[Poll] Eeeeeeekonomy.

[thefourthvine]

So, the other day I took the earthling to the mall for walking-around purposes, and every single store except the Cinnabon was having a sale. It was a little scary. And we're looking for a desk right now, and half the local furniture stores are having a sale. The other half are out of business. Friends of mine have been laid off. California's budget looks like it's been hit by asteroids.

I am alarmed. And so I'm wondering about y'all: how are you doing? Poll time!

And, by the way, if you're thinking now might be a good time to get your finances in order, I highly recommend the services of jarrow, who does custom budget spreadsheets for fellow fans (and, I assume, others). The spreadsheets are a) really, really pretty (they look like Monopoly!) b) easy to use and c) cheap. It does not get better than that, people. (Except it does: he also provides instruction and tech support. And emotional support, too, if you need it, like if you find budgeting just way too scary ever to face, or if you hyperventilate every time you think about your bills.) We had been trying to use Quicken for two years, and basically only achieving an ever-growing hatred of Quicken. John's spreadsheet, on the other hand, is totally working for us.

And now, let's talk about you.

[Poll #1425209]

Comments

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

To be frank, we're well off because my mother-in-law could party with JKR and not look out of place in terms of money. One day, when she found out that I was working full-time while trying to write my honour's thesis and take full time classes in the first semester of last year, she decided to start giving us a "small" allowance that was more than I made a month working f/t. She also gave us a lump-sum payment that was not insignificant, for "necessities".

I do not understand her money stuff.

Right now I'm working because we want to travel in August, and I'd feel better if our money was paying for that, not hers. It makes talking about money right now very very strange.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

Oh, and now I'm in the MA program and am looking at TAing in the new year. Which will equal very little money, but will be supplementing this strange "allowance" thing.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

*g* Rich in-laws are a great comfort, although I could see how they would make every money situation, including talking about it, slightly fraught.