Current economy affecting you?

So how is the state of our current economy directly affecting you? Just this week, it has hit me hard.

I am a website designer and do a lot of redesigns for clients. One client I've worked with for 11 years had scheduled a re-design of their site, but just yesterday said the money is not in the budget this year. They are a manufacturer and their sales have become quite flat.

Another client (Custom cabinet maker) that I did a tiny website for last year wanted a redesign and larger site this year. Also found out yesterday that they had to lay off 30 people and now will be postponing that redesign of their website.

This will greatly reduce my expected income for the rest of 2008, and will trickle down to all the restaurants I won't be visiting, the clothes I won't be buying, etc.

How has the current economy affected you?

Kathy

It has made me fully aware of my indulgences and overspending and helped me to get back in line with my budgets.

I has helped me to find new ways to "cut back" where needed or necessary (see sentence above) and helped me to stretch my imagination in finding ways to be more frugal, or self-sufficient.

It has helped me to take that first step in learning how to grow herbs at home.

It has helped me to learn how to divide my already mature plants, replant them in pretty pots that I've painted and give them as gifts, instead of running to Wally World.

It has helped me to think more "homemade" this year for Christmas, again...stretching the imagination and wanting to try new things. Anybody every made the Santas out of old lightbulbs? I've saved a bunch of them and can't wait to try it! It's a keepsake that I'll share with my grandchildren, building them together! Wuhoo!

So for me, it's been altering. It's opened my eyes to many other possibilities.

It has made me sit on my butt and just stick to safe financial instruments.

Anne, if you don't have enough money for food, then there is help out there for you. No one should go hungry. Not in the United States. Please, inquire about help.

Anne, your post scared me. Do please look for help. It's so wrong for anyone to go hungry in this country!

The financial situation has not affected me as I can see...

Then again, I'm not a person who actively manages my money. The money I do use has not changed though. I seem to need roughly the same money I have per month.

I can't drive anymore due to medication, so the gas prices have not affected me. I bike or my husband drives.

I don't have a job to loose, although I am teaching some dance these days, and those students hold fast.

I also try not to take up too much space, meaning I don't live in a big home and I don't really even buy things like jewelry and such. I am happy with decent clothing, books to read and enough money with which to help my son in school.

Dancer

I'm at a stage in life where I spend more money on cycling clothing and acessories compared to dress clothing/streetwear...which is precisely what happened when I was vacationing in Seattle.

Keep in mind the U.S. dollar is not as powerful as it was 5 yrs. ago against the Canadian dollar.

But for certain, now I wouldn't want to travel and spend money in the U.S. right now. Canadian stock market is in a bit of nosedive right now. There was a point we were 6 months behind U.S.'s economic slide.

I pulled completely out of the stock market. And wouldn't you know, it went up the next day...but now it's down again...so I'm just sitting tight. I got a thrill playing around with the stocks, but as the saying goes; "play around only with what you can afford to lose."

Anne, thank you so much for posting. My mind is at rest. I was so concerned, truly. I'm happy that you are well. If you are not, at any time, I would want to know; To offer my help. Please keep that in mind.
Dancer

There is a single woman at my church.I noticed she was missing many Sundays in a row.In fact thought she may have moved o found a beau..she is always looking she says!
I saw her at the shopping mall and asked how she was and said I had missed her.
She has taken a second job at the weekend to make more money.She said she could not afford to buy enough food.
the single person does not have half the living expenses..nor are two having the use of the heating.
First chance I will ask her for supper..without it appearing I am being patronising.So I will wait for Halloween and build it from there.Cant ask her at the weekend she is working seven days.

I was at a boot sale while ago.I buy plants there often.She had a table where her clothing and craft items were on sale.My heart turned over ..she had everything so pristine..said she was clearing out..now I suspect she was having problems.
So Anne I do understand and like EW and Humlan felt concern..
Mountain ash

Mountain Ash, you and Chatty, and so many of the ladies here have such a good soul. It's people like you that make this planet a better place.

I will say 'thank you' Edelweiss for MA and myself if she doesn't mind, for your kind words.

I am not a rich woman by any means and don't do that much, maybe some small things to try to add to peoples happiness, but if I could I would do so much more. It makes me feel good to do whatever I can.

