Author Topic: I feel like an out sider now!!!!!! (Read 1623 times)

DalesCarpentry · « **on:** September 07, 2007, 04:03:04 PM »

I have to say I feel like an out sidder now. I really do feel like some one out side looking in. You guy's know I am Handiless now. I have tried to meet some new people on the Remington forum and that is going a little slow because the trafic there is not near what it is here. I might just have to get another just to feel like I am on the inside again. This is really the best forum on GBO and I wanted to let you guy's know that. There is not any forum on here that makes you feel like home like this one. At least to me. Although I do have the best shooting rifle of my whole life. Maybe I still need to still tinker a little to be happy. I don't know I have alot of problems rite now and can not come up with a solution to any of them. Maybe I will hit the lotery tomorrow. LOL Who knows!!!! I can say this I am sick an tired of trying to make ends meet. I am willing to let my truck go back just to relieve my of another $500.00 a month payment. My wife says if I get something cheaper I will nickel and dime it to death. She is probably right. I have had them before. I have only worked a couple days in the last 2 1/2 weeks because of things being screwed up at work. I am at the point of selling off some tools to just eat. They are likley to come and get the truck pretty soon. Oh well I allways say things work out. I just don't think they are going to work in my favor this time. I am just really pissed now!!!!!!!! I have not caught up with bills from last winter yet. Things just fell apart this summer. Dale

canon6 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:15:52 PM »

Dale,I think a lot of us have been there done that.I do not give advise, but hang in there and if venting is one of the ways you can handle the stress, vent away. I do agree with your wife a older truck will probably cost you more in the long run. Have faith my friend Doug

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #2 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:20:38 PM »

What stinks is I have been paying on this truck for 4 years. I only have 2 more for it to be mine. Dale

burntmuch · « **Reply #3 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:24:27 PM »

Yeah Dale if youre putting on alot of miles every week, An old truck will nickel & dime ya ,plus take time away from you. Hang in there, Things will get better. Jay

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:27:37 PM »

Don't feel like an outsider just cuz you don't have a Handi, Handirifle was Handiless for about a year IIRC.

Hang in there, you'll make it.

Tim

.308 Win. · « **Reply #5 on:** September 07, 2007, 05:04:14 PM »

I can feel your pain, believe me. I'm not at a point where I fear losing anything yet but every nickel and dime are spoken for. I keep hearing how this economy is supposed to be so good but yet more folks are losing their possessions all the time. This too shall pass, though. Peaks and valleys, my friend, peaks and valleys. That's what life is. Sorry your valley is kind of large right now. It'll get better.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #6 on:** September 07, 2007, 05:40:28 PM »

You know. What you speak of is very true. Life is full of peaks and valleys. If you were to watch the news. I am not saying you don't. The country is at a all time high at house foreclosure's. The credit companies own us. I am not saying the American people are stupid but most of us live beyond our means. I feel like we as Americans all ways want more. Enough is never enough. We will all ways want more. I have to say I fit rite in that group and the credit companies know it. So in a sense we are not free people we are owned by credit companies. Just think about this for a couple minutes. If you were to go with out a pay check for more than a few weeks would you have real problems? I would think yes!! If not you planed well and good for you. I can tell you this though and I have no proof to back it up but if you missed a few pay checks you would be in real trouble. I think the American people should buy only what they could afford. I know I am not one yet but I feel like my life would be easier if I lived with in my means. Dale

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #7 on:** September 07, 2007, 05:53:00 PM »

On a lighter note. I am only 20 posts away from being a seinor member. You think I should just post

Dale

BANG_OW · « **Reply #8 on:** September 07, 2007, 06:09:42 PM »

Dale who ?

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #9 on:** September 07, 2007, 06:11:44 PM »

Quote from: BANG_OW on September 07, 2007, 06:09:42 PM

Dale who ?

See you allready forgot about me. Dale Risher

Fred M · « **Reply #10 on:** September 07, 2007, 06:24:01 PM »

Contrary of what some folks have to say, things are not getting any better
until you make plans to get out from under your financial liabilities.

A truck that costs you $500 per month in payments is a total loss since the depreciation of the truck has eaten up all of the equity in the vehicle.
You can't affort it. Get rid of it. No I am not being nice. Wheels are cheap in the US. Never mind the nickle and dimes $6000 a year are lot of nickle and dimes.

