Financial crisis forcing you to make changes?

Hi Robin,

I think one major change that my wife and I are making during this crisis is to stay at home more. We used to go out at least twice a week to watch movies but now we make a nice home cooked meal and watch more older movies that we missed on various cable channels.

We don't have to do this but like you said, until things start calming down in the market, gas, food etc., we have no problem saving more for a rainy day.

Love your show,

Kenneth
Lombard, Illinois

Living in Florida !

I lost my job over a year ago and still can not find another one, now I am losing my home and forced to file bankruptcy. We are moving to Atlanta in hopes of a new start and better opportunities.

History has shown the market will continue to have more steeps and slopes, so I continue making investments into my accounts. Buy low, sell high, so I'm buying.

With the state of the economy I'm cutting back on restaurant meals, having fewer Friday & Saturday nights going out, buying store brands on selected super market items. Thus far, I have not had to resort to living on Ramen Noodles or the concoction of scrambled eggs with sliced hot dogs my mom used to make during money tight times. I"m optimistic that long term the economy will bounce back, so the transition form a 401k to a 104k is just temporary.

My wife and I are staying home more, and carpooling with greater frequency. Additionally, we are investing more into our IRAs. We both have confidence that the market will recover and it makes now a great time to invest.

Hi I am an 18 year old from minnesota in my first year in college and I really didn't know that the economic situation was going to affect me but just recently I was laid off and all of the sudden my outlook on the whole situation has changed I now realize that if i don't start saving for the rest of my college career that the loans that I could have backed up on may not be there any more!

We are hanging in there, not changing investments. It is very stressful however, watching our accounts lose money everyday. History has shown that it will bounce back. This has made me realize just how much money I waste purchasing items I don't really need.

changes? this economy is cutting everything ive invested and saved for. Im still working 2 jobs because I dont know what to expect. If it's not high gas prices then its my stock portfolio dwindling. Its all good though!

I bought a new 4×4 pickup,my job is great,I power sweep parking lots for a living,going to start a 401k in january,i have 12 years till retirement,things seem okay here in western oregon,there is some strain but not like most the nation is feeling.

Robin, It seems people are forgetting about those of us on fixed incomes. The economy is affecting my family hard.
We are choosing between paying bills and buying clothes, or taking prescription meds every other day to save on the co pays.
This year for the first time in my life, i did not purchase school pictures of my children, or donate to school, girl scout or boy scout fund raisers. Normally, i am a big supporter of them.
We live in upstate new york and though the temps have been going down into the 40's at night, i am afraid to turn my heat on.
Where is my government bail out? I don't qualify currently for food stamps or medicaid or any other government programs.
I'd like to hear the Presidential candidates address the issues of the working poor and the disabled and retired. When are they going to help us?

Hi Robin!

What changes? I have had my doctor change medications from the newer, sometimes combination drugs, to older generics. Why? So I can lower my co-payment by $60 to $90 a month.

What do I fear most? Not the meltdown, although I have lost 40% of my retirement savings, but the coming inflation when "the other shoe drops." I am disabled on a fixed income which is only about 35% indexed to inflation (only the Social Security part). So when inflation hits us, my income will decrease by 2/3's of the inflation rate!

By the way, has anyone ever officially said we are in a recession yet?

Who knows how this financial crisis will effect me and my family… Right now we are better off financially than we ever have been, but we are reluctant to make major purchases. We have money set aside for home renovations and a new lawn tractor, things we planned to do before winter weather sets in, but we’re not buying anything we don’t need until we’re sure our future is secure. Robin… please give me some GOOD NEWS!

Hi Robin!

We live in Florida. My husband is a Union Electrician. In Aug. he had to leave to go work in W.V. He will be there for an indefinite amount of time. We have a 4 yr. old daughter & I work full time as a schedule coordinator in a Operating Room at the local hospital. We've cut back in almost every aspect of our life. No more going out to eat, going to parks like Seaworld, Universal Studios (which we even have passes for) but can't justify spending money on parking, food etc. No more shopping & picking up little extras, driving only when necessary (afraid of using extra gas) It is very scary. We have been married for 20yrs and have never been in the situation we are in now.

i had to let my 2007 ford f350 diesel go back with its 890.00 payment and bought a 1990 toyota corolla for the cost of one payment, its ugly and cant pull my travel trailer but we cant afford to go anywhere anyway! i need the money

My 10 year old Daughter asked me to explain this crisis to her. I did as best as possible. She said "It's like everyone is going bonkers for cash. And playing follow the leader".

So simple but true!

Hi Robin.I have made several changes to properly support my family during these hard times in America. It's very hard to stomach seeing a company like AIG still abuse the system despite people losing homes and their life savings. Despite the current hard times in the country, I have faith that America will recover. As a man I have to continue to do the very best I can to support my family. I am taking a positive outlook to the strength of the economy getting better in the future.

Robin,
After 6 year, this past week, I decided to close my restaurant here in Palm Springs, CA . I've seen the economic downturn taking place for over a year and everything I've worked for and invested during this time being bled away It amazes me it has only been admitted by our government in the last 2 weeks. Yesterday we nearly had a down out fight between customers over equipment being liquidated. It seems the bottom feeders are everywhere and tensions are very high for everyone, no matter who or where you are.

Back to basics. I have gathered 3 dump truck loads of firewood & 2 tons of pellets, squirrel like behavior, in hope of surviving the winter. I am also thinking of taking in a roommate. Team up America! I just close my stock webpage, try to forget about it and wish the goverment could be forced to give back their paychecks....I have overpaid them!

At age 54 I have reduced my 401K investments of over a 1,000 dollars a month to 300.00 and decided to invest the bulk of my saving into money market accounts and CD's

We have a special needs child that I used to take for therapies 3 to 5 times per week, we have consolidated them into 1 to2 trips a week, while the trip is 3 hours one way to Columbus, Ohio, we are saving on gas, but it is alot harder on our son to do 5 therapies in one day, He needs the therapy, but with todays economy, who can afford the gas? We are doing this on our own with no outside support from any government agency, It all comes from my husbands paycheck and insurance, we have resorted to hunting for meat, simply because we can't afford to buy it, my son eats a very limited diet so his food needs come first.
Jackie Hupp, Woodsfield Ohio

We are working extra shifts to try and pay some things off & have a little extra money in case we need it. We have also cut back on frivolous activities, as the other posters mentioned.

If I may, I just want to say a big "Thanks" to all of those people out there who offered and accepted unreasonable loans! Our 401k has lost over half (so far!) after saving diligently for over 10 years. We are in our modest home, with our reasonable loan & we're paying for the mistakes of others. Thanks a LOT, hope you all enjoyed the lifestyle that you really couldn't afford while the rest of us lived within our means. No good deed goes unpunished.

Good Morning Robin,

What I did was shredded all of my credit cards – I don't mean cut them up I shredded the with a electric shredder! I have 7 and own money on 3. I am only about 5,000 in debit which I will have paid of by the spring of next year. I have lived a debit free live before and will no it again. I am not an will not go out and spend because look where I am now with my spending needless debit in a time like this is not good.

Hi Robin,
My husband and I are living on an acreage in Minnesota. Our changes that we are thinking about , because of the economy, next year we will be growing more of our own food. We are fortunate because we own a little land .We raise a lot of our own food now but the garden will be bigger next year. Love watching you.
Karen

Robin, I am a 62 years old I listen to you every morning. This morning when I listened to the report of the economy I really got so mad that I am seeing red . When these big companies can take a retreat when they are going under and expect us to bail them out . I want to let you know that we have a income of 1700.00 amonth that we have to pay our bill and try to buy food. there is nobody out there to bail us out.I am not only taking about my problem I am talking about every one except the people in washington and big bussiness.we are the ones who are suffering for all the proplems in our government . We cannot even go to visit our children that is out of state because we cannot afford to put gas in our vehicle. I think it is about time we the people start firing the people in washington that never worked or had to scrimp to support there families. We need to put working people in offices that know how hard it is out here. It is pretty bad when you need surgery and cannot have it because the insurance you get from the program that our government gives ue when you are on medicare expects us to pay for medicare and the supplement and then they expect you to pay a copayment of 600.00 dollars when you cannot even afford topay for your heat and food

Too much HATE being spread by the republican party!! Instead of talking about solutions to the current problems Americans are facing, they are speading HATE!! The sad thing about this is that some people are feeding into this nonsense. This is sad in 2008 simple minded words of HATE can make people not see the real problems. This is just like the 60's when some people did not want equal rights for ALL people based on what they were told!! WAKE UP AMERICANS!! Don't fall for the banana in the tailpipe tricks the republican party is doing now. Take a stand and focus on the important issues like this economy.

I have mutual funds that I thought would be much smarter than individual stocks. Although the market is dropping, I STILL feel that it is safer to leave things alone that to take the great losses I would take by getting out of the market. WE NEED TO HELP OURSELVES HERE! Taking everything out of the market and the banks will only make things worse. Stay put and look at helping businesses in our communities...BUY AMERICAN (if you can) and buy local. Invest in our future by demanding that President Bush put in his fair share for letting this happen and and let him know that we think that the recession that he kept telling us wasn't yet happening is finally here! Oh, and let's get the CEO's of these companies that walked away with their 'golden parachutes' to give it back to ALL of us and invest in their own country.

The government is bailing out AIG and Wall street. They are seizing banks and the Fed is cutting interest rates to help jump start the economy. No one in government is addressing the usurious interest rates the credit card companies charge. How about a 14% cap? This would definitely help main street and not wall street.

We the tax payers are sitting back and watching Washington spend money that will effect our childerns children for generations. Seems to me the smart thing to do would put the money back into the working consumers hands instead of back into the hands of the organizations and politicians that spent us into this mess. Talk about a stimulus package! Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

Kathy
West Virginia

If it cost a quarter to go around the world
I wouldn't make it the mall!
or the gas station for that matter
I have faith in obama to turn this around
have a good day Robin

my husband and I are within a year of retirement. We have saved our money. Don't eat out. Didn't buy bigger houses in our 40's when others did. Have more than lived within our means. But we are going to be cheated out of it by a do-nothing Congress who care more about baseball players doing steriods than taking care of social security and our borders. PS Obama isn't African-American-he's bi-racial.

Good morning Sunshine: Richaqrd was looking for a headline on Wednesday. How about OBA-CAINE: FDR You're Not! You did a good job, Robin, in debunking statements that we are on the cusp of a Depression comparable to what took place under Hoover, in terms of statistics. However, why ait until we continue to move in that direction. When FDR took office among the first corrective measures he took was to announce federal government support for a massive public works program. How about our current government disbursing the next corrective insertion of a trillion or two – and it will take place, the way things are moving – (Remember Everett Dirksen's remark about 'A billion here and a billion there and soon you're talking about real money"?) – into a masssive public works program. It should go well beyond Obama's call for helping municipalities build roads, bridges and tunnels. It should include buildings; schools, hospitals, libraries, government buildings and the like. The downstream economic effect of constructing buildings spreads widely in the economy because those buildings have to be equipped and furnished. Add the caveat that all such equipment and furnishings must be American made – foreign companies holding patents on quality furnishings and equipment can participate as long as they establish plants in the U.S. to produce same. This would provide jobs, increase retail sales, one of the main engines of the economy, and provide people with income to allow them to meet at least the renogotiated terms of their mortgage payments.

What a I doing? Nothing. The advice of the experts is to wait it out.
Why don't the investers take there own advice? If they would stop selling the market would stabalize.

Hi Robin, my wife and I already made changes. I saw this happening about 2 years ago. We decided to buy a home we could afford on one income. We also got rid of our car payments by paying off 1 car and selling the other which was high-end. Now we drive 2 small cars, both paid for. We only have one credit card and live much more frugally. I expect that this will last about 2 years and we are only going to buy if we have cash for the purchase.

David B.

My mother's business is a rags to riches tale. She is a selfless , giving woman who invested a lot of her money in mutual funds for her children and grandchildren. Now, they are worth little, and she ,because her business depends on the economy and tourism, is beginning to have financial difficulties herself. She deserved a healthy worry-free retirement after all her hard work and kindness. It breaks my heart to see her 50 year old business go downhill so fast.

I see this as a stock fire sale for smart investors. I'm loading up as much as I can. After all, historically the ones who got in while everyone else were getting out are the ones who gain the most in the long run. The only thing we've done is add wood heat to our home to battle the propane costs.

The experts give advice about staying with 401k's and the stock market investments, Good advive if the is person is 30 to 45 years old. Not so good advice for people above 45 . Really bad advice for people that are within 5 years of retirement or have retired. I am retired and pulled out my investment from the stock markey. This way I can still live as I did when I retired, instead of losing all my money.in the stock market.

Fear... It is scary, wondering what's the best thing to do with my little nest egg. Is my money safe in my hometown bank? If I don't pull my money out and everybody else does... is my money going to be safe? Is it going to be safe in a larger bank? Is it safer in a retirement account?

I have to admit, I am a glass is 1/2 full type of person. And if I need to cut back on a few things than I will. Luckily, I have not had to do that, eventhough we lost a bundle on the market. I am young enough to be able to wait for the market to come back. So my motto is to go out and spend some of the money, you never know it may keep your neighbor in his/her job. Pay it forward.

Hi Robin,

We are cutting back on eating at restaurants. I personally have cut my satellite radio service and we are planning on cutting our unlimited long distance service.

With the recent Fed rate cute, we changed our HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) from a fixed to variable rate. This dropped our rate by 3 points and we saved nearly half in interest payments.

Keep up the wonderful work!

Bill (Johns Creek, GA)

We are not changing a thing. I'm a tight wad anyway, but as far as pulling my money from my investments, not gonna do it. Roll the dice!

Hey Robin,
Just a thought... when I get into some financial trouble by overspending a bit, there is no program to bail me out. I just have to tighten my purse strings and tough it out. So why do we have to bail Wall Street out? Start with people that make over $400,000 a year and take the taxes from them, not from me and the rest of us who live by the rules. My family doesn't bring home $50,000 a year and with the gas prices and groceries...now more taxes. People making the big bucks I am sure are not worried that milk is 4 bucks and that a can of corn is 1 buck compared to 2.50 and 45 cents last year. Just about every food item that I buy has doubled since last year along with gas. Our paycheck has not doubled at all...not even gone up a cent. A bail out is NOT something real working Americans can afford. Is anyone listening?!!!!!!!!!

The hardest cut back my family has had to make is our pets, weve had to give them to shelters and other homes because with how tight things have been getting we just cant afford the extra mouths any more. It was a hard decision to make. The financial crisis isnt just breaking the banks, its breaking hearts.

I'm a shoe freak. Now that the economy is so bad I've had to stop buying and wear the 50+ pairs in my closet.

My husband and I have two children at the University of Florida and were already sacrificing. We never go out. We stay home most of the time unless we're visiting our kids in Gainesville. Our most exciting entertainment for now is walking our dog every night. We had our children young and always had these dreams of what we'd do when they were grown up. I sure hope the $100,000 we've lost from our retirement recovers!

I have taken a job and stashing the cash, we are using my husbands money to stock up on food and other items that we must have. We are paying off dept as fast as we can. We do no fun spending, it is survial mode.

How can the bottom of the barrel middle class make any more possible changes in the face of this economic crisis? What choices or changes can I make? Not grocery shop? If you live pay check to pay check and have based your future on your financial situation 5 years ago, your sunk! The government needs to bail out on several levels. The "economic stimulus" check was nothing compared to what they are offering these companies that are driven by greed! I am driven by caring for my children. How about taking the $750 billion and dispersing it to the people so that we can pay our bills and maybe get caught up and we can think about investing and saving Wall Street. You have to start from the bottom and work your way up. These company execs I am sure don't wake up in the middle of the night worrying that there mortgage and gas and electric bill aren't due on the same day!

Robin,

We're making changes by cutting down on water usage (water shortage in North Georgia), eating out less, planning trips to town to conserve gas and encouraging everyone we know to do the same.

We feel we're doing this because we have to and want to do our part for our children, community and nation.

Thanks for asking!

My husband refuses to turn on the heat and we've had a few nights below freezing here in NJ. He says we're saving money and "going green", I told him, yeah, but I'm turning "blue!"

I am a Active Duty Soldier so I guess I can say that I have an assued income on a monthly basis. The change my husband and I see is we are now sending boxes of food to our grown childrens family twice a month to help.

Seems to me that the world top minds have not figured out yet why we are in this grave economic crisis. In order to solve a problem you first have to understand it. The culprit of the economic crisis is the OIL. Multiply the effect of oil prices in the economy and what that does to each household. The average family budget has been hit well in excess of $500 to $1000 per month. The impact of that is less savings, defaulted credit cards, less house sales causing lower house prices, and defaulted mortgages. Greed and lack of regulation are nothing new. These are underlying problems of the system. The price of oil has surfaced these underlying problems, but the real culprit, what is new is the excessive price of oil.

The solution: remove oil trading from open markets. Uranium is not sold in open markets. Oil should not be sold in open markets because it is a commodity that severely impact national security. Fix oil price at $50.00.

Put some Windex on it.

I am 43 and am disabled with several diseases. I collect a disability check from the state's teachers retirement system. I use the entire amount to pay my house payment. My husband is a carpenter, so we don't know how much longer he will be working. In the spring when money was more available, I did ALL my Christmas shopping. I shopped on department stores sites in the clearance section. Most of them had 75% off (these were not out of season gifts). So, I got a lot of bang for my buck. I also grew herbs, which I dried, over the summer to give as gifts and will be making candles for the first time in my life, ornaments, and soaps. Along with beautifully decorated butcher paper wrapping, I am extremely pleased with how little I spent.

Please fellow Americans do not panic, because even if we go through a recetion we will be better than most countries in the world. Thousands of people die because of hunger in other countries and I have seen it with my own eyes. We Americans are fighters and there is'nt anything we can not get through.

Thank you!

Hi Robin,

I am making drastic changes.....I'm a widow, on S.S., having
lost my medical insurance upon my husbands passing. I then
paid $800.00 per month until this year when I couldn't afford it
anymore after 8 years......I have a heart condition and not taking
any meds......I am cutting up the credit cards, which I have
had to use to buy groceries.....I'm thankful I paid cash for my home and my car.......so I feel though I'm LEARNING to live on a fixed
income, I feel very blessed with my situation than many others.
Due to my health, I haven't been able to go to work, but am
seriously considering finding employment to supplement my income,
even though I had worked 30 years.....THE PARTY IS OVER.....No ones
fault, we are all responsible......

Robin, to be smart and deal with the financial woes of the country right now I have stopped going to movies or even renting them. Instead I check them out from the library. I also rarely eat out anymore. In addition, I have shopped more at Goodwill for clothing, The Goodwill here in Dayton is great!

As a member of the armed forces, my job and pay check are sercure. I haven't been forced to change my life style as of yet, but I am worried about how the current financial situation is going to effect my retirement 10 years from now.

Dear Robin:

Everything is so uncertain that I don't know how much change would be enough; I have little savings in Washington Mutual. I have heard Jennifer say time and again not to withdraw our money from the banks and listening to that I did not; but today, I seriously want to withdraw my money after I heard on your show something about "what if the banks run out of money?" I did not catch that fully so is it possible for you to kindly address that again please. Thank you.

"Don't Panic", "Don't Panic." That's all I hear from the financial sector. But I'm looking at my 401K that has lost more money since September, that took me at least 5 years to achieve. The changes I have made related to that are to Contribute no more money for 401K (0%) and to move all Investments to Stable Funds(Money Market).
As for my daily life, I ride my motorcycle more to save gas, I make my lunch now instead of buying, I cook more instead of eating out. I have been watching my bottom line a lot more closely. "Don't Panic." Whatever, I'm going to make the changes needed, if you want to call that panic, go right ahead.

The 'fear' that we should hold is the socialism of the banking industry. NOW is the time to buy into the stock market. My Father baught a bunch of Nokia in the early 80's and just look at where that got him:)!

AIG? What happened to the woman who felt bad that The Ritz Carlton 'wouldn't be getting that revenue'? Do you think that Tom Bodett will leave the light on for her too? Maybe then she will be able to see.

In my oppinion, Those companys that gave hundreds of millions to their execs should have to forfeit that amount from being added to the companys bailout total awarded. If the rest of the country has to suffer then why aren't elected officials making the execs accountable. We need hearings and criminal charges. AIG had the nerve to plan a million dollor getaway using tax payer money? Where is the justice Dept when we need them? Why wasn't a flag thrown? We pay our bills on time and can't get a home loan now. This is our reward for doing things right, huh? The blame needs to be put on the execs and charges filed.