I'm changing brands to accomodate the grocer price increases. Line drying clothes to accomodate the 20% utility increase.

At work, we will not receive any 401K contributions nor Christmas bonuses. I count on the bonus to not only pay for Christmas, but pet vaccinations, yearly termite contract, and vehicle taxes. This year I will not purchase office gifts and for the family purchase that which they need, not what they want. For instance, gift cards or educational items for nieces.

Also, at work they've let 9 people go - 7 in our coastal office and 2 in the upper state. Yet, the attorneys continue to spend at least $2K a week in entertainment - money that could go towards 401Ks and bonus. The attorneys will receive 401K contributions. Not the staff and we out number them.

I sure do hope that this 'bailout plan' and after the elections that the economy turns for the better for the long term. I hope folks wakeup and realize how to live with less and spend more time with their families and communities - unite!

Its when global issues arise that prioriting works.
Gifts are often a habit..friends who have plenty
giving friends who have as much.
so when the utilities rise and food must be seen to first choice.
also maintaining a property.
I send cards at Christmas a way of keeping in touch with people through the years.Wont stop that.I shall buy vouchers for the children we care about so they may be steered towards things that before they may have avoided...clothing not toys..but their parents will guide that.My older friends...nice luxury foods they may never be able to buy now heating a home is so expensive here.Not great quantities just best quality.
I believe we need a cushion in life.Think poor..act poor.not a mind set for the older folks who worked for this country.
Another decision I have made is to have the one special meal on Christmas day .Plan to have sufficant.no leftovers.
Then for the other days after be back to normal.Usual meals.
Here the supermarkets are so busy prior to Christmas as if a collective storing is happening.And food will be wasted.
BUCKLE OUR BELTS comes to mind.

I go HERE to get coupons for Betty Crocker products and other places, too. If I save 3.00, on my grocery bill, wuhoo! Sometimes it's 10.00, sometimes, it's .50 cents...whatever.

Anybody else look for coupons?

Also, no store bought Christmas decorations for me this year. I've been saving old light bulbs and me and the grandbeauties are making Santas out of them. I'm looking for other craft ideas too if anyone has a suggestion. I know it doesn't go in this section, so I guess I should move the request to the craft section. Sorry...but I wanted to show ways I'm economizing.

JJ, I get a wholesale crafts catalog in the mail with all sorts of craft projects you can make, and the prices for the material they supply is sooooo cheap anyone can afford them.

As soon as I get a new one, I'll drop it in the mail to you and then post the info under 'crafts' for anyone else interested in making cool stuff while saving a bundle of dough.

JJ, I always used food coupons all the time, but have gotten out of the habit. These past few weeks, I've started collecting them again. I forgot what a kick I got out of saving bucks. I'm also trying to use less electricity. It's easier now that the kids are no longer living here.

My son works for what was, only one year ago, one of the best places to work in Baltimore City - Constellation Energy. Within one year, it's going down the tubes. Warren Buffet just bought it two weeks ago. The stock dropped severely. My son and his department were told they won't be getting the bonuses based on prior percentages. They've fired many contractual employees, and God only knows the future of his job. This is very frightening, especially for the older people who have been employed there for a much longer period of time. People are getting scared.

I'm also concerned for all the small businesses that are crumbling. There's not a soul to bail them out.

In answer to the question of this topic, we did something unexpected. I quit real estate because it cost too much for me to stay in business. It is cheaper for me to stay at home. In the real estate office there is a top producer of 30 years. He's had lots of awards and accolades and realtor of the year events. His assistant keeps him strong. What with the heavy use of technology, I don't know where he'd be without her. She's a wonderful young woman. She had a 2 year old son. She is 31. Her high school "sweetheart" was her boyfriend. When she got pregnant 1) he got more violent 2) he decided he did not want to raise a kid after all. Meanwhile, top producer cuts her hours from 8-5 plus OT (he bought her a laptop so she could work from home) to 8-2 (5) days per week. He's making half of what he made last year, and half of what he made the year before. To make up the difference in pay she took a receptionist job on Sundays. Her studio apartment rent was going up, gas to get to work, day care, doctors, etc are rising, and through no fault of her own she was being squeezed out financially. I think she really had no where to turn, no where to go. So we cleared out our finished basement, and we are renting it to her for cheap. It gives her security and it gives us extra money per month. We all had some adjusting to do, but this is going to be just fine for a year or so. I love the way the universe puts people in need in touch with each other. Dotsie, that's true, who is going to bail out the small business? The broker I was working for has done everything he can to keep his doors open. God bless those who don't have to think of these financial ramifications day in and day out. I may be wrong, but I don't think those who have money have a clue as to how hard it is to make ends meet. I don't think most understand the urgency.

