Erinn from Milwaukee

Me and my husband have three children under the age of five. Now that the economy is so terrible, we both make about 50 percent less of our income then we did before. My husband is now working a third-shift job while I work the first shift to avoid paying child care. I now shop at Aldis for 50 percent of my groceries. We go out to eat once a month now, while before we went out three times a week. Our credit cards are maxed and we can only pay the minimum. My kids need new clothes and I'm postponing that until I get my tax returns back. A lot of my closest friends have lost their jobs, and everyone I know is having a hard time and is finding ways to save money. I am still receiving medical bills from having our last baby and pay them right before going into collections. This is really scary for us, and I know I will never forget this, nor ever again live the way we lived before. Shopping for fun will be out of the question!

Kim from Waseca, Minn.

The company that my husband works for has cut hours for the entire plant (losing 16 to 20 hours a week). I work retail and will be also taking a cut in hours. We have gone to the food bank and have been approved for reduced lunches for our daughter at school! I am still in need of groceries, need to make the house payment, utilites, phone bill and I can't make the heat bill payment. My husband and I make too much money to get food stamps. I can't quit my job just to get food stamps because I pay child support for my older two children from a previous marriage! I have never asked for help with anything in my entire life, and now when I would like just a little more help than just the food bank and some assistance with the heat bill, I can't get it because even with the job cuts we still make too much money! It doesn't make sense!! Every one of us that has lost a job or has taken a cut can't seem to get any releif or help!! I am frustrated, tired and needed to vent! I wonder if we can find help somewhere and get out of this tough time. Why is it that we work hard all of our lives and when we want a little help, we can't get it??

Myra from Modesto, Calif.

My husband is a truck driver and his workload has slowed down a lot, where he is not even making 50 percent of what he was making a year ago. We are five months behind in our mortgage. I have been calling our bank requesting a loan modification. We applied from day one, they said it's been just over 45 days. We've been calling and trying to talk to our agent, and no one has called us back. We have two children and we are terrified just of thinking that one day we won't find any of our personal items in the house anymore, and we won't have a place to go. We are both working and we just want to ask if they can lower our mortgage a bit, even if we have to pay for a longer periord of time. But still, no one has called us back. What do these people want from us?

Beverly from New York

We can't make it from paycheck to paycheck, either. My husband lost his job, and because of health reasons, I can't work. My sister brings some meals over now and again, what a help, but her husband is on disability, so they're not much better off than we are. I can't see any end to this. The poor and middle class are never going to get any help. The government will see to that. Our credit cards are maxed out and we can't pay them, along with our life insurance. We're sunk if anything happens. I don't know how everyone else does it, working with nothing. I've been trying and I'm going no where. Please, tell me how you get ahead in this day and age. We're going to lose everything. We can't even feed our cats.

Andrew and Rachel from Phoenix

We used to go out every Friday night, just the wife and I, but since the crunch started we have been strapped for cash. We are still making payments to save our house from my military pay, but it seems to be getting harder and harder. Since I am unemployed, that does not help either, and my wife might be getting laid off from her job. I am looking for a Job, but it is not easy. It is getting harder for everyone to survive!!!

Suzy from N.H.
I feel that the help the government is giving does not hit the root of the problem. The problem comes back to the people. Millions of people have lost their homes. Millions of homes are empty. The housing market won't rebound until those millions of people that have been foreclosed on can buy houses again. That means years of saving a down payment again, because they lost their investment in the house that got forclosed on. Also, it will take years to reastablish their credit.

If the governement really wants to help the foreclosure market, it should help the people buy that have lost thier homes.

Stacey from Greenville, S.C.

I never thought that things would get this bad. We are living paycheck to paycheck, and barely have money for gas and food. I have to not eat certain things I buy so that they will last longer for my children. I have watched the price of food crawl up higher week after week, and we are forced to eat Hamburger Helper or sandwiches with no eating out anymore, and no movies. We sit home broke and are thankful that we could pay the mortgage AND have a little groceries. I am hopeful that things will improve ... but we really don't know what the year will bring.

Billy from Austin, Texas

I'm married with a 4-month-old boy. My wife stays at home with the child. We have no debt except the house. We have six months of expenses in savings. We were able to fully fund our retirement and our son's college fund this year. We don't eat out or go anywhere for entertainment. Our house is less than 1000 sq ft. We hate conspicuous consumption and we live on less than we make. I have a 17-year-old vehicle with 255,000 miles that I maintain (it's not American). If I lost my job, I'd go deliver pizza again or go get a job in a grocery store like I used to do. I'd work two jobs so that we can keep our child out of daycare.

Marie from Durango, Colo.

My husband and I work every day we have kids at home and we live paycheck to paycheck. We barely have enough money to send with our kids for their lunches and we don't ever have any money for groceries. To get reduced school lunches is impossible and we have been trying to get our loan modified and it has been taking forever. The only people that get help are the ones who live off the welfare system and don't care if they work or not. I have seen it with my own eyes. I could name people who do it. Us who try and get no where, we just get laughed at.

Debbie from South Lyon, Mich.