Robin, We would be better off not to bail out anyone and start all over from scratch and everyone that can afford to invest in US Savings Bonds should do so, around 2-3 months from now will show that.Dallas

I got a second job in the evening time. I also temporarily switched my IRA so it is all in a money market with guaranteed interest.

I'm still working and feel lucky to have a job. im 54 years old and born and live in Georgia. I have felt the pressure of recession for the last year, with gas and groceries taking a large bite from my check. I am optimistic our leaders will make the right decisions to keep America strong. I am very disappointed in corporate leaders that make their own interests above that of their employees and our country. I never thought greed would take our country down.

Robin,
After going into debt to get a late in life degree, I now find myself Tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Although I have saturated the local area with my resume, I have yet to find viable employment. To make matters worse, my partner works in the hospitality industry (in Florida) which is dying. My credit cards are behind for the first time ever and as I field the constant phone calls from debtors, I try to find yet one more variation of the PB&J for the kids. My utilities are always in danger of disconnect and I cannot even gaurantee I wil be living in my home by the first of the year. I try to stay positive, but I am constantly plagued by fear and anxiety.
Christine- (on the Atlantic) Florida

Re your question of the day: The use of the word "fear" to characterize actions taken is almost a self generator. It almost provokes a "damn right I'm scared" mentality. It might be better to ask if the actions viewers are taken are "prudent or imprudent". That might get them to thinking "Is this the best way to go" rather than "I gotta run away from this train wreck". Urge people to reevaluate and, perhaps, readjust their short and long term goals before taking action, which may mean sitting tight as many economists urge. Obviously, if you're retirement funds are being managed by a hoople who still is holding on to packages of sub-prime mortgages you should think of chaning money managers and you might also consider taking the reigns of your own investments where possible and, perhaps, save on some commissions. One question: could the automatic sell orders of manor investors, like pension fund managers, be part of the problem on Wall Street? When they begin to automatically shed stocks in large amounts it spurs other sell-offs. On the other hand, they probably are in a quandry having to choose between protecting their pensioners and hoping for an upturn in the market by holding steady.

Robin,

My fiance and I used to save $500 every two weeks towards a down payment for a house. Recently I lost my job and we are slowly but surely draining our savings account in order to keep up with the bills. I have medical bills and no health insurance and the companies that are collecting my debts have been anything but understanding. I have been forced to choose between buying food and paying those medical bills. Hopefully I will be able to find a job soon, because my savings will run out eventually...

My husband and I need help but can't seem to get it. We live paycheck to paycheck and when the bills are paid we are lucky if we have $20 left over. We are hard workers and never asked for a hand out but now it seems we are being punished for it. It is heartbreaking to not be able to buy a new book bag for your child or new pants that are long enough for them and then trying to make them feel good about everything when we are falling apart inside. Between our mortgage, GAS, insurance, medicine and food, we are tapped out. We were never rich people but we managed and still were able to enjoy life and simple recreation but now, my husband and I dread getting up in the morning because it is another day of stressing out to the point of being sick. It is just a bad time to be a honest, hard working person because no one cares about you.

Morning Robin,

Being a student and trying work and go to school, my funds are even MORE limited. However, I find myself worrying about my mums finances. She currenly lives in our 4 bedroom house which she planned on putting on the market however, there's no point to that right now. She's already on a fixed income since she is now alone. I worry about her not using her heat as much b/c she's alone. I receive student loans and scholarships which I've tucked some money away so can relax a little in the winter and use her heat.

I have not seen alot of issues (in my immediate family ) I hear alot about it on the television.
My family has no money to lose in the markets.
We are average family, we work from paycheck to paycheck.

We were also able to purchase a new vehicle with a 0% APR.
Our mortgage has been a fixed rate for a year now , so we didnt have any issues with that.

So I guess Im waiting for the big melt down to hit my family.
I have canceled my kids online games,but that is about it right now.

Not really sure what will happen to us, I dont see any reason to get homicidal or suicidal over it.

My family and I live in Northern Wisconsin. It has become so bad that I am now playing Russian roulette with the basic bills. Even the mortage is in the pot. It is getting cold and we are just putting on more layers of clothing because the gas tank is so low that to turn on the heat would empty the tank in the matter of hours. We went to growing alot of our own food this summer but this is at an end. According to the state standards we make too much money for any aid for heating etc.
I hear daily of those that are cutting back on eating out. What about those that can not afford to eat at home? We are such a pathetic society when it come to some of our standards.
On a good note, sure do enjoy the morning team. I start my day with the Morning Express.

The changes in our home have been going on for 8 months. We have No credit cards. I was laid off, got behind 4 months on my mortgage, utilities and all bills. We pulled what little we had in our 401K to pay the bills and rebalance. I am working but at a lot less money. We have had to suspend dental work college inquires and school activities. One of our 8 children is very sick and undergoing testing that has accumulated a $10,000 bill to date with no answers, yet. I am an educated person that can not find a job that pays more than $9.00 hour where I live in Indiana. I just want to be able to care of my family......
Jobs will allow us to pay our bills, which means mortgage companies get their money and PUFF, the economy is back on track. If they narrow their spending habits as well. It is time for people to run this country like a household budget and get rid of the extra stuff. TAKE CARE OF AMERICANS and the rest will fall into place.

Hi Robin,
I absolutely love your show. I watch you guys every morning when I wake up at 4 AM central. I am an active duty soldier and my wife works full time. Yet still we are finding it increasingly difficult to provide for our two boys. This is really scary. I am also extremely outraged at the fact that companies like AIG get a free pass when they enjoy the finer things in life at our expense. Why aren't any of these people going to jail? This is ridiculous. My wife and I have been cutting back so much just so that our kids wont be affected by this mess. It seems like no one is doing anything to fix this.

Living in rural Indiana,I`ve lived in this house 21 years.To cut down on liquid propane use and to save money,I switched out my LP range for an electric one. Next week,I`m adding an efficient wood-burning stove to help heat my house,also cutting my usage of LP.
I plan each trip I make in my car,maximizing the miles I drive.
These 'tough times ' make tough people.

robin the toughest choice i have had to make is letting my home go into forclosure. my wife and i remogaged 3yrs. ago . i retired at 62 and did this in order to pay off credit card dept. an fix the place up. the city doubled my taxes. oil to heat my home is close to $4.00 a gl. maintaing the home will involve almost 50% of income. it is time to face reality an look for a reasonable apartment.

Definitely the scariest time to be out of work. I'm a single mom and nurse & have been out since June due to a work injury and have had to sell my car and borrow money from a friend just to pay the mortgage and monthly expenses. Spending cuts, yeah right ! There's nothing to cut. Worker's comp is a joke ! I have to explain to my 9 yr old daughter and family there won't be gift giving this Christmas. Had it not been for the generosity of a loan from a friend, we could have been homeless !

Hi Robin,
To avoid a $70.00 a month parking garage charge, I am now parking on side streets near my work. Of course, the word fear enters into our thinking when finanical situations worsen, but everyone of us can reevaluate our spending and take charge. I'm telling myself each day,
Nothing changes
if
Nothing changes. (Source unknown)

Enjoy your show.

We're a household of 6, last 09/2007 husband on UIB due to downsizing. 04/2008 UIB ended, went on public welfare so quit paying on credit cards & insurance policies, UIB restarted due to extension signed by Pres.Bush for our state of HI – still can't pay the credit cards. Figured when husband gets back on his feet will pay the creditors and hire an agency to fix bad credit report – been there before. However, our misfortune of UIB was a blessing to our children who qualified for educational scholarships & grants: 1 off to college this fall – no loans and attending a private college at $42k per year. Next child will be in first year college next fall, 2 other younger children in private schooling. BTW, we are still on foodstamps Times like this, need to keep the family grounded and focus and find some good out of all this mess in economy. BTW, our electricity bill is averaging $537 p/mo; 17 years ago it was $121 p/mo. RIDICULOUS!

Robin, this economic collapse hasn't affected me personally, yet. But my mother, who was looking to retire in the next couple of years, will probably need to plan to work longer to recover the value of her 401K. As I watched the stock take its freefall yesterday – then watched the town hall meetings with McCain and Palin – I'm not sure which I was more disgusted by.

We have sold our jewelry just to fill the gas tank. We're months behind on all the bills. The phone rings constantly from 8am -9pm all day from relentless collectors. I can't remember the last time the refrigerator was full let alone the freezer. We live in fear of losing our home and car.
Most meals are pasta or ramen soup cups. Dining out is a thing of the past and dollar menu items are now a treat.
We can't afford to get sick as we don't have any health insurance.
But at least we can be happy that AIG was bailed out with billions!
Who's going to bail us out?

This Retired US Army Sergeant lives in Michigan. We lead the nation once again in unemployment (for how long?) so I have been cutting back for years.

My house was for sale twice – no takers.
I have sold my camera, motorcycle, fishing boat, guns any many other personal items.

I cancelled my life insurance policy, garbage removal and as of the 16th I will not have internet access or a home telephone.

I haven't been to a movie, bought new clothes or eaten out in over four years.

The only reason my house is warm is because I have to burn wood.

Love your show as I'm up at 6:00 every day to watch.

Retired Rick

Robin,

All of us, wall st. and main st. have relied on credit and bought what we shouldn't have. Now we must sleep in the beds we have all made, and in some cases lose the bed we have made for ourselves. The crash is a wake up call that has led my family to cut all spending like eating out, improptu purchases, weekend road trips, and home improvements. We have decided to purchase everything in cash and have put the credit cards away.
Hopefully congress will also wake up and stop spending more than they take in, because it only leads to inflation.

Jeremy
Charlottesville, VA

Our current market conditions are so perfect for all of those who have some extra $$$ to go shopping.
The stock markets are so ripe for purchase – its incredible.
Many people are worrying about their 401K's – go shopping – go buy some Microsoft stock, Buy Walmart, Buy Mcdonalds, Apple and Ebay. You will not find stocks – blue chip stocks at these prices for many years to come and now you can buy two for one. You will be able to retire with twice as much if not more !!!

With the current economy situation and the fact that my husband and I are retired 'baby boomers' living in Virginia, we have made the following changes to our life style:

Wash clothes in cold water
Turn computer off when not in use and using it less
Using more coupons
Using credit cards only when necessary
Not buying new clothes or shoes
Driving only as needed and planning shortest routes to run multiple errands
Reading library books instead of buying books
Not eating out
Waiting an extra year to buy new eyeglasses
Drastically cutting Christmas list and shopping

Good Morning Robin,

The ways we have changed during this economic crisis are major. We have to decide what we're going to do without from week to week. Sometimes we forego medications, and other times we stay at home that weekend. Other changes, since our budget stays the same and prices go up, we are eating less fresh foods, and buying the cheaper frozen foods. We have had to borrow money from my husbands company to pay exorbitant natural gas bills, and to be able to take our grandson to the zoo and dirt track races for his 5th birthday.

i also have a question, if perhaps you can answer it. Is it legal for companies to block people from closing out their 401k's, unless they are fired or quit?

Thank you for the fantastic job you are doing in bringing us world news!!

Every area of spendingig is being calculated right down to the penny. It seems that the middle class is being wiped out. Either you rich or poor no in between.

Robin,Government bailing out loans is like me giving out money on Halloween,it doesn't take long ever kid in the neighborhood is at my door.

yes i am changing, i am buying a house and doubling my efforts to purchase stocks that have droped. the market is down its time to get in and BUY BUY BUY DON'T SELL! the doom and gloom we hear is NOT what we need if you don't have the guts to ride it out you are not properly diversified or you are investing in the wrong thing for your risk level. the market WILL turn get in while its cheap

living in the upper west these states are not having the issues that some states are the dakotas and wyoming work still busy but cutting costs and staying home more but all is great hopefully this mess doesnt spread here its time to go after the crooks that caused this
and most of this is nothing but a fear tactic and if the american people dont vote all these career politicians they can count on more of this mess we need a leader that knows the middle class we are the ones that drive this economy not wall street ..they with there greed caused this i say let em all sink and give the americans a real stimulus package of 10 thousand per family home that will jump start this instead of sinking trillions in wall street aas far as i am concerned they can let wall street sink in there puke wall street is the problem along with career crooked political nut jobs americans do yourself a favor vote out every seat in congress and we need term liimits

I can find one way to look at the glass half-full in this economy: it's easy to diet when you can't afford to buy all the groceries you need or eat out. I guess you could call it a "crash" diet!

I also want to thank your team, especially Jennifer Westhoven, for providing us with the information we need to be informed – and lovely, smiling faces, too! It makes the bad news easier to swallow.

Thanks for addressing the cost of gas....you are the only news anchor that has mentioned the falling price of oil and how the gas prices are not falling as fast!!!!!....The oil companies are taking advantage of the American public and congress just lets it happen!!!!...I wonder what the price of gas was when oil was $83.00 before. You can bet is wasn't $3.35!!!!!.....I think the oil companies need to be fined to gouging Americans and the money returned to the consumer!....Would it really matter if they didn't MAKE a couple of billion one quarter!!!!!....I really think if gas was back to a reasonable price...say $2.00 or below the economy would feel a positive impact!
Thanks again for mentioning the cost of gas and oil.....
corinne

My wife and I just bought a new car, new furniture for our house, and we're trying to buy up as many stocks as possible while their down. Saving money won't help the economy, thats one thing thats killing it. I don't make alot of money below average and my wife is a stay at home mom. We just spend wisely. We didn't buy a house that was outside of our means, so we aren't having problems paying for our bills. Spend more money and hope other people spend more to help get the economy booming again.

OH MY GOD!!! THE DOW IS BELOW 9K FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2003!!! And then what happened? 2004. 2005, 2006, etc. and on we went. Just like the last time and the time before that and the dozens of times before that.

This is ugly and messy. It was magnified by the actions of a small army of completely unprincipaled crooks that will probably never be made to answer for their crimes (not misbehavior – crimes). Other than that, it's business as usual. Deal appropriately with the crooks, take it on the chin, let failed companies fail instead of funding their next half billion dollar love fest and move on.

T

My wife and I have not been hit too hard, other than seeing IRA's and 401k's taking a hit. Since we are young, I expect the funds to go back up, although it may take several years. I don't have a problem with the markets, it's with the government trying to take over the banks. This is Socialism and the people of this country better stand up and say NO! If we do not make a stand, we might as well call this county the USSA.

Robin, those of us who are financially struggling and living from paycheck-to-paycheck and trying to make it off $389.00 a month, and have to do store lay-a-ways just to get clothing for our children really don't seem to be affected by this market / financial down-fall because we're use to either not eating and going to bed hungry or just eating rice and water or just eating beans, bread and water.
Now...the rich are starting to see what the hard-struggling, educated(may I remind you) working poor class go through each and everyday even when the market was doing well.

My husband and I have a 10 month old baby. In order for us to make "ends meat" we've elected to stop contributing to his 401k until things get better. That extra $30 weekly is making the difference for us.

Good Morning Robin,

The changes we have made did not happen because of this weeks stocks. This has been months in the making. We live paycheck to paycheck, we only have the necessities. Example: It's alittle slower but we use dial up internet. We are patient people here. I'm grateful for what we do have, however we don't live beyond our means. Our economy would not be in this shape if everyone would not try to keep up with the Jone's. If you don't have the money to do something, don't do it. It's okay to say no. I think that all of us need to take responsibility for what we do. If I had the money today would be an awesome day to buy stocks. It bothers me that everyone says when is the Goverenment going to HELP me, The better question is what are you going to do to help yourself? And I had a wonderful surprise this morning when I took my son to work gas dropped to $2.97 a gallon.

Talk about change! I am in the process of selling an investment property which I purchased in April 2008 for 15% off listing price. When I moved to Savannah, Ga 18 months ago and purchased my primary residence, I couldn't even get a 5% price reduction.

Hi Robin

I am a partner in a business and we are having a meeting today to hopefully prevent any problems. We do not want to put off any employees so we are going to see what we can do to keep everyone.
our company budget will be redone and some of our expenses will be reviewed.

Lost job in August. My 401(k) is dropping in value but its my employer match and inerest earned that I am loseing, not my actual contribution. The change I have made- no job to go to so I watch daytime TV and send e-mails to CNN.

Hi,
I guess I'm going to start with cable TV and High Speed internet. It's costing me over $125 a month. I'm going with basic cable and I can get free internet from work or local wi-fi spots. It costs way too much for what you get, as long as basic cable gets CNN Headline News.

In spite of our outcry, our representatives and senators voted against our wishes and now we see the results. I hope everyone can hang on, it will get better. If people at AIG aren't fired, however, we're really being taken for a ride.

Robin,

We have a family of eight. We have talked with the older children about cut backs and planing a little more for needs vs. wants. The main things we are trying are, driving less. eating out less and mostly less trips to the store for video games and toys. We are even trying to start, yes christmas shopping to try and control the over spending latter on. Taking on more hours at work when available also helps.

I am from Ohio and there are no jobs left in this state. We are all scrambling for work in a system that is broken. Everything that is going wrong today in America I blame solely on N.A.F.T.A. If you had a house mortgage and you got that mortgage based on the good paying job you had, that job is shifted over sea's and now you cannot pay that mortgage anymore. The only people making money off of NAFTA are the CEO's of the company's that left hanging the very people who made their companys the name off of the quality work of American's, and at the same time those CEO's donate millions to politician's campaign funds. True there is a drop in gas prices, but that is only due too the fact that there is a gas shortage in the south east so the demand has gone down.

We are an older couple and have lost thousands it took us a lifetime to save. Our future is uncertain and frustrating. I never thought we
could be put in a position where our lifestyle is at risk because our investments were positioned as conseritive as possible. We are scared and see it getting worse.

I am reminded of a threat by Bin Laden some years ago which he stated he was going to defeat the US not through physical war but through the defeat of our economic system...has he won the war??

Robin, those of us who are financially struggling and living from paycheck-to-paycheck and trying to live off of $389.00 a month, and have to do store lay-a-ways just to get clothing for our children really don't seem to be affected by this market down-fall because we're use to either not eating and going to bed hungry or just eating rice and water or just eating beans, bread and water. We’ve went without medical care, we’ve went without necessary medications, we’ve went without heat, we’ve went without air, we’ve gone to bed hungry at night and woke up hungry in the morning, we went through all this even when the market was up striving and doing well. Market / financial crisis in America????? My family and I have always lived in a financial crisis.
Now…the rich are starting to see what the hard-struggling, educated (may I remind you) working poor class go through each and every day even when the market is going well.

It is very sad to hear how scared everyone is...however, if everyone would just calm down and stop pulling their money out of the markets and give the bailout packages time to work, I think things will resolve. I'm not changing the way I live because I know that it is a trickle down effect...this only adds to the fear.

Hi Robin,
We all need to change our spending habits. We cannot sustain the economy on credit. If you can't pay cash, you need to wait. WOW! What a concept. The young people today don't know how to wait on a purchase. Most young adults don't know what a 20% down payment is. (By the way I am 44) What is scary is this crisis will get worse before it gets better. Kevin, Georgia

I live in Alaska, and we're getting our first snowfalls and winter weather, brrrr. Icy roads yesterday caused a lot of car accidents. The Alaska economy doesn't seem to be as affected by the national economy from what I'm seeing online here and on TV. We haven't made any changes as of yet. I'm going to go visit the brand new Target store here in Anchorage today.

Hi Robin,
Tell me with the changes that we are all HAVING to make and the changes that AIG and others are now seemingly shamed into making,I would like the answer to one question.
While we sit back and watch our retirement investments disappear and struggle to make ends meet, I have to share how angry I am about the lifetime pay and retirement that I have heard about for Congress and voted by Congress.
How is this possible? How can a government for the people, by the people, vote themselves a payroll plan such as this without the American Public voting on it? How can this be?
I think that since this economic tragedy is affecting so many in the Global Economy, this poor choice of power on Congress' part needs to be corrected unless the same can be had BY ALL.

Hi Robin,

My wife and I enjoy your show...we both work full time and have enjoyed our lifestyle, but now as the financial markets are in a tailspin I am getting my hours at work cut and our 401ks getting hit hard. So we are cutting back on entertainment of course, rethinking purchases we were planning on making soon and just being thankful for what we have.
We know in the past we haven't been as frugal as we should have been, but we think if people's lifestyles were similar to ours, we collectively have probably created most of our own stress.
We have moved assets into the most stable markets we can, and are curbing our spending, and waiting to see what happens.
I would really like to see BOTH parties address this issue in way that isn't pointing fingers at the other. Neither group has room to talk.
Thanks and make it a great day!!