Well Dotsie hope your son is looking abit ahead in the horizon...he's young enough to try other things if present place doesn't stablize.

Recently I was interviewed by a large financial institution with international operations, for a job. I can only dryily think that at least, I feel complimented they even bothered to interview me..in light of this roiliing financial market. Anyway there a ton of other well-qualified candidates.

I don't use coupons simply because this takes time to read advertisements after I get home late from work and we're getting tired of receiving so much advertising stuff in our mailbox.

My spending habits have been reasonable for past few years. I will still send out CHristmas cards to family and few close friends. For family it's an excuse for me to also send small gifts/1-2 photos. Some of my family members still like gazing at real photos.

That's great Leonara! The woman will be grateful for this helping hand...a new world for you. WHich direction are you leaning on from switching out of real estate now?

Hi Orchid, I thought to respond to your post about your commute during winter freezing weather. You are very sturdy to walk in that kind of weather. But I guess you have no choice. Got to get to work. I'm glad that this year I will be able to sit on my butt and not go out and about showing houses in blizzards. Which direction am I going in? Thanks for asking. I have a rough draft of a book about my cancer experience. I've been avoiding the book for years. I don't like revisiting that time, but I know I must get to it. I'm thinking of titles as I work on the rough draft. I am also stepping up the work I do in regards to my book Beyond the Tears, and the Project for TEARS. I am being asked to mentor others who want to write about recovery from abuse. I don't know if I want to do that intensive work for no compensation, so I am thinking about what it is to be a "writing coach" for a set fee. I am developing more skills on the computer, including picture making. And, I wil start painting again. You know how relaxing that can be. Mostly, I want to be a recluse. I do like having my "housemate" and her little boy and little dog. My husband is very accomodating, too, and asked her to eat with us tonight. He cooked. Pesto over pasta. Nothing from a jar! L

My childhood in 1950's here in the UK was so near the end of WW2 was that we lived in times when make do and mend.We children knew no different.Rationing was phased out gradually

We were aweare of treats...having biscuits cake and sweets only rarely.Simple nourishing foods were what everyone I knew ate.

I see a return to a similar way of life on the horizon.

Lentils here have tripled in cost..just as an example.
Its mostly the price to heat homes that will cause hardship.So as winter approaches I know that this will mean for many being cold.

I have a good background in home economics taught early in school to a high level and seeing the older women in my family
manage and can plan meals accordingly.
But many have never had this chance and the in long run health for some may be compromised.
So the out come I suspect of financial hardship will have long reaching effects.
In our area schoolchildren age up to 8 are now to get free school lunches.
Maybe volunteeers can start "Thrift Cafes" for other sectors in the community.
The homeless teenages have this at the YMCA and our church man the kitchen along with others groups.
Worked in with cooking lessons would be a good project.
But alas the mind set of many would believe it to be like the soup kitchens during the 1926 depression.
yet during Lent we had Lent lunches.Eating together ..soup and a filled bread roll..giving the cost of a "normal" meal to the church.Instead of this being a token sharing for a short time only perhaps there is a communal way forward.
I would give of my time and goods to help my community.
Mountain ash

I use coupons all the time. Can't remember a time when I haven't.... Clip, clip, clip!

Cookie, if you ever find any online that you would like to share, please do! I would love to have some new ones. Thanks!

Budget101 coupons

Very cool, thank you!

MA, my step father is British, although 2 decades older. He had perfect teeth, no cavities no rot. He attributes that to the rationing of sugar, as he never had any until he came to US in 1950s. Our taste buds recognize salt and sweet, so how does a child develop a sweet tooth when deprived of sweets. I hear that fruit was a delicacy, no fruit no sweet juices. I imagine that oranges, lemons, limes must be imported. He told me that "Yorkshire pudding" was developed from lard and flour and drippings as a filler for empty tummies.

