Reply #18: Hey, at least you've had a $10K boost over the past two years [View All]

I work for a university, a state funded institution, and out of the past three years, we've only had one pay raise, due to continous cuts in our state budget. Got a whopping 2% last year:eyes:

Some folks haven't gotten a damn thing, and others still have lost money.

I feel for you though, we're all having to stretch budgets and tighten belts. I'm fortunate that I live in the country, where I can grow some of my own food, and I've been able to cut fuel bills by riding a Bajaj scooter that gets 100mph while going 55-60mph. It helps. I'm rolling that fuel savings over into an exterior wood furnace this summer so I don't get slammed by propane prices this fall.

Many many others are being hit much worse than we are. A number of folks have had to deal with long term unemployment, and when they do find a job, the pay is drastically lower than what they were previously used to.

Inflation is going to kill us all. It is tied to the price of energy and fuel, for everything that we grow, eat, and use is affected by fuel in one form or another. Fuel to transport, fuel to grow, fuel to manufacture. We are slowly getting eaten alive by inflation that is spurred on by rising fuel costs. And just wait to this summer. We'll probably be seeing $5.00/gal before it's through.

This country is headed for an economic catastrophe that will make the Great Depression seem like the Roaring Twenties. I suggest that you prepare now. Invest in alternate energy sources both for your house and transportation. Put some solar panels on your house, or if you have the room, put up a wind turbine. By a diesel vehicle and make your own bio-diesel to fuel it. And if you have space for a garden, by all means, start growing. Otherwise you're going to get caught up in the madness that is going to engulf this country.