How long could YOU go without a paycheck?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years? I have 200k in cash and stocks (saving for a rental). My mortgage is $2k a month.

I am a furloughed fed. I’ve been thinking of applying for other jobs, but how to do that if I don’t have an ethics officer to get permission for outside employment? I don’t think I’m going to be essential.

Simple.

If you work for the USDA, dont go get a job at Monsanto. You wont get un trouble if you act on good faith. Nobodybiangoing to pull you up on ethics violations for working for Uber or getting on Rover.

Actually they will. Not sure what part of no outside employment allowed do peippe not understand. We received an email yesterday that we could not even engage in pro bono during the shutdown. Can’t even work for free to stay busy.

But pro bono legal work is still legal work. Since it is somewhat related to your federal position, you would need specific approval. Uber/Rover is presumably wholly unrelated. Therefore, that would not be prohibited or need specific permission, at least at my agency.

The letter says “no outside employment, including pro bono work.” I mean- no outside employment is no outside employment no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of years? I have 200k in cash and stocks (saving for a rental). My mortgage is $2k a month.

I am a furloughed fed. I’ve been thinking of applying for other jobs, but how to do that if I don’t have an ethics officer to get permission for outside employment? I don’t think I’m going to be essential.

Simple.

If you work for the USDA, dont go get a job at Monsanto. You wont get un trouble if you act on good faith. Nobodybiangoing to pull you up on ethics violations for working for Uber or getting on Rover.

Actually they will. Not sure what part of no outside employment allowed do peippe not understand. We received an email yesterday that we could not even engage in pro bono during the shutdown. Can’t even work for free to stay busy.

But pro bono legal work is still legal work. Since it is somewhat related to your federal position, you would need specific approval. Uber/Rover is presumably wholly unrelated. Therefore, that would not be prohibited or need specific permission, at least at my agency.

The letter says “no outside employment, including pro bono work.” I mean- no outside employment is no outside employment no?

As I recognized in my post, your agency's rules may be different. We have blanket approval for something truly unrelated to what we do for the government and not related to entities we regulate. Uber/Rover and the like would fall under that for most people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so sad people live below your means

Mid 30s with kids

250k in investment account bulk earmarked for college but still. We would be fine for multiple years with no income coming in

that's easy to say and do when your means are robust.

We don't have a robust income. We save, live in a small sh@t shack, and drive older cars. We do spend what we want within reason but we love under our means to save for an emergency, college and retirement. We could get a nicer house but I'd rather be financially comfortable and not be stretched.

What a boring way to live!

How is it boring to live under your means? We take vacations, cruises, go to concerts and lots of other stuff because we live under our means. We don't have to think twice about getting what we need/want.

RIGHT - so back to the earlier point: THIS IS EASY TO DO IF YOU MAKE A LOT OF $$$. Go on your cruises! Enjoy yourself! Stop acting like everyone is able to do this AND save $250k for a rainy day.

Are you the person in another thread calling $150HHI low income or something?

Anyway, that's great you've saved a lot. You probably worked very hard for it. Recognize your privilege, at the same time, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH is a Fed. Working, but of course no idea when he will get paid. I SAH. We have a child with a life threatening illness who is going back to the hospital again today. She will be in for at least a month. It would be difficult for me to return to work right now. We are ok for a couple of months. We also have a safety net- our families have offered to help if we need it.

This is incredibly stressful. And it feels so much worse when you read the heartless comments from Trump supporters. I’m trying to stay positive. But I cried in the shower this morning. I’m just so tired.

Virtual hugs. Hang in there.

Thanks. I truly appreciate that. My heart hurts for those who won’t recover the missing paychecks. DH will eventually get back pay. I feel guilty being too upset. We are lucky. We have savings. We have family. And DH makes a good salary. So many others are being affected in worse ways.

Good luck, PP - to you and your child; to all of you.

[Anonymous]

This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

I posted—not at all bragging—that we could live for a few months. We are by no means “rich” at all. In fact, by DCUM standards, we are Poors; but we diligently save. What’s preventing you from saving?

