Personally I am frightened although I'm pretty sure we're not going to starve or be homeless.

Frightened, definately not. Secure in knowing that we'll be fine no matter what. :cheerup:

No, I don't feel secure in this present economy, however I rely on God's economy and on that I'm 100% secure. :)

I feel a bit insecure but much better than a few months ago.

No, I don't feel secure in this present economy, however I rely on God's economy and on that I'm 100% secure. :)

Amen Dixie.

I feel really secure.

DH has a very secure job - unless someone sells off his division. No reason to think that would happen, but you never know.

I'm the child of depression era parents, so I'll admit a part of me will always feel insecure regardless of our financial situation.

The ecocomy is a scary thing right now. I'd feel a lot better if I didn't have all this debt though. I am taking steps to make sure that I will still be okay just incase anything happens. Consolidating households with my parents, saving up an Emergency Fund and paying down debt. Now I just have to hold on and hope that no major catastophies happen and everything will be ok.

I am not one bit frightened. We'll be fine no matter what - though for what it's worth I don't think the economy is bad, anyway...JMO. ;)

very,very frightened.........but i believe in the lord & he guides my family & i down the right path every day!!!!

very frightened. especially with layoffs in my building.

But DH and I have secure jobs so I'm not worried for us personally...especially since we'll be paying off so much debt in the next month.

We're in the construction industry and our business is very much in flux. Between weather and the whims of the public we can be effected. But we are squrriels and are putting away for that rainy day and paying things off so that we don't have to worry. I go along with Dixie also my faith will carry me throught.
I also take heart that the average family eats out 5 times a week and since our main business is resturants we'll be kept busy. Mind you thats the avarage family and we are no where near avarage here in our household. Not to mention I've seen those kitchens and wouldn't eat in some if the food was free.

Laurie in BRadenton

No, I don't feel secure in this present economy, however I rely on God's economy and on that I'm 100% secure. :)

:yeah that:

Well, at least the God part.

Financially, I feel pretty secure for a few reasons:

1) Both of our jobs/industries are in high demand. Even if my feet disable me, I can get other nursing jobs (like a phone-a-nurse or teaching) that would keep me off of them.

2) I think we - as a family - are in much better financial shape than most Americans.

3) We would be quick to relocate or downsize if needed. Because of the inflated housing market here, we have enough equity to live elsewhere with NO mortgage. We don't now, because jobs here pay very well. But if there're no jobs anywhere, may as well live where it's cheap. I'd even live in an RV.

Add in a good stockpile, ability and willingness to DIY in many areas, as well as a solid realization that cable, phones, life insurance, internet, and many other 'necessities' aren't that necessary if things really go bad.

I feel secure, though it's more about how we live (debt-free other than mortgage and commited to our 401Ks and a healthy EF) than the current economy.

Now, I don't believe in job security anymore than I believe in Santa Claus. Still DH has been 20 years in his job and plans to stay until retirement. I work in the tech sector which is notoriously volatile, but I took a job with one of the "Big 5" last year and I hope to stay until retirement.

When I was younger, single, and still living in the Midwest (aka the Rust Belt) I was very worried about the economy a great deal of the time. Moving to the South was a smart move financially.

Very secure. Our mortgage will be paid out next month. That is the only debt we have.

Dh is in what is basically a government job with a union protecting him.

Yeah, I feel very secure. Though dh's antics might drive me to insanity! He's thinking of dropping it all and just retiring now!LOL

Jean

Hubby has a secure job, but I do worry about the economy, it seems to get harder and harder to make all the bills and find something to put away for a rainy day.

I know I have a strong enough support system to get me through life's bumps.

Well, both :)

Am I frightened of this economy? In the short term, no, but in the long term, yes. I think that in many areas of the country the housing bubble will pop, leaving many people unable to pay their mortgages or home equity loans, and with properties values declining they'll be unable to sell. This will push bankruptcies up. A lot people also have the ARM's - and interest rates are going up. Even if the first few years were fixed, sooner or later they are going to adjust upward, and wages have not kept pace with inflation in the last 5 years. Also, a lot of the new jobs that have been added in the last two years have been housing related and so the unemployment rate will increase. (I'm talking in the next 2-3 years, here) In the even longer term, I'm worried that the government will start printing money to cover social security payments, and that inflation will go through the roof.