My husband and I are 58. I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2006 and have had four surgeries and a course of chemo in the last two years. I have not been able to work and consequently we had to file for bankruptcy in October 2007 to keep our house out of foreclosure. Due to the housing market we could not sell our house and needed to protect our equity. My husband recently lost his job and does not qualify for unemployment. We have lost our medical insurance and can't get Medicaid because there is no money in Michigan's state budget and the program is closed until further notice. We are both looking for jobs but due to our ages and the economy we are not hopeful. We have exhausted all leads we have found to try to alleviate even some of the stress we are suffering. To make matters worse my son-in-law took his own life last month and we are dealing with the grief and pain of that death. My father is also failing and undergoing many health problems. Unless we find employment with an income big enough to satisfy the bankruptcy court we will lose our house to foreclosure. Without an income we will be homeless. We are hopeless and do not know where to go to try to help ourselves anymore. What do we do?

Tracy from Kansas City, Kansas

The economy has greatly impacted my family. We have had to cut back on groceries, cut our cable/internet. I have had to get a cheaper car due to repossession of my vehicle. I have lost my home to foreclosure and now it has taken a toll on my marriage. I am now a single mother who hasn’t gotten my children very much for Christmas and other family members have stepped in to help buy Christmas presents. I am from Arkansas with hardly any family here in Kansas. It has been so hard for me, but I am just praying that things will soon get better because I am barely paying the rent on my rental home now.

Torrie from Gainesville, Ga.

My husband's work has suffered due to the economy. His hours have been cut and because of that we filed for bankruptcy just before Thanksgiving and now it is Christmas, and things are tougher now and the bad thing is we have five children who are not going to be getting Christmas gifts. We have to choose between food, the house payment, gas, lights, etc. Me, myself and I are ready for the economy to pick back up so my family can stop living paycheck to paycheck and be able to buy my children what they need and for me to go back to work and for husband to start getting more hours and for us to start again saving for college for the kids and for my husband's retirement.

Kimberly from Michigan

I have to take medication for a chronic illness that I have, and instead of taking them everyday, I now take them every other day because health care cost is so high and I have to make them last so I can have more money to buy gas and food!

Kelly from Bay City, Mich.

The economy has caused my employer to cut me to a 3/4 worker, cutting my wages but still putting me above the line to qualify for underemployment. I've spent months searching for a new job without luck. I refuse to look beyond the tri-city area because this is my hometown, I love it here. My household lives paycheck to paycheck, we have nothing in savings anymore. If something happens to a vehicle or the house needs something repaired, we will miss a house payment without a doubt.

Our summer vacation didn't happen this year and that left a little boy confused as to why his cousin was able to enjoy the summer but we could not.

I recently spent two weeks in the hospital, no insurance, and am waiting to hear from the state if they will give me any assistance to cover the bills that are still coming in. I will have more bills as I have to see a specialist at the U of M for more treatment. Missing work for that time and possibly more time to come, has put us even further behind and Christmas is looking grim. Like many others, I ask myself every day, "What am I going to do?"

Adria from Seneca, S.C.

My sister is having it so bad. She had to send her child to me to take care of because she cannot make it from paycheck to paycheck. She is in the Army part-time and has a job in store, but still cannot make it. Her husband has been gone for a year in the Army and he has had a lot of stuff going on with him and his health there. I feel for a lot of people, but my heart goes out to her. I have three kids now, and I too am worried about Christmas. How will we make it?

Vera from Livermore, Calif.

I am divorced, depressed, on disabilty and my employer put me on a 39-month re-employmemt status. I was hit by an autistic student in the left elbow in Sept. 2007. I was rear-ended in Aug. 2008, totaled my car and I got siatica. I had insurance, thank God! I have not received a disability check in two months because a form did not get to them from my doctor. Huh! My home of 13 years is in foreclosure. My 13-year-old son cannot understand what I'm going through, nor can my dog, who keeps jumping the fence to the nieghbors' house. I don't make enough to even rent an apartment. But I did hire a bankruptcy attorney. At 47, I feel like I am 70. I am so scared but I won't ever give up my soul and faith,no matter what happens next. I just pray for my mom, in Indiana, who recently had to move into my sister's home after being in critical care for diabetic problems, renal and heart failure.

AJ from Lake Butler, Fla.

I had all my money issues and paying bills on time under control, until the cost of everything went up. So now I'm constantly paying all of my bills one month behind, and because of that, I'm paying late fees and my credit score is falling. I'm having to use my credit cards more frequent now, so they are all maxed out or close to it. Living paycheck to paycheck is the worst situation I have ever been in. I am a single parent of one and fuse to want any more because times are too hard. I wish the government would send the middle class, low income families a break and bail us out like they are doing for the banks.

Cherelle from College Park

Currently, I am 8 months pregnant and am thinking about adoption for my daughter. Times are so hard now. I already have three boys and it wasn't so hard then. Prices have gone up and things are so expensive. I am getting a second job to help support my bills. I am working now, and it is not enough for us.

Shannon from Powder Springs, Pa.