If nothing else, I hope we do get back to a 'make and mend' mindset, one that will carry over after any hardships we might suffer due to the current economy. We have taken for granted what we have been blessed with - monetary and otherwise. I count our generation fortunate to have lived in times when it seemed important to teach the home economics and when we watched our elders manage, as MA referred to... and I agree with her, in generations after ours, "many have never had this chance"... instead they have been swept up in the societal norm of 'give me, must have,' so much so that they have cemented and protracted an entitlement mindset. "But alas the mind set of many would believe it to be like the soup kitchens during the 1926 depression"... Instead of subscribing to the belief that it will be like the 'soup kitchen' scene of the (US) 1929-1931 depression, those of us who are willing should promote the belief that this is a good teaching opportunity, a time, for those who know, to resurrect the true fundamentals of life - community, respect for nature and its resources, resourcefulness, enjoying the basics, etc.

this are my opinions...

The Coalminers Strike her 1983/4 in UK lasted for a year.Dreadful time..
There were meals for family/strikers locally.We took produce our own tomatoes tins bought with our shoping all that time to be used for the miners/families.
It was simply sharing of what we had.

I do not subscibe in any way to a belief that kitchens would be wrong.Indeed I would do what I could to assist my community
Mountain ash

MA, I agree with you that soup kitchens would not be wrong. In no way would they be wrong. What I fear is that many would subscribe to the soup kitchen mentality, not working to make things better, i.e. planting a garden, not wasting, etc., simply to stand in a line as their only option to survival.

Of course, it's more complicated than that - thoughts are a skimpy outline, for sure.

Another coupon site: clipngocoupons

crusade_against_credit

Saw the 'we can edit' post, so came back and combined posts and tried to delete this one (after adding comment to above)... FYI - deleting post is not executable, at least not for me.

Another way we are cutting back is sharing meals when we eat out. It makes sense because portions are so huge. It cuts the bill in half and we feel better because we aren't stuffed.

we don't eat out

Sharing too Dotsie...
we do that so as we can sample the others' sweet.In the past I would share on the quiet.(sneakily) but now even the servers know that people are doing this.
On the days we do eat out at lunch time the meal in the evening is simple...
This week is my husbands birthday so a drive to the shore for his favourite fish...is planned.

Mountain ash.

The Fish Resturant is very popular..quiet famous.
many celebreties have gone there..Tom Hanks..actors all the notable golfers.The Open Championships are local to the area. Our Prince William in motor bike clothes with his bodyguard.William was at Uni nearby.
so if its good enough for them..then it is good enough for us.!!
any overseas visitors we have are taken there.

For a wee glimpts...

Lola If you are reading this...put this on our list after the Palace cake shop..

www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk

ummm, ummm, menu looks good!
I could stand some quality fried cod and chips, soaked in vinegar...RIGHT NOW!
tell hubby Happy Bday for us...

gims, deleting post will NOT be made accessible to members. Thanks!

oh, I wasn't asking for it to be, nor expecting it to be. just made comment, after seeing the icon and trying it... remembering (but doubting myself) that we could in the old forums...

Ummmm...I don't believe you could in the old forums, either, unless it was immediate. That's reserved for the moderators. Reason? When a post is deleted, you have the option of deleting the post, just the user's post(s) or all of THAT user's post, or the entire thread...one wrong click of the button, and they all go away....eeeeek! So I don't think so...but I'm like you, I'm doubting myself too. LOL!

There isn't a choice. It's either ALL or nothing. Chicken or feathers. Sorry!

Please remember that this forum is set up certain ways and some changes that we may want or ask to have happen, cost $$$$....so some things we just have to live with.

If anyone has a post that they want deleted, just let me know.

