A Depression in These Times?

I love this cartoon--now you get the bank with the toaster instead of the other way around!! All you have to do is turn on the news to see that our world is changing with bailouts, layoffs, high prices, and lack of medical insurance for many families in America. If you have wondered what a depression might look like today, here is part of a great article from the Boston Globe. You can click here to read the full article.

(1.) “Unlike the 1930s, when food and clothing were far more expensive, today we spend much of our money on healthcare, child care, and education, and we'd see uncomfortable changes in those parts of our lives.”

(2.) “The lines wouldn't be outside soup kitchens but at emergency rooms, and rather than itinerant farmers we could see waves of laid-off office workers leaving homes to foreclosure and heading for areas of the country where there's more work - or just a relative with a free room over the garage.”

(3.) “Already hollowed-out manufacturing cities could be all but deserted, and suburban neighborhoods left checkerboarded, with abandoned houses next to overcrowded ones.”

(4.) “And above all, a depression circa 2009 might be a less visible and more isolating experience... Instead of dusty farm families, the icon of a modern-day depression might be something as subtle as the flickering glow of millions of televisions glimpsed through living room windows… the cheapest form of distraction available.”

Pretty sobering stuff--the good news is that if you are reading this blog you are already searching out ways to live frugally. If times get tough, you have already acquired the skill set (hopefully) to keep your family comfortable. OK enough of this depressing stuff--let's cook turkey!