Sit down and make a list of assets and liabilities and dispose of any non essential items and turn them into cash.

Make a budget that will generate 10% savings from your income and stick
by it. Do not touch the saving

With the savings buy some stocks like Shoppers Drug Mart low risk and good dividents.

Save to buy a cheap house so you can rent it. All your tools can be written off
as expenses. Any improvents are tax deductible. Part of you home becomes a rental office, office expenses and upkeep are tax detuctible. Your wife gets paid to collect rent and banking time plus cleaning the office.

Once you get rid of your payments buy only with cash, the only allowable payments are for the rental property mortgage which are also tax deductable.

No big 4x4 trucks only small 4cyl pickups, drive a little as possible and get
jobs close to home or stay in a rooming house with a kitchen to cook your
own meals. Never buy anything unless you get a discount for cash.

Read how to manage you money, take a course in how to invest for profit.
Carpentry provides good income so make good use of it, it is not getting any better until you take charge of your money, it will hurt for a while but not for long. This is my philosophy and I have done well with it. I came to this country
with $5.50. So you really have no excuses for failure.

ozarkhillbilly49 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 07, 2007, 06:45:10 PM »

dale, i hate to sound like a parrot but read very carefully every word fredm wrote. that is very good advice. follow it if you can.i hope things get better for you. i will a prayer or two your way. take care and have some fun shooting!!!by the way fred where are you from?i hope i haven't overstepped any bounds by asking fred. take care

ro · « **Reply #12 on:** September 07, 2007, 08:08:14 PM »

dale, man don't get down, i know things look bad now, but i have been though hard times myself years ago, i worked years ago many a day for 1.00-1.25 per hour, hard work on farms or sawmills/pallet factory's but i was glad to get the jobs, but over the years i saved a little a long and raised a family, i stated a small company in 1984, over the years it grew and grew, i did metal/steel welding and custom fabrication, i sold the company i built two years ago but it took me over 20 years to build it, so dale it takes some time to where want to be, i have read your posts about taking the on the road job, if they are not giving you 7-12's on the road jobs and not paying all your room/board/food/gas, i woul drag off the job and go back to my wife and kids, they are worth more than a on the road gang job,and i have worked them years ago, if the general does not pay each week somethings going on. fredm has some good points in his post above me, dale good luck just my point of veiw, i worked road jobs for years just don't let them beat you out of your pay. ro

ro · « **Reply #13 on:** September 07, 2007, 08:48:35 PM »

fredm, you and me think about the same on money/buying and saving, ro

Fred M · « **Reply #14 on:** September 07, 2007, 08:54:28 PM »

ozarkhillbilly49.

Since you ask
In 1951 I immigrated from Germany to Canada, single and poor as a church
mouse with only marginal knowledge of the english language. The Canadian government advanced the Steamships fare. Studied structural engineering
with the International Corresponding School while working as a casual
laborer, house framer, surveyor and many other jobs.

ozarkhillbilly49 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 07, 2007, 09:28:28 PM »

fred, thank you for your kind reply. yes you have seen some bad times!! 2 of my uncles and my dad served in the European theater. they all said they made sure there wasn't a whole lot of any thing left in Germany.Canada must have seemed wonderful to you.i hope dale reads your post very carefully.i to have avoided debt thru the years. i survived the wait to get disability started when my heart and spine went south. i really avoid debt now that i am on fixed income!!!take care and have some fun shooting!!

cascadedad · « **Reply #16 on:** September 07, 2007, 11:19:48 PM »

Two life lessons I'll share with you.

My dad was a self employed truck driver. He worked about 6 months out of the year. During the winter, he was down. In the 6 months he was working, he made decent money, but he had to put away enough to last for the other 6 months. We always did fine, but some of the guys he worked with really struggled during the offseason. They lived high-on-the-hog when the pay checks were coming in and then struggled all winter. One time I asked my dad, "How come most of my friend's parents can afford to drive a new car?" He said, "Son, anyone can drive a new car." I was young and it took me awhile to figure out what he was talking about.

The second, was when I was in college. During my 5 years in Engineering school, there is ONE class I remember. It was many years ago. That one class was kind of by chance, but I feel it really molded my future. It was in an Engineering Economics course. Our professor was sick and we had a guest lecturer from a local major corporation. He spent that day talking about personal finances. Much of that was on the evils of personal debt.

One other thing that has helped me tremendously over the years is that I married someone who feels the same way about debt. This was completely by luck.

