I think we're still in the recession. Perhaps the "it's over!" battle cry is either wishful thinking or trying to rally consumers to spend more/stimulate the still hurting economy. I think it will be a while before things are back to "normal". Judging from the mostly empty stores and restaurants in my area I don't think most people are very confident yet about the financial tides turning.
I believe that many of the jobs lost are not going to return. The jobs where folks assemble things on an assembly line all day for a decent wage (compared globally) are history. Essentially, many of the jobs that involve "doing" are going away.
The US is going to have to retrain people to use their brains a little more and that means investing in education...
No, the recession is not over. Things are picking up slowly, some mergers are happening, some are finding new jobs and some are regrouping by going back to school and retraining for new careers.
Overall, I think people are learning to do more with less. A lesson that many learned during WWII etc. There is a lot more that can pick up - construction, hiring in the public sector, using the unemployed to assist with public works etc.
When the recession started - there were questions regarding that; I think it's quite clear that it hasn't ended yet.
I'm inclined to agree with what my Macroeconomics professor said earlier this month -- we're in the lowest point we'll be and the business cycle's going to start going back up. Now, how long that takes has yet to be seen... But I don't see it getting much worse from this point on, so everything should be a positive step, albeit small ones.
I'm also inclined to agree that measuring unemployment is rather useless... It really has little to do with the state of the economy itself. It'll probably go up as the economy begins to recover anyhow. People seem to like to cite statistics they don't fully understand, and this recession has made a bunch feel like economists themselves. (I have yet to decide if I want to double-major in Economics, it's an interest of mine.)
I've been fortunate - part owner of a couple successful companies, about $1.5 mill in personal liquid investments, own 3 homes free and clear, no other debt. I enjoy parts of my job but don't 'love' any of it. During stressful periods at work I think about chucking it all and retiring. I will be turning 50 next year -- could be time to make a change. Thanks for the excellent article.
There's a difference between the economy "turning around" and the "recession being over." When you are on a trip, the point where you turn around is the exact same thing as the point where you are farthest from where you started. It's still a long journey back home.
Sure.. I bet the recession is over.. but 'comeback'... what does that mean? The market already came back.. profits for corporations have come back... but that's because people got laid off and are losing houses left and right.. have no jobs and the unemployment will continue to 'come back' to higher and higher amounts...
I think we're on our way to recovery, but it's definitely going to be a slow climb. If things do get worse, I think we'll be more prepared than we were before.
My husband's company laid off 60 more people yesterday. Out of it? Nope. Our city has forecasted our housing values will not increase for at least 5 years. All that "feel good" talk is worthless.
i can't believe that all of you are singing the praises of the high deductible hsa plans. these are being pushed as some great thing that has already "fixed" our healthcare industry. what a load.
i pay $250 a month for my plan. Which is $3000 a year. As a student, this is a HUGE expense. What do I get for this? It covers NOTHING. The ONLY thing I get is some coverage if I were to get in a serious accident or become seriously ill. And if you think the insurance industry has not figured out that on the whole they will ALWAYS make money off of the individual you are crazy.
I couldn't even pay for a stupid flu shot with my HSA funds!
While these accounts may be better than other options, it is a sad state of affairs that we are held hostage by the insurance industry. You can bet your $250 a month premium goes mostly into paying lobbyists to convince the republicans to do nothing so that we are stuck paying to continue to enrich the insurance industry.
I would not put it too close to the house, even one that is turned often and has a lid can become smelly on hot summer days! I have mine by my garbage cans, I have to walk to put the regular garbage bags in there anyway, so to walk out my scraps for the compost is no big deal. I keep a small bucket under my sink, as you suggested for collecting the scraps, and then when it is full I walk it out back. Some times, depending on what the scraps are I empty it right away, some seem to smell stronger then others!
I think we're slowly coming back- but the mixed messages of 'be smarter, save your money' and 'the economy is suffering from people not buying things' will counteract one another and confuse consumers. Even if it's true!
