Good luck to you my friend, remember guns and ammo :)
Soapbox, Ballot box, Ammo box... I think we are half way there ;)
I got 23 years to 60. SS likely won’t be there for me. our savings are about gone. We did make a few changes 2 years ago that helped us stay above water. We skipped the 1500 a month for 30 years house and bought a mobile home. We owe 4500 on it and will own it out right at years end. I bought the store with out the small/expensive space on a 2000 car per day road and moved it to a older but on a 75,000 car per day road and was able to keep the rent at just about the same amount.
I also expanded BIG time. 300 to 1300 gallons. More selection, less likely people leave empty handed. I am always on the hunt for vendors with good product and good prices. I have NO problem playing them aginst each other, I expanded in to on site aquarium maintenance and went after industries that seem to weather well in bad times (doctors, hospitals, schools) I have enough accounts now that I don’t even have to unlock the door to the shop to break even :)
I bought the shop last year, I have worn out 3 cheap cars/trucks pounding the pavement in search of business. Its rare that I am home after 8 am or before 12am, it sucks but the kids eat, the lights are on and I am positioned to jump hard once things pick back up in the economy.
Hang in there, do good work at a fair price and you’ll keep the mowers busy. I’m not the cheapest in my area up here. but I am one of the best! Sometimes it takes a while for a customer to realize that.