After all of the bad news today, I just can't stop thinking about it!

We have tightened up on things, but that really started last year. I am very thankful for my stockpile which I have been working on even harder lately in case we need it.

We haven't felt much of a difference yet, except for the gas/oil prices which will really hit hard when we are spending $1000 a month on oil over the winter. But I am so cheap with groceries and most everything else that I haven't seen much on an impact personally.



So how worried are you and do you get more worried every day like I do?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I would call it a 'gnawing sense of unease'. Dh works over an hour away so the higher gas prices are definitely having an impact on us. So far, though, that's the only effect we've seen. The company he works for is a huge corporation and I'm hoping they can ride the tide better than a small company...they did have some layoffs recently but it was really about getting rid of unbillable employees. Just the word 'layoff' makes me feel shaky inside.

Maureen

I think we are headed for a depression. On the one hand I know that this is an economic cycle and if I were more knowledgeable and intelligent on economics, history, and financial matters I could probably predict with some accuracy about three scenarios that could play out.
However all I know is that the price of things we have to have is rising, nobody I know has had a pay raise. "They" keep saying things like higher fuel prices will bring some jobs back home. Well if that does happen that will be good.
Right now I see the airlines closing down really soon they cannot handle the high fuel prices. That is an enormous job/resource loss for the US.
I see people on both sides of the political spectrum and those in the middle unhappy and distrustful of government. And why not? The people who "rule" us make their own rules as they go along and do things that profit them financially.
The working person is the one who makes the world go around and the least appreciated. We are being phased out.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I was only little so I had no idea, but my Mom said things were bad like this in the 70's? I know intrest rates were crazy and there was the energy crisis and she said people had no money?I think it if felt the same now to someone who had lived through it, I would feel better, but it seems worse.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I'm not overly concerned. We are pretty smart with our money, and honestly, welcome the "down turn". If you're still young enough, it's a great time to invest, when prices are low.

I also think there are more deals to be had.....lots of movie ticket deals and things like that. You may have to be a bit more creative or dig a little deeper, but, the deals are there.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I with Alli...

I'm concerned...but no more so than normallay when it comes to finances. We are smart with our money.

Gas is the only thing that is making me mental. But, I was crazy when it hit $2...you can imagine what a maniac I am now!

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

I am pretty stressed out about it right now. We were supposed to sell our rental property, but the new assessment came in $63K less since last year. I don't know how we are going to skin that cat-we were really counting on it being sold by now as we do lose $$ on it every month. Our son starts college next month as well, so there will be added expenses there. We do have some positive things going on-I started sub teaching in May, and pretty much was able to work full-time, so that made a big difference! I have signed up for summer school, but those jobs are few and far between. Can't wait for the new school year to start. Also, my parents are getting a new car, so they are "selling" us their Honda Odyssey for cheap, and letting us make small payments. I figure what we save in gas a month should cover that. DH has been carpooling lately, so at least he's not filling his tank quite as often. And the best news is, that as of tomorrow, DH will be receiving his new pay raise-one where we we actually see a difference. In this economy, I am just happy he has a steady job at all, and I do see us weathering the storm, but we just need to get through this summer first.

I also think we are headed for a depression. I was a high school/college student during the 70's money was tight anyway, I thought it was just because I was a college student, LOL, there were never any lines for gas or anything where I lived, I actually think it is worse now as far as the prices of things go. Back then it was I just didn't have the money to buy it. Now the inflation and the prices of things and the prices of gas. I don't remember banks failing back then? Does anyone remember?

I find this subject very interesting, I watch the business/news channel everyday. I have done some research on the "great depression" and we have all the preceeding signs happening now that happened then: People losing their homes, banks starting to fail, inflation, then will come lack of sales (so businesses will go out of business) , then will come lay-offs. This is JMO and what I see in my area: with inflation and the higher cost of gas and what I have seen on the business channel, people are using their money for gas and food instead of eating out and buying things, so this has a trickle down effect, the restaurants are empty, so businesses are not making money as well as the waiters and waitresses, so they cut back on the employees they have (less money going into the economy). People aren't buying as many vehicles, the vehicles companies are starting to cut back on production, which will result in layoffs this fall by several of the large maufactureres (this is happening now). People are not traveling as much, the airlines are cutting back on the amount of flights they are going to have because their flights are not full, they are losing money because of the price of gas, when they cut back on flights they lay off flight attendands and pilots that is already happening (less money going into the economy). The list goes on and on.