Best of luck Dale. I would highly recommend getting rid of the truck payment. AND make a budget, NOW. Take control of your spending. Many people will not do it. They REALLY don't want to know how much they spend at Starbucks every month. If you do, in the long run it will set you free.

You know, I just scrolled down and reread your first post. I hope I am not being too harsh, but didn't you just buy a new rifle? And now you are talking about selling off some tools to eat?

Something is not right with that equation.

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #17 on:** September 08, 2007, 01:56:55 AM »

I feel the need to argue with you guys over the truck payment.

It is paid off in 2 more payments, why risk a trouble free pickup for something "cheeper" for $1000. An older vehicle could easily have the $1000 in repairs in just a couple of months.
Sell the truck and buy a a mini pickup with a 4 cylinder??? What about pulling the trailer full of tools or wood? how much better mileage would it really get? yes you could get 5 to 8 more mpg maybe more but that takes time to pay off
It's gonna be tough to make a budget when your income varies.
sorry, I don't have answers but more questions... I can see your side of this Dale and hate it that your having a tough time. 3 years ago I started in the construction industry... WRONG TIME to do that!
IMHO getting rid of the truck would be a mistake unless you could find another truck with a known record. Older vehicles are more costly to maintain.

handi243 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 08, 2007, 02:04:01 AM »

I had a friend tell me "surround yourself with the people you would like to be" listen to the guys hear i was in your shoes some years ago. I learned the hard way a vehicle is no more the a tool in your tool box it gets you from point a to b that's it. I drive a 1985 Nissan pickup 257,000 miles ($1200.00 5 years ago) totaled twice, that's my hunting trash truck i have a 1981 VW rabbit diesel (traded another car for 3 years ago i have 0 in) i drive it to work 50plus mpg

. Dale don't get down i know it's hard if you thinking of giving up the truck DONT MAKE A PAYMENT! you are just throwing money away. Sometime i get in a bind but i make it. Wife 2 kids $1700.00 a month no debt feels good. Lift your hear up you will make it!!!!!!

handi243 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 08, 2007, 02:08:35 AM »

I think it was 2 more years

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #20 on:** September 08, 2007, 02:18:43 AM »

Quote from: handi243 on September 08, 2007, 02:08:35 AM

I think it was 2 more years

Sorry, still waiting for the coffee to kick in this morning,

That does change things.
50mpg?! do those little trucks get that mileage in town traffic? I get 29+ hwy with my diesel but closer to 23 in town.

bub524 · « **Reply #21 on:** September 08, 2007, 03:10:02 AM »

Hey Buddy, ya got that little girl in the picture and ya gotta a wife, everything else is non essential. Family counts most.
Always be a pessimist, expect the worst and plan for it, you'll never be disappointed and you'll find out how things can go okay once in awhile.

handi243 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 08, 2007, 03:50:55 AM »

My truck get about 20 or so my rabbit get 50 plus on the highway it takes me about 25.00 to 30.00 a mth of fuel i drive a little over 50 miles a day to work.

Hofs01 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 08, 2007, 04:13:28 AM »

Dale,

If you have not heard of Dave Ramsey you should look into his program. It is a christian based financial program for people like us. Click on this link http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=dspContent&intContentId=2997 and find a church in your area that has it. You and your wife really should check it out it is the biggest eyeopening experience I have ever had. Dave also has a radio show that you can listen to from his web page. Check it out and go find financial peace!

Brian

norman · « **Reply #24 on:** September 08, 2007, 07:05:24 AM »

Dale, have you thought about saving aluminum cans? Don't laugh. Around here, Melbourne, Florida, you get .60 cents @ pound for 100 pounds. That's 60.00 of free cash. Or look at it this way, 2 cans of powder, 1 box of bullets, if you can get them to drop the price a little so much the better. My finances are a little better but I still like the idea of FREE powder, bullets or whatever I want. What do you do with the aluminum cans you use now? Throw them in the trash? Save 'em and cash em in. Doesn't hurt the budget and you might (if you can get enough cans

) have enough to take the wife out for dinner. Just dont let her know how much ya got for those cans.