I have been always watching the news which has kept me up to date. I have a husband and 3 daughters 2 of which are older and moved out. But when we were first married i cut coupons and didn't buy expense things because of our income. I was part time raising our girls and my husband was full time. During this time we bought a farmhouse and moved out of the city. Never had a new cars always used, worked on the house as we could afford it. Kids got older i could get a full time job at night and my husband was the babysitter. I worked 6pm to 6am in the morning. My husband would be leaving when i was getting home. This is how we made it, it wasn't easy but 23 years later were doing ok. I have 401k in goverment bonds but my husband is in medium to high risk he is worried but will hold on. We will make it just go back to the way were survied when we we younger. Were a family that if you don"t have the money you can get it. So credit cards were never a factor. The thing that i worrier now is i been working at my job for 15 yrs. this year it was sold my old boss is going to retirer and he has the right. I don't trust the new guys my old boss built the company and was always smart. The new guys our looking at how much they can make not the people who have been working there for years. This is my biggest fear.

why is it now every one else is just starting to think about their cash flow... WE the workers of the the FORD MICHIGAN TRUCK FAMILY went from 170 tho too 38 tho this year. My husband and myself has sold all we can and our house is in forcolse.We donot live week to week>>>we live day to day.

This is my oldest sons senior year in high school, not a good year for that but I have taken on a 3rd job to attempt to make ends meet. I have a full time night job, I am a substitute teacher some days of the week and I am an Army reservist one weekend of the month. This is a very time bad for our family and my husband twice retired will have to go back to work.

At age 42, my hopes of owning a home are all but lost. Now I am saving my money in hopes of surviving whatever comes next, and I think everyone that can should be doing the same thing. If the government wants to help, why don't they allow people to pull out of their 401k on a one time deal due to eminating circumstances. This whole deal is going to be a huge, out of control, mess come tax time, and I am dreading it already. I worry about the future of my job as well, since the last market plunge in 2003 caused a lay off, and we have about 1/2 the work force now that we had then.

I watch your show every morning. I agree that fear is causing a lot of the financial problems we are facing. We have to look at the source of that fear and I think a big part of the problem is the news media such as yourself causing this fear. I never hear any positive stories on your show anymore. It is almost like you are enjoying the turmoil and grief that we are all facing when you are telling a story. Stop making it worse and say something positive.

My husband has lost his job and we are expecting our 4th child any day; we are very scared. My husband had to cash in on some of his retirement in order for us to make the bills. The way things are going we might lose our home if he doesn't find work soon. We have to cut back on everything even telling the kids that we cannot afford topay for their class trips. At a time where I need to be relaxed and preparing for our child, I am very stressed and feel as if i will have to have my child today and go to work tomorrow with out a proper recovery.

My husband cannot buy oreos and beer every grocery trip. We had to cut back our cell phone plans. No texting for me! We use to buy the expensive dog food, but now she is eating like every other dog! We have already told our family that we will not be buying anything for Christmas, so they shouldn't buy us anything. We do not rent movies anymore. We make sure all the lights are turned off when we don't need them. Our bill is never below $200. We stay home A LOT. The nearest mall is 35 miles away and we just can't afford to go. When we get cabin fever, we go to Lowes and walk around. We design a dream house that seems that it will always be just that, a dream.

What have I done to deal with this financial crisis? The same thing I have done all my adult life. I only buy what is necessary, when it is necessary. We shop flea markets and garage sales, and our menu is based on the weekly sales flyer. I cut my own hair and bring left -overs for lunch. We enjoy getting together with friends and families and get a lot of entertainment out of a deck of cards or a board game.
We love to travel and I'm glad we've taken the trips we have, because at 60 and approaching retirement, I wonder if we'll have those opportunities in the future! Now I'm just thankful for a job, a house, good health,and food on the table Pam Kulhavy, Nacogdoches, Texas

This is how this economic "crisis" is affecting me the most. It is changing the founding fathers ideas of America and the Republic for which it stands. The stock market will recover after it's adjustment. Banks are inherently safe. Lending policies need to be adjusted. Agree with the increase in insured amounts to $250k to adjust for inflation. Money contributed to your 401k today is purchasing stock at this adjusted value and once the market comes back, the gain on today's investment will make you feel like you're on top of the world. Don't panic. Believe in the free market system. This is a global economic adjustment, not just happening in the US. The blame for this if there has to be one is not on our President. My concern is that fear over this adjustment will allow the democrats to further propel America into socialism, ie government control of our lives. The founding fathers must be rolling in their graves to know that so many of us now support government taking such a major roll in our lives after they fought so hard to eliminate that control. Healthcare, Education and a myriad of other things are not rights, but opportunities that we have available to us that should not be controlled by the Federal Government.

It is all gone... I have worked for 26 years, and my retirement is equal to the amount it was at in the early 80's. The government has run this country into the ground, and is now leaving a wake of despair behind. I will never be able to recover my losses. Where is my bail out? I will lose my home within 2 months. Will I get a bail out check to keep me alive...NO. We are no longer a free country, this is no longer the land of opportunity. I am ashamed to be an american. I welcome death, with open arms. Obama & McCain now spend most of their time talking about each other, and not the issues we need resolved. The news says that we should not panic and stop spending, but I have nothing to spend, we should not pull our money out of the 401K, but all I see is the amount dropping lower and lower and soon it will be gone. I vote once every 4 years, and I regret it every year after that. Nothing gets better. I'll not vote this time. I do not trust our government or the system anymore. 84 billion for AIG, nothing for us, the people that actually work for a living, except the promise that we have to foot the bill for corrupt big business and government. This is the american dream..... more like the american nightmare. May God have mercy on us all....

I’m with LH, “buy low, sell high.” I’ve been putting money into the market every time the market takes a big drop. I hate to say it, but I hope the market falls a bit more. I’m planning on maxing out our IRAs and my 401K by December. My apologies to the car, watercraft, and jewelry dealers. I won’t be spending cash in those areas this holiday season. Sorry! From Justin in Florida

robin,
i thank god every day that my grandmother, god rest her soul, lived through the great depression and had the foresight to teach most of her grandchildren tricks to survival in hard times. i am on disability which means i'm a limited income and some of those nifty tricks have come in handy to making ends somewhat meet in these hard times. my children have also come to me for some of those lessons as well, which i gladly help them with, however i am worried for the future, the bills that my children and grandchildren will have to pay, and the simple fact that i do not think this will help as much as it will hurt. i highly doubt that throwing money at a problem will make it go away. i just hope that things get better soon, i am watching my parents carefully since i might end up taking care of them for their benefit...
by the way, robin, my son has an enormous crush on you, and my grandson absolutely adores jennifer.....
jen

We've made some minor changes in our spending. Cut out the bug guy and opt to do it ourselves. We considered ditching cable, but that just seemed harsh! We've cut out movies and eating out entirely. The only exception is for our parents birthdays/anniversaries. We bring our lunch to work, although sometimes that can be expensive if you're on the healthier type of diet! We buy in bulk at Costco, which is expensive initially, but saves in the long run. We've been preppin' our kids that Christmas this year is about being around each other and not so much the gifts, on account...the gifts will be skinny this year. VERY SKINNY. We've had to politely decline with the fund raisers the kids bring home, the snack bar at the games, etc.

Here in Tucson, AZ, I just paid $3.19 a gallon to fill up my car. So, that's nice in comparison to the average!

Thanks to all of you for a great show in the morning...have a great weekend!

We're on an insanely tight budget right now. I'm pregnant and unable to work, so we're living off my fiance's ridiculously low salary. We've turned to deciding whether to pay bills or buy food. I'm now 7 1/2 months pregnant and have yet to be able to afford maternity clothes. Extracurricular activities are nonexistent. We have to rely on others to buy everything for our new baby or take free handouts whenever possible. I want my 8 year old and the new baby to have the best they can, but when we're forced to live in a state that's already screwed up employment-wise, there's not much we can do.

Nikki
Michigan

Hi Robin, My husband and I watched the Presidential debate hoping to get some kind of a feeling for leadership from the candidates. The back and forth bashing, as we call it, was disgusting. We wanted to hear some real plans how they are going to get things strong again in our country. My husband said the debate reminded him of when he was in high school and two teenager guys running for senior president. I want to retire next year but I have lot so much in my 401 K I probably will have to wait a few more years. Dorothy S.

I once read a Warren Buffet quote that I really liked:
"The best way to keep your money is not to lose it"

With that in mind, I changed my future 401k investments to CASH (As of August). What was in stock, I left there bc it saw the pain, I want it to see the recovery. I now have 50% CASH and 50% stock.

When I think the market hits the bottom (right now i am thinking in about 3-6 months), I plan on redistributing my CASH to stock so i can ride the recovery and make the gains I want to see.

Since I'm only 29, I think this will be a HUGE positive for my 401k in the long run.

I am trying to save my money – not out of fear, but I feel this is an excellent opportunity to buy stocks at a much lower price... in fact, what about ETFs (exchange traded funds) based on the Dow? This is a good time to not panic and make your strategy to BUY!

Buy low and sell high.

My wife and I have made some changes such as running errands together in the same car to save gas and eating out less simply to save money. We are doing this not out of fear but common sense. We want to make sure that we can continue to contribute to our retirement account and support other long-range, personal financial plans

I think that internet trading and bad advise from brokerage firms has ruined the market. MOST of it is caused by the media spreading gloom every morning on your show and every other news show making Internet traders panic about everthing the analast say ,right or wrong advice

Hi Robin,
I'm not changing much at all – because yes, fear is definitely helping to feed the market problems, and the more it's fed, the worse it is. The media hasn't exactly helped the situation... we all just need to be a little smarter – some more than others, but overreacting obviously isn't going to help. How about helping out more by not freaking everyone out so much? I realize it's news, but the public is paying for the extra media hype!

I'm one of those who have been feeling this comming on for a few now. I stopped using cc's and along time ago now. I just wanted to add that I don't so much think its fear thats causing the crash in the stock markets, as it is anger!!!!

We see how these top dawgs are spending our money that they are "technically borrowing" from us the people, the tax payers. I refuse to contribute to a bunch of thievery or just straight up in your face arogance.

When the majority of the people were against this big "bailout" and congress our representitives go ahead and pass it without even hardly reading over it to eliminate loopholes? I mean come on I'm more P'O'ed than anything and will not contribute again until some of these people are held accountable for their actions, and not just Wall Street but all of those in Congress who said yey instead of nay!!!!

Tar and feathers time lol!!!!

The crisis has forced me to switch to domestic beer which is really not suitable for my palette. What is next? Store brand condems?

Good morning, Robin,

Both my wife and I work long hours. We are definitely cutting back on all our expenses. We have a home in Texas and have had our mortgage with WaMu for 10 years. We are worried about what will happen as our mortgage moves to JPMC. We realized our biggest expense issue has been living beyond our cash boundaries. We have become TOO comfortable living with c r e d i t (bad 6-letter word now??).

I went back to work to help cover just basic living expenses. I'm on my feet 8 straight hours a day, and when I get home, I literally cry from the pain that I have. Our food bill has gone from 100 dollars per week to about 170 per week now, and on one income it's become too hard. I've slacked off on medical visits for myself due to the cost, so now am without my prescriptions for hypertension. Hopefully the extra paycheck will help clear the bills from my sons hospital visit last May, (about 3000.00 in out of area doctors and co pays on hospitals) and then maybe things will get easier.

My husband and I are very scared about the current financial situation. I am a cancer patient and had to take time off work for treatments. I am very tired but was forced to go back to work for fear of losing my job. With the status of our economy I was scared I would be downsized and we would lose our health insurance. We have been forced to take all of the money from our children's college fund just to survive the increase in prices of out basic needs. I now have to choose between my chemo meds and heating our house.

We just went out and purchased 10 bags of various dried beans and a large bag of rice. I also started making my own baby food. Our food bill went from 200.00 to 50.00 and will last us 2 months.It will get old eating beans everyday but Its whats we have to do to survive.

I recently took a job, at a pay level lower than what I wanted, just to end a 9 month unemployment streak. Thing is I had to move and with no saving, I had to use a much dreaded credit card. I missed a payment and now have the higher interest rate which is killing me. I am looking at turning off my cable (no morning express in the morning... no good) just to save a few dollars. I dont know what elseI can do.

Good Morning From Rural West Tennessee,
You reported correctly that Tennessee has been hit hard with job losses. Several small industries in our county have closed within the last year. Our industrial park looks like a ghost town...My family is fortunate that neither my husband or grown sons have lost jobs (yet).
Some changes my husband and I have made recently....we did a balance transfer of two credit card and one bank note balances onto a no interest for a year credit card from a major, solid company(Bank of America). We committed to no extra spending for the next year in order to pay off this interest free balance within that time. My husband is packing his lunch every day instead of buying it. You'd be surprised how much something that can save. Small things CAN make a difference. Instead of him paying a buck thirty nine for every soda at the convenience store, we buy a 24 pack of bottled water and those little sugar free individual drink powders to put in the bottle. That saves more than you'd think also. I turned the temperature gauge down on our water heater and use the dishwasher less to cut down on our propane use. We live in a rural area, so it has become necessary to coordinate trips to town for shopping, doctor visits, etc.
But we're not just making sacrifices for ourselves....I believe that if we (Pampered Americans) do not focus so much on how this crisis is affecting ME,ME,ME...and keeping in mind that there are so many who are less fortunate, it makes our situation seem brighter. No matter what your circumstance, there is ALWAYS a way to help others....I started babysitting for a friend to help that family save money on childcare. I donate to our local food pantry program. Our church members save aluminum cans and they are recycled and the monies are given to a mission in Haiti. These things in and of themselves are not much, but when people come together and collectively make an effort, it DOES make a difference. Feeling like you are a part of something, and not just alone and adrift in these troubling times can mean a lot.....

Hi Robin,

My family is dug in and going to ride this out, my credit cards are current, and my home loan is locked in for 30 yrs. The 401k is in the dumper right now, but when this turns, it will be well worth the sacrifice, everyone else should do the same and that is RELAX!!!

Enough of the gloom and doom!! We still live in the best Country in the world with the best people in the world. The United States will get through this and be even stronger then before.

What does not kill you makes you more strong.

Robin,
I am literally afraid for my life. I am currently on a liver transplant list and am running out of health insurance. Every visit to the doctors not only run thousands of dollars, but my out of pocket expenses at times unbelievable. I am only 50 not able to work and my husband is working for gas money and medical bills. And that's only the top of the pyramid.

I feel like I am following all of the rules and still am losing the game. I have manageable debt (house, car) have excellent credit, put away money for retirement, and monthly put money away for my two kids (8 and 10) to go to college in a 529. But I am watching my retirement funds and savings fluctuate. I remember not qualifying for the first time for our house loan because my husband and I made too much money. I hate being in the middle, make too much money for all the assistance the government offers but we are certainly not rich. We are cutting holiday vacation plans, not eating out as much, and just trying to be a bit more conservative with money. I am scared about the financial future.

Hi Robin,

Instead of us eating out we are a family of 2 my neighbor is also a family of 2. We take turns making dinner every other night its hard to cook for just 2 people. We always have leftovers that we are eating on day after day. It's just like eating out every other night. With no leftovers.

Hi Robin,

I recently lost my job in Phoenix, AZ and was unable to find another one. My husband and I are senior citizen and have no savings. We sold everything we had and moved to Alabama where I was able to find a job right away, however, the pay is way lower. And my husband is still unemployed.

We have been working hard just to live day to day. The job I have is okay, but it's not enough to make it with anything left over. We have no health insurance. It really scares us. We hear about people living off their savings. What about those of us that have no savings and live pay check to pay check?

So, as far as what we are doing? We live day today just as always, it's just harder now.

Hi Robin,

I am thinking of doing two things today because of the markets. The first is maxing out my 401K contribution at work and the second is enrolling in either e-Trade or Scottrade and starting to do something I never have done before, buy stocks. Both are fueled by the same thing, extreme stock bargains! I do think the gloom and doom of the news about the markets are contributing to some peoples fear and sell-offs, but as I look at it, it is really an opportunity.

Michael

My mom lost her job last week. She has cancer and relies on her job for the insurance. Now that she has lost her job, she will likely loss her insurance as well. Because she has a pre-existing condition, she won't be able to obtain any other health insurance. So what is next, people will have to die due to lack of insurance from this financial crisis?

II feel pretty good about things, we are going to have the government teat, for as long as it lasts anyway. I would love to know now that we are going to be a socialist society, are we still going to be trying to promote democracy to other countries like Iraq? Doesn't that mean we can stop paying for all this good will, promote democracy retoric.

Simple way to bail out the economy is to take the billions and pay off all morgatages 250,000 and less. Gives us the money to turn around and put back into the economy. Relieves the stress and we are the people struggling not the big wigs who got us in this situation who they want to bail out now. But then again, it's the big corperations that run the country not the politians who are just puppets on strings.

Jesus said, " If you Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not."

Why bother worrying about all this stuff. It adds undue stress.

-david from milwaukee

Good Morning Robin,

The financial crisis has forced me to make a number of changes in my life. First, I traded vehicles from a 2005 Ford F150 to a 2008 Chev HHR SS. My payment went from $600 to $350 month. My gas milage went from 18 to 30 mpg. I also had to sell of toys like my 2007 BMW motorcycle, I stay home more and spend less. Less movies, less travel, less eating out. Since I am within 6 years of retirement I got very nervous after losing over $10,000 dollars recent;y in my 401 K and right or wrong, I moved my money into safer funds. Not totally risk-free funds, but safer funds. All my money was in high risk funds. The hardest thing for me is that I have had to put my house on the market. I love my house and it breaks my heart to do it, but I had purchased it on a 2 year buy down with Wells Fargo and this year my payments increased to $1310 and next year they will go up again. I called Wells Fargo's counseling department for help, but they said they couldn't help me. I know a lot of people are far worse off than I and are being thrown out on the street and living in the cars, and I hope they will get the assistance they need.

God Bless.

Frosty in Colorado

i started to stock up on food my hubby thought i was nuts but we have not had the money to go food shopping in a month and we want for nothing
the reason we have not had the money to go is cause i got sick ( a fault of a nurse that i work with , another story) and i was out of work for 1 month we are trying to get back on our feet and it is very hard i am doing odd jobs to make extra money ( i am not back to work at that company and i will not go back )
this is the first month we have not had the money to make our bills we have cut back on everything we do not go out we have cut everything back ( cable , phone cell ect....) and i do unplug everyting to save on the electric bill i am almost to the end of the rope this has got to change soon
ps love watching u in the am

GUESS WHO'S THE FIRST TO GO?! I clean homes in Destin, Florida and my accounts are dropping me like flies! Those who don't live here permanently are cutting back on their home visits. The vacation rental cleaning companies did not retain near as many employees for off-season deep cleans. People tightening up on their budgets are letting go of me first, then the yard help, and finally the pool services are being scratched off their list! Many accounts have been lost to those who have put their homes on the market because they simply can't afford the mortgage payments any more! The elderly people can't even think about it. The "rich and famous" here are actually doing their own cleaning!!!

What I can't understand is the woe is me stories. Everyone needs to admit that there have been times that they were living beyond their means. i.e Instead of using "extra money" they may have came across in doing a budget(that is if you budget) for a bill, they spent it on a want, or just didn't bother to save it for a rainy day. As well as not reading the fine print and understanding what kind of mortages they were getting into. Don't get me wrong there are people that just couldn't have helped the situation but in the 21st century where information is so prevalent and knowledge is everywhere you look I just can't seem to sympathize. I've had to change my lifestyle in terms of cutting back on wants/what I consider luxuries in life but I don't think of us as in a recession.

We live in an apartment that payed electricity and water but now that the economy is getting so bad that when we renewed our lease the price stayed the same but we now have a light bill and a water bill on top of our rent. Now we have money for food and gas. We spend alot of time in front of the tv.

Good Morning Robin,
I check our 401k daily and must say I am truely disappointed in the daily decreases in the market. I can only hope the American public can see a change in government is long over due. When Reagan de-regulated the railroad and airline industry he started a downhill turn in the economy. It seems we have gone downhill ever since.
We the American people need to take our country back! Stop the outsourcing, importing all the merchandise from China, (still a communist country) and put us back to work. Our country can't survive a term with McBush at the helm. The last 24 years of our government has set us up for what is happening today.