The business news channel randomly picked two airline flights last week to fly on, rated the flight, ran through all the expenses, the flights were FULL and the airlines still LOST $500 on each flight after they paid for gas and all their employees, landing fees, etc. So the airlines are going to have to cut back on flights and raise prices really quickly.

I know that here in our local paper people are utilizing the free summer lunch programs for kids this summer at the schools in higher numbers. And people are utilizing the food bank in record numbers here in our area. How about your areas?

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Right now...with the sunny, warm weather it is hard to think about winter. But, I know last year we were forking out over $100 a week for heating oil, so this winter it will be at least double that amount. So, basically if I work every single day subbing....my paycheck will just barely pay for our heating oil. Our electric bill has increased, so has our food bill. I know we will be okay, but it is going to be a very long winter.
I know we are lucky that my dh has a good job. Just hoping things stay busy at the plant he is employed for. They have lost some of their business overseas.

I think the winter will make or break the economy this year. It was bad last year, but people will either make it or they won't this year.

We haven't used a credit card in a LONG time, but if we have to use it this year to buy oil we do, I can't not buy it? I just need to put off the expense until we get our tax return and that'll buy us an extra month.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I'm stressed, but I don't let it impact me daily...life is too short for that. However I am 26 and have been with my boyfriend for 3 years now. I would love to get married, buy a house and start a family and we just don't know how any of that is feasible on our salaries. I am starting a second job part time on Wednesday so that I can have money to start saving for my future! I have such a new respect for my parents right now. I just recently got an apartment and car that I am paying for myself and the bills are mounting. I don't know how my parents did it all these years.

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Shauna

I agree with Allinaugust, too. We've felt it somewhat but not a lot...mainly gas...there's not many deals on that! I've always been an avid coupon user and deal finder. I don't keep much of a stockpile because DH hates the space it takes and I usually use up freezer stuff in the summer, so we're low on that, but lots of stuff still goes on sale each week, I buy a lot of non-perishables at WalMart.

We're still taking our vacation this summer.

For years we've kicked around buying a lake house and haven't done it, but we were discussing that now would be the time to go find a foreclosure and get one cheap, but haven't acted on it.

Everything - good or bad - is a cycle. It'll turn around soon enough.

I'm not much of a worryer.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

Our local government is starting to "respond" to the "crisis". My oldest DD works at DHS (which is a state agency) she is a food stamp/insurance worker, their supervisor told pulled them all in a couple of weeks ago and told them that because of the price of gas people cannot be turned away if they get there at a reasonable time, they must be seen that day, they cannot be told to come back another day if they are applying for food stamps. She told them that people are desperate right now. Also DD was given the option to go to a 4 day work week, somthing the state is doing to help employees save on gas. My husband also works for the state and I kept hoping that his agency dept. of mental health would go to a 4 day work week because we live 50 miles round trip from his job. Well, yesterday his boss approached him about going to 4 days (10 hour days) instead of 5 days and he actually told her "well I'll have to talk it over with my wife first" (what was he thinking?, LOL). Anyway, he is going to tell her today he will go to 4 days ASAP, that will save us 50 miles a week on gas. Which is not a huge amount, but every little bit helps. They got NO pay raises because of the economy, but at least the state does understand the "pinch" that their employees are feeling.

