I don't like my job and I'm tired of trying to like it. I just want to quit but I'm afraid of what will happen if/when I do. [more inside]
posted by PFL on Oct 16, 2009 - 13 answers

Please help me fill up my time. I am a psychologist in private practice, and thanks to the recession, I have multiple times during the week with nothing to do--this is a new experience for me, and aside from the anxiety of not working as much as I need to, I am also bored to tears. Unfortunately, it is an hour here and an hour there--never any good block of time, and although in the future I may have to rearrange my schedule and put all my hours together, at the moment I am trying to maintain hope that I will be able to fill those hours with new patients. I am sick of surfing the internet, going for walks, updating patient files, and reading whatever (professional literature, novels). Any suggestions, Mefites, for how I can spend my time more productively, or at least entertainingly?
posted by chaoscutie on Oct 8, 2009 - 21 answers

I'm working on a theme based zine/journal and need help brainstorming for the latest issue. It's about the recession. [more inside]
posted by Rocket26 on Aug 27, 2009 - 5 answers

Is work/trade, or any kind of non-monetary exchange of goods and/or services currently under statistical analysis? [more inside]
posted by JaiMahodara on Aug 24, 2009 - 4 answers

Work vs. love, recession edition: How to deal with concurrent uncertainty with love and career choices in an abysmal economy? [more inside]
posted by LecheFresca on Aug 5, 2009 - 7 answers

Job-hunting filter: So I've just been informed by my always- supportive mother that I am not doing everything possible to find a job after being laid-off two weeks ago. And she, of course, would know, since she hasn't looked for a job herself in 20 years. [more inside]
posted by notjustfoxybrown on Aug 1, 2009 - 24 answers

What can I do to thrive and forward my career in a job I am overqualified for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 22, 2009 - 9 answers

Can I still have a career in science? This economy caused both my spouse and I to lose our jobs and to relocate to find new employment after a 10-year corporate career. Thing is, I hated that career and only loved the money. Now, I am at a crossroads in life. [more inside]
posted by UseyurBrain on Jun 6, 2009 - 14 answers

Ideas for a Recession/Depression themed Birthday Party? [more inside]
posted by Smarson on May 19, 2009 - 26 answers

When people say they're broke, do they literally have no money? [more inside]
posted by JuiceBoxHero on May 13, 2009 - 38 answers

Our landlord wants a five percent per year increase to renew our office lease for two years. Where is the data that shows the commercial market is going the other way? [more inside]
posted by gum on Apr 24, 2009 - 9 answers

Stimulus filter: Help me understand how the funds get to where they're going. [more inside]
posted by shotgunbooty on Apr 20, 2009 - 4 answers

I'm currently working on my MBA at a relatively prestigious business school and am coming to understand that my parents are in a grave financial situation that may lead to them having to file for bankruptcy. My father's been unable to get steady work for the last year or two and my mother's income isn't large enough to maintain the household and service their debt. In all likelihood they'll lose their house in two to three months unless something dramatic happens. I'm considering dropping out of school and returning home to help them weather the storm but I don't know a) if they'd be able to stomach it, b) whether I'd be able to find a job quickly enough to fend off the fallout, c) if I'm really serious about doing this, d) if this is the right thing for me to do, and e) what it'll mean for my future. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 2, 2009 - 18 answers

Why is all this money going to industry and commerce, not the citizenry? [more inside]
posted by turgid dahlia on Mar 19, 2009 - 19 answers

This has my parents spooked. Tell me how to ease their financial fears. [more inside]
posted by ElmerFishpaw on Mar 6, 2009 - 10 answers

Screenwriters working on scripts related to current economy [more inside]
posted by matthewstopheles on Mar 5, 2009 - 2 answers

Why is the (supposed) story about libraries and the recession seemingly spontaneously appearing in every single newspaper this week? [more inside]
posted by crazyray on Feb 28, 2009 - 10 answers

What were the social impacts of the lost decade in Japan? Yes, I know economists are all about growth-growth-growth and if you don't have it you're a failure. But what were the actual impacts on levels of personal happiness and satisfaction? [more inside]
posted by alms on Feb 26, 2009 - 18 answers

Where is my money doing me, and the world, the most good right now: going into a 401(k), or going into my wallet and getting spent? [more inside]
posted by logovisual on Feb 17, 2009 - 15 answers

I'd like to read some good books, preferably autobiographical, about managing a household in hard times. [more inside]
posted by Catch on Feb 15, 2009 - 29 answers

In this economy is it a bad idea to relocate for an IT job? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 7, 2009 - 16 answers

How is daily life going to change over the next few years - because of the Slow Depression? [more inside]
posted by raikkohamilonso on Jan 29, 2009 - 47 answers

I am looking for articles or blog posts of economists predicting what is going to happen with the economy over the next few years. [more inside]
posted by hazyspring on Jan 29, 2009 - 10 answers

How do I best arm myself for an upcoming salary/bonus review in this economic climate? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 26, 2009 - 10 answers

