How is the recession affecting your life?

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I know we hear about the stock market being at a ten-year low, and argue about Obama's and other world leaders' bailouts, stimulus packages, and responses to the situation all the time now. We cite statistics about unemployment (8 or 9% in some places in the US now), hear about massive layoffs, and get sound bytes from senators about how close we came to total economic collapse. But for me, this all seems surreal. I can't think of a way this is really impacting my life. Gas prices are lower than they have been in years, relatively speaking. My grocery bill has not increased, nor my rent, nor my electric or phone bills. I know no one who has lost their job because of this; hell, my restaurant is actually increasing in sales! I know that, for example, Maryland is out $500 Million from next year's budget, and that things like education are the first on the docket when it comes to cuts. Tuition should be increasing, but its hardly affecting me much, as far as I can tell. They've reduced the number of courses offered this and next semester, but no more so than if a professor left for a while to teach abroad. Apart from those small things, I cannot find a way the financial "crisis" is impacting me, one way or the other.

How about you? How is this impacting your life? What sorts of changes have you experienced? Or have you not? Dicuss!

 

[potatokiosk]

It's not. Yet some people are calling it the next depression.

 

[Harbringer]

My energy drinks I buy every morning jumped from two dollars to 2.25, its more annoying than you think, I still always forget the quarter in the mornings. But honestly, it hasn't affected me much.

 

[Aramazd]

It's not, I wasn't really invested in the stock market and I still have my job, so I'm okay.

 

[hossam]

not at all , infact i have recently been hired at gamestop and have two jobs now , while some people have no jobs. however ive only worked at gamestop on 2 occasions for a grand total of 7 hours, my boss said he doesnt have to many hours to give out. so while i am still an employee i havent worked their in a couple of weeks.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I should also mention that my parents finished paying off their mortgage a few months ago, so any potential instability there is naught.

 

[Mowque]

My girlfriend can't find a job, and bunch of my friends are laid off. My family's savings took a hit and the retirement plans are bleeding badly. The company my father works for (coal industry) is very worried abotu losing business and indeed the mines are slowing down (from a super-charged fall/winter).

 

[GenMarshall]

I got a wage reduction due because of this stinking Second Depression!

 

[downtown]

This has made me extremely thankful to already have a job with some job security. This is a scary time to graduate with a liberal arts degree, and I'm a lucky that I've managed to land on my feet.

I know many of my peers are struggling to nail down employment, and are working way below their education level. Some are trying to move.

 

[Onionsoilder]

My dad lost his job, and my family went from making around 90k/year down to around 20k/year. That's a rather hard blow if you ask me.

 

[Godwynn]

I won't find a decent job when I graduate.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I got a wage reduction due because of this stinking Second Depression!

I thought that was illegal. I know it is for my employer (Ruby Tuesday) at least.

This has made me extremely thankful to already have a job with some job security. This is a scary time to graduate with a liberal arts degree, and I'm a lucky that I've managed to land on my feet.

Yeah, Grad School suddenly looks a lot more attractive.

My dad lost his job, and my family went from making around 90k/year down to around 20k/year. That's a rather hard blow if you ask me.

What did he do?

 

[downtown]

Yeah, Grad School suddenly looks a lot more attractive.

I have to wonder if the upcoming flood of grad student applications will make some previously "not so selective" programs a bit harder to get into.

 

[warpus]

The University I work at is hurting financially and our budget has been lowered by 6% .. which means food prices across campus going up.. which means that I went out, bought myself 4 loaves of rye bread, a buncha salami, cheese, veggies, mayo, am now making myself breakfast and lunch every day, and saving about $400 a month.

Which.. you know, wouldn't really have been such a huge deal to begin with.. I mean, food prices are only going up a tiny bit.. but hell, I'm sick and tired of paying overpriced University food prices for breakfast and lunch, and now I'll have some extra money at the end of the month to spend on my hookers.

 

[Cutlass]

So far other things are effecting my life more than the recession.

 

[Zelig]

Prices for food and other stuff I buy have gone down.

The recession is saving me money!

 

[Perfection]

Cheap food/furniture/gas/hookers!

 

[Bigfoot3814]

Colleges are offering me more scholarship money, which at first made no sense to me, but then I realized people aren't going because they can't afford it. Everybody's trying as hard as they can to not get fired. My dad won't take sick days any more. He even went to work last Monday when it was dangerous traveling in the terrible weather.

 

[musekick]

I had a job but it was terminated and now I'm having trouble finding a new job.

 

[Cutlass]

Cheap food/furniture/gas/hookers!

Prices of groceries and beer is up