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I'm concerned but not overly. We are smart with our money. We feel the impact of gas but not as much as others. I could cut back on our budget more if needed. The biggest concern we have right now is DH's job. It's fine now (and probably for the next year) BUT the company he works for has been re-locating jobs recently. They used to offer a severance if they sent your job to another state if you couldn't find another job within the company locally. Now, if you don't want to move where the new job is, you are basically quitting. Our friends were given 1.5 months to either move or find another job. In this housing market, you are not going to sell your house in 1.5 months w/o losing at least $50K. I am afraid my biz (online) will not do as well as it has in the past but since my items are priced at a lower price point, maybe I will have a better year since more people are spending less? In any case, I think it's a good "wake up" call to those people who *knew* they were overextending themselves and trying to live the life of someone who makes 2-5 times what they do. Hopefully this will be a good lesson in money management

Speaking of raises Penny, my DH has not received a raise in over 5 years....and is basically told that they will not have them anytime in the near future. Sickens me when this company makes millions a year

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Yes I remember it I was a teenager but my parents never really let us know about whatever "money problems" they had so we were for the most part blissfully unaware which was/is bad & good in some ways.

I forgot to add that I am worried about the country but I am not worried about us so much. We always find our way to what we need. There are little ways to make extra $$$ and if we all are smart about not accumulating extra debt we can make it through anything.

I believe in "magic" for lack of a better word and I have faith in God. I believe we are all where we need to be doing what we need to be doing to learn what we need to learn to end up eventually where we will spend eternity.

Every time we think we are going to have a hard time financially with something "magic" happens. In the last two months we have sold a bunch of our old "crap", received unclaimed money from looking online and received at least four unexpected checks in the mail ranging from $3-$200.

I tell you this to inspire you don't let what is going on outside ourselves control how we feel inside.
Yes some of us are suffering but I truly believe that if we look around we can cut out things we buy or charge that we can certainly live without and we can look around for ways to make a dollar here or there and we can have faith in God and create some "magic" with our positive thoughts.

Don't laugh-it works for me and I am not better than anyone nor am I special. I just have an unwavering faith in myself and the powers that be.

So yes we will have to do without some things and we will not be able to go where we want but we will learn to appreciate things like getting an extra use from something, pride in growing our own veggies and doing sewing repairs on clothes. We will see things in our own towns we did not look at before because we were driving somewhere else.

I know I am one of the first to bitch about prices and the economy but when it comes down to it I know that everything will end up better in the long run.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Not too get off track, but I think I am just feeling a bit of "doom and gloom" because of personal reasons also, LOL. In the past two weeks we have had a $300 vet bill, the central AC broke so we were without for 3 days until the AC guy could come (100 degrees of course) that was $200 to fix, the oven broke (not even going to worry about that right now), last night the pool pump broke (in ground pool, so unless I want a big mosquito pond that HAS to be fixed, 2 days until the guy can come to look at that and my van went into the shop today to get new brakes and a new muffler, then the AC in hubby's car stopped working (not going to worry about that either). So lots of money going out (luckily we have savings and it's not going on a creidt card). On top of this my middle DD's hubby (my son-in-law has been waiting to leave Afghanistan, his time is done there for now, as things are heating up over there (thank God he is on his way back to SEATAC as I write this) and older DD is having marital problems. So I think I have other things going on not just the economy, LOL.

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visit my homepage http://penny.mycoupons.com/

I have no clue if there is truly a direct connection, but yesterday I saw headlines mentioning Bush lifting the executive order against offshore drilling. Today, oil prices have tumbled $10/barrel. Just seeing that number go down and a retail stock I own jumping 13% made me feel a bit warmer inside - lol.

I really think a lot of it has to do with the way we perceive things too. Like for us things are pretty much fine, like most of us have said. We are budgeters and there are always ways to cut back if we really have to, cell phones, satelite tv, extra car, motorcycle, etc, but right now we are fine.

By watching the news yesterday, I really got worried though and I think that by watching the doom and gloom every night on the news, people are feeding right into it? Yes there are people who aren't doing well, got laid off, are overextended, etc. but is that the majority? Or is it making the majority worry by constantly talking about it and analyzing it?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Might I recommend a wonderful book to you called "The Millionaire Next Door". It really is a great read, and will have you looking at things in a whole new light. I bought it on Amazon.com for $10.xx I think. Normally I get books at the library, but, thought this one was worth buying so I could have it to refer to often.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I went to college in the early 70's then got married in 1974. Money was always tight. I paid for my own tuition with scholarships and working. I lived at home. When we got married, energy costs were high. There were lines for gas. Heating and electricity were sky high. Nobody put up Christmas lights. That is when I started couponing and refunding. We made it. But the 80's brought a recession to the Midwest. I remember factories striking. One time a truck came up to the strikers and passed out bread. But we may it through all of that time. I know how to cut back etc. so we will make it through this time too.