My husband and I live very much paycheck to paycheck. His job recently cut back his hours and I'm really worried how we'll keep up with the mortgage. I try to set aside some money towards it each week, but with his hours cut back, I won't be able to pay my electric and phone bills, etc., and still afford food for our four kids and gas in our cars. We already had his motorcycle repo'd because it was either that or the mortgage, and we can't lose our home over a motorcycle payment. I can't work because our youngest is 2 and my whole check would end up going to daycare, so my husband tried to get overtime to make up the difference of me not working, but now he can't do that anymore. I don't know what we're going to do now.

Crystal from Columbia, Mo.

Last December, I started working two jobs. My husband lost his, then we had to move out of state due to medical reasons, so now I have tons of medical bills on top of monthly expenses. Our 6-year-old has to visit me at work for some quality time with me. If not, he'd probably not see me all week. My husband works temp jobs when he can find them. We don't even go out anymore. But at least we do have my income and our health. It is sad that we all are living paycheck to paycheck, but we could only go up from here! Right??? (At least I hope!!)

Mike from Marietta, Ga.

I am a single, disabled man living on a fixed income. Where I live I have a car to get around. Bus service is unacceptable to the fact that service is not good and there is no Sunday service. It's not easy to rely on neighbors. I do my best and do what I can. Luckily, I have been fortunate to use my abilities to cut down on auto repairs by doing some things myself amidst a shaky economy by being economical. We must learn how to make do with the resources available.

Dawn from Atlanta

I have never been so frightened about my finances in my life. I considered myself a true survivor, come what may. But now, I am not only living check to check, but I run out of money before the next check comes. It's come to a point where I can hardly focus on being competent at what I do -- rather I am so distraught over how to keep food in the frig and gas in my car -- let alone paying college tuition for my kid.

Dreama from Hiram, Ga.

I am a mother of two and the economy has ruined my life. I watch TV everyday hoping to hear good news about this crisis. I work in an adult nightclub. It's pretty bad when you can't make ends meet taking off your clothes. People that used to pour money into my garter have stopped being big tippers. They have lost their jobs or have had hours cut or lost 401(k) money, or couldn't afford to use the gas to drive to the club, or sometimes couldn't find gas. I hear all the sad stories and that effects me and my children, as well as the other girls I work with. Hearing about women and children being evicted hurts my heart. I have cut back on everything. I use more coupons, I bogo at publix, because believe it or not, I have a house and a vehicle and responsibilities. Just this past weekend I barely made $200 dollars. That is not how it used to be. I could look for another job but people aren't hiring. So I just take it one day at a time... I will wait and pray that McCain or Obama can save us. Thank you for letting me express my feelings.

Terri from Chatsworth, Ga.

I work at a restaurant in Dalton, Ga. The buisiness has slowed considerably. There are not as many customers coming in as there once was and tips have gone way down. Everyone at my store on the payroll has been cut in hours. My hours were cut from 37 hours a week to 16-20.

Angela from Indianapolis

I wish I had luxuries to cut back on. The goverment wants us to spend money to help boost the economy, meanwhile oil prices go up, which is a chain reaction for the price of food and gas. My husband and I have three kids, all in grade school, that grow more and more by the day. My husband spends months on the road as a truck driver and I work full-time, too, since the kids are in school. We still can't afford the extras in life that people crave, like eating at restaurants or going to the movies. Oh, sorry kids, not tonight, I can't afford it. When I was a kid we never knew what "financial worries" meant. But it's a shame that I have to tell my children they can't have a special treat or go to a movie because we can't afford it. It embarrasses me that I sometimes get a little carried away at the grocery and I have to decide on putting back the chicken or the milk. I am lucky to make $50 worth of food last for two weeks. Forget paycheck to paycheck, I haven't seen that in a long time. I hope that the next president understands where we the people are coming from. After all, we did elect him. I pray for all of us. God bless us because we need it now.

Alice from Phoenix

I'am retired, and I live with my daughter. It takes her check and my retirement check and we still have a hard time making ends meet. We still have our home, but for how long, I don't know. I can't pay my doctors' bills and I need to see the doctor so now I don't know what to do. Food is getting so high I only eat one time a day, and sometimes not even that. But I'm not going to tell my children that, they have other things to worry about. I know others have a hard time, too, when they have little children, it's really hard.

Ashleigh from Liberty, Mo.

Until recently, our family was doing pretty well. My husband owned his own electrical company, which has since stop doing business. I am a full-time nursing student and a full-time mom. Because my husband specilaized in residental new builds, we are now struggling to make ends meet. We now depend on food stamps and medicaid to help week by week. Just when the road seemed almost as hard as it could be, our four-bedroom house caught fire and we've found ourselves homeless. Thank God for insurance. We are fixing our home and trying to move foward, but we are faced with a new problem of making our mortgage. $1,600 a month is a hard price to swallow for anyone these times. Hopefully we can have a change in Washington and get things back to normal. Working toward a new begining and future for my children is my only goal for now.

Stephanie from Jacksonville, Fla.

I never thought things could get this bad. My husband lost his job this year and he did find another one, but it pays 50 percent less. We have a 1-year-old daughter that I stay home with as we can't afford daycare. We have stopped paying all the credit cards because there is no money to send them now. We have lost one car as well. We are going to file bankruptcy next month, but even after that we still won't have money to survive on. I haven't had a hair cut in over a year. My poor husband has to go to work every day with no lunch money because we don't have it. I hate this! There isn't anything more we can cut back on and these gas prices are killing us. I can't even pay the electric bill this month as it has gone sky high. The middle class is disappearing!

