How is this economy effecting you?

[Scooby]

don't wanna see oil prices dip below $50, but I think it's about to happen

[AtomicCEO]

I'm being very careful where I get people gift certificates from.

 

I'd hate to have my wife holding a $200 gc to the local spa as they close their doors on Jan 1st.

[wiegie]

I'm being very careful where I get people gift certificates from.

 

I'd hate to have my wife holding a $200 gc to the local spa as they close their doors on Jan 1st.

why would you buy gift certificates anyway?--give the person cash and if you feel obligated to say that it is for some place specific, type up some sort of certificate on your own and then give it to them along with the cash.

[detlef]

why would you buy gift certificates anyway?--give the person cash and if you feel obligated to say that it is for some place specific, type up some sort of certificate on your own and then give it to them along with the cash.

Gift certificates always struck me as odd as well. I don't understand why cash is tacky but the equivalent of cash that you can only spend one place isn't.

 

What I've taken to do, rather than give my wife a gift certificate is to just make reservations for her at a day spa and pick out some cool stuff. I mean, it's a rather safe bet that you can't go wrong and it seems like you put extra thought into it.

 

I just tell her to clear her schedule on whatever day and be at the spa at 3pm or whatever. She's always stoked.

[AtomicCEO]

Gift certificates always struck me as odd as well. I don't understand why cash is tacky but the equivalent of cash that you can only spend one place isn't.

 

What I've taken to do, rather than give my wife a gift certificate is to just make reservations for her at a day spa and pick out some cool stuff. I mean, it's a rather safe bet that you can't go wrong and it seems like you put extra thought into it.

 

I just tell her to clear her schedule on whatever day and be at the spa at 3pm or whatever. She's always stoked.

 

She never gets what I think she's going to get.

 

Plus, if I give her cash, she'll blow it on strippers and booze.

[Chavez]

I tell people to give what they'd spend to me to a Chavez-approved charity.

 

It's what Jesus would do.

[chester]

Gift certificates always struck me as odd as well. I don't understand why cash is tacky but the equivalent of cash that you can only spend one place isn't.

 

What I've taken to do, rather than give my wife a gift certificate is to just make reservations for her at a day spa and pick out some cool stuff. I mean, it's a rather safe bet that you can't go wrong and it seems like you put extra thought into it.

 

I just tell her to clear her schedule on whatever day and be at the spa at 3pm or whatever. She's always stoked.

 

A gift certificate you can only use in one place.

 

A 'reservation' you can only use in one place at a specific time.

 

What's tacky?

[Randall]

She never gets what I think she's going to get.

 

Plus, if I give her cash, she'll blow it on strippers and booze.

 

 

 

Female strippers I hope.

[Perchoutofwater]

Waiting on a contracts to be signed but looks like next month we will have the largest back log in our company's 62 year history. In January we will probably be hiring 3 or 4 more people with salaries of about $50.000 a year.

 

The only thing I've done differently is I'm holding off on doing some home improvements that I had planned on doing, but this has as much to do with time as it does the economy.

[darin3]

I picked the wrong time to start my own consulting firm in the industry I work... hopefully I'll get my foot in the door and get busy sooner rather than later.

[Ursa Majoris]

Waiting on a contracts to be signed but looks like next month we will have the largest back log in our company's 62 year history. In January we will probably be hiring 3 or 4 more people with salaries of about $50.000 a year.

 

The only thing I've done differently is I'm holding off on doing some home improvements that I had planned on doing, but this has as much to do with time as it does the economy.

Commercial construction is typically 12 to 18 months behind the economic cycle.

[Chavez]

Commercial construction is typically 12 to 18 months behind the economic cycle.

Not to mention Perch is at least 25 years behind the times.

[theeohiostate]

My estimates have been driven down by at least 15% with the growing demand of cheaper competition. Our materials are increasing 10% . So we're getting hit hard. Not the mention no one is buying or building, very rough times indeed. Wife hasn't had to work in 6 years, but she's hitting the trail and not finding anything in her field that is hiring. She had a great job, but I asked her to quit with our first born............good for him but damn I wish she hadn't given up seniority.

[Randall]

My estimates have been driven down by at least 15% with the growing demand of cheaper competition. Our materials are increasing 10% . So we're getting hit hard. Not the mention no one is buying or building, very rough times indeed. Wife hasn't had to work in 6 years, but she's hitting the trail and not finding anything in her field that is hiring. She had a great job, but I asked her to quit with our first born............good for him but damn I wish she hadn't given up seniority.

 

 

That's tough but I think the right call at the time. Here most in my field had a busy summer but everything else was pretty slow. Ferry to the island where I did a lot of work cut some trips and went about 50% as fast to save diesel.

[detlef]

A gift certificate you can only use in one place.

 

A 'reservation' you can only use in one place at a specific time.

 

What's tacky?

Is that your argument? Well by that definition, then cash is the least tacky choice of all because it gives the recipient the most options.

 

The entire "tacky" argument is rooted in the fact that a gift should be something that you saw and thought of that person when you saw it. Thereby implying that you think about them. That you know enough about them to be inspired to buy things because you're sure they'd like them. Handing out cash is the exact opposite. It basically says, I have no idea what you like, so here's some cash.

 

Now, I'm not blasting anyone for getting gift certificates, rather simply pointing out that they're not that different than cash in terms of the personal touch element.