I am starting to stress over money. We have paid off almost all our CCs and we can easily get by if I do not pay more then the min. My concern is in people not going out anymore. DH is a Live Sound Engineer (meaning he works doing concerts). So far this year he has made $10,000 less then this time last year. July and Aug. are the busy months and his paychecks are half what they were last year. He has been with this company for over 9 years and will not be getting laid off any time soon. He also has just started a business with a friend doing sound system installations in churches. They have enough work to keep themselves busy for the rest of the year, after that is scary to me.

I am cutting back now and trying to get those CCs paid off before the economy crashes any more. It is comforting to know I can use our CCs if I need to.

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Calling a illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."

I literally can't sleep. I don't see an end in site either. I have really cut back and I am selling some stuff we don't use on craigs list. We used to be very comfortable but with a chronically ill child it has really had a huge effect.

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

I am stressing a bit. DH owns a very small (3 man crew) roofing company and people just aren't wanting to put out the $$ right now. This time of year he is usually a month or more out and right now he can schedule a job within a day or two. I work for the school district so only 172 days a year. We have no insurance and little tiny IRA we set up a few years ago. Yep,...... stressed.

Not really worried a whole lot. What goes up, must come down. "Prosperous times" never last...but, neither do depressed times. The economy is cyclical. Good times always have a correction.


The key is in the good times, living like it won't last, and not getting attatched to all of the x-tras in life that we "think" we need.(preaching to the choir here...LOL) We are far too controlled by our "stuff". Yes, our debt and our stuff control us more that we realize.

We're worried, but working on doing something about it. We're selling our house (have about $50K in equity) and buying a foreclosure for significantly less money. We also found a realtor online who will sell our house for much less than the standard 6% fee. We'll be downsizing a bit, but that's not a problem. DH works for American Eagle and he is somewhat worried about his job. He's been there for 12 years and is in Maintenance/Engineering management, so I don't think he's in imminent danger, but you just never know. I'm on longterm disability, but I'm really just waiting for a drug to be approved by the FDA so I can go back to work. I'm hoping that it will be approved by the end of this year. That would be an enormous help!!! But, anyway by selling our house, we'll be able to pay off our credit cards and still pay 20% down. With the lower house payment, we'll be able to pay off our boat, truck, etc. much faster. I figure we'll stay in that house 2 years, then hopefully be able to either sell it (at a profit because we're getting such a good deal) or rent it out. The foreclosure market is definitely interesting.

Lisacb, we bought a property at a lake close to our home a few months ago. It's not lakefront, but it is one block from the lake. It was a foreclosure and needed quite a bit of work, but we got a great deal on it. We had to put about $10K in to it (including dumpsters to haul off all the trash), but we've already more than doubled the value of the property. That might be something you want to consider. There are so many good deals to be had right now.

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Kim

I saw somewhere that the owners of forclosed properties have one year to REDEEM their property from the buyer at a forclosure sale.

I'm not worried, I know I can live on next to nothing if I have to and I'm not above taking just about any legal job to pay the bills.

That being said I have started putting a few more things into the 'ol stockpile. I was letting it dwindle down, using stuff up, donating things I wasn't crazy about using myself, etc. But now I'm starting to build it back up, there may come a time when I'm grateful for the box of Tuna Helper I stashed away this week since I got it for a quarter.

I am irritated by the way the ecomony is now. I'd LOVE to be able to go on road trips like I used to when gas was $2 a gallon, but it's just not in the cards right now.

And I am very entertained by the "tips" that are always on shows like "Good Morning America" and the like. Things that I've been doing FOREVER are just now the hot tip of the week.

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

Here is a great article comparing the great depression and now. Great way to look at it. I like the perspective.