Robin from Painesville, Ohio

We have been living paycheck to paycheck for the last year. It is sad that our paychecks don't even last the full two weeks so I guess we are living "beyond our means." We have been cutting back and cutting back and there is very little left to cut back on. This month we reached the decision to drop my medical insurance. That will give us a savings of over $500 a month -- which should help get us through the winter heating expenses. We have cut way back on food. I do buy a lot of stuff at our local day old bakery, and at the grocery stores I watch for the stuff that is discounted because of the sell by date. We are certainly not eating out, and if we buy all-beef hotdogs (when they are on sale) that is a treat! We have adult children who are in the same boat and occasionally try and come over for a meal because their cupboards are bare as well. That taxes our stock and budget -- but you can't turn away a hungry child! They are still your children no matter how old they are.

Right now I don't see a way out. We just have to keep doing what we are doing and hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere (and that it isn't a headlamp from a train -- ha ha). We try and maintain a sense of humor. I do have two dogs that are family for us. They are both older but we don't go to the vet anymore because of the cost. I just hope I am not killing them. It's rough. However, we do have a roof over our head this month so I guess we don't have it as rough as some. I just hope there are some changes in the future. I also hope everyone else is going to make it. Take care of yourselves and know that you aren't alone. I can't help financially, but I can hope for you!

Jess from Indianapolis

Last year I was told that I couldn't have anymore kids. Which was okay, since we already had three girls. Then I ended up pregnant with twins. So much for doctors. So now we have five kids in this horrible economy. My husband lost his job about six months ago so we were living off just my income. Which, under better circumstances, would be a good salary. But I pay over $500 a month for insurance alone. We don't have cable or a phone. I only have the ability to email family at work. My husband recently found a job in a warehouse, but it is in a city an hour and a half away. So he he is gone from 3:30 am until 8pm for only $9 an hour. Although it helps, it certainly doesn't support our kids. We struggle not only to feed them, but then there is daycare, and diapers for two. Now the seasons are changing and they all need clothes. We barely pay the rent and car payment. The electric bill gets paid when we get a disconnect notice, and other than food banks, we get groceries about once a month. At one point we literally had nothing in our refrigerator and our three oldest had to share a pack of ramen noodles. It is horrible. The one good thing is they get a decent lunch each day at school. I pray every night that things will get better. I watch my husband shrink every day with the weight of his family on his shoulders. We have held each other as we each have cried trying to figure out what we are going to do next. We have sold everything we had,including our wedding rings, to support our family. I sincerely hope that the next president will fix things.

LA from Grayslake, Ill.

The affect on three generations -- My small business is struggling because people aren't buying anything they don't absolutely need. My daughter and son-in-law were denied the balance on the equity loan they took out to build a garage, leaving them unexpectedly without $20,000 and a new baby on the way. My retired mother is watching her fixed income shrink in each statement. We are all very nervous about this economy.

Erika from Pittsburgh

My husband and I have no children and some would think we would have money pouring in with two incomes, but we live paycheck to paycheck every month. The 3 percent raises we get at work don't help because it just goes back into the increase of our medical insurance every year. I had to cash in my IRA just to be able to pay off some bills and to have some extra money (which isn't alot). Now they pass this $700B bailout and it's not helping people like us -- its helping the rich. Where is the help for the middle class people? Its obvious we no longer exist.

Julian from Miami

I am single and to live paycheck to paycheck. I honestly don't know how families with kids are making it in this economy. I make it by the skin of my teeth and am only one person. The cost of living does not keep pace with salaries.

Sam from Cincinnati

These stories are hitting too close to home for me. My husband and I have two children in elementary school and we work opposite shifts so that one of us can always be with our children. Our girls have always been our No. 1 priority, and no matter what the next few years may bring for us, that will not change. We are always looking for new ways to conserve water and energy, but we are constantly carrying a $200-$300 balance on our gas and electric bill. I feel like we are just staving off collections every day...doctors, the dentist. Our credit cards are at the limit and we can only pay the minimums. We owe my father $200 because he bailed us out last month. We owe my sister $50 for groceries this week because the house payment was due. All of my kids' pants are too short, but I can't find even an extra $5 to go to a thrift store! We eat very frugally (I'm in the grocery biz, so I'm always up on the deals) and never go out anymore. I'm not looking forward to Christmas this year... I'm not able to give to charity like I used to and the children won't be receiving very many presents.

Even though things are tight, I try to remind myself that what is most important is that we are together and healthy, and we do have a roof over our heads and food on our table. Today, anyway ... there are no guarantees about tomorrow when you are living paycheck to paycheck.

Alicia from Independence, Mo.

I'm a single, working parent of a learning disabled student that is attending a local community collegee, and living paycheck to paycheck. I have really struggled this year because my daughter has been in the hosptial for a medical condition that started this past April and is still on going with doctor appointments and hospital visits. My daughter and I have been trying to find ways to pay for her education because some of the pell grant money does not pay for lab work that has to be done for school. Plus, when you have to go out and pay for a computer program to be used on your own computer at home, that takes money to purchase it for her class, also. The cost for gas to fill up two vehicles has been really a struggle. I'm even struggling to pay my credit card bills due to my paycheck only can pay for so much. My daughter and I even live with my parents because I can't afford to get a house because expenses take my savings. So the ecomony has really effected me a lot, where I can't go out with friends because I don't have the money to enjoy some time with them.

