[Davo]

There was this elderly man who had a profitable little business selling hot dogs on a busy street corner in a major city. He wasn’t particularly well educated, but he sold great hot dogs and his customers loved him.

During the early morning rush hour, he’d wheel his mobile hot dog stand to position it near the exit of the central railway station in town. A year ago he’d added a bacon and egg roll to his range and sold scores of them to this breakfast crowd every day. At lunchtime, he’d move his stand to a popular park where he had lines of regulars.

In the afternoon he’d be back at the station entrance and then later most nights he knew a great spot near a nightclub where young patrons rushed him off his feet. He had even installed special lighting and a flashing neon sign. Even people driving by would stop.

He’d worked hard for years and done well enough to put his only son through university who later became an accountant with a large accounting firm.

One day his son warned him that a recession was on the way. The old man asked his son what this meant. Being an educated man his son gave a very detailed explanation of how the recession would severely impact everyone in the community, particularly small business people like his father. There would be enormous unemployment; people would not be able to afford to spend money as they did now. He painted a gloomy picture of the future and warned his father that it would be wise to cut back on his expenses and “tighten his belt” financially and prepare for the worst. The old man didn’t know much about the economy or interest rates, but he trusted his son. After all, he was an educated man. Recession mentality kicked in...

The old man began to cut back on the quantity of sausages and bread rolls he bought. He didn’t want to get caught with stale rolls as business began to drop off. But it was hard to judge and some days he actually ran out of sausages and rolls earlier than he normally would. So he went home early and spent more time worrying about this recession that was coming.

   Soon he knew that what his son had said was right. He noticed that his takings were indeed falling. This depressed him more and so he tended to get out of bed later each day. After all, why get to the station so early when obviously more people would be eating at home rather than spending money on breakfast in the city. He decided that his bacon
and egg rolls were too expensive for most people now. After all, they were twice the price of a hot dog, so he cut them from his menu and his sales continued to plummet.

Wow, his son was right, this recession was hitting hard!

He decided to save more money and not replace the batteries that powered his neon sign and lights at night. Now because he was in the dark, fewer people bought from him and soon he decided that it wasn’t even worth his time setting up at night. Eventually he decided to sell off his equipment and his trolley. He was in luck though because the young woman who bought his trolley didn’t seem to know how bad business was, or how severe the recession was going to be. He managed to unload the trolley for more than he thought he would get. Now day after day he stayed at home, depressed, and occasionally his son would visit him and they would discuss how bad the recession was, and how lucky the old man had been to have an educated son who had warned him in advance about this terrible recession.

So what’s the moral of this story?

Recession mentality starts in one’s own head. If you believe that a recession is coming and that times will soon be tough, then they will be for you. Like the old man in the story, you’ll start to change your successful behaviour patterns and replace them with less resourceful habits. You’ll sleep in later. You’ll take longer lunch breaks, make less phone calls and go home earlier.

But it needn’t be that way...

total pish 

laffin

[BORBRYCE]

ok I am listening Ronnie, what do you suggest we do?

Debt, avoid it like the plague. Buy plenty of bottled water and tin's of beans. Get an AK 47 and build a shed to keep it all in.....with a padlock on.
Seriously though. Money is going to become increasingly sparse in the coming year's for many people. Jobs will be lost all across the board and thing's like window cleaning will not be too important to all those people.
Stu, the whole world is bankrupt and that is a hard fact. I don't know what the outcome will be other than know it will be bleak. It will take time, the slow process into poverty as a nation, but it will in my opinion happen to us. The sum's do not add up. It is only a matter of time. Just what happen's then, I don't know either, but I wouldn't rule out anything that has not happened before, repeatedly.

[stuart mc]

ok I am listening Ronnie, what do you suggest we do?

Debt, avoid it like the plague. Buy plenty of bottled water and tin's of beans. Get an AK 47 and build a shed to keep it all in.....with a padlock on.
Seriously though. Money is going to become increasingly sparse in the coming year's for many people. Jobs will be lost all across the board and thing's like window cleaning will not be too important to all those people.
Stu, the whole world is bankrupt and that is a hard fact. I don't know what the outcome will be other than know it will be bleak. It will take time, the slow process into poverty as a nation, but it will in my opinion happen to us. The sum's do not add up. It is only a matter of time. Just what happen's then, I don't know either, but I wouldn't rule out anything that has not happened before, repeatedly.

well in that case I will re enlist as we will be at war shortly, and at least I will be paid and fed

[BORBRYCE]

well in that case I will re enlist  as we will be at war shortly, and at least I will be paid and fed

You will be too old. I think 10 to 15 years will be enough to drive us all nuts. Then boooooooom.