Just a thought Jaw Jaw..We cannot unsay things once said so not being able to delete is a discipline.
I would only edit if I had a spelling mistake that shouted back at me..if in my enthusisim I had been less than careful.
My arthritis is one excuse..another is no spell check unless I use word.
I feel we can always ask for a clarification if a post is not clear..
MOUNTAIN ASH

Getting back to coupons, and I hope I don't repeat something someone else suggested (my eyeballs sort of got glazed over reading...tired I guess)....but here's a good site that emails you coupons based on your selections:

www.smartsource.com

So the trickle down affect has begun, at least for my business. As I mentioned in the beginning, some clients have cancelled web re-design work. Now, one of my long-time clients who has always paid very promptly, is now running behind . . . which makes me run behind. I talked to the office manager today, and she said they are having a hard time collecting their accounts, so makes it hard to pay the bills.

Wow, here we go...

K

Last week I went up and down the farmers' market with my jewelry to find more people to trade with. Regularly I'm trading with 1 fruit vendor and 1 vendor for soap and body products. Last week I added 2 vegetable vendors, flowers, and goat cheese. 5 small tubs of goat cheese for a really nice pair of earrings. 8 lb. long-neck orange squash, 3 lbs. zucchini, 5 purple bell peppers, daikon radish, cucumbers, 3 lbs. organic tomatoes, 2 lbs. grapes, 2 bags of bagels, fresh basil and chives -- all gotten in trade. I could hardly fit it in my refrigerator!

All great quality and mostly organic. Maybe 2/3 of this week's food traded for. I combine the veggies with rice or pasta and tofu/veggie meat for dinner every night. Different spice palate and presentation to vary it up.

So I'm eating very well and several of the farmers have new earrings!

I've heard story after story of how my maternal granddad bartered his services (chiropractic). My grandmother gardened, had chickens and cows, so didn't need many goods. But, for his bone-cracking services, my granddad would take any goods, alive or otherwise.

More bartering will probably take place if things get worse. Craigslist has a barter section (under 'For Sale'). I belonged to another bartering site in the late 90s. It no longer exists, but I'm pretty sure there are others that have popped up.

There is an active bartering Yahoo group list here in the Ohio region called Cheapcycle. I monitor it from time to time to see if there is anything inexpensive or worthwhile. There is always freecycle.org and OhioSideJobs here too. They are really active lists and they seem to get more active as this economy gets worse. With the side jobs list, folks can barter their services for trade or cash.

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1263

DH is already getting a big garden ready for next year. He says that in a crisis such as the current one, a household is richer if it has lots of cow manure!

We are also consolidating trips, taking fewer to town etc. Of course the unplugging of appliances etc. The goats are helping to eat weeds so we don't have to mow so much.

Keeping our soap prices lower than competitor's prices so as not to "gauge" customers...but to pass on the savings.

Eating what is on sale rather than buying what we are used to buying at the grocery store.

Of late I have discovered just how much can be saved every month by being concsiencious. It boggles the mind how much is actually wasted.

Just to give folks an idea how much I spend on transportation annually since we don't have a car: Under $2,600.00CAN.

This excludes any airfare. (Of course I have flown (twice) this year....for job interviews but recruiting employer paid the bill.) Does includes bus trips, several ocean ferry rides for vacation trips this year. Of course, includes cost of my local commuter train and bus passes for work commuting PLUS bike shop work on bike tire flats and mechanical adjustments.

We haven't rented a car this year for a vacation yet . Last year we did rent a car for about 3 days for all of 2007 and only for a vacation trip.

Orchid, what type of work do you do? You may have mentioned it before, but I don't recall.

I've told my husband that my ideal retirement place is one where I can walk and use public transportation, then rent a car or fly somewhere for longer trips. The amount of money for a car, gas, and upkeep is ridiculous.

Living in Southern California, we do not have any public transportation in our area. There is a bus that comes to a small town about 8 miles away, but it has a very limited schedule.

I am a librarian with my Master's in Library Science. However these days librarians design/update databases, website (their company's or library's), monitor digital news, plus may do some of the traditional stuff.

They also work in records management which is what I am doing now.

Orchid, my sister was the same thing. She retired a few years ago. If anybody thinks this is an easy field to study, think again. It's a very hard, but worthy occupation. I wish I had gone further in it sometimes rather than a Business degree.

But the money is good in both fields!

DD, I'm thinking on those very same lines.... I wish I was around the corner from the library and post office... working at either would be great, but I'd want to live close enough to walk. Our downtown is ALL lawyers and restaurants, along with a small (but developing) art community. I'd love to live near it, and work at the courthouse, but DH loves the country. Not that I don't. When I'm here, it's like heaven. But, getting places is a pain... !!!