Minyanville - NEWS & VIEWS-Five Things You Need to Know: The Modern Stealth Depression

Crude dropped several more dollars today, and both the Dow and Nasdq were up. I wonder if we'll be seeing positive changes at the pump soon. It'd be nice!

I need oil, but we're going to try to wait a little to get it. I heard somewhere that with the elections coming up, the republicans could try and do something (what I have no idea) to help with the prices of fuel so they look better in the eyes of the voters, so prices could come down just from speculation that something will be done? I called around yesterday and for oil it was $4.55 a gallon.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Another thing during the 70`s was the interest rate on housing . It was anywhere from 8% to 20+%.

The thing that is going to be hard is getting through a New England winter with 2 oil tanks to fill.

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

Taxes were much higher then, too - at least on the highest earners, federal taxes were up around 70% of their income, which seems insane to me regardless of how much anyone made.

This tax table is interesting. I was in college when the big jump for the lower brackets happened in '87, so I have no memory of it happening. Looks like it was during the Reagan years.

History of Federal Individual Income Bottom and Top Bracket Rates

I am a democrat and we need a change however whomever will take over is going to have their hands full, everything is way way too expensive and Bush has gotten us into a mess and i feel the soldiers should all come home and yes I am extremely worried very worried, peace catherine

Your right, I forgot about the interest rate. As I said before, we'll make it through this time too. I also laugh at the money saving tips on tv because we have been doing them forever too. I think most people on this site will be ok because we are usual too money saving ways. My dh and I don't drive that much anymore. He is on disability and I work as a teacher about 3 miles from my house. We use a tank of gas once every 3 weeks.

I will definitely check that out. Thank you.

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Shauna

I too laugh at the tips given on the *news* for saving money. Uh, no duh! I've been doing that forever. Our newspaper had a front page article on saving money. It basically said to drink water instead of soda, raise chickens instead of buying eggs (uh, we can't have chickens in the city...it's weird that they mentioned that...I was waiting to read about getting a cow for milk LOL), making your own coffee instead of Starbucking it and making your errands all in one trip.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

You'd be surprised at how many people DON'T do these things. I have a friend who will drive her big old SUV 2 blocks down the street to come visit me .

I heard on the news tonite that for every $1 the oil drops, gas will drop 2.5 cents a gallon. We'll see, I guess.

Home was supposed to have a link to some guy's cheapskate tip sight. I doubt it will be anything new to a lot of us....he was talking about buying a car and driving it until it dies, to get your money's worth.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Yes. I'm worried. I can't believe what a mess this country is in right now. I figure it won't be long before India, China, or Brazil take our place as a world power. Bush has put us so far in debt, I can't imagine how we'll dig ourselves out of it.

In the meantime, both my husband and I are employed, so we're OK for now. We're replacing our old furnace with a high-efficiency one. We're doing this for both the environment and our pocketbook.

I know here in Northern VA, there's been NO price change at the pump. And really, there's nothing that can/will be done to encourage gas companies to go back down. They're making record profits, why stop a good thing?

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"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? " ~Epicurus

I wonder all time if they already are the new world superpowers. WE'RE borrowing money from China to pay for gas from Saudi. Not the other way around.

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"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? " ~Epicurus

It was my understanding that the oil prices being paid now are for oil deliveries in Aug or Sept, so we won't see a huge drop until then. BUT, I am leary as to wether or not we'll see the drop we really should. They are fast to raise the prices at the pump when the oil trades higher, and that jump is immediate, but, when it drops, they are not so fast. OTOH, I have seen about a ten cent drop in the past week.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I thought when we got a Dem. house and senate, gas would go tumbling Or at least thats what they said Wonder what happened???? Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

They are wanting to INCREASE the federal gas tax by another .10 a gallon.

You know, I don't mind paying taxes if they actually GO to what they say they will. I know the taxes at the pump go to roads and things,but, really, they need to be investing in alternative energy sources.