Thankfully, I still have my job. With the crisis at hand, many of us worry about losing ours jobs if we haven't already, So, I have been paying off bills and cutting back on living it up. I was also affected by the floods in Wisconsin last summer which wrecked my drum set, and insurance didn't cover it. I have put off buying a new set to continue paying off bills. Even though it won't sound the same, I could possibly get by playing a flood damaged set , but I needed new heads as well. I'm just not putting out the cash for things like that. What I worry about is when times get really tough for me I will not be able to get the release from the music. For any musician, the release from what you play is something powerfull and I feel the effects from not getting that already. Hopefully things turn around quick.

my wife and I have been cutting way back on our electric bill no more eating out, taking our lunches to work,going to food banks, and letting neede repairs slide around the house no more trips to home depot

I'm retired and took a part time job. This is not helping keep up with the increased cost of living. So, I try to avoid trips to the grocery store by first shopping my pantry. That way I won't get tempted to buy extra things. I stopped feeding the wild birds a month ago. Basically, I am practicing the simple living steps of using up, wearing out, renewing, etc.

My husband got downsized earlier this year and we were forced to relocate out state. Needless to say, I had to quit my job. The state of Georgia wouldn't give me unemployment ( I've worked there for 13 years) – saying I moved for personal reasons, um ok. Since we moved here (I'm in Miami) in July I have been unable to find employment, and my options are wide, I have my BBA in Logistics and have 14 years experience as a server. SO, what are we changing? Everything. My husband has a good job, but its nearly impossible to survive on one paycheck. Its hard, very hard. We both need things, like food, water, shelter not to mention medicine – I have multiple sclerosis and have not been able to take the medications I really need since June/July, even just paying the copays of $255.00/month is impossible.

There are no jobs and no one has any money, I'm scared right now, but I also know from history that the market will recover, I just wonder when. We've already spent all of our savings (we were getting close to buying a house before we moved)

My family is saving every penny we can scrape, and skipping vacations, because if/when we get laid off, we'll need that money. No matter what lies the capitol kiddies tell, the economy has been steadily declining since 2001 - out here in the real world. In every sector: manufacturing, service, tech, auto... you name it. No middle or lower class people believe it when the media tells us things are getting better, because it's not.

As a small business owner the big change for me is scaling back my sales efforts to focus on established, long-term contracts. A bird in the hand, as they say... We WILL survive this crisis, however, so right now I'm working on developing new products and services so when confidence begins to return my company will be ready to meet the rising need for marketing and web development services.

My husband and I have raised two sons, 30 and 34, are in our 60's and both work. As "empty nesters" and 37 yrs of marriage, we feel we are entitled to a "date night" each week. Since we have lost 25% of our 401 K retirement and had to put off our dream for a retirement home due to lower house values, we are determined to hold on to our "date night." Each Wednesday, instead of going out to an area restaurant and spending $40 for dinner and tip, we get take-out from an area restaurant on their "specials" night and spend $15 saving the cost of half an entree, drinks and tip. Our mid-week treat gives us a great lift!

With the economy in the proverbial tank. I am thinking about cutting luxury items out. Sadly this will include TV service, phone and internet services that all add up to nearly $200.00 a month. At todays gas prices that is 2 tanks of gas. I have a company cell phone, and over the years have taped many old movies. It is starting too look like I may be watching all those again. I will miss my Robin mead in the morning.

Good morning Robin:

I lost my job almost two years ago and I am still looking. What I had to do to make ends meet was to move my 401(k) into an IRA while keeping some of the money on the side for quick access if needed. When I did the original transfer in March, I held out what I thought would be enough to make ends meet until I found a job. Well, here it is October and I had to take out more money. I am a skilled administrative assistant and I can't find a job. I've probably only had about 6 interviews over the past 18 months and I send out resumes daily, but nothing.

My son and my daughter attends school in a neighboring county and I have to drive them to the bus every morning and the school has an after school program that lets the students help the community in different ways,like delivering meals and help pick up trash and sweep the streets,well my kids along with others can not stay and help the community because we can not afford drive and pick them up,,basketball is coming up to and he cant try out for it either because I can not afford to transport him to practice let alone gettng him to the bus for the games..kids can not even go to the school dances anymore because of the prices of gas and we have to save our money for bills and food..:( Its a shame our kids have to pay the price for what Bush has done to our economy..

For the last 20 years, I have said if our over-rated politicians didn’t get off their flaccid butts and do something that this would happen. Now on the eve of a possible inevitable major world wide financial oops, political boneheads have pointed their fingers and cried wolf. The fault doesn’t lie totally with politicians but they did enable the mess, it lies with credit card companies and their overly high interest rates, ridiculous bonuses for CEO’s, banks generously allowing anyone and everyone loans without a decent down payment, unregulated spending and this farce of a war in Iraq and basically greed. In other words, we are all to blame, but when the big boys of AIG took vacations after their bailout, nope shouldn’t have happened every dammed one of them need to be jailed. Now its too late to wakeup and smell the coffee, its time to take out the trash. Our politicians need to work with each other not against each other and they need to remember we the people are their boss they aren’t ours, Ted Nugent is right Fedzilla needs reforming. What I am doing is what I always do live and deal with what comes along as it comes.
A biker

robin , everybody is talking but nobdy is really listening to the people of the U.S.A. WE NEED HELP . MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE CAN'T MAKE IT ANYMORE . BUT MINE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE THAT RUNNING THIS COUNTRY CUTTING BACK ON . I THINK THEIR SALARIES SHOULD BE CUT BACK TO 20 -25 THOUSAND LIKE OUR'S . SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S IT LIKE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD. WHY DO THE TAX PAYER'S HAVE TO PAY THEM SO MUCH . WHY DO WE NEED SO MANY OF THEM ?

Robin, As with many americans we have been cutting our standard of living down for awhile now. What I am failing to see is big business and government following suite. AIG is a prime example of how our money is being spent with the bailout. Like most all the people I speak with I want to see accountability. We could call it the WGTJ-(who's going to jail). I really do think the bailout money would of been better spent by giving it to the people. Mortages paid off. More orders for durable goods. People being able to improve their standard of living and the banks would of got the money back. Had AIG not been caught it would of went for $400.00 a night motel rooms. How far would that go keeping a family in a home? I think "we the people" have had enough.

We are an everyday Joe family of 4. Last year we had a house which we were renting and both myself and my husband were working. Now we had to move out of our home of 5 yrs, take my 9 yr old son out of school, and relocate to live with family. The company I worked for went out of business and now at 40 and 39 years old me and my husband are living on one income. We have no savings, no insurance, no 401K, no life ins., nothing! For people that do not think that the everyday Joe is not effected, YOU ARE MISTAKEN! When it comes down to food for the week, or perscriptions that we have to take, you lose alot of sleep. We have nothing.......I worry everynight about my kids and our future if we make it that far.

I've been watching the world for quite some time now, and sometimes wonder how folks couldn't see this coming. It's not rocket science if folks had payed any attention.. I've a little land. (everyone could do this in their own back yards if need be, or as a group) I've planted about 15 raised beds of vegatables over the past months, researched and purchased the best types of chickens for eggs and meat on a small scale, filled my propane tanks completely up, stocked the wood pile to the sky, and only keep enought money in the bank to pay my bills right now. The rest is definitly not in the bank. At least I can feed my family and friends if need be, stay warm, and take care of the essentials.. My parents are children of the depression., and still alive at 86 and 89 years of age. They taught me long ago to think ahead, and as my mother says, " If you aren't prepared, you'd better be preparing." It's a lesson I'm glad I've taken to heart long ago.

Good morning, Robin:

Now that my 401K has become a 201K, I am, at 67, forced to continue working ar a full time job. I have cut out all durable goods spending and concentrating on saving as much cash as possible. My entertainment budget has been slashed to watching DVD movies on my old analog TV. No new plasma upgrade in my immediate future. With an unwelcomed change in the governing administration forthcoming, I expect my health care benefits to be screwed up worst than they are now. I can only hope that the social security checks will continue to arrive every month and that I have enough money to depart this world with dignity.

Am I worried about the financial state of the world? Absolutely. Am I changing anything? Absolutely not. I have my money tied up in my 401K. I have $800 a month taken out of my check to go into my 401K. I will continue to do this because I want to retire some day. If everyone panics and stops or cuts back on their investing, I feel this would be the downfall of everything. If everyone backs out, the market will crash because there will be no investors.

Everyone I know who has a job is either in sales or service. Who is buying?

The first change I am going to make today is to cut myself off from the media for at least 72 hours. I feel the media is fueling the fear and causing more panic.

Renee'
New Orleans

my boyfriend and I had to put off moving in together and move back in with our parents. I had to stop taking in foster dogs because I could afford all the extras since I already have three dogs. my boyfriend and I also had to put off getting married

My family has had to remove our kids from all of their activities. No more karate, no more dance, no more FUN! Sorry kids!!!

Just last night I changed my 401k investments from very aggressive to aggressively conservative. I was watching AC360 last night and some woman stated the stock market generally bounces back in 20 or so days, but with the Dow dropping as fast and far as it has been, I don't want to lose any more money. They stated I was doing myself a disfavor...I don't think so. I didn't lose all that much but if people are losing their entire retirement savings lately, how smart was that advice?

I was laid off from my job last summer due to budget cuts. A month later my daughter went off to college. I’m still job hunting. I’m worried that either I won’t find one soon enough to avoid financial ruin or that my new job will pay substantially less than what I used to earn. I haven’t looked at my 401k yet because I can’t bear to see the total. At some point I’ll have to roll it over, but I’m hoping it will rebound a bit before my deadline comes.

Needless to say, I’m watching my spending like a hawk. I stay close to home and consolidate errands to save gas. I’ve slashed my entertainment expenses and cook 99.9% of my meals. I limit my spending to things that relate to my job hunt, my mortgage and groceries (for now...)

My family is going scuba diving in Key Largo, FL. Forget the bad news!

Americans need to show character and spine in the challenges ahead. We've had it too soft and too easy for too long.

There is nothing in the Constitution which guarantees cheap credit or gives a person with bad credit a *right* to credit.

There is nothing in the Constitution which guarantees investors taxpayer dollars to cover their losses in the stockmarket. This would be as silly as covering Las Vegas gamblers for any of their losses.

Like our grandparents and great-grandparents in the 1930's, we need to stand together and face this crisis head-on. We need to start living within our means and stop buying everything on credit to be paid at a later date. This change needs to occur from the taxpayer all the way up to the halls of Congress.

Face the crisis and take the hard licks now so our children and grandchildren will be able to prosper just as the Americans of the 1930s did for their children of the 1950s.

I have been unemployed since Feb. I have one more week of unemployment. I no longer buy meats, if it had not been for my family garden and them sharing, I would be hurting. I am scared.

My step dad is the only one that works in our family of 6, plus his dad's care and my oldest sister who lives in a special home. He says we might have to move or something. Both my mom and step dad have been really stressed out over this, i don't know what to do to help. I have a savings, but if eveyone rushes to the bank, it will make everything worse. He has been doing a lot of overtime at work, but might have to have a pay cut or leave the buisiness. I don't know whats going to happen.

Robin,
The economy forced me to close my beautiful gift/book store last year. My customers had to choose between gifts and gas to get back and forth to work and groceries.
I am still paying off my business operating loan myself. The government did not bail me out and I certainly have not been treated to any luxury retreat vacations!

Sherry in Ohio

I don’t know where to start but let’s try
President gets elected but election is in dispute economy start tail spin he blames that on a prior presidential term. He removes restrictions so the economy can try to recover but that is hidden by the housing market rise….in addition he moves monies from other areas into the war to hide the actual cost..Then wins the next election on fear and lies…not to mention all those people he made rich in the first 4 years. Continues to blame and hide actions taken working the fear game and threats that if you don’t fund a bill you are not funding the troops (this is the same person who is not caring for returning vets). Now the fictitious housing boom promoted by removal of restriction in banking and the selling of these loans all over the world our president has managed to not just take our country into a financial crisis but then entire world.
There is nothing that is being done for those of us who have tried to keep within our means we are losing. Financially I will have problems in about 6 months the government will be bailing our banks and Wall Street and those who overextended themselves into a financial crisis by buying more than they can afford.
We will pay for it and those who screwed it up will escape my fear that we knew this was going on and nothing was done. The democrats now holding office have been at odds with the president and he blames them for his mistakes
Remember Bush isn’t in a crisis he will be getting his healthcare and we will pay him and give him all the things we give past presidents
Maybe he needs to live like the rest of us since he has done his best to destroy our position and that the global economy.

Hi Robin,

A thing I am considering placing on hold because of the slumping economy is going back to grad school. With the "credit crunch" I am uncertain how the picture looks for student loans. I can't count on my 401K anymore since it has lost 25% of it's value and still going down.

This financial crisis forcing me to do things as our grandmothers and grendfathers did back in days save on electricity Ilinen dry my clothes cook on the wood burning stove bake my own bred . Heating we wont even turn our furnice on,we are going to use stove and fireplace.We have lots of woods arround our house turn tings of we dont use often .I dont drive my car unless I have to go to store .Our electricity bill is $300 every month and when winter comes a nother $300 that is almost our mortgage payment .I save now about $100 month just on these two things.My husband is the only one who works I stay home with 3 children,because child care is too expensive.

Hi, Robin,

My husband and I worry more about our older relatives on fixed incomes and how they're going to make it through the winter. We've always been frugal, and we're doing more of the thrifty stuff–buying in bulk on sale, clipping coupons, not going out to the movies, staying close to home for entertainment.

My brother just started a new business venture this past spring and was counting on the small business loan he had been approved for just before the bottom fell out of the markket, and now he's been told they don't know when his loan will come through. He's got bills to pay for product NOW, and I don't know if his nacent business is going to survive, and what he and his family will do if it does..

The times sure seem scary right now.

Denise

I am a small restaurant owner and the economy is killing my business. All summer, people were telling me that they come less often because they can't afford to eating out as often due to gas prices. My sales are significantly down which really hurts, but my costs are also way up because of fuel costs and food costs, too. It seems like everything is made from oil, corn, and rice these days and my restaurant is dependent on all these things. My paper products all come from petroleum. Chickens and turkeys eat corn so my costs for those items are up, and many others as well. Our deliveries now have high fuel surcharges as well as our services such as our garbage service. I am deeply concerned that I can't hang on. I have three young kids and we've been using every measure we can to survive. We don't eat out, we don't go to movies, we don't buy toys, we don't pay for haircuts, and we only buy minimal clothing. I admit I've had to use a credit card to help pay for our fuel expenses. My husband, who used to run our business, has gotten another job to support us and now I have to run the restaurant (for free) and bring my kids to work. I used to be a stay-at-home mom. We weren't rich before, but now, we're doing everything we can just to break even. I am starting to feel a lot of anxiety because we're working our behinds off and we can't get anywhere. I think I'm going to stop watching the news because there's not much positive being reported and it's keeping me preoccupied when I need to focus on my family and business.

Morning Robin,I love your show.Things are so bad in Virginia that I can't aford to take a beautiful lady ,even,to Burger King if I could find one.Keep up the good work.

GOOD MORNING ROBIN, I KNOW THINGS ARE REALLY BAD... I'VE WORKED IN VETERINARY MEDICINE FOR THIRY YEARS, AND YESTERDAY MY BOSS SENT US ALL HOME BECAUSE HE COULDN'T MAKE PAYROLL...(HE CALLED HIS WIFE TO WORK BECAUSE SHE WORKS FOR FREE!!) THE LOAN HE NEEDED FOR PAYROLL WAS DENIED SO HE WILL NOW HAVE TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER LENDER.. WHERE DOES IT ALL END?... I LOVE YOUR SHOW..AND GIVE A "HELLO" TO YOUR "DOGGIE" FOR ME...!!

What changes have we made? How does one change when one hits the bottom. A job lose, lose of a vehicle, lose of our home, no career choices, unemployment for 26 weeks and months later the state adds the "additional 26 weeks" and suddenly announces that the state has extremely limited funding for unemployment. We have to rely on good old fashion "know how" such as canning vegetables and fruits, buying off the bargain racks, growing our own onions/garlic and produce to increase items canned, freezing vegetables and fruits of the season–at basement prices. Chnages were made but the biggest change will come on Novemeber 4, 2008.

Robin,
We are moving because we had to sell our home to keep from going into foreclosure (again). I wonder if it's possible to start your own counrty.

I totally agree with Mike....
My husband and I continue to do the NEXT RIGHT THING as we have been all along. We look at every purchase as a need or a want. If its a want and we can't afford it, we save until we can. We keep that emergency fund for dire needs. We only use credit if I know I can pay the bill at end of the month. We continue to contribute to our 401 and college fund (even though they are in the toilet right now). We bought a house we could afford through a fixed mortgage, drive 5+ year old vehicles that are paid for and don't have alot on "stuff". Maybe we won't retire at the age we wanted but working is a blessing.

You just spoke about crime coming back.......Well it has been back for awhile now.....And our government is the criminal......We changed one of our heating systems because of the price of propane......The Amish have an electric heater that is suppose to cost 7 cents an hour to run on it's lowest setting and 15 cents an hour on its highest setting.....We just ordered one........And we told the propane company to come get their tank off our property.......WE Won't be buying anymore.......Gary and Angie......Seeley Lake, Mt.

RETIRED/TIRED...I RETIRED BECAUSE I GOT CANCER...USED ALL OUR 401K FOR BILLS..HAD TO DROP EXTRA INS....HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK.I'M 68....WE ALSO HAVE TO RELY ON CREDIT CARDS FOR ANY EXTRAS IN OUR LIFE.TIRED AND CANNOT RETIRE..TRUDI

Hi Robin.

It is an absolute shame that people think that if Obama gets elected we are to become a socialist country. Well, if people are watching the stock market lose about 40% of its value in just 1 years time then for the sake of our future the government does need to step and save it before our dollar is worth less than the peso. We need to remember that by deregulation backed by McCain and the reign of free enterprise should have a big leash for a while until we learn SELF CONTROL.

Why do they keep calling it the wall street bail-out,even after I lost $5000.00 in the last ten days and why did the goverment not extend the short selling fiasco.What can we do outside of pure panic.

Hi Robin,

My fiance and i have post poned our wedding . She and i both are attending school . This semester's expenses dried up the money we've saved . In addition to that , we've planted potatoes and tomatoes . She's a history major and thinks that depression is on it's way.

Love the show,
Robert H.

I had to give up some medicines I need because of the price.

I usually visit my mother, who is in a Nursing Home out of town, but I cannot afford the trip anymore (that hurts the most).

We eat at home instead of dinning out.
We don't drive much or go to the movies, etc.

I love to buy gifts for my children and grandchildren.....but; I had to stop because of the cost of living.

We have our vacation home up "For Sale".

THERE ARE MORE THINGS WE HAVE STOPPED BUT THE LIST IS JUST TOO LONG.

I have been in the boat repair business for over 20 years and this year will be the worst ever. I have already negotiated $200 a month off my rent but I am still looking at no work. I will have to commit suicide just so my wife and son will be able to stay living here and my son will be able to finish high school. I can't believe this has happened to our country.

I'm 54, last year I lost my job after 29 years when then closed the plant. I had a 401k I had been putting money in for several years.
In 2 days it lost $10,000, so I got looking around, and found an IRA that will go by stocks high or lows, or I'm guaranteed 5% per year.
So now as of today my stocks have lost over $80,000, I’m not losing money because I have the guaranteed 5% pre year.
It has given me peace of mind that I have the guaranteed 5% pre year.

People have learned to live on there credit cards; the only one that wins is the credit card companies. Way do you think they send pre-approved credit card offers to you so you will charge more and more?

If everyone would take 25% their income and up it in savings that has a guaranteed interest just think of the debt of the world would have.
When you go to buy something pay cash, if you cannot pay cash, you need to stop and think do I really need this.

The government needs to stop sending money overseas and take care of the people here when we have senior’s citizens and disabled people at home having to choose between food, medicine, heat, water, or electric.

My family is of the lower middle class, however due to an surgery I had this summer it wiped out our savings, and was off work 5 months. I am now back at work and having to work overtime and not able to be with my kids at night, which means they are not getting help with homework, and go to school with it not done.

We are having to cut back on not going out to eat, no movies, we just stay home. I have to do without my Diabetic medicine so I can get my Son's medicine and his Doctor visit every month. We normally would spend 500.00 a month on food, know I have had to cut that back to 400.00 and use coupons to save money and watch the adds in the paper to get the best deal.

I am facing an hard choice with my youngest son who loves Band if we can keep up that expense, with the payment for his clarinet, cost to play like field trips, reeds, and uniform costs, it seems he may not get to play and follow his dream. Schools do not have money to help parents out any more. My other son just got married and have a son on the way, and they had to pay for the birth expense up front before his wife has the baby, he has insurance however they can barely pay house payment, food, and gas. He is so stressed right know, I am so worried for my family, and our nation.

