We always learn about consumer confidence and how that affects the economy. Even if our economy is strong, if the public perceives it as weak, it will become weak.

So, how do YOU feel about the economy? Will it affect your Christmas budget? How do you think it will all play out?

The economy will be fine. Oil is close to $100 and the housing market is at it's lowest point but our economy is still humming. That should tell you how strong the economy is at the core.

I'll be spending about the usual amount for Christmas (and I suspect most others will too).

i personally am spending less but thats a personal goal. i do think the economy is week look at some of the areas of this country that are really suffering like in michagan and such i think how you view the economy as a whole is how well your part of the country is doing like for instance seattle is doing very well and michigan is dying out in parts...so i think it is all relative to where you live. i think that vastly effects your view of the economy.

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I do get a sense that the economy is shaky right now; but I'm not sure it that's the truth or just media hype. I think the subprime mortgage situation could be really tedious, as well as gas prices and their affect on everything else, etc.

If the economy takes a downturn, it will affect those living paycheck to paycheck the most. Those living "comfortably" will just scale back on luxuries like vacations, eating out, etc. I think it just emphasizes the need to have an emergency fund built up. If you don't have one, get started building it now!

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I'm living like we have for this entire year. And this year we had extra payments. So we are scaled back.

The whole concept of consumer confidence has always interested me because I have never completely agreed with it. And perhaps I am wrong here but I think consumer confidence tends to come from what people hear in the media and let's face the media isn't always correct. I don't know - it is a very interesting cycle. I should research it more.

My head hurts thinking about all the information out there that I don't have the time to look at.
I don't think the economy is doing well. It won't affect my spending this year. I am going to be spending more this year, but only because I hardly had anything to spend last year. I will still be careful, and only get things that will last, and the children will love.

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I do agree that consumer confidence affects much of the stability of the economy, and I also agree that the media influences consumer confidence by the types of stories they put on the news. I think the media usually posts the negative aspects much more than the positive, which is too bad. I personally feel confident just because I'm confident in our country and it's ability to always pull itself out. I'll be spending just as much on Christmas as always.

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Well, to answer my own question, I think the economy is weaker than normal, but I think a lot of it is media hype. It is scaring people. But, the increase in prices across the board due to oil does not help it either.

People are afraid, but it amazes me how good we have it yet we still complain. What got me thinking about this was that a supermodel (Giselle somebody) wants to be paid in any foreign currency but the dollar. Very interesting. The dollar is weaker compared to other currencies so I don't blame her. You just don't see that much.

I am trying to scale back on Christmas, but that is a personal goal more than anything.

I agree that the economy isn't the greatest. I'm not an economic expert so I don't know how much of this is fact and how much is media hype. People are spending less so far at places like Gap and more at Walmart type of places is what I heard on the news last night.

Gas prices have a trickle down effect and hurt the purse strings at the gas pump and at the grocery store.

I'm spending less this year, but it was a decisionI made before all this consumer confidence info in the news. In the past I've ended up getting the girls too many presents, and I'm not doing it this year. I would rather use that money to pay down debt

Personally in regards to presents I'm more concerned about further toy recalls than consumer confidence but that's just me.

Personally, I think the economy is in trouble right now. Our local food bank is down about 10,000 meals for Thanksgiving (yes, you read that right) compared to what the donations they have had in the past. I think it is, in part, because our heating oil costs are very high right now. We got a delivery on Friday and the day's posted price was $3.119 a gallon. We locked in at a lower rate than that, but I know most people we've talked to out here are paying in the $2.60 - $2.80 range per gallon for heating oil. I don't necessarily think it's even consumer confidence that will affect the economy, but a simple matter of budgetary constraints. You can't spend disposable income that you don't have if it's being taken up by oil/gas/food cost increases.

Sorry to be soapboxy.

Michelle