I work for a mass merchandise store. For the last couple of years our benefits were gradually taken away because of the way the business was run. Now they have nothing left to take away and the only thing to do is reduce our hours. We were hired at 40 hours per week and now work 30-32. This is common in this (Suburban Detroit) area. This takes us back to the pay level we were making 10 years ago. Everything has doubled in price in that time and we are going backward. We are in a depression both emotionally and financially.

I WAS LAID OFF IN JANUARY-MY OFFICE HAS BEEN LETTING PEOPLE GO FOR THE PAST YEAR-I WAS ONE OF THE LAST TO GO. NOW THEY’RE TRYING TO JUST HANG IN UNTIL THINGS TURN AROUND. (I HOPE I CAN SINCE THERE ARE NO JOBS OUT THERE). ALSO, I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO FILL MY TANK WITH GAS.

Gas prices, produce and other grocery items, real estate down spiral all these things indicate recessionary times. We don’t go out to dinner as often as we used too, which was at least 3x a week. We entertain more at home. I get a mani and pedi every 2 weeks instead of weekly. I started to use coupons and stock up on things when they are on sale, especially paper towel and toilet tissue. I’m on the east end of ny where everything is always more even before the recession, so now things are even higher.

Recession? Have you seen the crowds in MACYS in NYC? You can hardly get in the door. And on the opposite side of the spectrum…Bergdorf Goodman’s…packed. Who are these women who are spending $2500 for a summer pocketbook?

Many people have noticed rising food prices and many families are “cutting back”, but I think the recession could be seen as a good thing. There have been an explosion of “developments” both commercial and personal (big box stores and mega-mansions) and maybe, just maybe, we ought think more carefully about what we are doing to this country. This might be a good time to consider that we are a rich and an incredibly innovative nation. We ALL need to seek renewable resources like wind, solar power, and geothermal. If every US citizen planted just one tree, there would be 300 million more trees helping us clean the air. How about a resurgence of the old “victory gardens” of years past so we could teach our children to grow some of their own food? How about not being a slave to the current fashion and wear some of your old clothes? How about turning off the lights once in a while and having a candlelight dinner? Stop buying big cars and trucks and car manufacturers will stop making them. Buy only what you really need. Of course I hate to see people lose their jobs, but maybe we could see this “recession” as an opportunity for personal action.

I see, like everyone else, the price of gas/food/services,etc have increased thru the roof. I’m retired soe I’m OK, but the children raising 2 high school kids are having a hard time. Raisng teenagers is more expensive now than ever before.

I live in Michigan in the beautiful Upper Peninsula. Need I say more? The rust belt has nearly disintegrated!! The number of crossings over the Mackinac Bridge which separates the upper and lower peninsulas is down drastically. This means that tourist-dependent businesses have really taken a hit. I know first hand!

My husband calls our situation “the perfect storm.” We refinanced our house two years ago when its value was high to cover some debts assumed when I sold my business. He is a real estate lawyer and a partner in a company that does real estate title searches. So right now, both streams of income have shut down to a trickle and we have to sell our house to reduce our monthly costs and get out from under the debt - therefore the perfect storm! The value of our house is down at least 20% - so although we have lived in our house for 30 years, we will be lucky to repay both mortgages in the sale. I think it is beyond the perfect sorm, unless that storm in taking place in the Bermuda Triangle!! We are blessed to be in this situation together, and although we will probably be never able to retire, we have made a commitment to each other to consider moving beyond our economic problems as a fresh start. But after being married for 39 years, raising our daughter, and having somewhat successful careers, we never anticipated starting over in 2008. So, I am pretty sure that our life has been impacted by what the government has yet to name a recession.

My husband sold our business last year and we ended up with a very nice bank account. Up until recently, I spent freely without a care in the world! Now, I am much more frugal — no vacation this summer, no new car as planned, most purchases (large and small) have been put on hold. I know we need to spend to stimulate the economy but I am worried like everyone else. Our investments are slowly dwindling! I just hope that after the election things will start to get better.

My part of the country has been economically depressed for quite sometime and I mean for years. Gas is still relatively under the national average by a few cents and groceries is where I have seen the biggest jump. Roughly 70% of the population of the county I live in is on some sort of public assistance and we already had expensive groceries due to that, but things are slowly creeping up each week in the stores.

It seems more beneficial to watch/listen to CNBC than MSNBC.

Grocery prices are soaring. I rely more and more on coupons, only drive when absolutely necessary. Monday night we met husband’s business associates for dinner. The restaurant is one of the most popular in our area…it was like a ghost town in there! None of us had ever seen it like that. We were one of four tables of diners in a huge dining room. Sad. Businesses closing all around us. We go out seldom, and like most of our friends, have started entertaining at home. We have a great group of friends who love the whole theme/potluck style of eating. One of us provides the main course, the others bring sides, drinks etc. We did Italian last week and it was a blast, everyone felt like they had contributed and no one spent a bundle of money. We’ve all decided we will never “go back” to the days of big, blow out dinner parties, no matter what the economy does. Oh, and when our children want a new game, etc. we tell them to save their chore money up to buy it themselves. Totally new for them, but they don’t seem to mind, and they take MUCH better care of the things they have to buy with their own money!!