Sharon from Indianapolis I wonder how I am going to keep going. I am 48 years old, divorced with one child at home who is 16. I pray every day for something to come our way. The cost of food and gas is just crazy. I sometimes do not have enough food to make it until the end of the week. I pray that something comes through, not only for us, for for everyone.

Jackie from Detroit

What is this world coming to? The only thing I will not cut back on is my kids. It is not their fault. They go to a Catholic school and I can barely make the payments, but the schools here are horrible. Luckily, they are not kicking them out. We are living beyond paycheck to paycheck. I pray every day that this, too, shall pass. These politicians have no idea what it's like to be out here in the real world. I wonder what their bills look like and what their bank accounts look like. Definitely not like mine. What a shame. They are rebuilding Iraq and we cant get any help at all. Hopefully a new president will get us through this, but that will still take a couple of years.

Carole from Fishers, Ind.

For those of you who are stuggling with buying food, go to www.angelfoodministries.com. It is worth it.

Debbie from Indianapolis

After reading everyone else's story, I am even more depressed. I am so disgusted, saddened and downright devastated over the economy. It is just my husband and I, and we have been struggling since 2001. In 2006, my husband lost his job and it's been downhill ever since, with small peaks here and there. I don't know how people survive who have children, because we can't even feed ourselves. We also do without eating and needed medications. At one point, we did have to live out of our van. We have had to sell so many things over the years and it's getting to the point where I just don't care about material things anymore. I just want to be able to enjoy life, be healthy, and live to be at least 60. My husband is diabetic, and I just recently was diagnosed with COPD. We cannot afford medicines or our 20 percent on insurance. I am trying so hard not to just give up because it is a challenge. I have totally lost faith in America. This is no longer a place of dreams for most of us. No matter who our next president is, it's too late, the damage is done and cannot be redeemed for many of us. If people in this country are making it and not struggling, then they don't know how lucky they are. My husband is in the maintenance field and comes home every day filthy and bone tired and can't keep in this profession much longer due to his health. Then he has to come home and have nothing for dinner and nothing for breakfast the next day? Thank goodness for pawn shops, because they have been our savior more than once. Good luck everyone, because we're going to need it.

Marie from Winston-Salem, NC

I have always had a great budget and been good with my money. I have never lived beyond my means. Lately, it seems like no matter what I can't get ahead. I can't even say I can live from paycheck to paycheck anymore. Now I am forced to use credit cards to buy things like gas and groceries thanks to price increases. The job market is tough so trying to make a move for more money is almost impossible. The mortgage crisis isn't the only problem the government needs to be facing. There are plenty of people being forced into situations like mine. What are people suppossed to tell there kids when the credit cards are maxed out and you have bills to pay. "Oh, I'm sorry there is no dinner tonight because I can't afford it." No way! Bills will go unpaid and we will have a mess of credit collection agencies calling. Then what? Will the government reach out to help? I doubt it. How is it okay that hard working people who have always tried to do the right thing are suffering from the mess of others? My husband lost his job a year ago and he had to back to school just to have a chance at getting a job. I can't even think off the top of my head how many applications and resumes he sent out and there was no response. It is scary that so many people are facing this and have similar stories.

Stella from Danielson, CT

I live with my son and his wife and 2 children. It is still very had on all of us. The taxes, gas heating oil, food, utilities keep going up and it is still very hard to stay ahead of ourself with 3 incomes. What is it going to take for the government to see all of us low class, middle class and so forth are struggling to survive. We do not qualiify for any help or aid as we have applied. Please someone help us middle and low class families.

Martha from Biddeford, ME

I have been commuting to the company where I work in Dover, NH for 4 years. It was already expensive paying for the gas and car repairs, but there are so few jobs in Maine in my profession that it has been necessary for me to keep this job. My mother became ill 6 months after we purchased our home. She was living with us and was caring for my daughter, then 1 year old. I began paying for daycare and I had to help support mother financially to pay for in home nursing care on a frequent basis. After she passed we had to pay for so many things, her internment, the leftover nursing bills, the facility we had to place her in a week and a half before she passed on. We also had to pay for things we put off while she was ill. Car repairs and paying down debt. Then winter set in. We knew our home was cold during the winter, my mother had complained about it quite a bit. Our basement windows were leaking air so badly. Our basement was only a couple of degrees above freezing most days during the winter and the first floor was unlivable during the winter unless I baked and cooked all day long. We qualified for a plan from Tom's of Maine that would pay for the labor if we purchased the windows. I am so grateful to Tom's of Maine. Our house was at least 10 degrees warmer last winter because of the new basement windows. And, we had to purchase one less tank of oil. The higher gas prices threaten to cripple us this winter. I am already paying $100 more per month in gas prices to commute to work. I have a little car that is reasonably cost efficient. Once we begin paying for heating oil again at the end of this month I don't know how we are going to make ends meet. We really need to put more insulation in our attic and to replace some of our windows before winter, but there just isn't any money for it. I will keep praying that we can make ends meet and work as hard as I can.

Heather from Iowa

My fiance and I are trying to buy a house. His 14-year-old and our 2-year-old live with us. We can't get any help because we make over the gross limit on our jobs. I work full-time while he works part-time. We have no idea what our income is even going to be from month to month. We carpool to work when we can since we work at the same place. His daughter asks us for stuff and we have to tell her, no, we cannot afford it. Our 2-year-old is having to get by with the clothes that we could get for him with the little savings that we had. There have been many times that I skipped eating so that the kids and my fiance could eat. Yet, we have it easy compared to some people. Since I am in college full-time, we have to have the Internet. But I have talked to people who are "worse off" than we are. Is there no end to the pain that the middle class has to suffer? We are fighting to keep our family fed and a decent roof over their heads. With natural gas prices going up 20 percent this winter (from what I hear), what are we going to lose next? I hate to think of what that could be.

Phyllis from Harrison, Ohio

I received an inheritance, and put everything in savings, and invested a majority into the stock market (A well balanced portfolio) back in 1999. I was advised not to pay off the mortgage because you could do better by investing. Well, I lost with the downturn of 2001 to present, my losses will be over $l09,000. Yes, with a No. 1 bank and brokerage account. Rather than living somewhat comfortably, I have to watch every penny, due to the craziness of this economy. Trying to keep up with 30 to 60 percent inflation with a 3 percent raise just does not cut it. I feel that there are a lot of over-rated Einsteins out there.

Maria from Palm Bay, Fla.

Where do I start? I am married, have two kids, totally broke -- living paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes that's not even good enough. I have so many bills piling up it's crazy. My house payments, medical bills (the insurance only covered 80 percent, leaving 20 percent), and homeowners insurance. We've been trying so hard to make sure that I have money put aside for my kids for school lunch. There are days that go by that we don't eat just to make sure that they do. Food is getting so expensive, even the no-name brand stuff. Jobs out here suck, the employers don't pay nothing in wages and expect you to give 250 percent. I'm so ready to just let my house go and go back up north with family. We have no one here that can help us. According to the state, we make too much money... Really, what's too much money? Because after every expense I have, I'm still broke and have $0 in the checking/savings account every week.

Carole from Gladstone, Mo.

I just picked up my prescriptions and now I don't have money for food. It happens every month. Politicians don't have any idea what it's like to try to survive.

Raquel from Kansas City

I am a mother of three. I strive weekly to make ends mett to be able to put food on the table for my little ones. I feel living paycheck to paycheck is a struggle that no mother should have to go through this day and age. I hope that whoever is elected president that changes are made in the economy to help mothers like myself.

Sue from Laconia, N.H.

Last September I was doing quite well financially. I run a mortgage signing business that went down the tubes last December. Right along with the interest rates, etc. I was averaging 11 closings a week. Now I'm fortunate to get five a month. I'm still conducting signings, but the amount of business has declined so rapidly that I needed to take temp jobs to make it through last winter. In February, our home loan interest rate jumped from 4.375 percent to 7.5 percent and we were unable to refinance due to debt to income ratios (my business declined). The payment went up more than $250.00 per month. We have plenty of equity in our home that we are unable to utilize to bail ourselves out. But we don't qualify for a home loan because of my business declining so much. This has been the hardest year I've ever had financially, and I was a single parent.

The economy doesn't seem to be getting any better. I've had to borrow money to fix my vehicle so I could work. I have closed all of my credit cards and am now getting phone calls from collection agencies trying to get money that I don't have. Our credit rating has dropped drastically. We wiped out our savings last winter trying to survive. We are behind on our electric, phone and gas bills, as well. I'm amazed at what a year can do. The economy is very sluggish to say the least. My husband has not received a raise in pay at his job for a few years and is hesitant to request one because of the decline in the business he is in (restaurant). The cost of living has gone up but our income stays the same, or declines, creating major financial woes. Even working two jobs is not enough. We had credt ratings in the high 700s last September. Now we have credit ratings in the high 400s and there is nothing we can do about it at this time. We are barely able to afford our own home. Is there someone out there willing to lend to us? It took years to establish good credit, savings etc. It took less than a year to ruin us financially.

Lorraine from Osceola, Mo.

The economy has cut my small business in more than half. Last year I was bringing in over $400.00 a day. Now most days I don't even break $100.00, but I still have to have an employee there with me. I just keep praying that it will improve.

Melissa from Washington, Pa.

My husband and I have two small children, both with medical conditions. My 3-year-old son is having his fourth surgery on the 14th of October. Our financial state has gotten so bad that we can not afford my medications or my children's. With my son's surgery soon approaching, if the government does not step in real soon we will lose our house and cars just to pay for his surgery. My kids come first and their health is so important to me. The insurance keeps finding ways out of paying for medical bills and they leave us with hugh balances. I can't afford for him to not have the surgery, but I can't pay for the surgery he needs so badly! Someone needs to step up and help the struggling soon! We are all one paycheck away from the poor house!

Jo Ann from Tallapoosa, Ga.