Would I want to use up all of our savings and/or dip into retirement investments? Absolutely NOT! But that wasn’t the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

I answered the question that I could last a long time. Why is that bragging? OP asked a question. I, and others, answered it -- presumably honestly. Are only people who are struggling aloud to answer without it being considered bragging?

Sure, if someone said 'I can last forever, sorry poor suckers' or otherwise editorialized in a degrading manner than I could see why you might be upset. But most of the posts I have seen, including my own, have simply answered the question, nothing more or less.

[Anonymous]

Without my paycheck around 10 years without pulling out retirement. If both DH and I don’t work around 5 years. This assumes both kids are not in daycare and DH can maintain a steady salary given he is an independent consultant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

YUPPP

[Anonymous]

If just one of us lost a job, we could continue in perpetuity without touching savings - there would be budget cuts to vacations and entertainment.

If we both did with no sign of future employment, we could sell our home and move to a LCOL area and live on my husband’s military retirement without touching savings/retirement.

We’re late 40s/early 50s so are out of the daycare years, but do have college costs ahead of us.

[Anonymous]

With one job, we would have to cut a lot of expenses (nanny, luxury car payment, etc) but we could make it indefinitely. If both of us lost our jobs... maybe a year with cutting all the same expenses. After that we’d have to sell the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

YUPPP

Try reading this article with actual named sources. It's more like 1-2 two paychecks before people go under. People are already stopping medications because they can't afford the copays.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/reader-center/federal-employees-unpaid-during-shutdown.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

YUPPP

Try reading this article with actual named sources. It's more like 1-2 two paychecks before people go under. People are already stopping medications because they can't afford the copays.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/reader-center/federal-employees-unpaid-during-shutdown.html

Thanks for sharing. I shared with friends as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so sad people live below your means

Mid 30s with kids

250k in investment account bulk earmarked for college but still. We would be fine for multiple years with no income coming in

that's easy to say and do when your means are robust.

We don't have a robust income. We save, live in a small sh@t shack, and drive older cars. We do spend what we want within reason but we love under our means to save for an emergency, college and retirement. We could get a nicer house but I'd rather be financially comfortable and not be stretched.

What a boring way to live!

How is it boring to live under your means? We take vacations, cruises, go to concerts and lots of other stuff because we live under our means. We don't have to think twice about getting what we need/want.

RIGHT - so back to the earlier point: THIS IS EASY TO DO IF YOU MAKE A LOT OF $$$. Go on your cruises! Enjoy yourself! Stop acting like everyone is able to do this AND save $250k for a rainy day.

Are you the person in another thread calling $150HHI low income or something?

Anyway, that's great you've saved a lot. You probably worked very hard for it. Recognize your privilege, at the same time, please.

Its not privilege to earn $150HHI. A lot of the cash savings we earned making 80K and my husband only recently started earning a lot more. Its how you choose to spend your money. You cannot complain if you live in an $600+K house, driving two nice cars and a few good vacations a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This turned into a big old brag thread.

People are struggling, but at least the rich folk on DCUM can brag about their savings.

YUPPP

Try reading this article with actual named sources. It's more like 1-2 two paychecks before people go under. People are already stopping medications because they can't afford the copays.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/reader-center/federal-employees-unpaid-during-shutdown.html

Thanks for sharing. I shared with friends as well.

+1 Some good stories of actual verified people suffering through the shutdown, not DCUM trolls who say they aren't rich with a salary of 800K/year.

I have a 1-year-old son who was born with a facial deformity, and I stand here in the midst of this shutdown with facial reconstructive surgery expenses for him looming. Instead of mentally preparing for this surgery, I have to be concerned about paying the associated medical bills and normal expenses.

As firefighters in the U.S.D.A. [Department of Agriculture], we are already paid significantly less than other organizations. We spend the summer away from our families in service to the country, fighting fire to pay the bills. Missing a paycheck makes those sacrifices worth nothing.

Our president states that [federal] employees support this shutdown and building the wall. But anyone with a little geographical knowledge knows what a futile endeavor it is. I do not support funding for the wall, and I do not appreciate being used as a leveraging support for this shutdown.

— Nick L., Forest Service employee, Medford, Ore. Has enough savings to last through the end of January.