Compared to last month, do you feel better, worse or the same about finances?

That's great! Now take some of that money you're saving and put it away for a rainy day. Ideally, you should have 6 months' worth of living expenses in the bank. You'll be glad you saved, even if you never need it.

I do plan on saving as much as I can, I don't want to face another financial crisis again like I've done over the last few months.

Hello Kris182_2000, I'm really glad to hear that things are looking up for you. I second Dragon's suggestion to put all, or as much as possible of that $200 per month away. When you find yourself with an unexpected opportunity to save money, it always seems too easy to do just the opposite. Anyway, I'm glad that you're among the 3%.

Hello Adoniah, How in the heck are you going to transport yours and others' groceries by bicycle? I really understand that it's the folks on fixed incomes that we have to worry the most about. Thank you for trying to continue to be helpful to your neighbors. But criminies, please do be careful. Perhaps a trip once every 10 days or so, with everyone pitching in for gas is a better option??? That way, at least, you can fit a bunch of groceries into the car, right?

I've parked the car and I am sticking to it. I do go to the Super Walmart once a month for the big stuff on payday. Everything else is now by bike. The car is going downhill fast anyway and I can't afford to fix it either so we have to save it for the medical appts. Shalom

When I did the poll, 91% said worse. Shalom

I'm genuinely sorry that you feel worse, Heather. Perhaps this wasn't the best poll to link to. I just thought it important to notice how rapidly people are feeling that they're being affected by the wild roller coaster ride that we're on. One month isn't very long, at all!

Understood, my friend! I suspect that you're 'spot on': that it will be the increased energy costs that will finally rouse the silent minority who elected this administration. As I'm sure you remember -- I warned about the massive increase in energy costs if Cap & Trade was adopted ----- last May! At that time, based on early projections it was guestimated that our household electric bills will double, almost instantaneously. Those projections are still being considered realistic, and expected to multiply as demand for the permits rises. Since $.11 - $.18 per kilowatt hour is a typical range for the USA today, people will start screaming when those carbon plants start passing along the insane costs of having been targeted for destruction by Obama, per his statements last spring in San Francisco. The plan is to create a limited number of pollution permits (like liqu_or permits), so that obtaining one will be extraordinarily expensive and highly difficult. Who's going to end of paying those costs, and the costs of interest applied to the loans that energy manufacturers and re-sellers will have to take out to be able to 'bid' for and pay for those scheming permits? We are -- that's who. That's to say nothing of the Cap & Trade taxes that will be applied to the cost of a gallon of gasoline. They're suggesting it may be as high as $1.27 per gallon -- just in federal taxes. (I have cited these stats many times in the past. If anyone challenges my credibility, they're welcomed to look it up -- it's all available from respectable news sources on the world wide web.)

Yes, it did begin to feel like it was approaching the absurd. Though, it was NOT without merit, as so many have woken up to the chicanery of GW alarmism. It's just such a frustrating shame that it takes so darned long to get some people to even listen to logic and scientific reason. Grrrr!

Yes Luna, there were about only four or five of us then that seemed to be posting to each other for a while there on the whole global warming fraud. It got pretty ridiculous, because it was like preaching to the choir. Every once in a while, someone would tell one of us how wrong we were, yet here we are. I sift through 2 to 4 hours of news every day, and every day get a little angrier over the stupidity. While rebuilding my files, I have seen articles a year old that foretold the problems that we are seeing now. At that time a lot of the Bush haters were in denial. I can't help but wonder how long it will be before the population reaches it's limit with our worthless government. I don't think it will be very long.

Hello Raduiz, First, welcome to MyLot. I hope that you thoroughly enjoy your time here. Second, YEAH!!! I'm really glad to hear that is insn't that bad up North. That is very good news. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it remains so. Your stability can only be a positive influence on our stability, right?

Hello Abs072889, and welcome to MyLot. I hope that you enjoy yourself here. I'm really very sorry to hear about your situation. If there's a silver lining, it's that he was able to get another job. I'll keep my fingers crossed that things pick up for you -- and us all. If you're open, I'll include a bit of prayer as well?

Hello Dragon, I am also among the 91%. It's terrific that are at peace with your current living arrangement, despite its challenges. That level of residential consistency or stability is so important! I worry about our grandson's future as well. Things are so very different from when you and I were kids. It's difficult to imagine what our nation, or the world for that matter, will look like in another two or three decades.