For me personally, we will soon be out of credit card debt (next month!) and will hopefully be in a position where this will have minimal effect on us. My job is fairly secure, and I have never had significant trouble finding a job since I'm willing to take on a lot. DH's job is fairly secure, and hopefully having his degree (he'll finish this year) will keep him more marketable in the job market. He works in tech, so we've experienced first hand how hard it can be for him to find a job! We're saving more than we ever have, and our financial position has increased greatly in the last year. So personally, I feel pretty secure.

Very unsecure with the economy. In the last two years we have gotten a 4% raise at our job, but it seems prices are going higher than our raise. If I had my car and house paid off I think I would feel a little more secure. Even Aldi's is going up in there prices! When I have this weekend off I am going to sit down and see where else I can cut costs. Have cut everything I can think of, but where there's a will there's a way to save more.

Another not frightened here. We will be ok, even if the dreaded worst should come to pass. Not saying that we have loads of money stashed b/c we don't but I know I have the knowledge to make it through whatever comes at this stage in my life.

I'm probably speaking from the "greener side" of the fence. I'm in Canada, and in the most prosperous part of the country, and I'm still worried...perhaps for different reasons though. We've got oil (lots of it!) and so right now things are booming. People are moving here from all over for work. EVERYBODY is hiring...tons of signing bonuses, work whatever shift you want, etc. That part is great, but it comes with pitfalls too.

Vacancy is less than 1%. People have been living in campgrounds or squatting in parks, working and trying to find a place to live. In the last 3 years, housing prices have literally more than DOUBLED. An older townhouse (at least 25 years old) is going for around $200K. They say things aren't going to slow down here until 2012 or so.

This is all great if you A) make a good income, and B) already own a home. But DH is just starting in his trade and is making about 32K a year (we're a 1 income family)...home ownership is at least 4 years away and even then probably won't be a wonderful neighborhood. The price of everything is going up, and it's hard on the budget.

We are blessed to have a nice place to rent and be able to cover all of our expenses, and believe me, I count my blessings. Things can be good or bad in any economy...all you can do is your best to be frugal. I truly feel that those of us who are taking the time and effort to prepare for that "rainy day" will be blessed for it.

I am worried.

I am unable to work because of health problems. My dh has worked his job for 18 years. Two months ago the younger members voted out the union in his company. This town is a prison town so it is the only industry that will prosper in this economy. dh refuses to move because he grew up here.

We have lived through several layoffs/bad spells over the years but it is never easy. Before, I could work to help out but that isn't possible now.

Yes I am worried.

Petrified! Especially with the financial trouble DH and I have been going thru since his diagnosis....we have NO savings, and just like another person said, everything is going up except my paycheck. We are one of those ones that will probably be forced to bankruptcy.

I'm not concerned at all. My DW and I have been through a few hard times, but everything eventually seems to work out.

I guess it depends. LOL
Some days I'm scared to death but most days I'm pretty secure in my feelings that we'll be fine no matter what. I've been "practicing" frugality for enough years now, that I would know what to do in the event of some financial emergency. It certainly wouldn't be easy and trying to keep the house & a vehicle would be difficult. But I know we would always have food on the table, a place to sleep no matter where it was & clothes on our backs.
And we would have each other. Those are the most important things in life I think.
This reminds of the people down the road from me and what can happen.
Last summer, while they were all out, their house burnt down. Their children go to school with my children. Everything was gone but their barn & horses. They could not salvage anything. My town put up collections everywhere for them. They are living on the property in a large camper (not the drivable ones). There are 5 of them and that can't be easy living in one of those. They had a garden & I'm sure friends, family & even strangers helped out with food. They are now in the process of rebuilding and from what my children say, they're are doing fine considering.
I find them an inspiration!

I am worried. I can see some of the sign locally that tough times are coming. Thankfully, DH and I have good jobs...but I am worried about my sister's family and about the cost of things rising. I think once we are at the point where we pay off some things and save more, I will be more relaxed. I think that since we have been frugal for a while and my kids have fun at home, I bake, etc. I think that my kids wouldn't realize times were bad if we have the same lifestyle. I worry about my neices and nephew whose self-image is tied to material things and "appearances" though....I think they would have a more difficult time adjusting.