Am HVAC tech.

No one has money. I knew things were truly fucked before Christmas when I was talking to a guy, standing in his living room that is larger than my entire fucking house, and he was hemming and hawing about replacing his furnace blower motor that was actively leaking oil. I felt scummy having to point out that it is an actual fire hazard. He pushed the repair off to the new year so he could get some money together. Another guy had to call his sister to pay me for his dispatch fee, and then said he’d buy an inducer motor at Home Depot because my quote for the warranty repair was too high. I wish him the best of luck.

It has not gotten better. I fear for my job on a weekly basis. I had to switch to a new company due to moving states for my wife’s job, and I am having a hell of a time proving I can bring value when people are barely able to afford capacitors at discounted rates. I had one guy whose unit won’t even start just say they’ll just not have AC.

He’s cooked, I’m cooked, we’re all cooked.

Even when it gets to that point, skill in trades would be useful. No one will barter food for a program, but would for a fix of leaking plumbing.