The price of everything going up has put such a crunch on our family I had to sell my childrens horse they used for 4-H. My children are sitting outside crying because 4-H is one of the only things in our area to do. I will vote for which ever political candidate that will purchase my children a new horse!

I am 50 yrs.old, an insulin dependent diabetic, I lost my job and health insurance so I can no longer get my insulin. So now I'm just hoping for a quick death instead of a coma! The only jobs that seem to be available are minimum wage and require quite a bit of physical labor that I am not healthy enough to do anymore. I've inquired about disability soc.-sec. but they say if I'm able to hold a phone, then I'm able to work! I believe we will be seeing a lot of people dying simply because we cant afford to get our medicine to keep us alive. What good is a tax break to help pay for health insuranc if your not able to work or cant find decent job? Obama's plan of health care for everyone sounds really good to me right now!

Hey Robin,

I am not making any changes. I am in my 40's and have been conserving and budgeting my entire life. So this is nothing new to me. I have an IRA, mutual funds and a savings account, and they are staying put. The economy will recover.

Liz
Louisiana

My husband is in the US Army so we are by no means rich but we have always put ourselves on a budget so we haven't had to change much yet. I am looking at getting a job working from home so I can still watch our 2 year old because with daycare costs working outside the home isn't an option. We are staying on our budget BUT we aren't going to stop spending money – the economy really will fail if no one spends money because thats what our Country runs on. I'm not really scared per say but it is something I'm keeping an eye on – we will get back on our feet eventually.

Dear Robin, Well all this was fortold in the bible years ago that people will be throwing their money in the streets! Whats that mean that money will soon be of no value and everything shutdown. Can you imagine the panic --nothing works, people going crazy, can't even buy a egg mcmuffin, can't buy gas, everything frozen. The bible fortold it though that the world economy won't make it among other things like the end of this world system. Time's up for this world and we are about to enter a time called the "Great Tribulation" ( a time period before the end) and Robin all I can say is it won't be pretty. Enjoy watching you on TV though, have nice day.

I was lucky enough to obtain a part time job on week ends as a cashier. I also work during the week, so basically I'm working 7 days a week. My week job pays the household bills and the week end job covers food and gas.

Robin , My husband an I are business owners unable to file for unemployment , being a contractor we have been suffering for about a year an it has just got worse we recently had a truck repoed an we sometimes wonder if we will have money for food an to just pay the basic bills ,we are scared .

Julia

P.S love the show.

Hello Robin,
First of all my wife's blog was misaddressed 'Nicole from North Carolina'. She posted it as 'Bill & Twyla'. Don't know how that happened. (?) Correcting this would be appreciated. Now for my contribution.
I'm an honest hard working blue collar American factory worker. I'm supposed to be rewarded for this by being able to 'live the American dream'. Or at least be able to comfortably pay my bills and have enough left over to do a little something extra on the weekend to relieve the stress from the week before. Instead I'm 'rewarded' by sitting at home getting even MORE stressed out. Worrying about what bills we have to let go delinquent so we can pay others. Thinking about the simple things I used to do like go to a dirt track race on Saturday night or take my wife out for a weekly meal at a cheap restaurant that I can no longer do. Dealing with the depression that I can't afford medication for. My faith and pride in America are seriously damaged. Australia is REALLY looking good right now. At least having a beautiful woman reporting it all softens the blow.
Thanks Robin,
Bill

There is no better time than now to show charity to others.
No matter how low you think you are, there is always someone in worse shape.
I find that helping others helps me put things in perspective. I have been working at soup kitchens, donating clothes to rescue missions, and helping my church raise money to do the same.
It's amazing how much you can do without.
When there's nothing left but God, that's when you find out God is all you ever really needed.
Keep your chin up, unite with others, and use your God given talents to get you through.

I have seen my life savings/retirement dwindle down $335,000 since I retired in August of 2007. I have stopped going to DD for coffee, do not go out for breakfast, etc. I am concerned with the fact that I pay for both my nephews to go to swimming/gymnastics classes and that I
may have to stop. This will devistate them, but I am not sure I can continue. Any suggestions?

Hi Robin, Mad? Oh very much so! We the people have had enough of the corruption in our Gov't. While those Bulls and Heffers from A.I.G. were enjoying champagne and caviar on us hard working Americans, we the people are losing our homes, savings jobs and dignity. Where was this predominant Democratic Gov't of ours when all this was going down? Were they at the Spa too? It is a National disgrace and we the people are the fall guys. Dodd and all those theives should be prosecuted once and for all. I would like to have a front row seat for that! Angeline

baby boomers 401k's are gone, we worked for years to build them up so we wouldnt have to rely on social security, now they have lost so much they will never recover in time for the boomers to enjoy retirement.

Aside from the obvious...starting to watch spending by thinking twice about non-essential purchases, I'm reading books about the Great Depression to try to understand what is happening in the
"high" (aka greedy) finance world. David E. Kyvig's "Daily Life ...1920-1940; Sinclair Lewis' "Main Street"... knowledge is everything, so I want to know!

Robin, OK, lets start putting our economy back together, I have 2 bedrooms my wife and I don't use. I think I can help 2 Americans near NC.

ROBIN, those who are able should continue to spend;otherwise we will be in real trouble.Listening to the morning review,the 'long-term'solution to this problem is to GO BACK to a manufacturing economy with less credit.The 'short-term' solution is government intervention.Investigate those institutions that failed for fraud;jail those responsible.ALSO, those institutions receiving Government Bailout:THEIR CEO's MUST BE FIRED,P-E-R-I-O-D!

The change I have made.....I am buying stock....as much as I can afford.

I'm worried that panic will be our demise.

Dear Robin,

After taking a trip into L.A. it's hard to believe that any one is really suffering like you report. I sat in traffic for over an hour because everyone was driving their huge gas guzzling suvs , and no one was car pooling. When I went into a gas station, I saw obese people and their children buying over priced junk food, including cokes. candy and big bags of chips. The children were in the latest fashionable clothes, carrying expensive trendy back packs. And this was East L.A. On the other side, in the Hollywood area, Bentleys, Mercedes etc ran the rodes. The Ivy was packed as the stars came in late, drunk and drugged out, doing their usual partying. Gosh! I grew up in a farm family, where we always conserved money, and passed our clothes down. Snacks were limited due to unnessecary calories and cost, and credit cards were forbidden. We were taught to not rely on the government, nor to whine and complain. As long as we weren't hungry, we were blessed. Maybe if you had a better attitude on your news show instead of doom and gloom, things would be alot better.

Sue Ballantyne

Robin,
I live in Florida. I am currenty looking for a job. My wife and I have , for the first time, started using coupons when we go shopping. While it certainly helps it in no way is making all of the other bills come down. We are forced to pay credit card bills a few days late and the Credit Card Companies are raising our rates. Why can't these greedy companies give us a break?

When Ronald Regan suggested that the retirement age be moved to 70, I thought that will never happen!

Then came soaring medical costs. So, my wife went to work so we could have coverage after retirement. Next , the bio-fuel boondoggle that raised the prices of food. After that the runaway costs of fuel. Then I was downsized and ended up with a job that pays almost 40% less than what I was making. Now, the stock market has destroyed our last – best hope for the future. We have been investing heavily in 401Ks since the early 80s. Now that I am 61, I have finally realized that Regan won and the baby boomers lost!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now wondering how I will afford keeping my kids in college with student loans harder to aquire combined with all the funds I have already lost. It appears that they might have to come home and get a job unless things turn-around. This is not fair for them and not fair for me as my means to fund them are drying up.

Instead of giving the bailout dollars to the abrusors, Why not give it to the people that HAVE TO SPEND TO LIVE!! People can't aford to live in thier homes (i.e. forclosures). People at this point have to choose between their medications, food, and gas to get to work. Some have to cut back on food and forget anything else period.

Before all this , the average person had to work 5 months to pay taxes and got to live on 7 months of income. That's almost 50% taxes already (No Matter how you want to word it). Now that will be worse. Where does it all stop for the middle class (soon to be gone!!!)

I am now wondering how I will afford keeping my kids in college with student loans harder to aquire combined with all the funds I have already lost. It appears that they might have to come home and get a job unless things turn-around. This is not fair for them and not fair for me as my means to fund them are drying up.

what ive done to cut back is to send just the minimum on my bills if it asks for 5 dollars thats what i send. allso my daugters b-day has been cut off our budget for the month and no more driving around to the park or mall, we now walk to the store its about 5 blocks away gas is to expensive. with my job cutting back on overtime its really tight on my wallet its also hard triying to explaine to my dougter that we cant buy her things that she wants.

I am in better shape than most people, we learned to cut back over a year ago due to a major medical disability. I had to pull all money from my 401k and the market was good. Everything was paid off at that time. We adjusted life by no more eating out, watching what we spend on food, and learning "we dint need to buy everything we see". Actually life is more enjoyable, a whole lot less stress ! ! !
We were already at our bottom, so I just watch the market plummet.
I feel sorry for the lower-middle class working people.

Why doesent the Govt. make another new deal program?
Not TVA but Wind generation, Solar, CNG auto retrofits and distribution grid. This could be a win-win situation.

I have an annuity with AIG purchased 8 years ago from a settlement where I lost my leg in a work injury. This is a very sizeable amount of money that is structured where I cannot change my payout or even get my money out. I don't understand how AIG is comfortable going on vacation when my retirement is at stake and I cannot even touch it.

My elderly mother lived during the '29 crash. She says the only difference now is that they "haven't started to ration gas. I lived thru that and you'll make it thru this".

Back in '29 a lot of rich guys were jumping out of windows. I can see it now.... "Jump! I'll catch you! Ole!!!!"

Hello Robin,

I lost my job in January. I am on unemployment, looking for a job since then and there just aren't any jobs in my area. Now it nearing the end of my unemployment and there still is no jobs. Since there aren't any job in the area what am I going to do, I have a wife and two children to support, my wife works but it's more part time work. I haven't had health insurance since, it's too exspensive to buy insurance and the state program will cost me money because of the wage I got at my old job, my unemployment is high, so with that it will cost me more money to have insurance, taking away from the unemployment to support my family. I have not gone farther than the bus will go incase I run out of gas so I can get home. Money is tight and if I don't get a job soon there will be no money for anything. How do I support my family with no money. Thank you for your time.

I am one of many realtors who have gone back to work in another profession. I went back to full time retail management. We,as realtors, only make money when there is a closing. Angry frustrated homeowners who are sick about what their home is now worth,and buyers who are afraid to buy,or can no longer be approved,make for a stressful time.Having 3 in college,I had to have money in my pocket now!!
In the retail end,many buyers are using cash instead of credit cards and therefore buying less.All of the members of our family have 1-2 jobs.
We plan to use our large open fireplace alot this winter as well as dress in layers to keep warm and cut back on using oil heat.
My one son traded in his SUV for a compact car which will help too.

In preparation for the economic downturn and the falling dollar, we began curtailing expenses about two years ago. Oddly enough, this downturn has apparantly helped our business, as we are having one of our most successful years ever. Investors are not longer viewing us high risk (truffle cultivation – growing Perigord truffles), but as equal risk. Perhaps agriculture is a good investment during these times. People eat, including luxury items.

Betty Garland
garlandtruffles.com
(919) 732-3041

My wife's Thift Saving Plan has lost over 30% of it's value in recent weeks, and she has changed future contributions to the Gov't treasuries fund instead of the stock funds to protect her money. We refuse to transfer committed funds from the stock funds which would only lock in our losses there, but will not be contributing more in stocks until things calm down. We have also delayed building a new pergola and will spend the money instead on buying some gold in case things completely disintegrate.

Good morning Robin. You need to show the two clips of Mccains town hall meeting more often because they identify a fundamental problem. We the people are afraid, NOT because Sen. Mccain is behind in polls but because he is not doing that what it takes to win this election. The burning question is: How can a govt. that is responsible for this problem fix this problem. The current govt. is so corrupt that it is beyond redemption and we need a sweeping ethics/criminal investigation and force legislators to retire or relocate to jail. The bailouts do nothing but reinforce incompetence and need to be stopped immediately. If AIG fails so what. Something else will rise to take its place. The people are scared of an Obama victory because we dont need to walk down the path of socialism. Nor do we care to be delivered to the muslim world. In closing please get those camera angles of your thighs. They are not that flattering to you and have no place in a morning news show. Thank-you MAD MIKE

I'm watching people freak out in a media frenzy as pundits and news presenters line their pockets and pump their ratings by sewing fear into the hearts of people when they should be preaching calm and talking constantly about the investment opportunities that are emerging.

Yes, it is all scary, to be sure. But the television media is the worst enemy we have: they want you to tune in for terror because they know that when all is butterflies and smiles you aren't watching. They simply can't help themselves: the drive for ratings overpowers any sense of social responsibility that might exist.

Beyond that:

If you've lost your rear in the stock market and can't retire now, well, exactly who is responsible for that? If you didn't understand what you were doing and relied on people who claimed to be experts...time to break out the malpractice lawyers. If you think you did understand and did it to yourself, well, I wish you luck in recovering.

If you can't afford the house you bought, again, who is responsible for that? If you can't do the simple math to calculate what you can afford, then what were you doing signing on the bottom line of an agreement you clearly could not have understood? If you were speculating and relying on the greater fool theory to move that house on to the next fool, sorry, you're the end of the line.

(Yes, I know, there were people who were taken advantage of and yes, I think we should try to figure out a way to identify and help them)

I'm watching for value investment opportunities while sitting in the small house that my wife and I could actually afford (after, get this, saving money for a downpayment...crazy!) while people actualize their paper losses in the veering drunken sailor that is the stock market.

Take responsibility for your own situation and actions, people. Oh, and turn off the TV and read a paper for Heaven's sake. It's only a little better, but it is better.

Robin,

Like many in the mortgage industry, I lost my job in May as a regional sales manager. To avoid filing for unemployment, I took a job as an Over The Road truck driver, only to realize after 4 months on the job that I could not conduct a proper job search (or be available for interviews) when gone for 2 -3 weeks at a time. Now the unemployment office has denied my claim for unemployment because I "quit" my most recent job. My wife and I now face losing our dream home we bought 5 years ago. I'm calling a bankruptcy attorney today.

We are lucky in the sense that we have a soon to be empty rental property we plan to move back into. We have no children, so this financial problem only affects us. Still, I can't help but feel a reel lack of self worth as I cannot find any employment in Ohio. I am either over qualified – as a RSM, or have little or no experience in other industries for management. My 401K will help us for a while, but I am very worried about what the future holds for us.

It's hard to go from a six figure income to a job making $10 per hour, but that is my realistic prospect for a job.

I think this is still just the tip of the iceberg in terms of housing and jobs.

I took 95% of my savings out of the stock market over two years ago. I didn't see how our economy could be sustained when our national debt was increasing so much, so fast. The last stock market crash occurred in 1987 during the Reagan administration when trickle down economics was in full gear. I figured that under W. Bush trickle down was about to take us under again and it did. Why can't we learn from history? Tickle down economics does not work!

Bill

I'm more fortunate than a lot of folks, both my wife an I are employed at good jobs and have kept my debt under control (no credit card debt allowed!). Still this is a scary time and we do not rest very easy. In order to maximize our savings we shop only at Walmart for everything. We generally buy the generic brands and no longer eat out. What is bad is we can still afford to live as we always have but now fear is making us tighten our belts which we know if everyone does then that in itself hurts the economy and costs jobs. I

I live in Indiana and our unemployment is high here. I have to stay home more, eat out less and am going to thrift shops now for clothes and things I need. There is no accountability in Washington or the financial institutions so again, it is the average everyday ordinary people who are again going to pay tor the mistakes of the money grabbing portion that keeps the rest of us poor. I am a senior citizen and I now worry about social security. It was hard enough before to try and make ends meet, now its nearly impossible. I hear the people in Washington always telling us that the economy is strong, so I wonder what planet they are living on. We need to all realize that things are going to have to change or our country is headed for a big downfall. I don't watch the news anymore except for you because you always make me smile about something everyday. I am tired of the candidates bickering all the time. They need to tell us how we are going to have a better economy and make life a little easier for us for a change instead of the mud slinging that is going on now. I have no health insurance so I cannot afford to get sick. I am on social security but still work 30 hours a week or I would be homeless I'm sure. This is not the America that I grew up in and love so much. We need help and we need it now .

I have enacted what my mom has taught us: Stock up on household essentials(Paper products, laundry detergent, laundry aids, etc from places like B.J.'s and Sam's Club) so when it comes to the point when I lose my umemployment insurance from Georgia, all that I will need to is get minor things with the money that I have saved. Something has got to be done to help the folks that has lost their jobs.

I have four daughters in four different colleges here in Alabama....all of them have student loans with Sallie Mae. My husband and I are simple people that live paycheck to paycheck, with a house payment, equity payment, and a few credit card payments. You betcha we are concerned!!! Will our daughters be able to continue their education with all the lenders going bust? How will all of this effect their education? Their future? Scared isn't the word...We are petrified!! All of them may have to return home try to find a job and help pay the bills just to survive.

My husband and I are working 7 days a week just to afford to live. We save every penny possible, but the outrageous prices for food, gas, and utilities drain us (and we even haven't turned the heat on yet!!)
We don't have a portfolio, or a credit card , we can't even afford to keep money in the bank and have two kids to raise! WHAT HAPPEN TO THE AMERICAN DREAM? Our country has become an embarassment, because some americans have become so greedy.
It's not about the war now, it's "How are we going to survive tomorrow?"

My company is down sizing and I am going to have to drive farther and with gas prices the way the are it is not good. I eat one very small meal a day, not good but I guess a peanut butter sandwich is better than nothing. I am very worried about my children and their jobs and futures.

Hi Robin,
My son just told me that in Macon, Missouri, the KFC and Hardee's restruants are closing. Both of these places have been there since the mid 1980's. I was part of the Toastmaster plant closing in 2000. Now, to hear this, I hope the ConAgra plant can stay open. All lot of my friends went to work for them after Toastmaster closed.
Vicki
Columbia, MO

I am from Michigan, and though I would for a great company, I can't make all the bills alone, so my husband now lives in Virginia because he could not find work in MI. We have a senior in high school and are cutting every cost imaginable to pay for all the costs of a graduating senior and to try to ensure her year is not ruined by this crisis.

The current market crash is fear driven by the greediest of the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. We are a low-end middle class family raising two children, with my husband working two jobs. I have always purchased store brand products and necessities and extremely frugal with utilities and we will be able to overcome and survive this crisis. I truly believe the worst has yet to come as I believe before all is said and done the suicide rate will sky rocket because the wealthy do not know survival skills and are unwilling to scale back.

I got lucky almost by accident. I got laid off in February. I wasn't happy with my 401K, so I contacted the bank in June. I moved 100% of my 401K into a brokerage IRA account at no cost. Since then, I've resisted going back into the market - I've stuck with short-term CDs. I may be only making 1-2%, but I estimate that I'd have a 30-35% loss if I stuck with the 401K.

Who will this bail out really help? If they want to help the economy and average america, why dont they give all americans one million dollars each. That would be alot cheaper than trillions of dollars and people could afford to buy their own homes and spend money to stimulate this economy.

Hi Robin, "Changes" After 20+ years of working more than one job I face as many do, I'm now jobless. I previously turned to alternative heating sources such as a wood stove to heat my home to save on utillity bills. Now out of work and I don't dare to buy the wood to burn, nor do I have the funds to pay mortgage in the months to come. I am trying to sell all liquid items to make a buck, but no one is buying. Who is going to bail me out. Soon the extras will be turned off as well, phone cable, internet, well you get the idea. I guess this is how I won't be helping the economy. Trickle down to everyone, rely on the Gov.? They don't know I'm alive.

Hi Robin,
As a family on a fixed income we have made a lot of changes since the gas price increased. One of the hardest changes is that my 88 year old mother is in a nursing home 25 miles from our home. I used to be able to visit 3, 4 or more times a week. Now I can only go 1 or 2 times.

Sincerely,
L. T. Giddens
Lake City, FL

I understand that times are not so good right now. But you know, we..the people..make things the way they are. I am a stay @ home mom of 4 girls..all of which are ages 6 and under, the youngest being 9 months. We have decided to only buy nescasary items when we go shopping and limit our spontaneous spending. Every one needs to remember that before every rise, there must first be a fall. The out come of things depends on us as a nation not as individuals. We all need to stay as positive as possible and realize that the nation has been here before and it has survived. Every one keep your faith and our prayers will be answered when the time is right.

Hi Robin,

Living several miles out side our small town, each trip has to be planned so that everything that we need to get done is done in the one trip. We can not afford to make any extra trips, even if it's for a loaf of bread.

