Is it this bad for everyone?

You are Blessed.Thanks for the post

Thanks for the support

Wow! Aren't you just a happy little person. Sometimes when a person is down on their luck they just need somewhere to turn. Maybe to get affirmation that they are not the only ones going through a problem? Maybe to get advice from people who have been or is going through the same problem? I don't know OP's full life story and neither do you. Grow up!!

I don't believe in wasting energy complaining or whining. I've had some dark days. I've had some bright days.

There are people a lot worse off than op. GLP is a LUXURY.
Wasting time here is entertainment.

You want more out of life or more $?

Get off the internet.

To be honest we are doing "okay" We keep our rent low by living in a "mixed neighborhood" smallish house. Try not to use "alot" of electricity 150/month. I recycle every single thing,we have to pay to throw garbage. Recycle pick up is free. I even throw food scraps outside for stray cats. We have a shared vehicle so I drive when S/o gets home,weekends or walk.
I cut grass on weekends really cheap to get more customers.
I hang clothes to dry,I try like hell not to be a water hog.
I am sorry things are hard, I really am. I feel sympathetic and I know how it feels. We are a family of 6 and if we cant pay cash we go without,have gone w/o things many times over!
I hope things get better,truly I do. Good luck, be blessed

Then leave my thread

#1 You are wasting your time to come back to this thread to respond, obviously your negative attitude is not wanted here.

#2 Back to that negative attitude, looks like today is one of those "dark days" for you.

I hope your day gets better for you.

The government is paying all of my bills now. Hell, I have been living the best I ever have since I decided to live off of your hard work.
Thanks bro

Back when the economy tanked in 2008 I barely noticed anything. Only after I started following the news and current events did it seem like times were bad. I've worked for the same employer since 2003. The annual bonus I received last year was 13.6% of my salary. My daughters' mother and I have both been trying to quit smoking and cut back on other luxuries in order to start putting $ away into a vacation fund.

ATM, we are a far stretch from living paycheck to paycheck, but this is a situation unique to my life as of about 3 months ago (primarily from the bonus that was, for once, spent/saved wisely). It had always been paycheck-to-paycheck for us until recently.

The best advice I can give if it's all feeling too much to bear and lonesome: unplug. Don't watch or read any news whatsoever. Just watch cartoons with your kids. Or take them to a lake with some crackers to feed the ducks and geese. Start a daily routine and walk with them to the nearest store where they can pick out some cheap candy/treats. Make up silly games involving the colors of cars that pass by during the walks.

I know all too well that sometimes there's simply not much you can do to improve a situation. What you can improve is how you react to it. You can't just will your mind to stop worrying - you need to preoccupy it. My advice may not pertain well to your family dependent on the age of your children, but you write intelligently enough that I'm sure you get the idea.

Don't let your situation be a downer for your family. Use the time to connect more often with them. You don't need any money to spend time ;) Your brain stores negative experiences in memory areas that usually only activate as part of a fight-or-flight type response while the positive experiences are stored in recall areas that weigh in on an emotional level 24/7. It is entirely up to you whether this time in your life will later be reflected upon as part of the 'good times' or as an empty space of repressed negativity.

I chose not to have kids. It's just to expensive and to much of a burden in these troubled times.

yes its not fun at all some times

but it seems you are conscious of some things - so

be conscious of the fact that you AGREED on this - take it as test

everybody did - only few remembers that - everybody also can remember - many are scared - or prefer to leave the topic.. ^^

and once you know WHY are you here[that's A search(:] - its easy to just get ur shit together and GO further - listen to yourself - YOUR INNER REPLY ;DDD