Footprints on the Moon

Now that we’ve closed another long week, I’m grateful that I get to spend a weekend not thinking about the state of the economy. That might sound a little strange, but really the days seem so long now. I know I’ve complained about different aspects of my job in the past, but for the most part now, I’m just grateful that I HAVE a job! And I might wish I could make more progress paying off my debts, but it pays the bills. I have shelter, heat, food, and there are a lot of people out there who are having a hard time providing those for their family.

All that being said, I do have a new least favorite thing about my job. Since I’m the one sitting in the lobby when people come in, and I’m the one answering the phone, I’m the one who gets to tell all these desperate people that there are no jobs available. Some people are looking for jobs in business, some for jobs in manufacturing… some people just walk in the door with a haunted look in their eye and ask me to tell them if they’re wasting their time. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what I have to do. Like many other companies in the area, ours is starting a lay off.

We live in an area that was greatly affected by the failing RV industry, and that was only the first wave of lay-offs. Every morning on the news, another company announces cutbacks. The jobs section in the classifieds is down to 2 pages, and is mostly jobs in the medical field, or ads for an employment company that charges you to see their job listings. There aren’t part-time jobs to come by, either to get a second income coming in, or just to try and squeak by.

I’m not too worried about my job, but watching the lay offs happening all around me does make me nervous, especially knowing how much debt I have left to pay off, compared to how much money I have in the bank, compared to how much money is required just to eat and keep the heat on every month. It’s definitely changing the way I’m approaching my finances… I’ve gone from paying things in the way that mathematically makes sense to the way that makes me the most comfortable. I’m currently focusing on one of my lowest interest rate debts because it’s the minimum payment I’m least comfortable having to pay. Will it cost me more in interest in the long run? Yes… but I think it’s worth it to have that debt paid off, and not hanging over my head anymore. A couple more months and it will be gone. Then it will be back to doing it the “smart” way.