Robin,

My husband was job eliminated in February 2008 due to being the high man on the totum pole. He was devistated. He was working again by mid May, but I had to put bills on credit cards in those 3 months. We have a fixed rate mortgage and have never been late on our payment...but, the credit card companies have raised our rates to an unbelieveable amount. How is the bail out helping us???

Out of absolute fear, we have contacted a debt settlement company. We've requested a refinance on our mortgage. I sell anything that isn't attached on ebay just to make a little extra fun money for my 4 kids and my husband and me. We haven't lit the pilot light on our furnace yet and probably won't for at least another month or more. My husband rides his bicycle to work. I'm looking for even more ways to save.

We were never rich, but we lived a comfortable life. I lost my husband 2 years ago and since have been raising our 3 1/2 year old son by myself. We are living off of my husband's death benefits in which 2 years ago was enough to make it and have a little extra. Now there are times when we (my son and I) stay home for days at a time because I don't have gas or money. Groceries are a luxury now. I don't know where we are going to go from here. A 700 billion dollar bail out? Wow! Seven hundred dollars would make a big difference in my life. Sincerely

Robin, sure this will not pass "moderation", Comments from Bruce and Christy you sited in todays broadcast were not posted on this blog.

Just a thought…

Historically, many government sponsored programs have stimulated our growth and economy. However, those that have had the greatest impact have been those that have focused on the common man. Case in point, when the US government wanted to settle the lands west of the Mississippi they gave away free land to entice Americans to settle the land, and they did. During the Great Depression, Roosevelt’s New Deal restored American’s faith in democracy by providing relief to the hungry and jobless, thereby helping to restore the economy.

This being the case, why isn’t our government considering ways to reach out to the common man now? Is there no one in Washington familiar with this history? We have reached a pinnacle of crisis in America, and world markets are looking to Americans to stimulate world economies. Yet, the average American can not feed his family, keep a roof over their head, and pay the bills without having multiple sources of income coming in each month. Most distressing is the willingness of government officials to spend American money in other countries, while the people in this country are suffering. If the United States truly wants to restore it’s credibility in the world and reclaim its status as a world leader, financially or otherwise, they should lead by example. The single greatest example it could set, would be to temporarily withdraw further financial support to any country and use that money to take care of the American people and demonstrate to the world that we believe in the power of the people. Once Americans are well cared for, they will be in a position to help the government help other countries and their economies. Like philanthropists, Americans are generous people. Just look at the outpouring of generosity demonstrated during natural disasters in recent years. Even when they don’t have a lot to give, they give. Americans would be all too eager to help stimulate the economy, if they had the extra money to do so.

It is galling to think that our elected officials would ignore the needs of their constituents and try to solve our economic crisis by giving more money to those that created this mess at our expense. To “jump start” our economy, wouldn’t it be more prudent to give money to the common man so that he has some to spend? Americans are angered that the government is using their money to help bail out the very banks that were supposed to protect their money. If the $700,000,000,000 were given to law abiding tax payers, an overwhelming majority of them would pay off their debts (homes, cars, credit cards, etc.); they would invest in businesses and start new ones; those near retirement would be able to retire, leaving room in the job market for younger less expensive employees; they would put money in savings and investments for college and retirement; and more importantly, they would pay taxes on that money to the government. Essentially, the average American would spend like banshees, stimulating the economy in the meantime! As it is now, Americans do not have the extra money to help stimulate the market and frankly, recent stimulus packages have not been of any significance. A substantial stimulus package that would enabled Americans to pay off their debt is needed to encourage spending, especially when the cost of everything has skyrocketed and wages have remained relatively stagnate.

Isn’t it time we really did believe in the power of the people?

I am a single mother of four and a self-employed bookkeeper and tax preparer. We have been back to basics for 2 years already. The kids get the things they need (but the cheaper, wal-mart versions) and the things they want have to wait for birthdays and Christmas. We eat a lot of pasta and don't eat out but once or twice a month. I haven't bought a new pair of shoes for myself in over a year. When gas prices were over $4/gallon, we all walked to school and work. Hopefully the idiots who passed the "bailout" package which have brought this "slow motion crash" on wall street this week also voted for the immigration bill. Because if the economy tanks anymore, we're going to need to emigrate to Mexico for jobs, as their economy will end up stronger than ours.

Robin

I am a stay at home dad. I also work from home. The economy is causing my business to drop off dramatically. We no longer go out to eat and use coupons more and more. I am already in the process of looking for a part time job. My main worry is business getting so slow I have to go back to work at a "regular" job and put my daughter in daycare.

Hi Robin.My factory job has cut my hours to 36 hours a week so Im losing 300 dollars a month income.I cant get unemployment or food stamps probobly because I dont make minimum wage.A factory near us has closed down.Im a single mother and a college student and now I have to worry about if we have food to eat.I can try to find a second job but I doubt theres many around in these tough times.I might get a tin cup and say I have a job but my hours are cut, help me.

I think I've given new meaning to the term "stay at home Mom". I don't go out at all except to do absolutely necessary grocery shopping. This way I don't spend money on things we don't need plus I don't use as much gas. And, we've also started shopping online for some of my kids clothes/shoes. It saves me gas and again I don't overspend. You know when you go the Mall, there's always ways to spend money that you shouldn't- drinks, food, that pair of shoes on sale that you just didn't need.

Luckily my husband and I both still have our jobs and some $ left in our 401(k) plans. We are focusing on paying off credit card debt. We wont spend on extras and the holidays will be very lean this year. Its our older relatives that we are concerned about ... we have time to recover from this but fear they do not.
At work, we stopped excessive spending and put a halt to using temp and staffing agencies and are looking for other ways to save money, without having to layoff employees.

I'm a homebuilder on SC coast. Or I should say I was. We have closed our office, sold off vehicles and equipment. My credit is ruined, my house is in foreclosure and my bank is suing me for defaulting on construction and property loan payments. Even if the economy recovers, I don't think we could ever get back our business.

Morning Robin,
I wholeheartedly agree with the gentleman who you featured talking about those of us who scrimped and saved and bought only as much home as we could afford. Now WE are paying for the incompetents and crooks. We are changing very little. If everyone sits around wringing their hands the economy WILL get worse. Make some purchases BUT only if you have the cash. We have become way too dependent on credit for everyday items. That should be reserved for motor vehicles and homes (necessities) NOT WII's. I especially liked the tongue in cheek internet e-mail going around stating the "bail out" would have served us all better if it had been another (substantial) "rebate" to all tax paying Americans. Have a pleasant weekend all.........

I am an Independent Realtor in Houston TX. With the downward trend of the market my husband and I have opted to pay off $11,000 of credit debt which includes two vehicles. Once this is done the only credit debt left will be our home and our plans are refinance that for a low fixed rate.
We are going back to the old fashion system of paying cash for everything. If we do not have the cash then we just will hold off buying until we have saved enough money for the purchase.

The financial situation of this country is hurting my family hard. My husband works in construction and I design new homes. He has been in and out of work since January. I got laid off yesterday, after being cut back to a 30hr week. We are struggling to put food on the table for us and our daughter. All aspects of home building have come to a screeching halt due to loan companies.

We are very concerned with the future of the United States.

Even though there is a financial crisis now, I plan to go back to school and get a degree in engineering since I think this is the most opportune time especially for teaching/engineering/research to help the economy later with developing new ideas in energy and also teaching our youth to love math... It doesn't matter whoever is in the White House because this will be needed... Even though I will vote for "That One"... Also, have cut out eating out at fast food restaurants and restaurants - cooking more at home and going back to those principles of when I was in college years ago to that same mentality when you were happy with hardly nothing... (smile)

We have been using our public library more and more. We can use their computers for free, and rent DVDs for .50. We're also staying home, planning any trips we make in the car to be as efficient as possible. I am thinking of planting a vegetable garden instead of flowers next year to help offset the cost of food. I used to think my mom was nuts to plant a garden every year, now I understand. We are planning to set our thermostat down this winter and use our wood stove to help keep the house warm. We will cut our own wood from some trees in our yard that went down in storms over the summer.

The reqular people in this country have been in a financial crisis for several years as the price of gas, food, health care has gotten so out of control. Its hard to feel the pain of people loseing on Wall Street when no one noticed while its been hurting us for so long.

Like many families, ours has cut back on nearly everything due to the financial turmoil. Any extra money we have is now saved in case things get worse before they get better. The only good thing is that my three young boys are learning some important and difficult lessons in finance and saving.

Hi Robin,

What little stocks I had, I have had to sell to make up 2 car payments and 2 electric monthly bills, due to gas being so costly. Savings all gone and with 3 teenage boys in the house, we make 1 meal on the weekend and all the rest of the week they buy lunch at school and have a bowl of soup all the rest of the week at night. We use to go through 2 gallons of milk a day but now since gas went up months ago I can only buy 1 gallon every 2 days. What use to be be 250 to 350 a week at the store is down to only a couple of gallons of milk, 30 little bags of top romen and a loaf of bread. Half of the wife's hours at work have been cut in the last few weeks due to the Markets and other people not buying at Wal-Mart. Lucky for me my 2 jobs are still not cut as of yet.
If we don't eat , we are just making it. We have not gone out or do anything with kids at all for last couple of years due to cost of living.
We are just out here living the american dream, with 2 credit cards at the max limits at a total of 50,000.00 and the house oweing 200,000.00 for what they say now is only worth 115,000.00.
Whats going to happen when I start having to pay for the bail outs or one of uour 3 jobs disapear. We will be totally done with our American Dream.

Alan
Las Vegas, NV

My husband is a self-employed brick mason and has been for 15 years. The past 2 years have been horrible with a major lack of work. There was no stimulus for us, we didn't have enough income in '07 to qualify. Our business was failing and nobody helped us. We have had to sell everything that we owned just to pay for our house, which we have done sometimes late, but we have done. We do without alot name brand food, going anywhere and buying anything we want, only needs are allowable purchases and those are the store brands. Is the government offering any program for people who have sacrificed everything to keep their mortgage up?

I believe that this whole global financial mess has been orchestrated to open the door for an internationally controlled global financial system. This will also open the door to the creation of a "cashless" world market.

Im affraid to look at my 401k,But for years i have been calling all of my rep. in goverment to tell them we need to stop giving ower job to China and others. we need to stop giving taxes credits to companys that are taking our job for bigger profits to China and other countrys. As consumers we need to try ouer best to buy american. You can if you look

For years I couldn’t find a job, or would skip through unsteady , low paying, part time positions, and as such, after day care, would leave me working for the babysitter!

I have then rolled up my sleeves, and become a man! Well, to some degree; I have joined my husband and become a semi truck driver! Very unorthodox move for a petite young woman, but I was happy to see many more on the road, so the industry is changing.

I only work in the summer, when my mom takes care of our kids, so we can make more money driving together. Big sacrifice, and much precious time away from our children! It’s not much money, but it’s better than nothing, because on his own, my husband cannot make that much and it varies every week, and sometimes there is no income at all!

We have cut down on everything, and thank God by cutting down my cable to bare minimum, I didn’t lose Headline News! Love Morning Express! I cook every day, I plan everything to the bone, and I make the most out of every trip to anywhere.

Our dreams are becoming more and more unrealistic, so we are just focusing on survival.
I know that better times are ahead of us, so we are trying not to stress out about our finances. There is nothing else we can do to stretch every dollar that we make, but hope for a change!

Hi Robin
I have been dealing with a financial crunch for two years. The 'drop' is nothing new for my family. We had to buy our house through my parents with a home equity loan, because we could not get a loan on our own. We simply make payments to them and not a bank.

We also do a lot of home canning, things like spaghetti sauce, stewed tomatoes, and potatoes. It saves us money in the long run.

There is no money for take-out food, movies, travel, or anything else.
For us, this 'crunch' has been happening for two years! We hear on the news that main street has been suffering for a long time before wall street, and, in our case, this is so true.

Robin,
Can you ask one of your financial gurus,

Why did Paulson, & Bush & Frank pushed so hard to get $700B bill passed? They made it sound like the world was ending & they were putting the funds to use ASAP…..

The uncertainty of when the funds are going to hit the market and who will become President are going to continue to weight heavy on the psychology of the public. We are going to break our savings and retirement accounts to the point of no return for the foreseeable future.. can we deal with the DOW going down 5% per day till election day? When are they going to pull the trigger?

Hi Robin, I am dog tired. It seems everyone is having to work harder to make ends meet. Of course we now have cell phone, internet, cable or satellite TV bills to pay extra for where in the old days didn't exist. Strange the world went on without them before. Now we think we can't live without them. Something to think about.

JAY HERROD
CLINTON, LA.

This is so crazy !! I can remember my Mother talking about the Depression yrs and what they had to do to survive. I am worried that it will get to deperate times again and then what ?.... Back to the bare bones basic things in life. I grew up then, it really wasn't so bad.

Maybe it is time to not only think of the hard times that are hitting us now in our homes and our personal pockets , but also, we should reflect how things were in years past and pull together as Americans and help each other. The true 'American Spirit'. I really think it still exsists and hopefully our communities and this Great Nation will step up and pull us ALL out of this terrbile time. What ever happen to helping your family , neighbor, and your friends...... WITH OUT keeping count or expecting something in return.

I was a banker, mortgage banker and Realtor. This mortgage crisis has been coming for a long time. When the government (I believe it was the democrats) decided that "every American" should own a home and for FNMA and FHA to make and guarantee 100%-107% loans to families who had minimal job security and minimal savings the stage was set.. To make matters worse, the government encouraged adjustible rate loans to these marginal buyers when rates were at all time lows. There was only one way for the rates to go and that was UP! It's unfortunate these families were put in this position however, they should have never been approved to purchase a home in the first place. The foreclosures need to proceed, let the investors buy the houses and let the families rent until they truly qualify for a mortgage loan.

The government has no business purchasing "bad" loans. Instead the government should recapitalize the banks and take an equity position. The government, then as an owner or stockholder, can then sell their position to other banks or investors. The government should not take over management of the bank or ownership of individual mortgages.

Under no circumstance should home loans be forgiven or reduced. It would not be fair to those of us who are paying our mortgages. The only exception would be where the family pays the current market value and qualifies for a refinance.

As far as the stock market, you haven't lost until you sell. Even after the great depression, the market came back.

Robin, I'm going to go out and buy another house (over by head) and get a mortgage so the taxpayer can paid it off. That way I'll get my share of our $800 billion. Later I'll sell it for a huge profit and get ahead. That's what everyone was told to do that got us here. As an individual (along with many many other wise and smart hard working taxpayers) who currently has a paid-off mortgage, what will I get for our $800 billion.

I am a single mom in the lower class. I am concerned for what lies ahead. I am worried that there may be job cuts at work and if things get much worse, where will that leave the lower and lower-middle classes? I have no corners to cut back on other than cellphones, tv and internet and since I am in a contract with those and would have to pay a huge fee to cancel that is not an option. I work for Qwest Communications,so I get those services at discounted prices anyway. So, what goes next for us?

My husband and I have a total of 9 children...we are raising 5 together and 4 of them are my step-children. Every year we have a holiday marathon weekend the 2nd week of October when we celebrate all birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in 3 days. This year we had no other choice but to cancel our holiday traditions because of the economy and how it is effecting us in Montana. This is a very sad thing.

What puzzles me is how stupid people can be here in our country. Every time republicans get elected in office, our economy goes down and with all the facts and figures that we have and can retrieve to realize this fact, we still live in denial and cry and moan when we keep electing them and they continue to make stupid decisions. When are we going to stop being stupid and stop electing republicans into office.
Please voters stop driving our economy down the drain. Just take a look at our Republican president and the governor of California and see how they are making stupid decisions and don't know what they are doing.
We don't have anyone to blame, except the people who elected them and put them in office.

The news stations have really got to stop enthusiastically reporting the bad news about the economy. Millions of people are watching, and they are scaring everyone, ultimately contributing to the panic in a major way. They should stop being so negative about it, and only report encouraging, positive and hopeful news about it. They should only talk about solutions, and stop magnifying the problems.

I think the biggest challenge for my husband and I is just surviving and doing the best we can. I lost my job over a year ago and have not been able to get another one. I have probably done over 150 applications for customer service, secretary, etc and nothing yet. My husband does hard physical labor and his health has been affected from working so many hours to keep us afloat. We put gas in the car, shop wisely for food and have adopted a mantra that " if nothing else, we have each other and our faith".

I can not believe that our own government officials forced a bail out bill even thou we the people said no! The last time I check I did live in a democratic country. We the people should have been the ones to vote on the bail out, not the politicians! The bail out will not work. You need to fix the problem from the ground up.

Those running our government think the average person has no clue what a shame.

what changes am i making, none. it makes me sick how the government BAILS out the big companies at the little guys expense, if it would be you or i who fell behind and couldn't make it financially do you think government be it locally or federal would bail us out. NO!! I'm going to live my life as normal, not in fear. if for some reason i fall behind and cannot make some payments and the bank calls me and threatens with late fee's ect. tell them let the government pay it. i wonder how the economy would be if all the little people decided enough is enough and stopped paying their bills.

Our changes started over 5 years ago. We paid off our cars, bought an old truck for the big stuff. (yard waste) NO credit cards, budget our expenses. My husband & I both have a $200 bi-weekly allowance.
(He travels: gas, food and personal items) I spend mine on groceries, gas and personal use. We invest heavily in our 401k, with only 30% in High Risk... we have 40% in my husbands employment (railroad) and the rest in safer stocks. With all this financial mess, we lost $900 in the markets. Not bad... Our home is over half paid for : ) and we use
the rest of our "$$$" to help out our grown children and families. We will survive this, or we'll pack our truck with all the survival gear we have stocked up on and head to the mountains...

We are so financially strapped right now that I am at the moment scouring through our bills to see what we can get rid of. I have been looking into getting rid of my car and converting to public transportation to save on that monthly payment, getting rid of the land line phone, we have opted not to get health insurance for my husband right now as we can't afford that monthly deduction from his pay check, I am having major surgery in a week and my husband can't afford to take off from work to be with me on that day or to take off and help me at home afterwards. We have opted to buy no grocieries until the fridge is completely empty, we are riding our bikes to save on gas, i have chosen not to return to school for the forseeable future as we can not afford the tuition. All of this just to try and maintain monthly mortgage payments. How is it that there has been no bail out for those of us who are so close to losing everything we have worked for? There is the bailout but how does that help those who can't pay their mortgages? Why hasn't there been a temporary relief effort made that would allow home owners some option of making even partial payments to their mortgage companies for a short period of time? Why are we having to choose between health care, food or trying to hold on to our homes? Why is my family forced to choose between wanting to be with me for what could very well be a life altering surgery and just trying to keep food on the table? When will the lower to middle classes have some relief just to survive? My husband works in car sales which have been non existent lately. Within two months we will have used up every penny we have just to try and maintain through this crunch. What will happen to us then?

I have been laid off my job for over 8 months now due to the economy. So far I have spent all my savings, I'm on un-employment and it is one month away from ending. had to file bankruptcy , I'm just a couple of weeks away from living on the streets. I can't even live in my car as it will be going back to GM at the end of the lease.
My question is...where is my bail-out??? We all know it is never going to come to the little people of this country.
Why are we not going after all the filthy rich people that got us into this mess??? Why are we not putting them on trial??? Why !!!!!!
This just proves to me that crime does pay and very well at that.
Perhaps I should get into crime to survive. No one in government gives a damn about all the people like me that are suffering out here due to the rich people who commit crimes and then walk away without ever haveing to care if they will get in any trouble.
Those hearings before congress of the leaders this mess are a joke at best...it is just away for the politicians to make themselves look good. No one will get anything from them, no one will pay the price except people like me.

The changes I'm making are that I'm putting more money into my 401. It's like everythings on sale and the only way I can get ahead is to buy more shares at these deep discounts. The worst thing people can do right now is get scared, pull out and lose everything they've worked for.

Since WE the tax payers have bailed out (loaned) big business's,
I propose the following conditions for re-payments:

1- 15 % interest rates
2 – Interest rates double to 30% upon late payments plus late fees
3 – All loans rates will double under the umbrella rate increase
4 – Solvency is not an option but restructure of loans in default is available.
5- Future credit will be not be available for 7 years on defaults

ROBIN – Please publish this!

In these tough economics times, I have initiated "Panic Mode."

