Thanks to the US gov't, who WON'T be going to Disney World?

[slappy magoo]

The situations of this past week reminded me of this thread, where people were thrilled over the economic stimulus checks they were supposed to receive, and who was or wan't planning to use that money to go to WDW

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=270649

I was just wondering if anyone, sadly, had to change their plans now because of the economic situation looking, shall we say, a tad more bleak than even earlier this year?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Doubtful, unless you had your life savings in Lehman, I guess. :lol:

Unless a new administration is forced to raise taxes to cover the massive additions to the national debt represented by all these bailouts, then I imagine the average joe will just stay in the dark about how close we seem to be to the abyss. If AIG had collapsed and taken any number of banks or other companies with it, it might have been a very different story.

I'm hardly an expert on investment banking and credit default swaps, but I'm guessing that until it starts hitting people directly (like the dominoes set off by an AIG collapse could have), you won't see much change in people's activity. Maybe I underestimate the general public. :shrug:

 

[Eyorefan]

as a person who works for a law firm that consults with large companies about their Employment and Labobr issues, I can tell you that a good number of people people will be feeling it later this year.

 

[MichWolv]

Doubtful, unless you had your life savings in Lehman, I guess. :lol:

Unless a new administration is forced to raise taxes to cover the massive additions to the national debt represented by all these bailouts, then I imagine the average joe will just stay in the dark about how close we seem to be to the abyss. If AIG had collapsed and taken any number of banks or other companies with it, it might have been a very different story.

I'm hardly an expert on investment banking and credit default swaps, but I'm guessing that until it starts hitting people directly (like the dominoes set off by an AIG collapse could have), you won't see much change in people's activity. Maybe I underestimate the general public. :shrug:

My suspicion is that people will be cutting back, if for no other reason than uncertainty.

As for being close to the abyss...depends on your definition of abyss. We aren't close to anything like the Great Depression. But we do seem to be close to something that is worse than anything we've seen since then.

 

[DisneyGigi]

People should not take loans out for anything (home, car or a vacation)that they cannot afford to pay back. Sorry, but I don't get the thinking there :shrug: *ducks*

 

[mrerk]

My first deleted post. I guess I should have put a on it.

 

[The Mom]

My first deleted post. I guess I should have put a on it.

I'm afraid that as the election gets closer, and things become more heated, there will be a lot of deleted posts. Consider yourself a trendsetter.

 

[maryszhi]

no, but know of people.

 

[Laura]

I have yet to feel any effects of the so-called bad economy. :shrug:

Anytime money's tight it's because of our own doing. I imagine that is the way it is with most everyone else, except they'd rather blame it on the government than their own materialism and lack of common sense with money.

(Not including anyone who's been laying off in there for the record)

 

[WDWBlaze]

I have yet to feel any effects of the so-called bad economy. :shrug:

Anytime money's tight it's because of our own doing. I imagine that is the way it is with most everyone else, except they'd rather blame it on the government than their own materialism and lack of common sense with money.

(Not including anyone who's been laying off in there for the record)

That is not always true. While I am able to afford it, My heating oil bill is nearly 3 times what is was a few years ago. To many adding $600-$800 (during winter) a month to a bill can be a real burden to those that were just making it.

 

[smk]

I have yet to feel any effects of the so-called bad economy. :shrug:

Anytime money's tight it's because of our own doing. I imagine that is the way it is with most everyone else, except they'd rather blame it on the government than their own materialism and lack of common sense with money.

(Not including anyone who's been laying off in there for the record)

Consider yourself lucky then because it has been felt all over the housing industry, of which my family is a part of. We are as responsible as it comes and we are a part of those who are reeling. While I didn't sense judgement on anyones part so far, I will still be very careful because I don't know anyone who willfully placed themselves and their families in jeopardy. Do I think people made poor choices? Perhaps. Is it normally my business? No. These companies and wall street acted out their greed (IMHO) and we all are going to pay for it now. So it is my business now and I intend to make sure that I know what and who will/can fix this mess.

I am fortunate because I am going to WDW in October but it is not really on my dime, the company I work for is footing the bill for the conference I will attend. I am very grateful that I have a good job in the health care industry and my job is safe. If it wasn't for the conference I would not be going this year and for that I am grateful as well. As for the "stimulus", I wish they had just kept the money and paid down the debt but no one asked me, nor did I get a stimulus check. Maybe I will if they offered next year, my income has fallen off the chart. Maybe realtors will get a bailout too?

 

[slappy magoo]

That is not always true. While I am able to afford it, My heating oil bill is nearly 3 times what is was a few years ago. To many adding $600-$800 (during winter) a month to a bill can be a real burden to those that were just making it.

Not to mention rises in electricity, 4 dollars for a gallon of gas, and the myriad of little increases n groceries and other products because the increase in fuel and energy means it's more expensive to make and deliever those things.

