Looking at our savings, we only lost what the market had added not the money we actually put in. Far from ideal but survivable, so far.

yup. we're feeling it.

Yeah, people aren't buying as many cars. Selfish bastards.

Weird. They don't seem to be buying as many stocks, bonds, and mutual funds either. I don't get it.:right:

Ah humans, you never can predict them.

(My Dad went on new brain meds this week and went out and bought a new car. This was a good series of events imho.)

Tell him I've got some very attractively priced mutual funds if he's interested.

Last May I moved into a rental house. It was the first time I've ever had my own place. I had a thriving daycare going and was easily paying the rent and bills, I was actually starting to be able to pay off my student loans even so that I could eventually get back into college and finish off my degree.

In late August, half of my families had to quit because one or both parents had lost their jobs and they couldn't afford daycare anymore. I advertised like crazy but by mid-September I'd lost the last few families as well.

I applied for unemployment (I hadn't made enough money last year to qualify). I applied for rent and utilities assistance, but was told that I couldn't be approved unless I got rid of my car and canceled my 'luxuries' (telephone, TV and internet...all three of which are considered a waste of money apparently).

I was too poor for unemployment and too wealthy for any other assistance. I could hardly pay my rent in October. I don't live near any family so for a while there I simply debated which alleys in town would be the safest ones to live out of my car in.

One of my daycare families heard about my circumstances and offered me a room in their house in exchange for watching their kids from time to time. I became their 'au pair' and here I am.

My business failed, I lost my house, I'm living in a spare room of my friends' house and the only employment I can find is part time retail.

Yeah, I'd say I was affected by the economy.

My husband survived a round of layoffs back in November. Don't know what is coming up, though. Maybe another round.

We just moved to a different town, so we are much closer to civilization. We are in a small town wedged between three larger towns. I just got back from a staffing company who seemed pretty upbeat about the possibilities for my finding some temporary employment. Temporary is better than noperary, says I. Anyways, yes, we feel it a little here, since everything is "because of the economic climate", etc. But it doesn't seem as dire as in some places. My husband still gets recruiter calls for jobs, but not as many and they are usually straight contract with no possibility for permanence. I count us fortunate, for now.

I am selling coffee. People will be able to afford it because not only is it cheap, sometimes we give lots of stuff away for free. Our regulars are broke like everyone else. We understand that.

:)
I was wondering how you were doing case. Thank you for the update.

Thanks, Cic. Feels good to know you had wondered. :)

I got lucky. I left Siemens about a week before they started cutting jobs. Now I'm working for a company that does movies and mini-series for television. This isn't affected too much by the economy because if anything, when people are broke, they'll stay home and watch more tv.

We are not unduly suffering ourselves, but the economic conditions are affecting many in our extended family, and therefore we assume additional responsibilities and obligations on their behalf. Also, we are fortunate that his job is in a field that is unlikely to be cut anytime soon (think along the lines of Homeland Security). Life is not as easy as it was for us before, but we are still able to have enough and enough to share, even if not as much as we want to do. I'd say we're lucky.

We're doing okay, but the housing market is making it a bitch to sell our place up in Jersey. We've had a lot of showings, but no real nibbles. Paying two mortgages is not fun.

I have friends who finally got out from under their old home in Philly. Now their morgage payment up here seems like a piece of cake. Hang in there.

Most self funded retirees over here are at least 30% poorer now thanks to the meltdown. In real terms, that means they have to survive on 66% of the income they were living on 6 months ago. That's a big drop to adjust to in anyone's books.

As far as we go personally, so far it's been pretty good for us because although Dazza's superannuation has suffered, he'll be in the workforce long enough that it'll have time to recover and the fact that interest rates are dropping and expected to drop by another percent next week, our mortgage repayments are at an all time low. It's good for us for that reason. Has been bad for many others though.