I significantly stopped eating healthy and found comfort in cheap and unhealthy fast food. I gained over 20 pounds in the last month.t is so hard living paycheck to paycheck. Payday Friday is only reason I live now. Even saying that, I have to count pennies to make sure that all my bills are paid on time. Overtime at my job is no longer existent, so my take home pay just barely covers all my expenses. I have to drive over state lines to get cheaper gas. I see the despair and fear in everyone's eyes. The supermarkets, the restaurants, the entertainment venues, the gas pumps ... people are zombies. I see people tremble giving their debit/credit cards and cash to a cashier.
At the rate I'm going, I'm seriously considering moving to a different country just to get away from the life that I've had to submit to due to the failures of the American government and the people who lead the United States financial system. Thanks for giving only 10 cents of hard earned dollar to spend.

The changes that Bush Administration has passed hasn't benefited the general public. The outcries of innocent Americans begging for help, but they are turned away. People can't wait for change. We want change NOW.

Please whatever you do, fill our pocket with money again or it's going to be "survival at the fittest" match and I'll die with the rest of the people who don't have a chance to stand amongst the best (upper class).

Hi Robin, watch your show every morning!!! I am a retired Licensed Practical Nurse and I live on a fixed income a month. I have grown my very first vegetable garden this year and have put vegetables in the freezer for the winter and for the hard times to come. I only go out when necessary and try to cut down on grocery shopping to once or twice a month. I just stay at home and take care of my family and instead of visiting friends I either talk on the phone or use the good old mail system. My significant other has been saying that the receesion was coming for the last couple of years and we have been trying to prepare for this time for the last year or so. We were feeling the pinch long before the government announced there was a problem. I feel we have been in training for this downfall for the last year or so. We are good ol country folk who know how to take care of ourselves now that times are lean.

Hi Robin.
Just when you think it is bad it gets worse. This morning I received my foreclosure notice on my home. I have been unemployed since January, and a family member that I was caring for and helping with the mortgage passed away in January also. My unemployment and extension has run out and no jobs are hiring, just laying off. I am 60 years old and have worked all my life, raised my children and cared for my parents and uncle. I had looked forward to retirement and enjoying my "twilight" years active and fun filled. Now I am looking to possibly having to live with my children, who are also struggling monthly to make ends meet. I am blessed that I have that option, but also slightly depressed that this is my option.
I am not happy with either one of the canidates that are running for president. I haven't heard a solid plan for putting our country back on track. Promises are nice but actions are respected. Most people understand that whatever changes are made HAVE to go through the house and the senate, and the politics are so biased and full of pork barrel specials that it takes forever to enact a change. The current President keeps saying that there are options out there to refinance and remortgage, but if you have no job and no means of income, you are not part of that option. I have never been envious or coventant of other people, but all these "oil men" and "gas refineries" that are showing huge profits need to look in the mirror and possibly start programs that "pay forward" like Oprah Winfrey does. Help one family so that they may help one family, and suddenly maybe families will be back on their feet and be able to jump start the economy. That is a whole 'nother subject. God bless you all.
Kathy

Hi Robin,
I watch you all the time and just love you and all your people on the show. I live on $740.00 a month. Change? Change what? Some of us are going to literally died out here because of what this administrion has done to us through our economy. My husband died last year, we were just barely making it then $1,600.00, we were both disabled. My 6 disabled friends of mine take care of each other we car pool and share food. We felt so bad for Mrs. Lehman having to sell her 20 million dollar painting collection. NOT! ALL OF MY FRIENDS, HUSBAND, AND I WERE ALL HARD WORKING AMERICAN'S THEIR WHOLE LIVES AND DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE DISABLED. Thank-you Mr. Pres. for the $300.00 rebate, I got to put gas in my car and pay my landline phone bill. The illegals that live in my building drive new cars, I drive a 1994 van that is failing apart because my mechanic died (my Husband). My friend is losing her perscription drug care plan because she's over the limit by $16.14. She will not be with us for long without these meds. Why did it take our goverment 10 days to get to AMERICANS after Katrina and only 5 days to get to Pakistanies when Pakistan had it's earthquake around the same time? My daughter left college for 2 yrs. and joined Americore to help clean up after Katrina, she was the youngest team leader in Americore's history. She won the Congressional Gold Metal for Volunteerism, she and we (her family) could not attend the ceremony. We had no money. She went back to college and is one of these students begging to stay in class because of her student loans not coming in. My oldest daughter's son is autistic. and his funding has been cut.
EVERY SINGLE OFFICAL AND CEO WHO HAS SCREW THE HARD WORKING AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE FIRE, JAILED, AND ALL THEIR HOUSES, CARS, MONEY, PENSIONS SHOULD BE CONFISCATED AND DONATED TO EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN THAT NEEDS IT. Mad I'm beyond mad, we're dying here. I love my country, I just can't stand and am afraid of this goverment.
GOD, Yes I Wrote GOD, Please Help Us ALL!

Good morning, Friends–Hindsight is 20-20. I feel sorry for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. However, we Americans, for far too long, have lived as if there is no tomorrow. We try to keep up with the Joneses with our fancy homes, brand-name clothes, and flashy cars! IWe don't leave enough of a cushion in our budgets. It is no wonder that other countries resent us with our attitudes!

My children and I have received ribbing for decades because we have always hedged the economy by living as a unit and sharing the expenses of ONE household. This is how people used to make it–even three generations living in one household. Perhaps, we should consider this again.

I continue to pray for those who are having such a hard time.

A Georgia Peach.

While my wife and I have made changes, I guess we are fortunate in that the changes have been minor. We are solidly middle class, one child in college and one in high school, a mortgage payment and utility bills. We are doing fine, we have been responsible with our money, the hits we are taking are on our property value, savings and retirements. The question I have is in regard to a report yesterday about banks lowering the interest rates on at risk and/or defaulting mortgage loans. It was reported that the rates were being lowered from 7.49% to 4.49%. My wife and I have been responsible with our money yet now those who have been irresponsible with theirs are being rewarded. That is what is fundementally wrong with this whole "financial crisis'. Those who could not afford that home loan in the first place, who got loans via watered down loan requirements are now being rewarded for their failure. That is completely contrary to the way it should be. So while I continue to make my mortgage payment on property that is losing value and seeing my tax dollars spent on this "bailout", those who couldn't afford a house in the first place are being rewarded with lower interest rates to make it even "more affordable" and they can stay in their homes. How about thowing those of us who have been responsible a bone and lowering our interest rates too. That would stimulate the economy be freeing up more discretionary funds with those folks who could afford to spend and save it.

Robin, The majority of middle class America are having to make choices between paying their bills or providing food, and medication for their children, things like clothes are quickly becoming a luxury. I know we are even cutting back on our insurance coverage to try and make ends meet.

We are doing this because we have to, The fear of where the economy is going, and what it will be like in a year or two, just adds to the problem, and stresses that American middle class people are facing.

We love your show and watch it every morning, and will continue to do so untill April of next year when our contract is up with Dish Network, unfortunatley we will have to cancel at that time, simply because we can't afford it.

WE REFUSE TO BE DEPRESSED AND REFUSE TO PANIC! It will serve no purpose but to cause us to make rash, shoot from the hip, decisions. We had an opportunity to sell a vehicle and paid off our credit cards.
Now we are revamping our household budget and squeezing all money available to put more money into our investments. With still 12 to 15 years left to retirement we are confident thins will be fine.
PANIC IS OUR WORST ENEMY!

I'm Buying Today! The self feeding fears on Wall Street has created the opertunity of the decade.

Sierra Vista AZ

Watching weeks of the financial crisis and the election news one thing stands out, nobody knows what to do to fix anything. I'm tired of candidates talking about what the taxpayers will get when they are elected, we have a financial crisis going on. What are they going to do about today??
I have moved my 401k to something safer, I certainly am not able to trust the governments word on what I should do. They have shown they don't care about the little people! And don't have any real answers for us.

My wife and I retired early (55) and well. We decided that during this uncertain time we would seek out "Mom and Pop" places to eat and shop and those places we know that hire college or high school students. We have raised our gratuity rate to 20 to 25 %. i think it is import for those of us who are doing well to keep helping those caught in the middle of this struggle.

On Morning Express today – 10/10, there was a story recounted that a woman, Laurie, needs $30,000 to get out of debt. In thinking about why we are where we are today, if all of us actually lived within or even below our actual means, the thought of spending less than we made, then there would be no credit crisis.

When it came time for my yearly raise my boss couldn't deny that I deserved it. But he also couldn't afford it. So he cut my hours instead.

I would just like the candidates to take all the money they are spending to send some my way. Me and my wife are wondering how we are going to make it. I have had 2 heart surgeries and she has pulmonary heart trouble, but is still working. She can't get medical retirement because she did not apply for it before she was 60. Now her retirement is just 44% of what she makes now. We will barely have enough to make it if costs don't go up. We loose our health insurance when she retires as we won't be able to afford it. I place the blame squarely on our Congress for our troubles. They are all in the pockets of lobbyists and do not care what the people who elected them to do OUR business are doing. They are worrying about how to line their pockets. They could have taken the 700 billion and divided it up by the number of Americans and just sent us the money. I believe I could do more for myself. At least I trust myself.

I no longer know what to do. I have a family of 5, was laid off of a job I held for over 12 years back in June, because of the company's financial problems. We built a new home (the American Dream?) just 4 years ago, and like many Americans, were sucked into being "married" to an outrageous monthly mortgage. With the housing market being a mess, financial market being a mess and this on top of struggling just to feed 3 children, and trying to afford the overbearing load of school costs, I am at a loss of ideas. It has been almost 4 months since I have had work, I have no college degree, and I am 45 years old with no direction. I have no 401K, no savings, no Retirement plan, and I am facing the fact I cannot even help my own children into college themselves. Can it get any worse? Yes...I owe thousands of dollars in medical bills, due to chronic illnesses, and even the clinics do not care of our financial problems. I pay over $100 a month for unbelievable perscriptions costs. I am like other Americans wondering, "where is our bailout?". Both candidates need to stop bickering, because they at least get meals and a roof over their head! This Republican/Democrat thing is getting real old! Work together as Americans, and help us Americans get back on our feet!

Hi Robin:

I watch your show everyday and enjoy it's content very much. I am on a fixed income and my dream was to have horses. I do, but with corn going for alternate fuel feed prices are over the limit. Horses in Alabama sell for less than $100.00 each and I don't want mine to become food on forgien plates. Why can't some thing be done about this. I only eat 2 meals a day and sit in the dark with one light buring.
What is the government going to do for me. I can't buy all my medicine and can't go to my doctor's appointments.

No one is there to help!!!!

LG/AL

Hi Robin,

I lost my job in March due to severe cuts in my industry and, despite my best efforts, a masters degree, and 10 years in my industry, have been unable to land another. We were a dual income family whose budget was already tight. We do not have any credit cards, rent our home, and thus have little debt aside from student loans. However, both my husband and I had 401Ks and 2 additional retirement accounts and had managed to save quite a bit of money, as we were trying to save for a down payment on a new home.

I have been out of work now for 8 months. We have cut back on absolutely everything from groceries to conserving energy in the hopes of lowering our electric bill. Despite reducing our level of consumption and thus our monthly bills we have had to cash in our 401k's and other retirement accounts in order to pay the bills. Our savings are gone, and we have borrowed from everyone that we could borrow from. We have twin sons that attend a special school whom are in the process of receiving therapy for a vision problem. Their tuition, medical expences, and our rent are our main concerns and we are struggling to pay these bills. We are down to selling our furniture.

I know that it shouldn't, but it angers me to hear people complain about cutting back on their movies, and eating at home instead of eating out. We have squeezed all of the money we could out of our budget. We are in the process of selling everything that we own that has any value. We can't be the only ones that are struggling just to pay for the basic neccessities. People who can pay their bills but can not afford to go out should be thanking their lucky stars.

It also angers me when I hear people insinuate and even state that those of us in this position are here due to financial irresponsability. Though I am sure that this is sometimes the case this is not true accross the board. We do not have a mountain of credit card debt, we did not buy into a morgage that was beyond our means. We have saved and scrimped, and yet here we are. I can't even get a job flipping burgers (believe me, I have tried). Hell, I have been told several times now that I do not have the experience neccessary to get retail jobs, and, that I have too much education and experience to get clerical and administrative office work.

So here we are. All we can do it keep trying. I will wake up every morning like I have for the past 8 months and apply for as many jobs as I can find. My husband and I will continue to try and sell as much of our stuff as possible. We will keep paying the bills and we'll pull through this – there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel, right?

I was laid off and couldn't refi my house – filed bankrupty to try and save it while raising 2 children – just never could catchup on my payments – lost the house and have bankrupty on my credit – no one is takin me to the spa AIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are on a strict budget. Biggest change is not going out to eat or making any big purchases; only necessities. We're almost completely debt free, should be within a year. But vehicles are aging and kids are nearing college. My parents have lost $60K in their 401K and mom is stressed...! Wish I could be investing "low" right now!

So far this year, I am skipping doctor appointments, but dental appointments are another matter. At the very least I still get my annual flu shot.

I think most doctors would understand why some or most patients do not see them for reasons of financial difficulties.

There is a serious problem of this we are all aware. BUT, the drama, the "expert" views voiced by ALL newcasters is sickening. Even with the sad face, I think they love it...They all need to shut up and report as professional, unbias, and just the facts. I don't need their thoughts and drama.

I am a registered democrat, I am not going to vote for Obama, and I am not sure if I am going to vote for McCain. I want to vote for him because I believe his experience is what this country needs, but I don't trust him. I don't trust politicians. I don't trust the government. What does it matter who is the president? From my point of view in my every day life, the only responsibility the President of the United States has is to be a spokes person for what the government does. He doesn't make decisions, he doesn't pass bills, he is simply a spokes person. It seems to me the focus should be on the Congress men and women, they have all the power in the world. It seems to me Congress is approximately 70% democrat and look at the mess they put us in. They are the ones that did this, not the Republicans. Yet who is ahead in the Presidential race...the Democrat. I don't get it.
People need to take action and stop this abuse on tax payers.
What would happen if no one voted, Nothing would happen because the election is decided by the delegates and they are all bought and paid for at the "party" Conventions. Get real America, wake up and stand up for your rights. The United States is owned by foreign countries just like our homes belong to the banks or what is left of the banks. When will we stand united and say STOP, NO MORE. When a candidate stands up and says that, then they will get my vote, not until.
I love America, but I don't like what it has become and someone needs to take responsibility...
Sincerely,
A $31,000.00 annual income struggling, homeowner from Tucson, ARIZONA

We own a business, small family run. So far we have not felt too much of the crunch, but it doesn't look promising. We are cutting back on EVERYTHING. Again I would like to say - bail us out !!!!! Stimulate the economy with that 700 billion $$$$. We will buy cars, eat out, purchase appliances, pay our bills (Yea our mortgages). GIVE THE AMERICAN WORKING CLASS THE MONEY – THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING EVERY DAY - IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!!! We need the help!!! NOT – I REPEAT NOT – the people getting $400,000.00 trips, or the 60 million $ bonus's. Come on, what happened to FOR THE PEOPLE????

Robin,

Like many of my fellow Americans I drank the cool aid. It nearly killed my retirement plans and will take years for me to recover. I labored hard put my faith in my 401K and that the value of my home would slowly increase. I sat by and watched as stock brokers and Wall Street executives accumulated wealth beyond my comprehension. What is happening now on Wall Street is just a simple lost in confidence in its leadership. The average Joe American worker believes Wall Street leadership is corrupt, greedy and motivated only by self interest. I for one would like to see new and dynamic leadership, of high morale statue (i.e. Warren Buffet) who will work hard to re-earn the trust of its investors. Right now all I see is the Fed and Wall Street Exec’s telling me everything will be OK meanwhile relax don’t panic just take another sip of the cool aid.

I am a father of 4, I have a good job with a good company,UPS. It sems to me no one in Washington or Wall street is paying attention to any one except those people who have the money to invest in the stock market! Ok lets look at it this way, seems to me if American families cant pay their mortage, there has to be other bills they have fallen behind on, say for instance, credit cards, power bills, water bills, car payments, etc..! Now if this is the case, the effect of this would be a declining credit score. Now, after just a few months of making the minimum payment or no payment at all, there is no way these familys can get a "LOAN', from a bank because their credit score is so low now. Now lets fast foreward, "Bail Out", seems to me if the people who need the loans cant get them from the banks,how is the "ECONOMY" going to rebound. the banks would have money to give to the people who already have the money to keep their home afloat. Look at it like this, if the people who needs the money could get a loan to consolidate all of their debt into one lower payment, then maybe they could get back to going to the movies, family vacations, visiting family that live out of town etc. Seems to me, if the Economy is going to rebound there has to be people spending money,right.

I believe in the long run, or by second quarter of next year...the average joe will stop being soo wasteful and beginning to conserve energy, amount of gas wasted by idling in a gas line, and unneeded toys purchased with credit cards. Hate to say it , but this may be the shot in the arm to wake up Americans and force them to start "thinking", ie. not throwing your trash on the ground....simple stuff that ..if we ALL do will make a profound change in our futures.

My last comments may seem harsh...and I wish for the many families out there that they persevere through this crisis..common solutions seem to be..cut back on spending..check your credit report..talk to your HR person on what type 401K program you have...buy groceries on sale...we will get through this...my point being that we WILL become a "green" society because of this credit market freeze...I hope the rest of the world will follow suit to our example.

My husband was a completely ethical mortgage broker. He was doing well. His career was ripped away from him because the banks saw the money people like him were making and decided they wanted it. Have you noticed the little mortgage business man is gone? Now you have to go to big banks. And here is a news flash, mortgage brokers don't create the loans that are sold, banks and wall street do and tell mortgage brokers, "this is what you can sell." Do you hold the department store cashier responsible if the store has toys on it's shelves with lead in them? Banks and wall street ripped you off. The mortgage brokers have been a badly beaten scapegoat for the whole last year.

I like you Robin, you seem real compared to the some of the talking heads on the news.

The changes I am making are as follows:

Find a new identity and leave this country as soon as possible.

Because of the following real nightmare scenario:

After buying a condo, which I cashed out my 401K to buy- the condo association fees went from 235 /mo to 450 /mo which was a total blow to my budget. Then, the next month the company I was working for decided to replace me with a temp. During the 5 months it took me to find a job I was forced to file for bankruptcy. The job I did get paid 50% of what I had been making so I couldn't afford my mortgage. The banks would not work with me, my two used cars were repossessed and my condo was foreclosed. I spiraled into depression, I started drinking, and regrettably I got two dui's in those hellish two years. Thankfully nobody was injured. I am talking about (.08) alcohol levels.

Now, even though I have lost everything, the IRS is still after me to pay the penalty for cashing out my 401K. I can't get hired because of my poor credit report and my 2 misdemeanors and my license is revoked. I can't explain the despair I feel. Although I no longer drink, I can't redeem myself because companies are using background checks, etc. to make their hiring decisions. What can I do?

Due to these economic times my husband and I have started eating at home more. Even grocery prices are going insanely high.Right now we both have good jobs, but in January my husband will probably get laid off. In the meantime we are trying to pay off what we can in preperation for that time. If times get worse we will have to prioritize what bills we will pay and just pay the basic necessities. I hope whoever becomes president will make a difference.

Hi Robin,
I relocated to Phoenix 3 years ago for a job.
Now, the company has been sold. I haven't found another job. My house is worth half of what it used to be so there's no equity there. My savings is almost gone. My 401K has dropped and dropped and dropped.
I am a strong person but my emotional state is a mess and I am not sure how much longer it will be before I lose the house and the rest of my money.
Can't even find a job at the local grocery store since they're not hiring. Then I get to watch the big corporations getting bailed out when people like myself who have lost their job cannot get a break.
Where is the relief for those in my situation? They need to start helping us out and stop bailing out the corporations!

Wall St. Defined

Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.

He further announced that he would now buy at $20 for a monkey.
This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each, and the supply of monkeys became so small that it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. 'Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected.
I will sell them to you at $35, and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each.' The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys.
They never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

I come the conclusion, what's the purpose of the American people complaining about the economic bailout now for. The American people express that we were not in favor of it from the begining, yet those members of the house and the senate close their ears to our concern and voted it in anyway. Plus, we knew we would not see a turn around in this situation more than likely until the year 2009. The stock market continued to fall, now everyone is playing the I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO game. President Bush and Paulson ask for this $7b bailout and had no ideal what-so-ever on what they was going to do once they got. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!!! Mr. President just like it did when you started the war and ask for those millions or billions of dollars you got from that. Now everyone is expressing concern, someone need to take one of those 218 million dollars arrows that was a part of the $7b (for what reason I don't know) and shoot it up somebody behind (by the way this is not a threat, just a suggestion).

