We’ve been in this economic crisis since September and I’ve been wondering how this has affected other people.
So far, I have not been directly affected. Sure, my personal savings have tanked, but thats to be expected with all the market drops we’ve had. I have not been laid off, thank goodness, and no one I am close with has been either even though many friends have had lay-off scares. There are acquaintances of mine who have been removed from their positions though, and thats the closest to home I’ve really been hit.
On the other hand, my spending is down considerably and I am dedicating much more time and resources to building up a nest egg and paying off my debt. I have been going through my possessions and finding things that I just don’t need and listing them on half.com, with the hopes of simplifying my life and maybe recapturing some of the value. In addition, I now feel more pressure than ever to start my architecture exams and get my license. That will only give me more leeway to find something else if I do have my own personal tragedy.
Professionally my work load has been steady, if not increased since the september crash. I guess that comes from working on public projects whose financing has been pre-approved years in advance and being short staffed. The buzz in my office is all about new projects and new opportunities; its easy to see that we are hungry – we are going after fish we normally would pass up, but i wouldn’t say my office is starving yet. The air of desperation has definitely not hit.
If anyone has any observations from their neck of the woods, I’d love to hear them.