Last year when I put up the kids' haloween costumes, I knew my kids wouldn't fit them this year, but November 4th, they have no value. Today, I'm taking them to the children's consignment store to trade for two pairs of kids black "church shoes" the store will sell the costumes in a heartbeat, and my kids are scheduled for their Xmas photos next week, so we're needing winter "church shoes" ASAP. It's a total win-win.
I think we're making a comeback, but I think it's not because the economy is getting better, but instead because people are getting smarter. More bargian-hunting, more budgeting, more getting out of debt. I think this is the kind of comeback that will last a long time if we keep it up.
Since becoming "unwillingly unemployed" in the past few months, I've been trying to find more creative ways to get out of having to go back to work. Although I've probably spent too much time researching this stuff and not enough taking action (yet), I can already see how it's changing my thinking. Ms. Frugalicious, I'm wondering how you got an advance copy of "Put More Cash In Your Pocket?" I see that it's not out until next month, but I've read Loral's previous books and have found them to be quite useful.
The buzz on Wall Street is that things are getting worse at a much slower pace. The rate at which we are shedding jobs has slowed. The pace at which housing prices have plummeted has slowed. They see this as indications that the economy is nearing or has basically reached a bottom and the expectation is that things will slowly but steadily get better from here.
For me, when we see the unemployment rate begin to actually decrease I'd say the recession is over. Yes, the unemployment rate is usually a lagging indicator but it is also a definitive one.
I think we're still in the recession. Perhaps the "it's over!" battle cry is either wishful thinking or trying to rally consumers to spend more/stimulate the still hurting economy. I think it will be a while before things are back to "normal". Judging from the mostly empty stores and restaurants in my area I don't think most people are very confident yet about the financial tides turning.
I believe that many of the jobs lost are not going to return. The jobs where folks assemble things on an assembly line all day for a decent wage (compared globally) are history. Essentially, many of the jobs that involve "doing" are going away.
The US is going to have to retrain people to use their brains a little more and that means investing in education...
...gulp.
No, the recession is not over. Things are picking up slowly, some mergers are happening, some are finding new jobs and some are regrouping by going back to school and retraining for new careers.
Overall, I think people are learning to do more with less. A lesson that many learned during WWII etc. There is a lot more that can pick up - construction, hiring in the public sector, using the unemployed to assist with public works etc.
When the recession started - there were questions regarding that; I think it's quite clear that it hasn't ended yet.
I'm inclined to agree with what my Macroeconomics professor said earlier this month -- we're in the lowest point we'll be and the business cycle's going to start going back up. Now, how long that takes has yet to be seen... But I don't see it getting much worse from this point on, so everything should be a positive step, albeit small ones.
I'm also inclined to agree that measuring unemployment is rather useless... It really has little to do with the state of the economy itself. It'll probably go up as the economy begins to recover anyhow. People seem to like to cite statistics they don't fully understand, and this recession has made a bunch feel like economists themselves. (I have yet to decide if I want to double-major in Economics, it's an interest of mine.)
I've been fortunate - part owner of a couple successful companies, about $1.5 mill in personal liquid investments, own 3 homes free and clear, no other debt. I enjoy parts of my job but don't 'love' any of it. During stressful periods at work I think about chucking it all and retiring. I will be turning 50 next year -- could be time to make a change. Thanks for the excellent article.
There's a difference between the economy "turning around" and the "recession being over." When you are on a trip, the point where you turn around is the exact same thing as the point where you are farthest from where you started. It's still a long journey back home.
We have a long way to go, but if we keep making progress, I think that by 2012, things might be slightly more "normal."
Sure.. I bet the recession is over.. but 'comeback'... what does that mean? The market already came back.. profits for corporations have come back... but that's because people got laid off and are losing houses left and right.. have no jobs and the unemployment will continue to 'come back' to higher and higher amounts...
