How has the economy affected you, if at all?

[Dragonshadow]

Originally Posted by Gangrell May you rot in hell Hive

I second this

[Hivetyrant]

Oh yeah? Maybe I will! but I'll rot happily while cruising around

[wellard]

Originally Posted by Hivetyrant Oh yeah? Maybe I will! but I'll rot happily while cruising around

LOL Hive


I have been refrained from saying this untill now but seing as hive started it


Never been so better off, all the overtime I want, mortgage payments rock bottom, and my company although sacking pen pushers and managers is actually employing engineers (like myself). My future is so bright I gotta wear shades.

Not all good news though, our government may for the first time in 10 years go into debt and yes Australia will probably go into recession but seeing as we have not been led by a financial incompetent for the last eight years all the signs are that we will come out of this as a country bruised but uninjured.

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Originally Posted by wellard LOL Hive I have been refrained from saying this untill now but seing as hive started it Never been so better off, all the overtime I want, mortgage payments rock bottom, and my company although sacking pen pushers and managers is actually employing engineers (like myself). My future is so bright I gotta wear shades. Not all good news though, our government may for the first time in 10 years go into debt and yes Australia will probably go into recession but seeing as we have not been led by a financial incompetent for the last eight years all the signs are that we will come out of this as a country bruised but uninjured.

..nice to hear some good stuff!

What's the status with the fire(s)? Is clean-up under way, complete, or what?

[Gangrell]

Originally Posted by wellard LOL Hive I have been refrained from saying this untill now but seing as hive started it Never been so better off, all the overtime I want, mortgage payments rock bottom, and my company although sacking pen pushers and managers is actually employing engineers (like myself). My future is so bright I gotta wear shades. Not all good news though, our government may for the first time in 10 years go into debt and yes Australia will probably go into recession but seeing as we have not been led by a financial incompetent for the last eight years all the signs are that we will come out of this as a country bruised but uninjured.

Don't worry too much wellard, I'm too broke to bring out the pitchforks and torches

[wellard]

Hey Gangrell

Variol the fires have died down and the clean up and rebuilds are under way. As we head into our cooler months we should be alright till next summer at least.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Well Wellard, with the good news comes the bad. Your jobs safe, ours arent so we are coming to live with you! Please stock up on Fosters (Australian for beer, we know you guys love the stuff) and we be there shortly Can't wait to throw some steaks in the oven and kick back, seeya soon!

[Gangrell]

Originally Posted by wellard Variol the fires have died down and the clean up and rebuilds are under way. As we head into our cooler months we should be alright till next summer at least.

That's good to hear at least. I hadn't kept up with it recently, did they figure out who restarted the fires wellard?

[Hivetyrant]

Originally Posted by Gangrell That's good to hear at least. I hadn't kept up with it recently, did they figure out who restarted the fires wellard?

Maybe we spoke too soon, now we have floods in more than just queensland As far as I know there aren't any death's but the damage toll is huge and it might keep going.

[Timber Loftis]

I haven't fully read all responses, but I wanted to provide one to address the question at hand, regarding how the economy has affected me.

The good:
- Things are cheaper.
- Got a new Sony LCD TV with prices down. I saw one at a Circuit City going-out-of-business sale, and actually found it cheaper online.
- Got a new watch, picked it up at a great price online at a watch site, it's really the one I've been wanting.
- Even in this depressed economy, I sold another watch I have for about 115%+ what I paid for it, so I made some money to fund my other watch purchase. Let's hope the transaction goes through without a hitch.
- We have a home equity account, which is really a second mortgage. It's at a fluctuating interest rate, and is super low these days, resulting in much lower payments.

The bad:
- While our home equity payment is down (see above under the "good"), the bank has written me to tell me that in their infinite pea-brained wisdom our house is worth less, so my equity has been reduced. This really sucks because I have been paying that loan off with the expectation that it would be a good source of emergency money, should I need it.
- Many lawyers at my firm have been laid off. We've lost 8 or so in the last year, all of whom were asked to leave, which is significant for a firm that balances itself around 100 lawyers. Note that this doesn't count those who voluntarily left or left for maternity or other reasons.
- My firm is not getting hit nearly as hard as others. Many big (500+ lawyer firms) are laying people off by the boatload, and I know many casualties.
- At my firm, after we laid off several, the rest of us were called in for a meeting. Both Income Partners and Associates took a 10% pay cut over the next 6 mos. We tried to "share the pain," a process that I appreciate for its honesty. Ostensibly, the lawyers we have now are those we want to keep, and the 10% pay cut over 6 mos. (5% over the year) is shared pain to keep all the talent on board.
- But I still struggle monthly to keep my hours up, and I am increasingly asked to justify my existence everyday. It sucks, but it's better than the alternative.
- Clients aren't paying bills, or are increasingly more late in doing so. They are all bean-counting.

Soooo, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the facts of life.

Cheers.