How has the recent economic situation affected the cost of a house remodel? Is it cheaper because of the soft housing market, or more expensive because more people are fixing up the places they own instead of moving?
posted by Xazeru on Jan 17, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm 21 years old, about to graduate college, and the recession is freaking me out. I know there's no right or wrong answer to which course my life should take, but I need help focusing on realistic skills and places to live that I should be considering. [more inside]
posted by Muffpub on Jan 7, 2009 - 20 answers

Who was *right* about the recession? [more inside]
posted by swift on Dec 29, 2008 - 14 answers

Give me crazy (legal) ways to make money during this economic dowwwnturn.... Become a Lab Rat? Sell my Hair? [more inside]
posted by Izzmeister on Dec 20, 2008 - 28 answers

Is there a chart of the current bear market in comparison to historical ones? The New York Times had this one, but it is not kept up to date, otherwise exactly what I'm looking for, kept up to date.
posted by stbalbach on Dec 20, 2008 - 3 answers

Buying a new car considering the current US economy. Have the rules changed? [more inside]
posted by Joh on Dec 19, 2008 - 12 answers

Candy sizes are shrinking and cocoa content is being reduced using different strategies, like introducing cookie-fied versions of popular candy bars, i.e. jamming cookies where there used to be chocolate. Is there a niche website out there systematically tracking the shrinkage? [more inside]
posted by mecran01 on Dec 3, 2008 - 11 answers

As contractually agreed by me one year ago, my NYC apartment rent is going up 9% starting next month - from $2,250 to $2,450. But today I found out that, because of the recession, an apartment like mine is now going for $2,050. And now I want to renegotiate. How do I do that? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 2, 2008 - 10 answers

Hi All, We are in need of a car. New or used, does not matter. Our current car is near death and we cannot postpone. Friends have told me that with the current economic recession, this is a great time to buy a new or used car. If this is indeed the case and it is a good time to take advantage of the poor economy, then in what ways do I maximize my savings? [more inside]
posted by Ligament on Nov 22, 2008 - 15 answers

Anybody have evidence -- empirical or anecdotal -- about what recessions do to the self-employed? I'm a freelance writer, and am wondering whether my clients are more likely to farm stuff out to me because I'm cheaper than hiring in-house staff or cut their freelance budgets and dump more work on the people they're already paying. Thanks!
posted by shallowcenter on Nov 19, 2008 - 11 answers

A real economic downturn, or not so much? [more inside]
posted by bystander on Nov 16, 2008 - 25 answers

If retailers are being hit hard with a recession, then why am I not finding bargains? [more inside]
posted by abdulf on Nov 14, 2008 - 15 answers

Who has interesting ideas about how to live, travel, dress, and eat frugally during a recession? [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine on Nov 7, 2008 - 13 answers

I am in Canada (BC) and with the economy slowing and such, what is the best way to protect myself? I am in an entry level job now and growing "old" but I want to know the best course of action. White collar jobs? learn a trade? Get a degree? I am open to ideas... Thanks!
posted by brinks on Oct 27, 2008 - 8 answers

Where should I keep my money (to protect it from the US economy)? I'm American and it's in US$, but I don't live there and don't have any good reason to keep it there. [more inside]
posted by xanthippe on Oct 7, 2008 - 10 answers

Given the current economic climate, should I be padding my emergency fund or paying off my credit cards? [more inside]
posted by ourobouros on Oct 2, 2008 - 17 answers

Questions about the best course of action to prepare for a possible economic depression [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Sep 16, 2008 - 12 answers

How long is this recession (economic downturn?) going to last? Specifically in terms of getting a job. [more inside]
posted by whoaali on Sep 11, 2008 - 18 answers

I would like to know the best way to turn actual US dollars into foreign currencies... [more inside]
posted by Rafaelloello on Jul 12, 2008 - 7 answers

How should we handle liquidating assets in an estate in the USA right now? Assets consist primarily of a stock portfolio and a house. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 21, 2008 - 17 answers

Please to give ideas on depressed stocks/funds/securities to put some money into during the downturn. [more inside]
posted by SlyBevel on May 12, 2008 - 14 answers

How is the downturn in the US economy affecting you? [more inside]
posted by bystander on May 5, 2008 - 78 answers

I hear a lot of talk about global recession. Bad time to start a company? [more inside]
posted by saraswati on Apr 8, 2008 - 26 answers

[Naive but Optimistic Americanfilter] So, is there anything I as an individual can do to try to pull us out of the impending/occurring recession? [more inside]
posted by Overzealous on Apr 5, 2008 - 15 answers

How Can the Economy not Fail? Given the debt each of us owes (what, something like $150,000 each?), rising oil costs, cpi going up, infrastructure moved out, failed dollar, failing banks, etc. etc... [more inside]
posted by raikkohamilonso on Mar 22, 2008 - 32 answers

Should we still move to chicago, even with the threat of recession? [more inside]
posted by shesaysgo on Mar 17, 2008 - 16 answers