off the bottom.

Then, look at the panic of the last recession, in fact after 911 and if we stop shopping the terrorists have won, or the recession will turn into a depression. (Deflation is still a real concern for Canada.) Our whole system is based on people consuming like made to keep it going. Hollowing out all those middle class jobs is not the way to keep this going.

Then, there's the effect of rich spending on prices. Look at housing prices in Vancouver. Good luck trying to find a modest house of you could buy for 10k in the 60's for less than a million dollars. You want to stay connected you need a smart phone and all sorts of other crap. People want the best for their kids. They see what the rich can do for their kids and naturally want some of that too.

That's the final piece - status. Which all gets measured in wealth display now. No community where you earn status by being wise or kind, you gotta show off. This all has become pathological, where in the US it's deemed downright unpatriotic to not spend. Which is why their cars for instance, are bigger and more blinged out than the ones we buy. You have to keep up, it's the law.

This all plays out in social disfunction. You can sneer all you want, but people are social animals where status is very important. If they think they don't have it, and don't see any legitimate way of getting it, they'll go for illegitimate ones. And they'll get sick, physically and mentally from the stress. Hence my sig. You can sneer like I say, but it won't help make any change. What helped was the depression WWII which for some reason made people more community minded and willing to share it seems. Don't know what happened to that.

[Yogi]

Enough about "not having any toys" cuz you can't afford them! I'll tell you how to go about getting those toys for free. Yup. FREE!
I started out by 'borrowing' $500.00 from my savings account. Keep in mind that "borrowed money must be repaid within a predetermined time".
Doing this, I now have a 2007 650 H1 quad- a 1999 Suzuki Marauder VZ- 2009 Harley XL Sportster 1200L-A 16 ft aluminium boat-40 hp motor-8 hp kicker-sitting on an EZ loader trailer. Camper for my truck. They are all paid for and I started with $500 4 years ago. You can start with as little as $50.00, but of course it will take you a bit longer.
Pick the first thing you want and concentrate your efforts on it. Research the product. What is new cost? What is used cost? kijiji & such buy/sell sites are the best places to do said research. Stay on top of it! I mean this has to be your focus. Putting a picture of your desire as your wallpaper will help you keep your focus.
I'll use my boat as an example. I had a rubber dinghy that I bought at Walmart for $200.00. I got a descent car battery and then bought a good used electric trolling motor for 35 bucks. I put in a removable plywood floor.$15.00. Looked up gas motor mounts on line (200.00) printed one out and took the pic into my local electrician and he made me one out of conduit for $50.00. Found an old 3 hp motor online and got it for $50 also. Cleaned it up, put new plug in and good to go.
Total Investment: 2 weeks time & $350.00 Used it a couple of times and then sold it as a package for $750.00.
Took $250.00 of that money and bought a 12 ft aluminium with an old motor that a guy just 'wanted gone'. Found a trailer for $200.00 . As a 'lake ready' package it sold for $1,400.00.

ETC. ETC. ETC.

Stay within your budget. Clean/fix as required. Sell it. NEXT!

By now you know the 'market values'. NEVER agree to pay asking price right off the bat. The person is selling because they want the item gone! My rule of thumb is to offer 2/3 of the asking price, don't 'lowball' them with less as that is an insult & your finished before you start. But be prepared to pay 3/4 of asking price. Remember that you need to make a profit when you sell. ALWAYS deal in cash. Both when you are buying and when you are selling. That means no paypal, no certified cheques, no money orders, no credit cards. CASH ON THE DASH IN FULL!
AND DON'T MAKE ANY DEALS OVER THE PHONE OR ONLINE. Do your dollar dealing in person. Don't 'flash the cash' but make sure, before you make your offer that the seller can see that you have 'cash in hand' cuz 'money talks, bullshit walks'!
I have used this method for holiday trailers and real estate as well. Pretty much anything I have wanted. Oh, and at this point I have long since paid back my savings account, and opened a hobby account which still has a few $$$ in it.I now use only this account & am able to make larger cash purchases such as the truck and Harley I bought last week.
Good luck!

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[Public_Domain]

[martin14]

Public_Domain Public_Domain:

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

Public_Domain Public_Domain:

Stop being a whiny lazy entitled deadbeat!

I work 55 hours a week and I'm 'lazy'?

What does that make YOU?



-J.

Poor.

It makes me very poor.

[PostFactum]

If you have a place for living, money to pay for this place. If you can buy adequate food, clothes at the nerest market or shop. And have some money to collect. You are probably not poor. So calm down guys

[Public_Domain]

[bootlegga]

Yogi Yogi:

Enough about "not having any toys" cuz you can't afford them! I'll tell you how to go about getting those toys for free. Yup. FREE!

Kudos Yogi. It's pretty cool that you're handy enough to turn things around like that, but I'll freely admit most of that is beyond me.

But your message rings true.

While I'm not very handy, I write in my spare time and while I don't make a ton, it does help us afford a few extra things here and there.

I think many people have a skill that they can use to earn extra money if they so choose - the trick is finding out what it is and leveraging it into income.

[Yogi]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Yogi Yogi:

Enough about "not having any toys" cuz you can't afford them! I'll tell you how to go about getting those toys for free. Yup. FREE!

Kudos Yogi. It's pretty cool that you're handy enough to turn things around like that, but I'll freely admit most of that is beyond me.

But your message rings true.

While I'm not very handy, I write in my spare time and while I don't make a ton, it does help us afford a few extra things here and there.

I think many people have a skill that they can use to earn extra money if they so choose - the trick is finding out what it is and leveraging it into income.

You hit the nail on the head Boots. Everyone has more than one marketable skil.
When I was in the city, rather than buying & selling I would use my skills and go do 'extra & odd jobs'. The money I earned was my 'play money'. Week-ends in Jasper. My very first boat. ( $1000 & some time- Net PROFIT-$2,200)Other extras the family wanted. For those who aren't handy there are always folks looking for services like dog walking. Pet sitting. House sitting & such. Well known fact here on CKA that I am, in the very least 'challenged' when it comes to computers. I'm looking at a whole pile of puter parts sitting in the middle of my livingroom. I am 'pretty sure' that I can build a working computer out of it all. Couple hours of playing around & I should be able to sell my creation for $100.00. I was just going to junk it all anyways.