With the economy? Is it overblown? Can it be used to our advantage?

I'm sensing it. With the media. On this board. In my conversations with people. I even feel it a bit now and then when I look at the prices at the gas pump.

Edited to note that when I say "advantage" that doesn't mean abuse someone else to get something for yourself. I meant more of learning from the the experience. Poor choice of words.

for us i would not say its panic at this point its basically the reality of the situation. things are going up at an alarming rate but dh is not getting paid more so our extra cash flow is dwindling to nothing at this point.

i think some think its overblown but i think it goes on an individual basis peoples bills,debts and pay are all different as is there location where they live i don't think you can generalize because some will fair better than others thats just the way of the world.

i don't think people can say its not that bad until they have walked in other shoes that it is affecting in a bad way. i think we need to be somewhat understanding and have a little empathy for others.

I think the media focus is causing a bit of panic in some people. and that panic is just causing prices to rise even higher as commodities speculators keep shooting up prices on things.

i think some of the current pricing is not justified and is basically being done because someone can do it and so far people will still pay it. some of us are cutting back on the extras but i think a lot of other people are just getting themselves deeper in the hole by putting things on credit cards and being unwilling to give up some of the things they are used to.

I definitely see hard times ahead for a lot of us if things don't turn around somehow.

I'm getting nervous but not in panic mode yet. Yesterday I read a news report about a truckers strike overseas protesting the high price of fuel, Spain and Portugal I think. The stores are running out of food, said they would be out of fish and meat today and everything else by the end of the week. I don't even want to think about what it would be like if it happened here.

I think the media loves this right now because it gives them a story. I think the politicians are eating it up because its an election year.

Sure things are bad. Adjustments will be made and things will turn around eventually. We just need to ride the wave and make the smartest decisions we can make for our families.

I am not in panic mode because that wouldn't help anything. I am in awareness mode. I am trying to build up that nest egg just in case and pay down the debt we have accumulated at the same time.

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Grace

Wife to Stoney

Mommy of Sarah (8.5), Hannah (7), and John(5)

I like that Awareness Mode... that is a very good term and idea.....

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I am a cooking and couponing loon!

I feel like the rate at which gas/groceries/etc..are going up is making me a little nervous, but I am not in panic mode. I think the media is creating panic in alot of people out there. At some point things will begin to turn around, we just have to ride this thing out until then.

Yes, I think the media is scaring the pants off everybody and have said that before.

This would be a great time to buy a house or another big ticket item. We are thinking of buying a new car in the fall when the new models come out. I am hoping we can get a great deal on a 2008 model at that time given how everybody is right now. (It isn't a want, but a need, by the way. We are just thinking of doing it about six months earlier.)

No, we're not in panic mode. I do think the media is feeding the panic notion, and there is no such thing as objective media anymore. I consider tv news (and many print media) editorial or entertainment these days, and frankly don't watch any of the news stations anymore.

Dh works in the employment recruitment industry, and there are jobs out there if you are willing to go where the jobs are. Ability (or willingness) to relocate is often the difference between making a career advancement and unemployment. Unfortunately, if you live in an area where you can't sell your house, this can be a problem, and the one circumstance I'd consider "panic" worthy. Much of the country is not in this dilemma though, and things aren't as bad as the media leads on.

I have noticed a lot of fear mongering on the board and in the media. It's just so hard to know if I should be really worried or if it's blown out of proportion, lol. I agree with the poster who said "awareness mode." That is how I feel about it right now.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton