And what you are talking about is not sustainable, people in the U.S. in particular are purposely blind to this, well until now.
I had a record year last year...last time I had a record year the economy crashed in 2008, I should take that as a warning sign. When the last crash happened I had over $100K in the bank and no debt, cheap rent and kept most of my regular clients. This time however is different. I have a big house payment, a 1/4 of that in the bank and some CC debt due to major home improvements last year. On the plus side, I have literally abut ten years worth of film, paper and chemistry to use so I am set on that front.
What is really bad though is that so far, jobs for the Summer have been dropping off fast. I am usually quiet this time of year anyway and relish in that so I can make some fine art prints in my darkroom that serves other markets. So I am going to try to quickly liquidate about $10K in photo related assets to pay down debt and keep as much of the balance in the bank as I can.
My wife works in health care and is pretty solidly placed with a very good income after 20 years....fingers crossed I think we will be OK. But what is about to happen in this country will make the 2008 crash and accompanying fallout seem like a lone dollar bill lost in the wash.
What we do on this planet in per capita fashion in terms of consumption, personal effluent and waste has never been sustainable. Having 70% of the U.S. economy rely on consumer spending is NOT sustainable and this is just one virus of many more to come as our ecology rejects us.
I'll do the best I can for as long as I can, I have had a great run in the photo biz but this is real world stuff and it is here and now, lot later, not for future generations. It's now.