I have a feeling now, tho, that with gas prices coming down (another 3 cents here today) they will not be so aggressive.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

As you know I am adicted to some of the financial sites/blogs. They are all a buzz about Wachovia. One of the banks I use. They are saying they posted huge losses and may be going under soon. These are scarey times. Wachovia is huge and I thought relatively stable. They also anounced they are closing their mortgage unit. One of DD's best friends' mom got a job there doing mtg's after her divorce. I really feel for her.

That being said I am not going to run to the bank and pull my money. Its just another sign of the times.

Surely not the Democrats....gas was supposed to come down and all was to be well in the world...Remember Nancy Pelosi was going to get so much accomplished in a certain amount of time....She and the rest of the house and senate have done SQUAT.....but you dont hear that on the news....Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

For heaven's sake...it would take a whole lot more than gas coming down for all to be well in the world. It's ridiculous to expect any quick fix to the pile of manure that our President has planted us in. To blame Democrats for not rectifying all the Republican mistakes but not blame the Republicans for making the mistakes is just plain silly. Take a look at where our economy was before Bush took over, and look at it now,...is it perhaps Clinton's fault that Bush messed everything up to further his own agenda? Surely the 'liberal left-wing wealth-hating baby-killing tree-hugging bleeding-heart Democrats' must be at the root of it all...or we'll at least try to twist the facts to make it seem that way. Facts shmacts...they have no place in politics!

Maureen

There will be a hearing tomorrow (7/24) in Congress that might be very informative and interesting.

"Hearing on Oil Prices and the Dollar Scheduled for Thursday, July 24
Increased global demand makes for an easy scapegoat when it comes to explaining the recent rise in oil prices. Developing countries like China and India are consuming more, so oil prices naturally go up, right? The argument is quick, simple to grasp and thus has wide appeal in our sound-bite driven world. But is this all there is too it?

Last month Congressman Ron Paul, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy called for a hearing on the relationship between the falling value of the dollar and the recent rise of oil prices. That hearing request has been granted and scheduled for July 24 at 2:00pm.

Dr. Paul notes, “Monetary policy is one of the key factors in the run-up in price [of oil].”

In other words, as the Fed, the Treasury and Congress collude to create more and more dollars, each of those dollars is worth less. This is the true definition of inflation - an increase in the money supply. And since oil is priced in US dollars, this inflation gives the illusion that prices are rising, when in fact it is the currency that is losing value.

You can expect Dr. Paul to get to the bottom of this at the hearing. In addition to himself, 16 other Representatives have signed on in support. Confirmed witnesses at the hearing will be:
» Economist Walter J. Williams, of ShadowStats.com which examines government economic reporting.
» Economist Robert Murphy of the Institute for Energy Research
» Economist C. Fred Bergsten, Director of the Peterson Institute
» Dr. Joseph Kasputys of Global Insight, Inc.

The hearing should be carried online at C-SPAN.org."
Hearings on the Dollar Scheduled

Thats how the Democrats acted when took over the senate and house...they were going to fix everything in so much of a time and gas prices were going to go down......I am repeating their words not mine....I knew it wasnt the truth Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan

I hope whoever wins this election is prepared and capable of doing some serious fixing. At this point it seems like it will truly take a miracle to get things back on track. So far I haven't really heard a major plan from either candidate. I know for sure every elected official is going to have to work together to get anything accomplished though. I don't know seriously though if either party has chosen the right group for the job. I like both people running as far as who they are, etc., but I wonder--is this truly the BEST that the country has to offer in the Republican party? Is this truly the BEST this country has to offer in the Democratic party? Because right now, we need the BEST. Of course I'm aware that it doesn't always work out that way, etc. I know personally my family isn't going to make it much longer if we get hit with more taxes or higher gas and food prices. I think I am in the same situation as a majority of people in this country too. I have a degree in economics and I predicted the recession a couple of years ago. I only see things getting worse and it seems things are headed that way fast. I sure hope I'm wrong and someone has a plan Stan.

I am really worried. I think alot of people that are older are. If you have a considerable amount of money in the stock market it could really hurt. In the last few months we have lost almost $100,000 of our net worth. I am in my mid 40's and dh is almost 60. So if we were younger I wouldn't be as worried but that is a huge amount of our retirement.

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