So...I'm sure a lot of you know about this weekend bringing the worst stock market crash since the Great Depression. I own no stocks myself, so it may not be as bad for me as it COULD be...but it's still giving me a good deal of stress.

For one, my dad had some stocks. Even though I live at home, really the only thing I rely on him for sometimes is food...and he can more than afford it with his job. But he's really stressed about it...and he's been taking it out on me. Doesn't help the situation that my mom always attributes him being irritable to him being drunk (which he's usually not) and throws bitchfits at him all the time. And I feel really bad for him...especially when he's not around, causing my mothr to get bitchy at ME and it reminds me of just HOW she gets.
Basically, with the added stress, I've become the entire family's verbal punching bag.

But that's not the full extent of it. Because of my inability to go out in the sun (I burn BADLY and almost immediately; the minute I so much as step out out in the sun I feel like I'm on fire), I can't get a job in my town. I make money by selling jewelry and the like.

Stock market crash = less people have money to spend on things like that. As if the situation with the economy weren't bad enough....e_e

The money I had in savings is quickly depleting. My jewelry isn't selling. I want to move out and get away from my mother (which is another story entirely though), but so far it looks like that likely won't happen for another two years. I have nightmares of having to go back to my old job...and even that isn't an actual option because I'd have to go out in the sun a lot.

I have hated money for a long time. Before, it was mainly because I'm pretty much broke...but still. e_e Over this past week, though...that hatred of money has been multiplied tenfold.

Does anyone have any ideas to ease the stress?

I'm sorry to hear about all of that.
Dxx
Unfortunately I'm not so sure what you could do to relieve the stress...

Have you talked to your parents about how you're feeling?
If not, I think it'd be best to talk to each of them separately and then get them together to talk to them.
I'm not saying this to be judgemental or offensive, but I think it's mean of them to take things out on you, especially since you're feeling down about your jewelry and skin condition.

I hope everything works out for you though.
-hugs-

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. And here I though I had it bad because my current household is on foodstamps...

The market crash, I read in the papers about that, I almost threw up. I know it doesn't directly affect me, but jobs were scarce BEFORE it happened.

As it happens for me, my car is in the shop, I live in an overcrowded, over priced apartment working a shitty minimum wage job with no benefits until I've worked there for a year and less that 30 hours a week just to get the bills paid, I don't even pay my rent, my fiance` does.

I used to be a waitress and had enough tips to set aside some 10,000 (from a year and a half of tips working six days a week) But then I bought my car which took out 5k, and moved to my own place, quiting my job, which depleted my savings after that. I have lived in this place for 7 months, our rent will surely be raised once our lease is up, and we can barely pay it now. I have gone almost whole months at a time, several times with no food in the refridgerator, and my bank account occasionally dips into the negatives.

Things are getting better, my car is being repaired by someone I trust and know will cut me a deal (my dad towed it for me today), my fiance` is getting a pay raise which will show on his next check and his general manager wants to promote him to manager status, the friend who's been crashing on our couch is finally getting his bum ass out of our apartment soon, but things looked very bleak for a while.

Anyways, God bless, I'll pray for you, and I hope your situation looks up and your family gets off your back. Also sorry to hear about your physical condition and the sun thing. that majorly sucks.

I hope your jewelry sales pick up once the shock has passed. Do you have a website for your stuff?

I have often thought that america should go back to the barter system, but nobody owns livestock anymore haha!

Hmmm, well easing the stress won't be too difficult. You just basically need time to yourself. I don't know what you like to do, but maybe some good meditating to reflect on yourself might help. Try your best to focus on the positives aspects of your life because focusing on the negative stuff will only add to your problems. I believe that the only thing that can get you thorugh your problems is your self determination. Time is a big issue, but it's something you just can't control.

You say you want to get away, and if you really believe in it, you can make it happen. Sounds corny, I know, but a wise professor taught me that persistence is the only thing that can help you be successful. Yes, money is a pain in the ass, but unfortuantely we live in a world that revolves around it. I'm just now getting into the field of business and even through this soon to be recession, people can find opportunites to be successful in a time where money is scarce and debt is rising. If you need more money find something else you can do, like collect cans/bottles and recycle. Some places pay decently. So yeah there's always opportunites, just depends on how far you want to take it. :) Hope that helped.

the only thing i can do, as an 18 year old girl who is still in college, is to save up money and buy CD's. [certificate of deposit. you loan a business some money and they pay back with a high interest rate. they pay you back monthly or so, but if you leave all the money there up until maturity it pays off big time.]

i can buy a CD for 2,500. in four years i'll get around 3,275.43 dollars or something back.
i don't need the money right then, so saving it until i DO need it [graduating college] is the best choice for me.

as for the family thing i know what you mean EXACTLY. my family, sucks. hahahaha thats the only way i can say it. just grin and bare it, and treat your mom and dad to some things. like do stuff with your dad that he likes to do. make your mom some jewelry [which i wanna see what yours looks like!] make breakfast or something. make little coupons saying "free back massage" for your mom. something to let them know you care about them, because i'm sure that will take some stress off of their shoulders. i know they feel bad for making you feel bad, because they do love you.