I have a b.s. degree from a Christian college, but today it is worthless. I can not get a job. My husband has a GED and he must work for us. I am on disability and he is on social security. Our state has food banks. I have given up going to grocery stores. One food bank is $5 and the other is $10. So we eat on $5 or $15 per week. He is a diabetic, but we cannot buy milk. We cut his eggs to one per day. We quit paying our cable bill and one credit card bill. I have past medical bills which I can not pay my 20 percent. One half of his salary goes for gas to go to work. My money goes for rent. I want to work but there is none. I guess if things get really bad and we lose our house we can live in our car. Let's bail out main street not Wall Street. I bet they couldn't tolerate our circumstances very long. We don't want to be given anything for free, we just want a chance to improve. Thank you for letting me have my say.

Stephane from Webster, Mass.

A little over two years ago I collapsed at work. I was told I had had a massive panic attack. Shortly thereafter I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (by no less than three doctors all in different fields). I haven't worked in two years because of my disease. I applied for SSDI and am still waiting. I keep being told "not much longer now." So we (myself, my husband and our three children) have been living on my husband's paycheck. Rent consumes 75 percent of his net pay. This is after taxes, child support and other mandatory deductions.

"Cut back on the luxuries"?! Who does the government think they are kidding? I haven't had a luxury since I lost my job! The power got shut off three times this year because we couldn't make the bill. Forget cable! Yeah, I have Internet for my kids' school work and for me to keep in touch with the world and pay bills. My mother pays for that. There is no longer a "middle class." It's the rich that get richer and the poor who starve. Oh, and state programs? What a joke. They count your gross wages so we don't qualify for anything. Who lives on their gross earnings? No one I have ever met! I don't know how we will survive the winter. Food costs so much now. I eat three days out of seven so there is enough for my kids. But I guess eating is just another "luxury" that has to be given up.

Doris from Walnut Cove, N.C.

I stay at home more, go to the grocery store less and try to spend less when I do. I am finding ways to make food go farther. If I have a few bites of something left from a meal, I freeze it if I don't want it the next day. Also, I am a widow, so I cook less, but sometimes more at a time and freeze it. I do not eat meat, can't afford that, but do get chicken sometimes and make a casserole so it will go a long way. But these gas prices make everything go up. But do the oil companies care? No they don't. We have always had storms in the Gulf, but not until now did they start raising the prices, even before the storm ever made landfall. That is nothing but the oil companies price gouging. Is anyone investigating them? I doubt it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Don from Taylorsville, Ky.

The effect has hit everyone, but especially those on fixed incomes that are still able to get around, doing this or that. I stay home. I used to run around enjoying looking in stores, browsing flee markets, and such, but the price of gas and food has hit home. We don't eat out anymore, we don't go to movies, and we don't visit our friends, as it all costs us plenty for just one trip there and back. We enjoy what we have built here, and learn to stay home and enjoy what the old folks use to do day in and day out. They had no way of getting around, yet they survived, and they didn't even have TV. There are tens of thousands of things to do around our home, a different one each day, and just walking the neighborhood is enlightening. We talk, we walk, we stop and chat, or we just sit and watch the world around us. People are too much into running here and there, when all they want is right in front of them. Happiness with the ones you live with. And it won't cost you any gas. As for food, if Kroger wasn't in the mix, with all it's sales and specials, we would all starve. They go out of their way to see prices go easy, and sometimes they have to charge a lot, due to inflation/cost, but overall, they do a wonderful job keeping prices in check. Staying home is the key to all your money troubles. If you cannot stay home, then you are wasting away all your potential of having what you have already paid for, or paying for.

Tiffany from Houston

My husband and I have two small children and we both work. When you factor in our house rent payment, car note, day care fees, etc., we maybe have $150 left from each check. This $150 has to cover groceries and incidental spending for the next two weeks. If someone gets sick and there's a doctor bill and medicine bills, then we really have trouble.

Karen from Kennedyville, Md.

I can't give up anything more. There is nothing to give up. Financial people who say people need to cut out the extra expenses need to wake up. What do you cut out when you don't even have any extras? Do I stop eating? Give up my home?

Kim from Canton

"Living from paycheck to paycheck" -- that is the understatement of the year! I have a great job (been employed at the same place for nine years), but with the cost of gas, health care and everything that my employer wants to take out of my check (parking, manditory retirement and emeriti), I just barely get by. I make almost $1200 every two weeks and take home barely $600.00. "What is wrong with this picture?" The government, nor my employer, never consider inflation or the cost of living. How could they, living in their $1,000,000-plus homes and making their six-to-seven figure salaries? And since when is a 3 percent raise OK? Does it make things better -- no! I lost my house almost two years ago to the ecomony. I was not making enough to stay on top of my payments. I did not go into foreclosure, God blessed me and I got the chance to sell it, but I did not get anything out of it (lived there for nine years). I was heartbroken. I moved away from the city, into an apartment, had to start commuting. And now gas prices are eating up what little I have left. But even through it all, I have faith that God will be with me and that he will now and always bless the USA. It is still, without question, the best place in the world to live.

Sherry from Aberdeen, Md.

