The state of the economy is a subject that you are going to hear being discussed almost constantly until the November election is finally over.
No matter the subject, there will be at least two different views (and explanations) as evidenced by the recent job report of 69,000 jobs added in the last quarter. One side says this is a terrible indication that the economy is not growing while the other side says, yes, the economy is growing, but at a much slower pace than was hoped.
Radio talk show hosts, columnists and politicians all have their own view of the future ranging from “things will work out in the long run” to “most immediate disaster.”
One writer was horrified and predicted this was the beginning of the end for any chance of any economic recovery when he heard that the U.S.Federal Reserve approved China’s state-owned banks to not only open in the United States, but to also seek takeovers of U.S. banks.
Another columnist fears that the United States is tied so tightly with Greece and if (and he strongly believes when), the situation further worsens and Greece’s unemployment climbs to about 25 percent, this will rub off on the United States and throw us into a financial situation that will be worse than the great depression.
Then you have many people who believe the economy is growing, but growing at a much slower pace than was anticipated. Our recession was – and still is to many – a big hole to dig out of and not something that can be magically turned around overnight. It will take a long time for us to get out of this period and back into a period of real growth.
In the meantime, you have all these different views; however, it still comes back to your personal situation.
If you have a job, your view definitely would differ from the person who finds himself still unemployed after looking for work for two years.
Your number one obligation is you. How are you going to weather any storm you may have or that the country may have? The main issue is not what is the state of the economy; the main issue is what is the state of your economy.
Fundamentals. Basics. In uncertain economic times, it is more important than ever that we have our financial ducks in a row.
Your gas prices have been, and still are, a drain on the budget, but don’t be fooled just because gas prices are down. The question is: down from where?
June has often been described as a difficult period of time for your budget. Some drains, such as school items, have been temporarily removed and now that gas prices are down, it may seem that you are making progress.
Stay informed as to what is going on in the world, but never lose sight of the fact that it is your world that matters most to you. Go over that budget once again and if there is any excess in any of the accounts, such as transportation with the lower gas prices, stick that amount into your emergency fund.
We all suffer from frugality fatigue after extended periods of being so frugal, but now is not the time to relax. If the state of your economy is not improving, do some soul searching and see where it can be improved.
Take the example of Calloway Gardens. The garden was composed of 13,000 acres, but Calloway was forced to sell 4,000 of those acres in order to stay financially afloat. Can’t you imagine what a heart breaking decision that was, to sell those 4,000 acres, but it was necessary and they did it.
You may have to make some hard decisions, and if so, go ahead and do it. Improve your state of the economy and if necessary, bite the bullet a little harder.
Bita Bullet is the pen name of a local anonymous writer who can be reached at opelikaobserver@att.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .