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It's getting rough. My rant...

I run a family owned concrete paving company, have been for over 15 years (typing that jus made me feel old AF). These last few years our material costs have increased and labor costs increased dramatically. Meanwhile customers are paying less. Barely keeping afloat, account empty after payroll each week

I have been saving (my income) in #Bitcoin for the last 5 years or so and I know if I hadn't I would be VERY depressed right now. We are close to losing our largest account due to fuck ups and some key personnel leaving without notice

I will continue to bust ass, work long hours for less pay, and try to keep my customers as happy as possible (but its not looking good)

I want to THANK ALL OF YOU Bitcoiners and Nostriches. You have shown me the fraud and corrupt system we are living in, gave me an option to better protect myself, and give me hope. I have, am, and will continue reaching my arm out to friends and family to help them board this life raft I am on

"The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see"

-Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

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Discussion

godsdeth 2y ago

#plebstr #grownostr

nostr:nevent1qqsq76srjmkwz59cupfgwuwpug8rh0swqzfka484a8el464j6csxgvgpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ez6ur4vgh8wetvd3hhyer9wghxuet5qgsyxj7zamftxte85lmexd4l037904fdznqxk770e7gljexv4fqmjzgrqsqqqqqpd7qk3l

serenitys forge 2y ago

Keep fighting the good fight. I've no idea where you are but my instinct is to tell you the obvious, diversify 🤣

rev.hodl 2y ago

I have had one of the toughest years with my business since I started 7 years ago, all while the cost of everyday expenses is going up faster and faster. I too would be in a very tough situation if I had not been saving in Bitcoin and diversifying my time into other forms of capital, living capital being the best example. Growing food has offered the most bang for the buck outside of Bitcoin for staying afloat in a continually more challenging financial environment.

MAstr 2y ago

Yes,

and the good thing is, you can repeat this every year.

Try to calculate the return on invest for an apple tree.

Cost for Tree

20 bucks (for a good one)

first harvest after six years

5kg apple

then exponentially growing to 250 kg each year untill the tree dies after 120 years.

So do the math.

WARTIME PSYCHOPATH™ ☣️⚔️ 2y ago

Same boat here. Slowest year I've ever seen in the screen print industry. Margins are thinner than ever. I love having some extra time to learn or do R&D during the slow times, but then I have to sell to cover bills or payroll, and my anxiety goes nuts parting with my sats. I do still see opportunity everywhere, the future is bright

rev.hodl 2y ago

It's hard out here for a pleb...

GigaBTC 🌽⚡️🔑 2y ago

If you make your own concrete, depending on the utility and billing rate / structure, you might be able to mine Bitcoin when you’re not making concrete and lower your overall production cost. Feel free to hit me up if you think that’s an option.

MasterTheGame 2y ago

Thank you and I appreciate it 🙏

Every zap received will get zapped forward!

I purchase concrete from different suppliers, huge companies. I provide the skilled labor demo'ing and installing. Mainly for commercial and some gov school districts

I keep my living expenses low, live in an townhome and still drive an old 2012 beat up truck. Im blessed to have an insatiable curiosity so once I learned about fiat and bitcoin it was a no brainer. Of course i didnt acquire enough but nobody ever does 😄

Although my family business is dodging bankruptcy month to month I myself could live years off my savings

I just see friends and family really losing hope. Many have not listened when I tried to explain Bitcoin year after year. They seem to only care during the bull times. I have to keep working hard because the employees I have need to feed families.

So i will continue pushing as long I can

Free Texas News 2y ago

Some truth I live everyday it feels:

"The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see"

-Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

MasterTheGame 2y ago

Literally living in the Matrix!

Black Sheep Rehab 2y ago

You’re not in Oregon are you? I’ve got a bunch of flat work needed on my current job. We do our own form work before framing, so I know what’s happening to material and labor costs, but I don’t have the skills to make it look good on the flat.

MasterTheGame 2y ago

Naw Im in DFW

You feel my pain 😄. I mostly do remove and replace. I have 14 concrete formers & finishers who form and pour. Did 130 yards this morning at 4 am.

Ready mix concrete used to cost me about $130 a yard. Now its roughly $200. Lumber costs skyrocketed a year or so ago but have came down a bit since.

Its the skilled labor thats killing me along with everyday fixed costs (insurance, fuel, equipment payments, and commercial warehouse rent)

Seems like the only thing going down is what GCs are willing to pay. $14/ sq ft to $12 to $10 😪

Black Sheep Rehab 2y ago

I feel your pain while also being insulated from it. My work is almost all on spec, and the retail market on houses keeps rising given the huge demand and the challenges Oregon keeps putting in the path of development. So I’m able to absorb most cost increases without affecting my bottom line, it just gets past on to the end home buyer.

But skilled labor is typically less skilled and yet 25% more than it was 3 years ago. And of course subcontractors costs keep going up. I’m not a big enough GC to use a sub more than twice a year typically, so never feel I have enough pull to argue their pricing. Plus I’d rather have 1 or 2 I trust to price me fairly than to constantly be chasing the lowest bid.

If I can’t budget the price I’d rather reduce scope than try to crush someone else’s margins. But I get most GCs can’t operate that way and so are going to demand you absorb those costs internally.

MasterTheGame 2y ago

"But skilled labor is typically less skilled and yet 25% more than it was 3 years ago."

☝️EXACTLY! This is pretty much reducing profits to near 0. Especially when you calculate the things Ive had to re-do out of pocket because the new "skilled laborers" end up not being skilled at all

Then when things slow down the real skilled folks get work from a big contractor and end up gone forever. My slow months havent even started yet and getting thru winter is gonna take some grit