The company I work for is closing one of its shops, and due to no raise+increase in health insurance costs, I actually make less (take home) than I did last year. Fortunately, my wife works for public schools, and got a really nice job lined up for last year.

Prices are skyrocketing. I'm paying at least 1/3 more for groceries than I did at this time last year. And last night at the bar I heard this one guy say to the other, "Man, nowadays you gotta choose between gas and beer!" and the other say, in tones of deep despair, "Yeah, I know, I wouldn't even be here if I hadn't of found some money in the couch." Dude, when you have to choose between gas and beer? Times are hard around here.

I had a grocery bill the other day that absolutely shocked me. The only splurge I had in the cart was a $3 thing of blueberries and a $4 thing of crackers.

But don't worry, there's no recession, the president said so. :P

I hadn't been in a Walmart in years, but now I am visiting my family in South Carolina, so such a trip is almost inevitable. I was floored at how cheap clothes were in that store, lower even than the outlets that I had been shopping. The selection is a bit thin though but alright for everyday wear.

I haven't noticed much change in groceries, but then I tend to cook from scratch and so I buy just the basics. I do think that $2 a pound for fresh string beans is too high. On the other hand, a large container of Spring Mix salad greens has dropped below $3.

Things are not great here. I was just reading that a bag of groceries costs 8% more than it did last year, but real wages are declining. And a pack of cigarettes is up to €3.60!

yeah I went to the grocery last night - it now costs ~$70 to fill up the same messenger bag that last spring cost ~$45. I don't buy much of anything different.

and god help you if you shop at places like Whole Paycheck. went there a few weeks back for things i couldn't find elsewhere, bought 4 items and spent thirty-six bucks. holy fuck!

As you can no doubt imagine, when the US economy falters, we feel aftershocks up here too. Gas hit 1.15 per litre this week (keep in mind that there are roughly 4 litres in a US gallon I think) which is crazy high. I know gas prices are going up in general, but...I think it's all related.

Also, the once-laughable Canadian dollar has been on par, or stronger than the US dollar for about 6 months I think.

When I bought my car ten years ago it used to cost me £17 to fill it up. Now it costs over £40. It's around £1.09 a litre here.

I don't buy bread, but I've noticed in supermarkets how the price of a loaf of bread has rocketed. A standard loaf of white, tasteless bread is around £1. A loaf of good quality bread is around £1.75.

The Big Four supermarkets in the UK sell some food so cheaply you wonder how the producers can make a profit. I read an article recently where the farmers said that they are expected to bear the cost of the 'buy one get one free' culture. This cannot be a good thing. If the farmers go broke, who's going to grow the food?

I'm lucky that I can pretty much buy what I want at the supermarket, but, having come from poverty, I always have an eye out for prices and I won't pay silly money for things.

Well, I'm in Michigan and we have basically had a one state recession going on for four or five years. Things aren't getting bleak, they were that already, it's just getting more bleak.

I'm feeling it, work has continued to slow for me. I'm just about to panic.

That said, I've seen lonefrontranger's messenger bag, it is OMG Xbox huge. ;-) Worse case scenario, several of us could move into it.

If the farmers go broke, who's going to grow the food?

The one thing that's always amazed me at the grocery store is potatoes. You can buy a 20 lb bag for about 3 bucks, or a 200gram bag that have been sliced and deep fried for about 3.50. WTF?

And, how does ANYONE make a living growing potatoes?

Yeah, buying groceries is ouchy.

There have been a few layoffs at my firm, and I've heard of others around town.

The housing bubble is deflating.

It's scary.

ditto to all the grocery shopping stories.

No money is going to fund science research. Nearly all the post-docs I know are moving away from research, looking for jobs out of science in many cases. Hell, I may be out of a job in less than a month.

minus tee! howyadooin?

that's not even the biggest bag that Chrome makes. you want a truly ginormous bag, you want a Kremlin.

Hey, lfr! :-).

I'm sorry to say, I'm actually amazingly craptacular.

Chiming in; all around me I see "For Sale" signs on homes that aren't going anywhere. Two years ago, they ripped down all the forest in a very large area across the street from our development. They put up huge signs announcing a new development "Starting in the low $500,000.00s". They started the roads; they built curbs. Then...nothing. They painted over the portion of the sign that mentioned how much; they haven't finished the one model house they built. Other homes have been on the market for over a year. And since I work in a supermarket - I can tell you first hand how much the prices have jumped up. And people are starting to be cautious, even though my store is in an affluent area. Our grocery manager reports that more and more store brand items are moving (this is in an area where name brands are everything). The price of a bagel just rose from .79 cents to .99 cents. Gas is over $3 a gallon (and I hear it's worse in other areas of the country). I feel that I have at least some job security, though. No matter what, everyone's gotta eat!