Orchid, what got you interested in that line of work? was it by chance, or did someone/thing steer you in that direction? or, did you happen upon it? or, what?

Well gims,...I just fell into it. I have an undergraduate degree also in English Literature. During my last 2 years, I was volunteering in my free time, at a resource centre that specialized in information on third world issues, history, multiculturalism, aboriginal/Native Indian issues...and yea, racism. The library served primarily: a) Canadian foreign aid workers about to go overseas to work in the developing countries b) teachers and high school students (and up) with resources to develop their course/teaching curriculum on such topics.

The library was to save teacher lots of research time on their own to gather, analyze and synthesize the content to develop lessons. There was also support resource materials for English as a 2nd Language for teachers to use.

So it was at this library, I saw what the librarian actually did and how certain services were delivered. It gave me a great excuse from feeling useless with an Honours BA in English Lit....by entering into the MLS program. But what really nailed it was when I learned of a doctor who got information from our library. He was about to be placed in South Africa, when apartheid was still enforced. It made me realize the value of changing lives by providing right/good information...

I can't quite claim that I've always wanted to be a librarian since I was a kid. No, I wanted be a poet or artist for the longest time..

If you can get into this link...there's more longer list where I've been.. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=27099&highlight=library

gims, you should move to Towson, MD. You can walk to the post office, library, movies, book stores, the mall with a gazillion stores, restaurants, the courthouse, etc. Then you can jump in your car in be in the country in ten minutes. What do you say?

oooohhhhhhhhhhhhh, how tempting...
I couldn't relocate without my brood, though... that includes a particular (set in mind) son-in-law and a Texas rooted husband... but, I can dream!!! Oh, I can dream!!!

This morning on my Philadelphia local news, there was a story about this designer (Lagos) jewelry store in the area which once a year has a 5 day 50% off sale. You can buy a $1000 necklace for only $500, or an $800 ring for $400, etc. They showed people lining up from early this morning to catch these "bargains."

Inauguration tickets (normally free) are being snapped up quickly at up to thousands of dollars a pop.

Although a number of people are being laid off, although a number of people over-used their plastic and are now at the mercy of greedy banks who charge high interest rates on balances, although stocks have lost value because companies and Congress made poor financial decisions, although excess has caught up with many of us .... Most people (94%) are still working, cars are being sold every day despite the headlines, mall parking lots are still full especially on weekends, restaurants still have waiting lines especially on Friday and Saturday nights, and high ticket items are still being purchased for Christmas.

My husband and I grew up financially poor, so making soup for dinner does not make us feel like we are starving. Spending less for Christmas presents does not make us feel like we are next to bankruptcy. SAVING instead of spending does not make us feel like we are going broke. It is normal. I pack my husband's lunch so he doesn't have to buy big city restaurant meals. Neither of us drinks or smokes. We usually take "stay-cations" instead of going-away vacations. We eat out a couple of times a week, and we now go to cheapo buffets more often than nicer restaurants. If we had to cut restaurants out altogether for a long time, no biggie.

If things ever got bad enough that we had to sell the house for any price because we could not afford to live in it, we'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd feel badly, but living in a tiny apartment or a rooming house is not new to either of us.

Don't get me wrong. I love my nice neighborhood and my Mercedes. But I'd live over a store in town with no car or a junker if I had to. My point is that as long as he and I are willing to do whatever we had to in order to survive, we'd do it. (It'd have to be legal of course. lol)

Apparently the attitude can be very different for some whose habits are governed by excess and entitlements.

I am NOT talking about the aged, the truly indigent & handicapped, and those who suffer sudden disaster through no fault of their own.

Hubby and I have not slacked off on those who need a hand-up (not a handout) One of the effects of recent times is that those in our families who are medically very disabled, have not been able to afford the recent super high gasoline prices to get to the doctor or stroke rehab center.. While it was hard enough for my husband and me, it was much harder on them. So I used a significant portion of our gas money to help. When my brother's car died from old age, we pulled out our savings to buy them a decent car and assure that my brother's wife would have the means to be at the stroke rehab center with my brother every day.