Living on the Jersey shore, I got a little luckier than most folks. July was sweltering, but August wasn't so bad - cut back on the A/C and electricity in general. I commute by train to work, so I'm mostly paying for gas only to get to and from the train station. And we're just paranoid enough with tainted food to try to buy organic groceries as much as possible, so we've been used to higher grocery bills. But we've been cutting back in little ways to make the vacation a reality, like brown-bagging lunch, fewer meals out, fewer non-essentials purchased (before I met my wife, I could easily buy more than 15 DVDs a month, not to mention CDs, clubbing, concerts, and all the other things I spent money on to find the woman I could spend the rest of my life at home doing nothing with )

Laura's right when it comes to some people - I know full well a lot of people who had money to save and chose not to. But I also know people who scrimp and save all the time anyway just go get by, who only needed one unexpected expense to screw their lives up, and got more than one over the past year.

 

[smk]

That is not always true. While I am able to afford it, My heating oil bill is nearly 3 times what is was a few years ago. To many adding $600-$800 (during winter) a month to a bill can be a real burden to those that were just making it.

I just saw that we can expect to pay as much as 25% more this year than last year. Stock up on wool sweaters and socks!

 

[ejeremy98]

can we keep the political comments out of here? we're trying to talk about the happiest place on earth. go chat on a political blog if you need to vent your political views.

 

[JasonCajun]

can we keep the political comments out of here? we're trying to talk about the happiest place on earth. go chat on a political blog if you need to vent your political views.

Agreed. It's hard to enjoy escapism when what you are trying to avoid follows you everywhere.

 

[lilredfoxie]

can we keep the political comments out of here? we're trying to talk about the happiest place on earth. go chat on a political blog if you need to vent your political views.

I second that, I made a point to AVOID watching the news and the updates on the campagin, when I was in WDW this summer, since Im at Disney to relax, and enjoy the magic, not getting riled up over what goes on in the country.

 

[slappy magoo]

Agreed. It's hard to enjoy escapism when what you are trying to avoid follows you everywhere.

Soooo...apparently you're not married yet?

Ba-dum bump! THANK YOU LADIES & GERMS!

I humbly proffer the advice given to me & others when we get to carping on the topic at hand: Don't like the topic? Don't read the thread. Problem solved.

 

[Laura]

But we've been cutting back in little ways to make the vacation a reality, like brown-bagging lunch, fewer meals out, fewer non-essentials purchased

Not to single you out, but to me that sort of cutting back is not a crisis for people to whine about. I think for the most part people are upset that due to higher gas/grocery bills they can not be as materialistic and careless with money as they were a couple years ago. But you're all still eating, you all still have cars, you all still wear clothes every day, you all still live in a house, and you all still have the internet.

I will be more convinced that our country is in an economic crisis when things like Wii's and iPhones stop selling out. :lol:

I mean I know some companies have laid people off, and some people are directly affected by the stock market or real estate market, and those who were barely scraping by before gas prices went up are gonna be having a harder time...but usually the ones I hear complaining about money these days are the average middle class families who don't have any ties to real estate, still have their jobs, and so forth. They are trying to say that the grocery prices and gas prices are making their lives so difficult - but they still go out and spend hundreds, thousands on luxury items.

 

[slappy magoo]

Not to single you out, but to me that sort of cutting back is not a crisis for people to whine about. I think for the most part people are upset that due to higher gas/grocery bills they can not be as materialistic and careless with money as they were a couple years ago. But you're all still eating, you all still have cars, you all still wear clothes every day, you all still live in a house, and you all still have the internet.

I know you weren't singling me out, but I think it's best to point out that I don't think I'm in crisis-mode, nor do I think I was whining.

 

[Master Yoda]

Am I feeling the effects of this economy? You bet.
I am to the point of being homeless? Not yet.
Do I think about loosing my house? Every day.

I work in construction so it is understandable that my pay checks have been hit pretty hard. At first overtime dried up. This was no huge deal but it was a nice safety valve. It also paid for the majority of our Disney trips. The next thing that went were are Christmas bonuses. This was a bite as that bonus was my Christmas budget. Now I had to pull form other places for that money as well as drastically trim down what we did for Christmas. The next thing to get axed were annual cost of living raises. As of right now I have not had a raise in 3 years. The last bit bite was 10% pay reduction. Both of those hurt big time.

When I look at the big picture I am making less per year then I was 8 years ago while the cost of groceries, gas and electricity has skyrocketed. Pretty much every non essential has been cut (Disney, eating out, movies etc) We still have a few places we can make cuts but they would not amount to more than a few hundred bucks per month. Right now we are just holding are heads above water. All it is going to take is one more set back to put us in a position where defaulting on our mortgage is a real possibility.

That set back is a real possibility come mid December as my wife was just notified that she may be put into surplus (fancy word for laid off) in mid December. My job is also not guaranteed in any way. I work for a small company and quite honestly the owner can shut the doors whenever he wants.

Things do seem to be steady in my business right now and I am really hoping that the election, regardless of who wins, will result in a turnaround. Economics seem to be as much about psychology as it does money. When people feel good the economy is good. When all they hear is doom and gloom the economy goes into the crapper.