$1 Checks

So the economy is continuing to tank, we have all time unemployment rates, and the State of Washington is sending out $1 checks so that they can qualify for more federal money.

And if that were not enough, as the article goes on to say, you don't even have to use the checks to help the state economy. As long as WA sends them out, they qualify for more federal funds.

There just isn't much else to say on that one. Dollar menu anyone?

The Bandana Caper

So, I saw something very strange the other day.

I was at Target and noticed a display with some scarves and other accessories on it. As I was perusing what was there, I noticed some bandana material on the rack. I figured someone must have figured out some new, fancy thing to make out of bandanas. Well, I was wrong. It was just a bandana.

Now, it did have one of their brand name labels on it. And, it was hanging on a big plastic ring that you could probably wear as a bangle bracelet if you were really frugal; but it was just a bandana. No frills, no beads, no extra seams, no instruction guide on how to wear it, no bandana history book - just a bandana.

I thought that was kind of neat. Something retro, catching on again, and finding a new audience. That's cool.

I also wondered if the economy might have something to do with it by returning to simple things that everyone can appreciate and latching on to tried and true items that can be used in lots of ways. So, I went over to see what it cost. (I had a collection of them as a kid and just wondered what the going rate was.)

That's when I started to feel that the universe, or at least Target, was playing a trick on me. The bandana was $9.99. One bandana. One. Ten bucks.

Now remember, it comes with a label and a plastic ring - that must make it worth $9.99.

In researching a comparison, I found a red bandana on wholesaleforeveryone.com that I could purchase for $1.72. (It is 100% cotton.) If you were to purchase them by the case, like Target probably would, that brings them down to $.71 ea.

The Target one, as found online (which fails to list the price), is also 100% cotton and for some strange reason is labeled Dry Clean Only. HUH?

Oh, and if you keep searching on their site, you can get a pack of 6 bandanas for $9.99. Strange eh? One bandana for $9.99 or 6 for $9.99. 

We are all in the midst of an economic crisis, and Target is really missing the mark on this bandana caper. Some poor kid is going to part with some hard earned allowance money for one measly bandana, when they could get six. Six for the same price as one.

I really want to believe that there is a logical and meaningful reason for this. But, I think reality is that it's just greed and dishonesty. The same things that got us into this mess are the things that will continue to go unnoticed if we are not paying attention.

So, keep your eyes open. Compare prices and try to find out if you are getting the real deal. It's brutal out there. Don't let someone pull the bandana in front of your eyes.

Unknown future

One of the most frustrating things about this recession is the unknown future factor. No employment and no prospects means not knowing how to plan for the future or how to even decide what the weighing mechanisms are for making decisions. Where do we go? How soon do we go? What will happen once we end up there? It is all just terrifying and empty.

The job market is definitely tight in KC and getting tighter by the day it seems. I personally know more than a dozen people in the area that are without work. That doesn't include myself. I went to a job club last week and it was awful. There were barely any chairs left and no jobs in my field in the job book. So discouraging.

I try to ignore the news but that seems to be getting harder. I am definitely limiting my online time and try not to focus on the economic news. That's been aided by all the press leading up to the inauguration. But, now that it's over I'm afraid bad news will continue to be the norm in regards to the economy. Trying to stay positive and engaged in life when everything is falling apart is very difficult.

One thing I discovered this week is that it seems that the job postings on LinkedIn are more real - more substantial - than some of the other sites. Being that there are the referrals and the focus on business relationships, I feel a little more confident applying for those jobs than on some of the other job boards.

And, that is what I need to get back to, as well as building a network. Into the unknown future I go and who knows what I'll find.

Later.

Holiday Recession

What does recession look like?

A clean and neat, well ordered Christmas aisle at your favorite store.


Wandering through my local Target (which I do not buy Christmas presents at since they banned the Salvation Army) I noticed that the holiday aisles were all in order and barely looked touched. I remember in years past how frazzled everything usually is - card boxes thrown about, different kinds of paper mixed in with each other, mixed up Christmas ornaments, items randomly strewn about. That is not the case now, at least not yet.

While I would say in my area there haven't been many visible signs of recession, I wonder if this is a small indicator.

I did however encounter something more blatant during this trip. While purchasing my $1.50 combo of popcorn and a medium pop at the concession area, the older lady in front of me commented that her usual combo (hot dog and drink) that sold for $2.00 had gone up. It had gone up $.50. I'm not a math wiz, but that seems like a huge increase for a $2.00 menu item. She took it in stride and pulled out more change. But if this was a regular adventure, I wonder if she will have to cut down how often she buys?

I am still unemployed and the numbers out today are not encouraging. How long will it take for all this to trickle down, even in more affluent areas. I hope 6 months is correct and it's not more like three.

What do you see? Is it hitting you where you live? Please leave comments if you are interested.

Things keep moving

As you can see in the news today, the GDP is on its way down. Once more quarter of decline and we will officially be in recession. However, I think most us know that it seems pretty plausible at this point.

Gas has been varying widely here. From $1.99/gal across the state line, up to $2.15/gal the same day and now resting at $2.08/gal - depending on the station. Rumor has it that people are still restricting their driving even with a little bit of ease at the pump. Probably just saving up to buy food.

I went to my first job club meeting and it was interesting. The bad news is that most people are looking for work for over 6 months before they find a viable position. Many of the people in the group have already taken part time jobs to try and fill the gap while continuing to look in their field. Last I knew, that tended to hurt one's ability to be taken seriously in the search process but maybe that is changing. The word at my church club is "unexpected" all the way around. People that felt they were pretty secure, no longer are. It's not a fun time in the job market.
Please feel free to share your job (loss) experiences.

I'll be out of pocket over the weekend, but will catch up with you on Monday.

To Recede

What does it mean "to recede" in our time? Well, this will be my record of what the recession looks like for me.

I have already been downsized and am trying to find a new job, in marketing. I am the bread winner while my husband attends graduate school. Needless to say, this was very unexpected and at moments leads to extreme discouragement.

Gas prices have gone down some, which is helpful, but probably only temporary. I am not foolish enough to believe that food prices and other products will go down as well. That is not the reality of our times.

I have never been much of stock watcher, but the numbers of late have a tendancy to make me lose my lunch and/or keep me up during the night.

I am actually starting a job club at my church to help others in my position. I will be interested to see how many attend. I will let you know.

So, that is where we start. I will let you know how things progress as we all recede.