Who's earning less this year than last?

[Colin In Perth]

I dare say there are plenty of people in Scotland earning less this year than last, but I thought it might be a good idea to all be miserable together about it. A problem shared does help. And if a miserable state of mind can be encouraged to be positive then we all might benefit. My income is down on last year and my costs are up - I don't need to tell anyone about rising costs, I know. My situation would not be much of a problem were it not for the fact that my Bank is now demanding a 100% increase in monthly loan repayments or pay off the full amount immediately. Comments and discussion from anyone on here about this will be welcomed by me. I like to get a perspective on how everyone is doing.

[Wills]

Earnings are definitely up on last year on a month on month comparison, we are about to feel the wrath of supply chain increases that cost will end up being passed on to the client which in turn may cause a downturn next year. I'm in the process of analysing the impact and projecting where we may be depending on how hard this current scenario grips.

I gauge a lot from the big supermarkets they have been rising prices like there is no tomorrow then cunningly drop them about 50% of the rise saying every little helps using price hikes as a marketing tool as usual.

[Idea15]

On the flip side of things, a credit crunch is the perfect time to start your own business, so I have a lot of enquiries coming in now. When people have job insecurity and decreased spending power as the everyday norm, starting a business somehow seems less scary.

[Colin In Perth]

I agree with you idea15 that the best time to start is when the Economy is depressed or just not doing as well as it could be doing. I say that if a new business can establish during such times then it is on a stable footing for the future and when things are good then that is a bonus. Start a business during an economic boom and a false sense of wellbeing may develop with that new business stretching itself too far too soon. When things take a turn for the worse the business then cannot weather the storm. My problem is that I provide a service of a kind which people can do without if they need to cut back on spending. It's not like selling food or fuel - gardens can always wait until next year.

[Idea15]

With food prices going up as they are, though, it's a great opportunity to help people rediscover the joy of a backyard garden. Sadly living in a flat I don't have one, so I'm left to shake my head in the supermarket on discovering that I've just picked up vegetables flown in from New Zealand or Chile. I am thinking of annexing some of the building's common back garden in the springtime to declare it MY garden and that's that...

[abs]

Is it really a good time to start your own business? I left a quite well paid job because I thought businesses in Scotland were ready for Virtual Assistance, but that is definitely not the case.

I think perhaps most people don't understand the concept and I am trying very hard to get the word out.

Still, it's giving me plenty of time to grow those yummy vegetables!

[jimbairn]

Originally Posted by Colin In Perth

My problem is that I provide a service of a kind which people can do without if they need to cut back on spending. It's not like selling food or fuel - gardens can always wait until next year.

Took the words right out of my mouth.... (must have been while I was sleeping)

[Colin In Perth]

It would be a good idea if everyone learned the skills of growing their own vegetables. Those skills used to be a way of life from an early age, but
we have over the passed 2 decades got used to cheap food and grow your own went out of fashion. At 44 yrs old I was growing up in the 70s when food prices were very high in proportion to income. The average family spent 1/3rd their income on food then. Now it is 1/10th but increasing and likely to carry on that way. In the 70s I remember it was quite normal for people to have vegetable gardens or allotments. It is just a case of people adjusting and learning the skills. It would be healthy too and recreational. Why waste precious money and energy at a gym when the body beautiful can be achieved by getting exercise doing what is after all basic survival. Problems we are beginning to face like land being used for biofuel instead of growing food could be solved by some lifestyle changes if the will is there in people and governments. Fuel use could be reduced if people didn't eat food which is flown half way round the world. If the culture of people not living anywhere near to their work, but instead commuting for huge distances was replaced by more work from home jobs and taking jobs locally then there would be enough land for both. It is unlikely that I would benefit financially by more people growing their own food as the idea would be to save money and although I'm sure many would take up my free advice, I doubt many would be calling on my paid services. This is starting to become more like a sermon than a thread so I'm going to shut up now. haha sorry sometimes I don't know when to stop. Thanks for reading - Colin

[Idea15]

Sermon most definitely welcomed and appreciated, Colin.

Abs, one thing I learned is that the summer is a bad time for business services - no one's thinking of sorting their office in the middle of July. Don't lose heart - business WILL pick up.

[polr]

I worked full time last year so def. earning less this year. I wouldn't change it for the world though, being back to this time last year is the stuff nightmares are made of! To put it another way (and trying to put it in as least a cheesy way possible) in the last 6 months I can truly say that I know money doesnt equal happiness! I also agree that when we do see out this patch, we're on a much stronger ground for the coming years.