My husband and I have two kids and are living on one income because we can't pay for daycare as it is expensive, and also, I won't leave my kids with strangers -- not with all of the nutcases that are among our society today. Anyway, I have been turned down for help with our gas and electric bills because he makes $10 extra every paycheck over the accepted limit. Also, we are living paycheck to paycheck and have to decide between paying rent, which is outragouesly priced, buying groceries, paying for gas, or buying medication for my husband, since he is a diabetic. Trying to decide which of these to do without when all need to be taken care of is very stressful. There is no help for the people of this country, but our goverment can help other places by throwing them money for whatever problem there is for them. I'm very worried about things nowadays.

Lynn from Jackson
I never thought it would get this bad.

My children are grown and I've worked for more than 30 years at the same job. I'm single and I'm purchasing my own home. However, times are so bad that I have a hard time deciding whether to buy food or put gas in my car so that I can go to work.

My paycheck pays only some of my bills and the cost of living continues to go up. I work for the state and salaries only increase when the legislature says so, and they have never kept up with the cost of living. At times I go without eating in order to report to a job that does not pay enough for me to take eating for granted.

Medical bills also take a large percent of my salary. And because I cannot pay them like they want to be paid, they constantly harass me.

Mrs. Brooks from Jackson, Miss.

The economy has affected and my family in so many ways. There is my husband and I -- and our two children -- and we both work. Most of our extra money is being spent on groceries and gas. Everything is so much higher than it used to be. How can we do special things for our children and each other if we don't have the money? Even the stimulus check went to groceries. I just really don't think that it was enough to help this struggling economy.

Ann from Campton, N.H.

I work at a hotel and all of our hours have been cut I only worked seven hours this week. I have no heat in my house, no gas for my stove, and my middle daughter had to buy me food so I could eat and on top of all this. The fuel assistance here told me IF I get help I would not know until after Dec. 1 sometime. We will hit 30 degrees or under tonight. I will freeze, but I am still a lucky one. My kids are grown no baby to watch go hunger thanks to the goverment.

Jane from Westminster, Md.

It's not easy buying things when you're living paycheck to paycheck. With past due bills, payments needing to be made to family members for loans, cell phone bills, you name it! I have to keep my gas tank 1/2 full and it takes $30 to fill it from that point. I know other people have it worse but we've all got it bad. I only have (if I'm lucky) $20 in the account till next check!

Candy from Grandview, Mo.

Before the meltdown, I bought and stocked up on meats and frozen foods purchased at Sam's. Now I only buy foods we need still in less bulk and break up into meals to freeze. I haven't done the traditional grocery shopping since May of this year. I just keep using what's in the freezer. When you get down to the non-favorite foods in the freezer, they taste pretty good. I'm shopping on a fixed income so I can't contribute that much to my husband. Now we pay bills first, then eat not so name brand. You learn how to "fix up" the generic foods.

This is truly a shame of where we have gotten to as a nation. I hope the mortgage companies who decided to take us close to bankrupt are happy over being grubby for money. If this is what they set out to do, they have accomplished their mission. Also I have a garden in my back yard and I just am coming to the end of canning the crop for winter useage. Our parents and grandparents did it, so we better teach our children.

Luzette Alvarado-Ortiz from Brockton, Mass.

I have several medical problems, which include breast cancer in 1997 (left breast), 2006 (right breast) and high cholesterol. I find medication cost extremely high, and at times have gone without refilling my prescription medications in order to use the money toward the morgage or any other household emergency. My husband and I have cut on many expenses, but are still struggling to make ends meet. I am really concerned about what the cost of oil would be this year. There seems to be many people fighting for assistance for low-income people, but who is fighting for the middle class?

Carletta from Detroit

I called my credit card company today to see if I can get an interest rate reduction. I have had this account for 4 years with one increase and a APR of 28.99%. The Fed has been dropping its rates, but these credit card companies will not. I am a frustrated credit card holder. This is unfair treatment for the consumer. I read your article "What the Fed Means to You." Although your article says that these companies should lower their rates, they are not. I have not been late on a payment to this company for at least one year. There is no justice. I would like to get the same treatment that Bear Sterns just received.

Maryann from Pembroke Pines, Fla.

I am 65 years of age, having drawn unemployment over 40 years ago because I worked for a factory that closed every year. I have never been on welfare, have worked for the school board for 25 years. My home is almost paid for BUT my taxes and insurance are the equilivant to a morgage payment every month.

Everything bar none is passed on to the people that work for a living (or as the ones that "beat the system" call us, the stupid people). If the oil prices go up, our oil prices go up across the board FPL and the fuel it takes to go to work. It is nonending. I have to retire this year; I was diagnosed with cancer a little over a year ago -- I had put in to retire prior to my diagnoses and must do so next year.

I am afraid I won't be able to keep my home -- or if I keep it, if I can maintain it. Our country is so deeply in debt our homes are being taken right from under us. And Bush is saying it's "going to get tight" he is so clueless of what is going on with the people who are the back bone of this country it is pathetic. It was "tight" a few years ago; it has gone beyond that.

We are decending into a third world country with the nuclear power! It is very, very concerning! We have opened our doors to every one that wants to come in. I would like to see us close our doors get our books and country in order -- and then decide EXACTLY how many people should be allowed in that won't disrupt our economy.

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