Dear recession:

[sahd2one]

Saw gas today for $2.29. Some friends in other states have seen sub - $1.99 for regular.

I do believe we are in for difficult times, but I do not believe we are in dire straights as a nation. The constant barrage of 24 hour cycle media coverage would make most people think otherwise. I see people paying attention to the Volatility Index of Wall Street and then I just shake my head knowing why consumer confidence is so low. Well DUH!

 

[rparmfamily]

Gas is $3.39 here and tourism (our lifeline!) is down 20%.

Can I have $1.99 gas please, LOL?

 

[sahd2one]

Gas dropped to $2.19 by me woo hoo!

More crowds in the restaurants and malls again this weekend.

I love all the people out there who are telling the recession that they aren't listening to the naysayers out there!

 

[crazelion]

Man the stadium was pack today people was buying stuff like crazy. We ran out today. They bought out the stadium.

 

[sahd2one]

Could those Vols have perhaps purchased a win today too?

 

[sahd2one]

Gas was $1.44 today. The mall was filled with shoppers, the trip I just took was filled with other holiday-makers. I love that BNI pin that reminds people "They have decided not to participate in the recession".

I saw signs of houses being sold and more people moving in than in recent months. The big construction shopping area project continues unabated.

Yes 2009 will be challenging, but those who are not pulling back are going to come out ahead stronger than ever.

 

[Maxinesmom]

I know for myself, as someone who likes to shop I'm much more hesitant to make impulse purchases and while I notice the same amount of people in the mall it seems like there are less people carrying tons of bags. That includes me. I went to a mall tonight where I can easily rack up several purchases on an average night as it offers stores that are unique to that mall. Tonight I spent a grand total of $22.00. So while normally I might have had lots of bags with Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket, I'm finding that I'm just more cautious and I think that's a good thing. I'm not sure my small experience tonight or even your example of your neighbor selling their house is representative of the entire country, a lot depends on where you live, how much income you have and how secure it is, and your own personal choices.

 

[TroyE]

We are in Louisiana, so the recession hasn't hit here yet because of the price of oil this year. We are hearing how it will start to hit us hard in Summer 09, but we will have to see. We even have a bank in town who says "we opt out of the recession"

 

[MoniqueU]

2 more houses up the street just went into foreclosure. Our mall was dead both the day after thanksgiving and the day after christmas. Our unemployment rate is 9.5 percent the highest in the country including metro detroit. Whenever we go out to eat the restaurants are half full even at popular places. Things aren't looking so good here in inland southern CA. Pretty much everyone I know is either out of work or worried about work or has lost income. Most of our subdivision didnt even decorate. If it weren't for me being determined to be happy this Christmas it would of really gotten to me.

 

[yeartolate]

We just got back from Disneyland. The stores IN Disneyland had alot of items 25-50 percent off. Several clerks mentioned they had never seen that on propery before.

We were in the Target near Disneyland the Saturday before Christmas. No lines,no filled baskets. People were buying necessary stuff.

 

[edwardsfire]

As for us?
No recession here.
Im a Firefighter/Medic and my wife is in Marketing at one of the local hospitals.
We work hard, I work as much O.T. as i can get.
And, we play hard.
The part of Ohio we live in is doing quite well. All of our industry is non- auto related and still quite busy.
I take my responsibility as a father serious. No matter what, i would NEVER allow myself to be economically "deprived"
Its only up to each individual to succeed. Its 110% OUR responsibility.

 

[Missy1961]

I wish I could keep the recession away--but it's still happening. Here on my job, we were told recently that there will be no raises next year. I hope that also means they won't be laying anyone off.

 

[eliza61]

I wish I could keep the recession away--but it's still happening. Here on my job, we were told recently that there will be no raises next year. I hope that also means they won't be laying anyone off.

I wish all it took was a letter (sort of like a letter to Santa claus ) Retail spending on the East coast was down ~8% even with 60-70% off. My job (fortune 500 company) has announce that they are laying off all contract workers starting 1/1/09. Then we are on an 18 week review, if after 18 weeks the economy is still bad (which is probably likely) they will announce more cuts. No more layoffs but our hours will be cut. My sil has had her house on the market (NYC) for 8 months and dropped the price $65,000 grand
Very glad gas is cheap again though (1.41 in NJ)
Every one I know is cutting back to the bare bones. which in a way was a good thing, more and more of my friends concentrated on loved ones over the holidays instead of gift giving.