 

Now, it can be pretty damned hard to guess what a woman wants, but I've learned that I get a whole lot more miles out of giving my wife actual gifts than handing her some cash (which, btw, is half hers anyway which brings another odd wrinkle to that equation) and saying, "Go get yourself something nice."

 

There's an element of anticipation and excitement for her when you say, "Please clear your schedule on Saturday the x, I've arranged a spa treatment for you." It's like you're taking care of her. Now, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure that the treatments I've chosen for her are exactly what she'd pick, but it's a freaking spa. I mean, it's sort of hard to go wrong. Hell, maybe it's not what she would have chosen but ends up being way cooler. She's certain to feel a bit that way anyway just because she's happy you put the thought into it.

 

Mind you, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what she likes. When she comes back from the spa, you say, "How was it?" Then she goes on and on about how great this or that was and you make a mental note. Next time, you make a point of hooking her up with a collection of the stuff she was fired up about last time.

 

It's not rocket science.

[pig devilz]

Then you aren't the kind of customer a CC company is looking for.

 

correct a mundo senor chavez.....

 

CC companies prey on the slow payers, those that miss a payment 2 or 3 times a year.

they are their GREAT customers. it's all very well researched before you get that cc application

in the mail...the rates you are offered, the length of an introductory rate, fixed or variable rate,

it's almost scientific.....

you all must have seen one or two of those shows, like 20/20, about people in collections, or in court with their cc companies

and they still get offers in the mail!!....that's not a mistake in the mailing department.

that is exactly who they want as a customer. why? because the laws are on their side.

 

even if they don't get the 29.99% or more, they usually get half. so 15% instead of somebody like me at 6%

who pays off each month, is no bargain.

 

somebody here mentioned their line of work is Collections......what's the story from your side?

 

 

 

one other reply...Commercial Construction is off the charts up here....don't know how some of these

stores that signed up are going to make a go of it by summer, when these new malls and small

cities (really) open the doors.

 

 

one more....if you need audio/visual, and have a Tweeter in your area, they have some kick a$$ deals right now.

the flat screens are 40 to 50% off!...and high end audio at too

[Perchoutofwater]

Commercial construction is typically 12 to 18 months behind the economic cycle.

 

True, but I have recently been approached by a gentleman who wants to get out of the stock market and build a retails space because he thinks investing in a strip center will out perform the market. I think the guy is crazy but I'm not opposed to taking his money.

[Ramhock]

somebody here mentioned their line of work is Collections......what's the story from your side?

 

I work for the devilz.

[detlef]

If anyone wants a feel-good story, last week fell just short of being a top 10 all time week for us and this week is shaping up to be better. We also have more holiday parties booked this December than in any of the previous years (only 2 previous holiday seasons for us mind you).

 

Knocking on wood.

[Retrograde assault]

Planning on taking a 33 day cruise to hong kong in sept 2010. More worried about pirates than the economy, the 7th fleet should be pretty much scrapped by then, because we'll all be holding hands and singing kumbuyah.

[pig devilz]

If anyone wants a feel-good story, last week fell just short of being a top 10 all time week for us and this week is shaping up to be better. We also have more holiday parties booked this December than in any of the previous years (only 2 previous holiday seasons for us mind you).

 

Knocking on wood.

 

 

[Ursa Majoris]

We have a pretty frugal lifestyle anyway (eat out once a week, shop at middle to low end stores, etc) so we really aren't doing much different. Our one extravagance is we like to travel two or three times a year so that's where our money goes. New Zealand next week following on from San Francisco back in September and England in March earlier this year.

[muck]

We have a pretty frugal lifestyle anyway (eat out once a week, shop at middle to low end stores, etc) so we really aren't doing much different. Our one extravagance is we like to travel two or three times a year so that's where our money goes. New Zealand next week following on from San Francisco back in September and England in March earlier this year.

 

Where are you going in NZ?

[Ursa Majoris]

Where are you going in NZ?

All over. Renting a camper van for three weeks and doing as much of North and South Islands as we can.

[Jimmy Neutron]

I'm becoming more concerned about the economy as the weeks drag on, and not because of the news.

 

Part of my job is running a private fleet of trucks that deliver to our customers. We try to find 3rd party freight to get our trucks back to our facility to reload. That has been a relative piece of cake until the last couple of months. It has been amazing to see how that business has dried up. Where there were once dozens or hundreds of truckloads posted on websites to leave LA or Dallas, there are only a handful now. This is particularly odd considering many retail businesses use Sept-Oct to stock local shelves for the holiday shopping season. It's hard to explain why an economy that is slowing down 1-2% seems to be dying from a shipping perspective. It can't be a good sign that freight has slowed down as much as it has.

 

My best friend is a mobile mechanic and has always been extremely busy (12-15 hrs a day) doing repairs and PMs on industrial and agricultural equipment. His schedule has slowed and people are not paying on time. This is a good "real life" indicator to me and it's not a good sign. I think my buddy will be OK, he and his wife also drive school buses for benefits and a regular paycheck to help cash flow. It looks like cinch the belt time for a lot of folks and probably should be for all of us.

 

A note on food. Mrs. Neutron came home from the grocery store on Monday and was fretting because she spent an extra $100 and didn't get much more than she normally does. It's nice to see fuel dropping, but I have no doubt that is a short term deal. Food is more of a concern to me with a big family to feed. I hate to resort to buying less quality food. My kids do like ramen.