[G Griffin]

Blimey. We could die, as well  . A recession won't seem that bad then.

[Davo]

ok I am listening Ronnie, what do you suggest we do?

Debt, avoid it like the plague. Buy plenty of bottled water and tin's of beans. Get an AK 47 and build a shed to keep it all in.....with a padlock on.
Seriously though. Money is going to become increasingly sparse in the coming year's for many people. Jobs will be lost all across the board and thing's like window cleaning will not be too important to all those people.
Stu, the whole world is bankrupt and that is a hard fact. I don't know what the outcome will be other than know it will be bleak. It will take time, the slow process into poverty as a nation, but it will in my opinion happen to us. The sum's do not add up. It is only a matter of time. Just what happen's then, I don't know either, but I wouldn't rule out anything that has not happened before, repeatedly.

ronnie if its all going to go pear shaped we might as well borrow as much as we possibly can, if civilisation ends as we know it they aint gonna be getting any of the money back now are they? If society breaks down to its basic level and the world monetary system collapses then  i dont think im gonna pay for my gas this winter either.

[bobby p]

food selling  might be a good thing to slide into= everybody has got to eat dont they. i happen to know of a place near me that bags up cashew nuts and all manner of indian snacks and theyre busy as hell  although the factory has no windows and never advertize

[Ian Sheppard]

the economy is a busted flush and it is going to affect all of us in some way or another. As people lose jobs the windows is one thing that will be cut ASAP. All i am hearing just now is peoples hours being cut and folks losing their jobs.

quite scary hearing this from people close to you and then hearing it from customers all over the place.

I often wonder if the news channels realise that the economy of the UK and Europe is far bigger than a few dodgy money grabbing bankers and politicians. The people I talk to are looking at new ways to do things and seem to be busy.

We often hear about the latest jobless total, I always cease on the following statistic 7% of the working population are out of work there fore 93% are in work.

A cynic may suggest that all the scare tactics are a good way to control the people?? and keep pay rises down and kep us all working flat out paying even more tax.

[GB Window Cleaning]

the economy is a busted flush and it is going to affect all of us in some way or another. As people lose jobs the windows is one thing that will be cut ASAP. All i am hearing just now is peoples hours being cut and folks losing their jobs.

quite scary hearing this from people close to you and then hearing it from customers all over the place.

I often wonder if the news channels realise that the economy of the UK and Europe is far bigger than a few dodgy money grabbing bankers and politicians. The people I talk to are looking at new ways to do things and seem to be busy.

We often hear about the latest jobless total, I always cease on the following statistic 7% of the working population are out of work there fore 93% are in work.

A cynic may suggest that all the scare tactics are a good way to control the people?? and keep pay rises down and kep us all working flat out paying even more tax.

this is the single most interesting reply to this topic ive read as yet! like you said %93 of the country is in work!!!

thanks for this mate!

GB

[dazmond]

then theres a few of the so called 7% unemployed who are working on the side so probably only 2% out of work!!!

like bumper!!!

[JSMC]

i wa sgonna mention how bad the weather was up here this morning but i don't want to be cast as victor meldrew any more

[stuart mc]

i wa sgonna mention how bad the weather was up here this morning but i don't want to be cast as victor meldrew any more

I will give you that one mate, it is rank rotten weather, did my shops this morning then binned it for the day

[Ian Sheppard]

I am not knocking the people out of work it is tough out there for sure, I do think though we need to talk up the good stuff more and stop reinforcing the negative stereo types shown in the main news channels.

As for the weather Ok this end of the country for now But its is clouding over s o a change is neigh.

[richard jagger]

food selling  might be a good thing to slide into= everybody has got to eat dont they. i happen to know of a place near me that bags up cashew nuts and all manner of indian snacks and theyre busy as hell  although the factory has no windows and never advertize

They properly making e legal boos

[windowswashed]

Stay positive and ignore all the negativity. happy people live longer

[Dave Mills]

Dont believe anyone who tells you this time its different. Look around you. Are people still working? Do they still need and buy food?  Do they still have jobs? Yes.

Stop listening to doom mongers - they are always convinced everything is going to go wrong, and youll never hear from them when their predictions turn out to be way off the mark.

Lifes good.  Enjoy it.

[JSMC]

3 new jobs past 3 days

[H S and Son]

3 new jobs past 3 days

I thought you said it was going to he grim.

[Tom White]

I reckon Western society, as we currently know it, is going to collapse within the next five years.  There's not enough money in the World to cover the current World debt.

That coupled with the climate change, ever harsher Winters, I reckon we're in for a rough ride.

I'm considering digging a bunker and storing it with tinned food and bottled water; just in case.

[gary999]

oh well not worry tosh,lets just say this will be just
another thing you will be wrong about