Question of the Day | 04/09/2008 8:05 am

What signs, if any, of recession have you noticed?

Read more about: Business, Economy, Meltdown, Recession

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My husband’s been predicting this for months and months and usually has a very healthy attitude about money. But he hasn’t said, “It’s only money,” for quite some time and he’s a little edgy as he sees his forecast coming true. He sees huge building projects being held up, big houses now not being built. And people seem uncertain and restrained in their spending patterns.

By Candice Bergen on 04/09/2008 8:06 am

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I would like to sell my loft but no one is buying. The streets are full of empty taxis. Restaurants are empty. There are empty middle seats in coach on airplanes. And, oh, I read the Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/08/business/imf.php

By Joan Juliet Buck on 04/09/2008 8:06 am

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Empty store-fronts in Murray Hill. Inflation creeping up on groceries, gasoline and taxi fares. More people grasping at straws, asking for jobs. I don’t hear people now bragging about buying designer jeans, designer cars or anything else. Charity lists have creeping paralysis with notes saying: “Our contributions this year are now limited” – or “exhausted.”

By Liz Smith on 04/09/2008 8:08 am

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I work as an auditor in a ladies clothing store. It used to take me 4 to 5 hours to count the deposits. Now I am finished in less than 2 hours. Did I suddenly become this fast machine? not at all. I just do not have money to count. people do not need another blouse or skirt when their kids need $4.00 milk and you just paid $55.00 to fill your van. I am concerned about when the big bosses will decide to close the store.

By Jeannot Kensinger on 04/09/2008 8:23 am

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Was in Las Vegas a week ago. The hotels are laying off people in droves. One had laid off about 300 and was going to lay offanother 1000 this week.

By Kati Woodward on 04/09/2008 8:24 am

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I live in Corpus Christi, Texas. There seems to be only two noticable things that come to mind… The first, many locals feel they have become “broke” overnight and display a sense of panic. Secondly, higher fuel prices have resulted in higher costs on essentials at the grocery store. Our housing market is still quite good…. ssshhh! we don’t want everyone to know it!

By Linda Clark on 04/09/2008 8:31 am

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I know what you mean about the grocery store. I’m now buying my cleaning products and shampoo, etc. from an online store that is less expensive than our local grocery store. And I have started a home business introducing families to the same shopping serice to try to offset our increased costs. I am just trying to be at home for my young children, but make a contribution to our income so I can keep buying organic milk, meat, fruits.

By Neysa Terry-Gray on 04/09/2008 5:55 pm

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Neysa it is obvious you are tryin’. But think. We began the outsourcin’ not with the big corps, but Mom and Pop in the 60’s drivin’ 5 to 15 miles to save 50 cents at a big box store, callin’ their homegrown town business crooks for chargin’ 50 cents more. Isn’t on-line shoppin’ cuttin’ into local business and those business folk who pay local taxes? And on-line shoppin’ cuts jobs for women, college kids, retirees in need, —down home all over the planet doesn’t it. And don’t you think that enormous losses in jobs and downsizin’ in jobs has somethin’ to do with this recession? But the govt. doesn’t seem to think about this. Maybe it’s because they’re invested in big box whether it’s cardboard or cyber instead of here down home.

By The Ole Crone The Ole Crone on 04/09/2008 6:33 pm

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No more Lancome for me - it’s Oil of Olay!! Among other things. I too buy and sell online. What is shocking is the fact that lots of folks don’t even have computers.

By Prospering Woman on 04/09/2008 6:44 pm

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i downsized my budget, too. no driving just to get out. pay attention to the gas prices and buy when they seem lowest. frozen meals when eating out would have been the choice. no more clothes buys for another two or three years. spend that hour on the phone with the irs to find out how to file for an earned income tax credit. put off haircuts.

By mary lou s on 04/10/2008 4:19 pm

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I recently started a new diet and the grocery prices are out the roof.

By Ann Mitchell on 04/09/2008 8:32 am

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A co-worker got a call from her husband at work on Friday and he told her he was heading home at 10 in the morning. The reason? He was just laid off for lack of work in his excavation business. That same day my husband came home and told me that one of his recently acquired new accounts had layed off 90% of their employees in this insulation business. Both of these incidents underscore the slowing of construction related work. The ripple effects of people losing confidence, or worse their jobs, are seen everywhere. My middle-upper class neighborhood wives are complaining about grocery prices and cost to fill their too big vehicles.

By deb shaw on 04/09/2008 8:39 am

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we invested funds in Merrill and Bank of America in auction rate securities with between 7 and 28 day resets. we were assured that this cash was totally liquid and safe with good interest. Both firms have now had all failed auctions and have stopped supporting them. Misrepresentation and misleading information with unsuitable recommendations. FINRA should be seriously looking into this situation.

By Maggy Scherer on 04/09/2008 8:41 am