I'd like to think this recession is ending. My husband's 401(k) is doing much better, but unemployment is still sky-high, so who knows?
I think we're on our way to recovery, but it's definitely going to be a slow climb. If things do get worse, I think we'll be more prepared than we were before.
My husband's company laid off 60 more people yesterday. Out of it? Nope. Our city has forecasted our housing values will not increase for at least 5 years. All that "feel good" talk is worthless.
i can't believe that all of you are singing the praises of the high deductible hsa plans. these are being pushed as some great thing that has already "fixed" our healthcare industry. what a load.
i pay $250 a month for my plan. Which is $3000 a year. As a student, this is a HUGE expense. What do I get for this? It covers NOTHING. The ONLY thing I get is some coverage if I were to get in a serious accident or become seriously ill. And if you think the insurance industry has not figured out that on the whole they will ALWAYS make money off of the individual you are crazy.
I couldn't even pay for a stupid flu shot with my HSA funds!
While these accounts may be better than other options, it is a sad state of affairs that we are held hostage by the insurance industry. You can bet your $250 a month premium goes mostly into paying lobbyists to convince the republicans to do nothing so that we are stuck paying to continue to enrich the insurance industry.
I freeze my vegetable odds & ends and then dump them into the composter at convenient times. It reduces smell & mess in the kitchen.
I don't think we've seen the worst of it in many parts of the US yet. That being said, the hardest hit areas may already be heading back up.
Given the fact that no one is hiring and the unemployment rate is at a very high level, I think we will be slow getting out of this one.
I would not put it too close to the house, even one that is turned often and has a lid can become smelly on hot summer days! I have mine by my garbage cans, I have to walk to put the regular garbage bags in there anyway, so to walk out my scraps for the compost is no big deal. I keep a small bucket under my sink, as you suggested for collecting the scraps, and then when it is full I walk it out back. Some times, depending on what the scraps are I empty it right away, some seem to smell stronger then others!
I think we're slowly coming back- but the mixed messages of 'be smarter, save your money' and 'the economy is suffering from people not buying things' will counteract one another and confuse consumers. Even if it's true!
Last year when I put up the kids' haloween costumes, I knew my kids wouldn't fit them this year, but November 4th, they have no value. Today, I'm taking them to the children's consignment store to trade for two pairs of kids black "church shoes" the store will sell the costumes in a heartbeat, and my kids are scheduled for their Xmas photos next week, so we're needing winter "church shoes" ASAP. It's a total win-win.
I think we're making a comeback, but I think it's not because the economy is getting better, but instead because people are getting smarter. More bargian-hunting, more budgeting, more getting out of debt. I think this is the kind of comeback that will last a long time if we keep it up.
The economy may be improving, but the recession is far from over.
Since becoming "unwillingly unemployed" in the past few months, I've been trying to find more creative ways to get out of having to go back to work. Although I've probably spent too much time researching this stuff and not enough taking action (yet), I can already see how it's changing my thinking. Ms. Frugalicious, I'm wondering how you got an advance copy of "Put More Cash In Your Pocket?" I see that it's not out until next month, but I've read Loral's previous books and have found them to be quite useful.
The buzz on Wall Street is that things are getting worse at a much slower pace. The rate at which we are shedding jobs has slowed. The pace at which housing prices have plummeted has slowed. They see this as indications that the economy is nearing or has basically reached a bottom and the expectation is that things will slowly but steadily get better from here.
For me, when we see the unemployment rate begin to actually decrease I'd say the recession is over. Yes, the unemployment rate is usually a lagging indicator but it is also a definitive one.
By that standard the recession isn't over.
Pine needles are almost always a no-no for composting as their high acidity will throw your compost's pH balance off.
I think we have a ways to go before this recession is over.
There are some things in the economy that seem out of whack. It doesn't seem like it is over, but if it is I will happily accept that.