Hang in there buddy, things will get better.
Norman

PS. Dave Ramsey IS good. Used to listen all the time. Cant find him here in Melbourne tho.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #25 on:** September 08, 2007, 07:06:21 AM »

I am not meaning to offend anyone here...but...if your just sitting around waiting for a management job or a high paying union job...you bills are never going to get paid...Get your butt out and take on as many little jobs as you can to make ends meet...Even if you have to have 2 or 3 part time jobs somewhere..I have gone as far as getting my lawnmower going and cut neighbors & families yards to do this...Your a carpenter...start putting out applications...run a couple small adds in the paper...look to another field of work...Life throws curve balls & spit balls...all the time...It ain't fair...it's just life...Make the most of it...and do what you need to do...

Mac

handirifle · « **Reply #26 on:** September 08, 2007, 08:06:34 AM »

My mode of life has always been work hard, but always work. I've tried to raise my kids the same way. I don't care if you work at Mc donalds, work. I have to agree on the truck idea of freds, get something smaller and affordable.

In 1995 I bought a 1992 Chev 4X4 truck and a year later we bought a used travel trailer. We were making payments on both, but well within our combined incomes. My mother in law got cancer, and it ended up terminal. She ended up moving in with us her last 4 months and my wife quit her job to care for her. Things got too tight and the truck and trailer went. i loved the truck, but loved the mother in law more and it really wasn't even a choice for me. I had to protect the core of the family. I've seen harder times than that in years before so making choices like that were getting easier.

One things Americans do NOT do well is live within our means, then we want to whine and cry and blame poilticians or the economy when times are hard. When people lose their life savings, or their retirement because guys like Enron steal it from them, taking what they only THOUGHT they had, that is criminal, but as a whole we prepare poorly for the future.

I don't always agree with Fred (but we still talk), but he has very good ideas on this topic and is well worth listening to.

As a nation, we need to worry less about what we have today, and more of what tomorrow has in store for us.

Times have been much better for me, the last 25 years than I could have imagined, but my wife and I plan heartily for tomorrow.

Do what you and your wife agree to, as you are the ones that have to live together. On the truck, even if you stepped down to a $250 a month payment, that's an extra 250 in the pocket for food and clothes.

As for being Handiless, no sweat. I went that way for about a year, like Tim said, but now have the target model project and am really enjoying it again. I will enkoy it a LOT more when I finally get the scope mounts the way I like them.

Hang in there and find something to pay the bills with if your main line dries up. just don't ever give up.

Mitch in MI · « **Reply #27 on:** September 08, 2007, 09:14:47 AM »

Here's a new group of friends for ya, Dale.
They are mostly young and single, but they are famous cheapskates and tightwads:
http://www.fatwallet.com/c/52

I'm old and single, call myself Taxmantoo over there.

burntmuch · « **Reply #28 on:** September 08, 2007, 09:18:03 AM »

Happy medium. Thats the key Truck wise. I would love to have a Ford f250 4x4 crew cab. Those are about 600 a mth. I settled for a 2000 dodge dakota 4x4 quad cab. Does everything I need to do & its paid for. As far as the Dave Ramsey plan. It works ,but its kinda like being on a diet. My wife & I have been doing at version of that for years. Long story short If you dont have cash for it you dont need it. Another thing that kills us Americans are the houses we live in. My parents raised 7 kids in a 1500square ft home You know the saying we were poor but didnt know it. People arnt happy unless their living in a 250,ooo home. Im just a dumb fireman but unless you re making 100,000 a year (which Im not) you cant afford it.(even if the morgage company says you can afford it,) When the hard times come ,its what you did during the good times that determines if you make it through. Dale look around your life, You llfigure out what you need & dont need. I got laid off 6yrs ago. My income got cut in half & I had 6mth old baby girls. I liquidated all kinds of crap that I thought I needed. & pulled out the old roofing guns, started doing roofs on my days off. Sold my Big truck for a S10 (That part sucked) Hey Dale sorry for the rambling, its been a hard, exspensive month for me. Ive got $10 bucks in my pocket but I got a couple kids at home that think Im the greatest thing in the world. Good luck brother

PS Dale ,you re no different than anyone else here. Everybody goes thru hard times. & everybody has spent money they dont have.

dw06 · « **Reply #29 on:** September 08, 2007, 09:41:37 AM »

Lot of good advise in this thread,Fred is right on.My advise is read freds post twice,and bub524 read it three times,never forget what you DO have!If the truck has to go to so be it.That little girl in in your pic is worth more than anything,and bet the wife is too.So do what you got to do to make it,and remember most of us have been there and we hope nothing but he best for you and family!