Seems to me that the ROOT cause is free trade agreements. Companies leave the US for cheaper (or free -slave) labor or force its employees to take concessions. I am of the latter, went from $44,000 per year to $28,000 per year two years ago. I can barely make my mortgage now, been in same home for 23 years. My wife and I have 14 year old vehicles – can't afford anything newer. I didn't screwup like the banks, but the US won't bail me out. I gave up monthly dates with my wife, movies, trips (even to the nearest city). Vacation time is used exclusively to repair things around the house like: furnace motor burned up, washer blew its transmission, oil changes, waterheater went out, bathtub cracked, soaked flooring caved in. Get the picture? I am in survival mode because my company can leave anytime for cheaper (or slave) labor and horde the wealth instead of spreading around to fellow Americans trying to survive.

I understand the hardships of a fixed income, my parents are retired. But, what about factory workers on a declining income? We make less per year while working harder. If not, we risk complete loss of income, joining the lines of unemployed. How are we to cope when our income drops and mortgages, LP gas, gasolene, telephone, electricity, insurances, medical copays, and groceries all increase?

Hi Robin,

One of the changes we're making is instead of heading out to the department stores to replace worn clothes, I have pulled out the old needle and thread to patch them up!

Stephanie

Enjoy the show. Great way to start the day. Boots were a winner this morning

I just recently filed for divorce, and am disabled with a special needs son and two teenage boys, and we have found that, at least for now, the extras we want are on the back burner until we really can afford them or decide we don't really need them. I'm also making Christmas gifts for everyonw on my list, and keeping my kids' lists to a moderate level that I can afford. I'm just glad gas prices are finally getting a bit lower, but we still only drive around our little town, and plan our trips very carefully so we don't waste gas. I just wish the people who are struggling just to make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck would get some notice and help from those who are messing up our economy so badly.

Elizabeth

I'm 57 years old, was laid off in early August and have only had one interview since then.
The money is running out and I owe $85,000 in student loans. I don't have enough years left to pay this off and am thinking of defaulting on this loan.
Any suggestions?
thanks,
Bill

Cutting Back. Christmas is coming, regardless of anyone's circumstances. In lieu of traditional gifts, my husband and I are offering friends and family myour time. I will be a respite for a caregiver who may not have a support system, help my retired neighbors tidy up their lawn or clean up their garage, make some cookies or a cake for someone "just because". Do some light housework so someone can have some "down time" or "me" time, baby sit for a single mom who is short on money , etc. This list is going to be a Year round gift. And everyone will be the better for it. Gifts from the heart are free and mean so very much.

Hello Robin This big bailout is a Big Joke!!!! What people fail to realize is that , if you couldn't get a house or car loan before this all happened you still wont be able to get one. This scare was only to pressure us Little People to fold in for the Big Wigs that gain from this bailout.

Good Morning Robin
The American Dream has become the 'American Nightmare'... I own my own home after years of sacrificing,scrimping and saving–built by my own hands with the help of family & friends to save money. I have what is considered to be a good paying job w/ benefits. Even with no house note...no credit card debt....I cannot save money these days. I live in Louisiana and have been hit by 2 major storms in a 3 years. The insurance did not cover all of the out-of-pocket expenses that wiped out my savings. I am a single woman who 'makes too much money' as far as any programs that were set up to get people to stay in Louisiana. That seems to be the problem. They see my gross income and decide I am not eligible for any government programs. When you are single & have to work...you have to pay to get things done when you could save money by doing it yourself. My Federal taxes are approximately $14,000 yearly – which I understand is more than some people make. It upsets me that I have been paying these kind of taxes for over 25 years and the moment I need help – I am denied. Yet those who haven't paid into our governments tax system-are eligible for every program there is. First of all they have time to sit and wait in long lines (because they have NO JOBS) – they have FEMA paying for their rent and if they play their cards right – the government will build them a brand new house. It isn't fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am ashamed of our government. Out of all the hard working American citizens it is a shame that we have to pay to bail out companies who 'live beyond their means'....It is a shame that I cannot even feel good about the future of America with the only choices we have for the presidency.

Hi Robin, Maybe I'm naive...we've seen people losing jobs, the economy pretty much flat for several years now...why is it that when everyone agrees that there's "probably" a recession (which means people aren't spending as much because they can't afford to) it comes as a "big surprise" that the latest report about the GDP is that it's down? Why should the DOW react as it does when "down" has been going on for a long time? Perhaps we should take our economy out of the hands of the computers and either reboot them or use some good old common sense? For sure, upgrade the software people!!!!!
Thanks, Deb

Hello Robin,
Here in northern Arizona we are feeling the crunch quite a bit. I have changed the way I grocery shop, when something is on sale I stock up. I have a deep freezer as well as have committed a closet in the house to a pantry, we also added a 5 shelve book case in the kitchen for dry and canned goods.
I am making more extra food when cooking, if I make lasagna I make 2 times what is needed and freeze the extra.
Our 401K has been hit but not too badly so we are keeping it as is right now in hopes of not losing it all.
We are only running the heat at night and it is set to 62 degrees. We added extra blankets to the bedrooms for the colder nights. It has gotten down into the teens here in the last few weeks. Being at 7000 feet we do get a good winter here.
We insulated the attached garage, so we did not lose any heat this winter. We both drive efficient older cars, a dodge shadow 1990 and a Dakota 1989. both have been tuned up and all fluids changed.
The last thing we are considering is moving to a more efficient place. I hate the thought of losing this rental house, but honestly a 2 bedroom apartment will save energy and money for us, versus this 3 bedroom house.
I pray that this slump will be short lived, but I also know we are a country of strong people who WILL persevere.

Hi Robin, I'm a 47 year old M/W/F. I hate to sound haughty, but I dont have too much sympathy for alot of people crying the blues right now. For 25 years now I have seen my friends buy, buy, buy – mostly on credit cards- 80.00 shoes, 100.00 purses, 80.00 jeans etc. Eat out 3 and 4 nights a week, hitting night clubs on the weekends, and buying their kids pretty much anything they whine loud enough for. Buying houses and cars, RVs, and boats all on credit. Now they see the bottom fall out and they have absolutely no lifejacket. This economy isn't hurting my husband and I in the least, we are professional wedding photographers, and sell restorable classic cars. We have never bought anything we couldn't pay cash for. We have no credit cards, no car payments, and no house payments. We dont live in luxury, true, but we are quite comfortable and happy...and debt free. I just feel bad for the people who have so little to begin with, and this economy has made their situation dire. My advice? Take the credit cards away from your wives, and yourselves if you cant control yourself, and quit buying what you cant afford to begin with. If you have to buy it on credit – other than a decent home, you cant afford it.

My husband and I are smalltime Kansas Farmers. We want to ask Jennifer Westhoven when we might see some relief in the grain markets. Should we continue to hold off on selling? Or are we just kidding ourselves that surely prices are going to rebound soon? Love your show!

Changes,well my wife and I haven`t made to many mistakes with money so we are eating out more,considering buying a second house to rent out,and just purchased a new Jeep Patriot. The idea participate in the economy instaed of hiding and being scared. Hope there are more like us,still trying not crying.

why don't you mention Ralph Nader ? I know that he would make better President than McCain or Obama. Please tell your viewers .

hi robin, love your show you are great

I am on medicare and have a SMALL retirement, but when you have companies like BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD that have different rules for different parts of the country, THEY ARE NOT UNIFIED in their coverage. It is a shame that they basically want the higher priced drugs and make people jump through hoops to get the generics. I happen to have great doctors that try very hard to give the generic drugs, but when they are not available BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD etc charge so much, it is ridiculous. I am also amazed that the government wants to get people to stop smoking, but when they write scripts for CHANTIX (example) it is over $100 and not covered.

keep up the good work, you make my day

The only change I am making if Obama gets to be president is
not purchasing the business that I have started to purchase. As a small business owner I don't need to be taxed anymore. As a matter of fact I just might lay off my employee and close my doors. Why should I work so hard to make a living? Just to be taxed to hand it over to those who don't work, don't want to work and live on welfare. I'm not talking about those who need some help because of loss of jobs or decrease in their business! I might as well go on welfare along with the rest of them, I should be able to make more money than if I'm working and I can sit home and watch the newsmedia say its all the republicans fault!!! We did just fine until the big spenders (Democrats) got into the majority in congress – Can['t any reporters see that or don't they want to!!!!!

Hey Robin!
My fiance and I haven't really seen any problem. He has a career as a firefighter and I work at a local store. We make great money and are building or 401k's. I just bought a new car with no credit and that is right after I moved and only worked for 2 weeks at my new job. I was approved for a loan still. I think the big reason so many people are unemployed is because they are too proud to get a job that pays no matter what it is. They are too proud to work at a store, factory, or any labor – intensive job. Eh, I think America needs to calm down and get over themselves and we will be fine.
Thanks,
Christina from Alaska

Now is the time buy! There's great deals out there, such as this once owned by the United States of America, Private Spoil Island. Its now for sale on ebay without any reserve.

I will and can not skimp on diapers. Just like most everything, if you cut the wrong item the "pooh" always seems to run out!

Jennifer
Louisiana

My first response was Cheese. My second response was coffee. My final answer...would have to be Fresh Fruit. Final answer...Fresh Fruit.

Hi Robin,

Okay so we don't go out anymore and I found myself slashing my grocery bill and am spending more money in ink to get online coupons as well as clipping ... but the one thing I refuse to give up is buying 1lb of Dunkin Donuts ground coffee for the house!

Hi Robin....here in Tahoe, us locals await the snow fall. Our local paper has written that our tourism ski industry will be severely affected by lack of visitors due to everyone pinching pennies...I believe people will still visit this place because skiing is a passion that folks will make sacrifices for...I believe we will see more visitors from Europe since they can convert the euro at a 50% increase to the US dollar...I think our industry will be sound through this crisis...so remember, when all else fails...hit the hill and make turns!!!

The government keeps on filling the pockets of those who lost most of our money. No one seems to care who ripped off the American people, just spend more of their money on a problem that has never been fixed. We can't say no to bankers or they will turn off all the money just like the power company could turn off the electricity. The tail is bigger than the dog and is shaking him to death. Who is really running this country? Kind of looks like we should send some more money to them so they can SPEND their way out of this mess!

Yeah I'm not going to give up Name brand Coffee creamer The store crap is nasty

You asked what would we not scrimp on during all these financial time of woe ....... I would not scrimp on my pet's dog food! They're my precious pups and deserve good nutrition! We'll eat the generic stuff but not my dogs! Besides ...... what goes in must come out ...... and the generic stuff doesn't stick to their bones!!!!! I love my dogs!!!!!!

TOOTHPASTE (NO GENERIC FROM CHINA)

Deoderant

Robin, I will absolutely NOT skimp on coffee! I need to have good coffee to get me up in the morning. There's no way I'm switching to generic.

Mariel
North Carolina

you know what they say about T.P. Just like John Wayne, rough and tough and takes no sh@#t. so please people for the person who washes your undies spend some money on T.P.

I'm a disabled Veteran so although my income is low I don't have the fear of losing my job. My health care is also covered and I have to say the VA health care system has provided pretty good care. My daughter who is divorced with two boys however is struggling. She has just finished college and has been working at a local college for three years. She was able to move into a 40 hour job there with health care and retirement benefits. Its considered limited term employment though because it is actually two part time jobs combined so she has no vacation or sick leave. Her credit card bills are high and her ex-husband has defaulted on a large loan that the divorce degree assigned him so now they are coming after her for the money. She has student loans now coming due and a car payment. She also has medical bills from the three years she had no insurance. She feels her only option at this point is to file for bankruptcy. For now we live in seperate apartment complexes but I have a suspicion in the next six months unless there are major economic changes we will be living together for economic reasons.

Morning Robin.....even in our somewhat affluent community our local market down the street is in trouble. The owner informed me yesterday that she may have to sell her liquor license, this is the only liquor store for 2 miles and she is trying to hold off this move cause we are between seasons now and business shall pick up again when it snows. I lost my appeal with extended unemployment benifits, it seems congress set up parameters of eligibility that are very difficult to achieve thus many folks out of work are not eligible for this extension...typical Bush admin. policies..I waited 2 months for this hearing only to find out that the judge could not find for me cause congress set these requirements and they are set in stone...this sucks...we need reform..we need gov't FOR the people not AGAINST the people. I return to work next week but I am truly frustrated by notices saying I was eligible for this program and then to be pooh-poohed by an act of Congress.

we are so spoiled ... yes we can make changes. we just want everything given to us or fixed by the government for us.. then we fuss about it when they do ,, do something ... we are the ones who ask the government to come into our lives and create choas .. because we ar e whinners.... thats why banks collaspe .. we have to have the biggest the best and keep up with the jones ... they see (banks) that we are suckers and they were greedy also so here we are ... yeah.... my changes will be to go back to basic family living... we have a farm and some cattle . riase a garden can some veg. for the winter.. and kill a beef. . no high gorcery coast there .. people have we forgton how to let the land work for us ... this is what is wrong in america... wake up.....

at least america is finally untined on this crises for the first time in history ? maybe we can get something done this time

Thank God that we may see the light. My husband and I are on a fixed income and the economy has hurt us terribly. The arrogance of a man who could take a surplus economy and turn it into THE WORST deficit – to the point of bankruptcy and then acted like it was a ho-hum, sort of thing just really was stupidity at it's worst. Who in the hell has proclaimed America God that we should guard the world by our selves. I can see helping but the direct arrogance of a man who would pre-emptive start a war for his own pleasure to me was one who had a little devil setting on his shoulder. The little angel had done been knocked off prior to his becoming president, along with any common sense he may have had.

TO THE BEG 3-
WHEN WE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE MONEY PROBLEMS ,THERES NOBODY TO BAIL US OUT.
"WE TIGHTEN OUR BELTS-DO WITHOUT-BAIL OURSELVES OUT".
YOU WANT TAX PAYERS MONEY-REDUCE THE PRICE 50% ON THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF THE OVER PRICE CARS AND TRUCKS YOU CAN'T SELL. THOSE SAME TAX PAYERS WILL BAIL YOU OUT AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO BORROW THE MONEY. FOR THE RIGHT PRICE , EVEN THE GAS HOGS WILL SELL.
ALSO,A PERSON WORKING ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE IS NOT WORTH A COST TO YOUR CO. OF $170,000.00 PER YEAR. A LOCAL MECHANIC DOES THAT FOR $25.00 PER HOUR. WAKE UP!!!!! GET THE PRICE DOWN ON YOUR PRODUCT. GET COMPETITIVE
"YOU CAN BAIL YOUR-SELF OUT"

Obama's inauguration ball needs to be downsized starting with the menu:
Beer
Deep dish Pizza
Hot Dogs
Burgers

The president said"no child left behind" how about a adjustment period for families w/ children until the end of school year. Delay evictions for six months(head of household w/ dependent children) say parent pays 3 months the goverment pays 2 and the banks and landlords who join the program "we help the kids ads" eat 1 payment. This would help children , reduce the number of forcloseres and reduce the burden on other social services!

I am a stay-at-home Grandma, caring for my grandchildren while my son & his wife work full time. My husband is a disabled Veteran and a civil service employee whose command is on the BRAC list. In two years, maybe less, he will be without a job. Our only income will be his VA disability check and his paltry Navy retirement. That will pay the mortgage,nothing more.

When Bush decided to "help Americans get out of debt" by doubling the minimum payment on credit cards, we began to feel an immediate pinch on our budget. We took out a loan to pay off some of our credit card debt. Some of the cards are paid off but because interest rates have continued to skyrocket on the other cards, we are just as much in debt now as we were prior to taking out the loan. There is no way we can pay off one card so that we can increase our payments on another.

Meanwhile, the banks that hold these credit accounts are getting billions in bailouts. Citibank in particular got a huge influx of money, then immediately changed their credit interest rate plans. Why am I charged 29% interest for a $1000 balance when that bank just got such a generous bailout? It's only $1000, but I can't pay it off.

Of my three grown children, only one has health insurance. Over the past three years, we have paid for surgeries for two of our three children. Because our budget is so very tight, sometimes we had to put the health care on credit cards.

Only one of my children has a full time job. My oldest son has two Masters degrees yet may have to go back to part time custodial work. My other two children do not qualify for student loans because our income is too high for them to qualify. Yet that income is not enough for us to pay for college for one, let alone two children.

We will not be able to replace our air conditioner that is being patched together, our rusty washer, our TV that is losing color, or our 16-year-old vehicles. I am no longer going for my annual PAP smears, dexascans, or mammograms. I cannot afford to schedule an eye exam, much less new bifocals. We have stopped taking some of our prescribed medications. My husband and I wear clothes that I bought 8 years ago while I was still working. We cut our phone to basic service. We have basic cable. We don't eat out or go to movies. We don't even rent movies. What we get on our basic cable is our entertainment. I have given up my two hobbies, breeding canaries and dance classes, and sold all my equipment for both hobbies. We have taken exactly one vacation in the past 16 years. We sometimes don't even buy groceries for ourselves.

When I hear news stories about bank bail-outs, I wonder who will bail us out? When I hear suggestions about cutting back on luxuries, I wonder if a PAP smear is a luxury. When I hear "it will get worse before it gets better" I wonder how much worse it can get for my family. When I learn that another bank has gotten a bail-out, I wonder why there are no conditions like having the bank pass on the generosity to its customers. When I hear talk about plans to create jobs, I wonder what kind of work there will be for an amputee or an epileptic grandma.

My husband and I both voted Obama-Biden, feeling an incredible sense of optimism as we cast our votes. We are now literally holding our breath, waiting to see if there will be changes that will help us get back to our normal life or if we will end up as merely another statistic in a foreclosure report.

Christmas will be family and friends, with food and drink the only monies outlaid.

Ben Bernanke is an idiot. The second wave of foreclosures is coming in 2010 when ARMS begin to reset and the government will be out of money and out of percentage points and banks will still fail. He gave $700 Billion to float the banks and they're still sinking.

There are about 150 Million households in America and had the $700 Billion gone to those households then each would have received a check for about $45,000.00 and that money would have been used to pay down credit cards (helps the banks), or catch up on house payments (helps the banks), used for other payments (helps financial institutions), some people would buy new cars (helping the auto industry), or buy other silly things (helps industry, merchants, and department stores), or simply put the money into a savings account (helps the banks yet again). We would have seen a lot of activity with that money and the economy would have been greatly stimulated.

Instead, he gave $700 Billion to the banks and the banks are just sitting on that money to help their balance sheets while people are still losing their jobs, homes are still going into foreclosure, companies are closing or cutting way back on everything, everyone is broke, and this is going to be a disastrous Christmas for stores and merchants.

you know as far as the economy goes my wife and i have been holding on to our cash more now a days, It's a sad day when you go out you have to watch how you spend,we are or we were the type of people who love to traval. we are retired and on a fix income, sure we have a slush fund but that is getting thin to, so whats a person to do we go day by day. you people keep up the good work tjhat you are doing we watch you ever morning lots of love to you STU AND LAURA

I'm upset with government spending. One BIG expense i don't see the need or benefit from is space travel. While it was pretty cool, what is the benefit to us? Am i missing something ? Do we really need to have a permanent shack on the moon?
I like my motorized toys,and i have more than most people, monster trucks,buggys,atv's, watercraft, motorcycles, amphibious vehicles, you name it, Only things i don't have yet are a submarine and aircraft, but i haven't burned 5 gallons of gas this summer, maybe the rest of the world can follow , starting with military and our president flying all over the world. Maybe I should become the next president?The President needs to prove he's one of us.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CRACK DOWN ON V.A. PENSIONS. FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HAS WITHHELD THE PENSIONS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VETERANS,THE PENSION MAINTENANCE CENTER LOCATED IN MILWAULKIE WI. HAS NOT BEEN FORTH COMING WITH THE BENIFETS OF THIES VETERANS. MANY ARE DISABLED AND CAN NOT WORK .I FOR ONE.I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AGES TWO AND SIX AND I HAVENT RECIEVED ANY FUNDS .CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER FOR US VETERANS,THANK YOU FREDERICK G PULICE

Michael Phelps had an invalid drivers license. That makes him at fault since he should not have been driving anything!!!! Shouldn't have been on the street!!!

glad to hear that someone finally said the economy is not out of the recession yet.I'm so tired of all the talking heads saying that its over and everything is going to be alright when i see every day how peoplr are still struggling.

good morning Robin, I haven't heard anything about the prices of cru id oil for awhile. The price of gas has been going up twice a week here in St.Louis. Have a good day

Pinching pennies? you ask.
What pennies? I lost my job when GM got their bailout money.

Why is it the President and congress are exempt from this health carebill?