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Feeling Crunch Of Economy? You're Not Alone
People Share Their Economic Stories
UPDATED: 8:08 am CDT March 25, 2009
Are you feeling the crunch of the economy? You're not alone.People from around the country shared their stories of how the economy is affecting them -- from struggling to pay bills to not being able to retire, looking for work and trying to support their children.Read some of their testimonies and share your own, too.
Living Paycheck To Paycheck
Me and my husband have three children under the age of five. Now that the economy is so terrible, we both make about 50 percent less of our income then we did before. My husband is now working a third-shift job while I work the first shift to avoid paying child care. I now shop at Aldis for 50 percent of my groceries. We go out to eat once a month now, while before we went out three times a week. Our credit cards are maxed and we can only pay the minimum. My kids need new clothes and I'm postponing that until I get my tax returns back. A lot of my closest friends have lost their jobs, and everyone I know is having a hard time and is finding ways to save money. I am still receiving medical bills from having our last baby and pay them right before going into collections. This is really scary for us, and I know I will never forget this, nor ever again live the way we lived before. Shopping for fun will be out of the question! -- Erinn from Milwaukee Read More Stories From Those Struggling To Make Ends Meet I Lost My Job
In October, I was laid off. Two weeks later, my husband was laid off and our health insurance ended on the last day of the month. We are both diabetics, so for the first time ever we are getting our medications at the Grady clinic. In November, my daughter, who is the single mother of two teenaged boys, was laid off. Since I have always supplemented her income to help her with her bills, things are pretty bleak for our two households right now. -- Delores from Stone Mountain, Ga. Read More Stories From People Looking For Jobs Single Parents Struggle
I am a single mother of four elementary school-aged children. Although life gets hard from time to time, I have always managed to give my kids what they need. But now I find myself constantly telling my kids what they can't have. I no longer have extra money for field trips. I can't afford to purchase winter coats for my children. I don't know what or how we will eat from month to month. I have cut back to the bare necessities, which is rent, lights, water, life insurance, daycare, car insurance, and my car note, and there's barely $100.00 left for food. I am scared to think of what will happen if the economy continues like this. -- Soon To Be Hungry from Jacksonville, Fla. Read More Stories From Single Parents Retirement Prospects Dim
I have been in San Diego since 1966 and my husband has been here since 1955. We owned our home in Lemon Grove for 30 years. Two years ago, we decided to move as the neighborhood was not as quiet as in the past, so we purchased a home in La Mesa for about the price we thought we could sell our old home for, but we did not realize that the market was failing and we could not sell. So we have been forced to rent it out and hope for the market to recover so we can continue with our plan.In the meantime, with the failing economy, gas prices and now these corporations outsourcing work out of the country, my job is threatened.I think that these companies that send the jobs out of the country should be taxed and taxed big. Maybe they will think about what they are doing to the American people and our economy. They need to be taxed because they will be increasing the unemployment and they should be made to pay us. I call it treason and it all comes from greed.These companies should be trying to strengthen the economy by keeping the people working. I have seen quite a few of my friends lose their jobs at the Hartford due to this outsourcing, and these are long time employees that have been there 15 to 30 years and now they are not good enough and some close to retirement but not close enough. What kind of message does that send?Are we going to have our senior citizens living on the streets because these companies no longer care about longtime employees? They only want to be the employer of choice for two years and I have been told that my 13 years there means nothing.I am very worried with only 5 1/2 years left to retire -- will I make it? What will I do if they get rid of my job? How will I survive? Who would want to hire me at my age? Will I lose my home that I have worked hard all my life for? -- Barbara from La Mesa, Calif. Read More Stories From Those Worried About Retirement Send In Your Story
Me and my husband have three children under the age of five. Now that the economy is so terrible, we both make about 50 percent less of our income then we did before. My husband is now working a third-shift job while I work the first shift to avoid paying child care. I now shop at Aldis for 50 percent of my groceries. We go out to eat once a month now, while before we went out three times a week. Our credit cards are maxed and we can only pay the minimum. My kids need new clothes and I'm postponing that until I get my tax returns back. A lot of my closest friends have lost their jobs, and everyone I know is having a hard time and is finding ways to save money. I am still receiving medical bills from having our last baby and pay them right before going into collections. This is really scary for us, and I know I will never forget this, nor ever again live the way we lived before. Shopping for fun will be out of the question! -- Erinn from Milwaukee Read More Stories From Those Struggling To Make Ends Meet I Lost My Job
In October, I was laid off. Two weeks later, my husband was laid off and our health insurance ended on the last day of the month. We are both diabetics, so for the first time ever we are getting our medications at the Grady clinic. In November, my daughter, who is the single mother of two teenaged boys, was laid off. Since I have always supplemented her income to help her with her bills, things are pretty bleak for our two households right now. -- Delores from Stone Mountain, Ga. Read More Stories From People Looking For Jobs Single Parents Struggle
I am a single mother of four elementary school-aged children. Although life gets hard from time to time, I have always managed to give my kids what they need. But now I find myself constantly telling my kids what they can't have. I no longer have extra money for field trips. I can't afford to purchase winter coats for my children. I don't know what or how we will eat from month to month. I have cut back to the bare necessities, which is rent, lights, water, life insurance, daycare, car insurance, and my car note, and there's barely $100.00 left for food. I am scared to think of what will happen if the economy continues like this. -- Soon To Be Hungry from Jacksonville, Fla. Read More Stories From Single Parents Retirement Prospects Dim
I have been in San Diego since 1966 and my husband has been here since 1955. We owned our home in Lemon Grove for 30 years. Two years ago, we decided to move as the neighborhood was not as quiet as in the past, so we purchased a home in La Mesa for about the price we thought we could sell our old home for, but we did not realize that the market was failing and we could not sell. So we have been forced to rent it out and hope for the market to recover so we can continue with our plan.In the meantime, with the failing economy, gas prices and now these corporations outsourcing work out of the country, my job is threatened.I think that these companies that send the jobs out of the country should be taxed and taxed big. Maybe they will think about what they are doing to the American people and our economy. They need to be taxed because they will be increasing the unemployment and they should be made to pay us. I call it treason and it all comes from greed.These companies should be trying to strengthen the economy by keeping the people working. I have seen quite a few of my friends lose their jobs at the Hartford due to this outsourcing, and these are long time employees that have been there 15 to 30 years and now they are not good enough and some close to retirement but not close enough. What kind of message does that send?Are we going to have our senior citizens living on the streets because these companies no longer care about longtime employees? They only want to be the employer of choice for two years and I have been told that my 13 years there means nothing.I am very worried with only 5 1/2 years left to retire -- will I make it? What will I do if they get rid of my job? How will I survive? Who would want to hire me at my age? Will I lose my home that I have worked hard all my life for? -- Barbara from La Mesa, Calif. Read More Stories From Those Worried About Retirement Send In Your Story
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