I'm now glad that my husband and I suffered through hard times growing up. Because now, looking at what some think are hard times, we feel positively wealthy in the knowledge that no matter what, we are happy to make due.

Tonight is Friday night, and we'll split a pizza (partially paid by coupon), sit on the recliner sofa, hold hands, and watch TV or a DVD movie together. Not much can be better than that in my opinion.

To Gims: You sound like you live so near my neck of the woods. In South Jersey, every town is small, and mine is next to the county seat, which has nothing but lawyers, business offices, boutiques, cafes, and a few court houses. Libraries and post offices are practically on every corner.

To Orchid: You are so lucky to be a research librarian, which to me is a dream job. I'd love to be a Literacy Volunteer, but have not managed to do it yet. Maybe if I put this keyboard in a closet! hahaha

My Texan husband has lived here in NJ for almost 12 years and except for the allergens, he is lovin' it! (Neither of us likes the high property taxes though)

Very well said, Gims. This will be a real teaching opportunity for some. Funny though, no matter how I taught my son the value of a dollar through the value of a penny, he still did the plastic routine. I guess some have to learn the hard way.

Though I can afford new clothes from mall retailers, I make due with clothes from yesteryear (in several different sizes lol). I also buy on eBay and I go to Goodwill, where stores like Macys donate discontinued items with the tags still on.

I see where the electronic gadgetry gets "smaller and more high tech" every 6 months it seems, and the kids clamor for the latest and greatest. I think parents better wake up and teach young kids if they want the latest, they'd better earn and save for it by doing chores at home or in the neighborhood.

Yup. Getting back to basics. I'm all for it!

As time has passed since this post and Recession is upon some countries the reality of back to basics is here.

Main thing here is energy cost.Living in a cold climate heating a home is a priority.
For older people who are on a fixed income choosing between food and warmth is being discussed as a reality for many.Hobsons choice.

Mountain ash

The gas prices here has gone DOWN below $2.00 and seem to be dropng even more. That is an example of the power we Americans have if we would use it. People cut back on filling up their tank, there was a glut of unused gasoline, the barrel prices then went down and so did the pump prices.

I hope we stay smart so it doesn't become business as usual with high prices.

Catching up with reading various posts and responding over a month and a week since your post, MA...I've pencilled it in...next to the Military Tattoo.

BTW, MA...what is Hobson's choice?

Hobson's choice
no choice at all.

I agree about the gas prices. I hope we Americans demand smaller cars with better mileage and push for using our own energy resources, the sooner the better.

Now that gasoline prices are dropping, I'd like to see those who were charging higher prices for food etc, due to the cost of trucking those products into stores, will start to drop those prices downward.

I read an article in today's paper about how several local restaurants are closing, because higher gas = higher food prices for the restaurant = higher menu prices, so people are eating out less. Vicious cycle.

Yesterday crude oil went up by $5.00 a barrel, so the speculators are doing it again. I'm so mad I could spit.

Josie, I'm with ya on that. Nothing like people not traveling during the holidays, which means less money into the economy. Geez!

I usually fly out to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, yet not this year.

Kathy,
As a wealth coach and CFP, I want you to know that you are not alone. Many of my women business owners are experiencing what you are. I have a suggestion- first, that you have to really look at your business and see how you can do something different to make people want to do business with you no matter what their budget is.
Be careful to not get caught up in the negativity of the economy- you provide a wonderful and valuable service- don't forget that and don't forget to communicate that clearly.

I don't think the stock market was meant to play with. I use the market to help people grow their money so their money can support them in the future. It takes a long term view (5-10 Years) for that to come to pass- but it does grow with time- even in this economy. In fact, I wish I had more cash to buy since the values are so low-there are great bargains out there. But even putting a tiny amount in each month can grow very quickly.

Fern, were you on the teleseminar with Jennifer Campion the other day? She did a great job.

I'd love you to call in next week and ask her some questions on behalf of boomers.

The information is on our home page at www.NABBW.com.

One great thing happened. My COBRA payments were reduced 65% by the Federal subsidy beginning this month for 9 months. Yippee, wuuhoo, and thanks you know who!!!

Something bad - Gas prices are going up daily.