Recession is alive and well on the East coast. We are troopers though we will survive.

 

[Missy1961]

I wish all it took was a letter (sort of like a letter to Santa claus ) Retail spending on the East coast was down ~8% even with 60-70% off. My job (fortune 500 company) has announce that they are laying off all contract workers starting 1/1/09. Then we are on an 18 week review, if after 18 weeks the economy is still bad (which is probably likely) they will announce more cuts. No more layoffs but our hours will be cut. My sil has had her house on the market (NYC) for 8 months and dropped the price $65,000 grand
Very glad gas is cheap again though (1.41 in NJ)
Every one I know is cutting back to the bare bones. which in a way was a good thing, more and more of my friends concentrated on loved ones over the holidays instead of gift giving.

Recession is alive and well on the East coast. We are troopers though we will survive.

Absolutely! The economy will get better someday.

 

[SteveInBrooklyn]

We are in a recession big time, there is no question about it. My retirement savings are down almost by half!!!! That's not so bad for me because I have decades to go before I retire, and eventually the value will rise again, but still, I am concerned. So far my job seems secure, but I spend A LOT less than I did before. My concern is that if I lose my job, there is no social safety net I can rely on. So, like most other people I have curtailed spending substantially in anticipation of hard times. If that turns out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, so be it. We spendthrifts might be pushing the economy downward, but at least we will have money to live on other than the pittance you get in unemployment benefits.

 

[Colleen27]

I really wish one could simply will away econmic facts, but it just ain't happening here. For the first time since DH started his business, we're without a single booked job on the calender. That doesn't mean there'll be no work - plumbing calls for plugged toilets and frozen pipes aren't scheduled - but it certainly isn't a good sign regarding our income for next year.

As far as houses selling, what do the prices look like? We're buying right now; just before Christmas we offered 10K on a house that was foreclosed on for 174K, and although the process is on hold because of the holidays, we know that they've had this house on the market for more than a year without a single offer and our RE agent is fairly confident that we'll get it for no more than 20K. And that's about typical in my area - home sales are up but so are foreclosures, there's a glut of homes on the market, and the median sales price in my town has fallen about 35% from 2 years ago.

 

[sahd2one]

Refusing to participate in a recession does not will it away nor does it deny it is happening. However there is hope and work for those seeking it.

Having fuel as under $1.50 is a far cry from last summer and even with some retirement funds in the toilet, the now is far better than it was back then. I just see the glass as half full and more is adding to it every day.

Others not only see it half empty but running out through a hidden hole in the bottom.

 

[Kathi OD]

Gas was $1.44 today. The mall was filled with shoppers, the trip I just took was filled with other holiday-makers. I love that BNI pin that reminds people "They have decided not to participate in the recession".

I saw signs of houses being sold and more people moving in than in recent months. The big construction shopping area project continues unabated.

Yes 2009 will be challenging, but those who are not pulling back are going to come out ahead stronger than ever.

I'd still like to know how people who have lost 1/2 their income can avoid pulling back, especially since people like you won't help them by divulging a geographic area of the country that is so prosperous.

 

[wall*e2008]

I really wish one could simply will away econmic facts, but it just ain't happening here. For the first time since DH started his business, we're without a single booked job on the calender. That doesn't mean there'll be no work - plumbing calls for plugged toilets and frozen pipes aren't scheduled - but it certainly isn't a good sign regarding our income for next year.

As far as houses selling, what do the prices look like? We're buying right now; just before Christmas we offered 10K on a house that was foreclosed on for 174K, and although the process is on hold because of the holidays, we know that they've had this house on the market for more than a year without a single offer and our RE agent is fairly confident that we'll get it for no more than 20K. And that's about typical in my area - home sales are up but so are foreclosures, there's a glut of homes on the market, and the median sales price in my town has fallen about 35% from 2 years ago.

The house was worth 174K and you offered 10K and expect to get it for 20K? What kind of property taxes will you pay?

I might want to buy a few myself. What part of Michigan are you in?

 

[rentayenta]

Where do you live?

Here in SE Michigan it is a completly different scenario.

I would say there is an underlying message to this thread.