my wife is threatening divorce and I am trying to kill myself.

I am moving back in the house I have been trying to sell for almost a year... WITH my ex husband. I am conserving; gas, cash, energy everything I can conserve.

This is a cycle guys. It will cycle back around to the good times.

Let's just hope we get it right the next time around. My concern is that giving in to greed is like opening Pandora's box. There is no putting that evil back in the box once folks have gotten a taste of the sweet life.

Remember what our parents always said "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." And it was. High home values, easy credit (too easy), the illusion of job security.

Perhaps what doesn't kill this nation will make it stronger. That's my hope.

Oh and reisen55, please don't kill yourself. Gather your inner strength and hit the job boards, network with clients, look for a job but be realistic and know that there will be many rejections. That is probably the hardest thing I've had to face. I was used to applying for a job and getting it. Talk about a blow to the ego. You WILL get through this!!

Talk to your wife very calmly and ask her for her support. She is scared. We all are a bit scared. If the two of you can agree that you are in this mess together, you can be a force to be reckoned with.

well i don't use credit cards. If i don't have the money to buy it, i don't get it. cutting corners, lots of coupons at the grocery store. i now don't go to the store until i absolutely half to.

save, save, save, I try to save $30.00 out of every pay check....that's emergency money and i don't touch it. It's amazing how quick it builds up. we cut down on car trips, do multiple errands at once. I installed a energy saver thermastat. It doesn't kick on while we are at work and a half hour before we get home, it kicks on. My electric bill has gone really down since we did it.

if i lose my job i will panic. right now we are okay, but can feel the panic all around us. looking to pay off all debt and of course looking into returning to school. whenever the economy is bad the thing to do is to return to school, even for just a certificate program, up one's skills improve one's education, when in school no one has money anyway and studying is the real main thing so everything else seems silly.

Just another example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. My husband and I are just struggling to buy gas to get back and forth to work on. Groceries are out of sight. We are in our sixties and these are to be the good years right?

People that have money will buy buy buy them stocks at cheap rates and make a killing. I don't have any extra money to buy stocks with. I guess I come off sounding jealous but really I'm not. I am just letting off a little steam.

See, Gonza, while your perspective makes sense, a lot of people are just struggling paycheck to paycheck. You are right, of course, in some ways, and you shouldn't be chided for that, but neither the government nor the Presidential candidates has a clue what it is like to decide between paying a bill or putting milk on the table. But that is nothing new. Buy stocks? It's a great idea and an ideal time, as you say, but many don't know where their next paycheck is coming from. We spend so much, nationally, to help other countries, and I see our own being ignored and passed over. It's a real dilemma--but, again, nothing new. Another incentive check would be nice, but NOT socialized medicine. :) Good luck to all, hang in there...this too shall pass...

Am hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Hoping to be able to find work here and there to keep things going and have been humbled by accepting help from friends and family. Preparing myself that I could lose my home and that if that comes to pass that I will survive. It is tough. Trying to stay positive .. positive begets positive.

Having sex is highly recommended!

I stopped watching the news for awhile. I know it isn't the best solution but I cant handle it all of the time. Take a week off and go back after a few days.

I would like to say I DRINK ALLOT!! But cant' even afford to be a drunk! LOL