Poor

Its been almost 3 years since the banks got their bail out money, and I know most of the biggest banks have paid it back.

The stock market has still been Topsy at best. Target launched the reduced priced line of Missoni yesterday and the site crashed with people trying to order up high fashion at bargain prices. Why are we still afraid of using the word depression?

The things I have been doing over the last few years,such as keeping a flock of chickens. Then using their droppings for fertilizer for my garden. If it wasn't for the example of my grandmother and how they weathered the depression of the 30's I would not have had the idea to do these things in the first place. It has all been in an effort to save what little money I have left.

There are still some much more of a storm to go through. What can we do? It may seem that belts are pretty tight already. Do we have anything we can share with others? At my work I have access to samples of make up and face creams. I give those to my friends and not the ones that have money. I give them to the single moms or stay at home mom's. The ones that really need it. Besides only going to the discount section for meats, I find that I buy less and less from the grocery store. More from places like Big Lots and the 99 cent store.

I have a stock pile of stockings for a 'rainy day' and I would love to get more of my creams and other make-up and keep extra for next year. There has been a lot of jamming and canning going on here. There will be more. While I will put some things on sale on Ebay, does anyone have the money to buy them? Last week I went to the Fashions Night Out, not so much to see new fashion, I did that anyway at a show in Saks 5th Ave; but I was really there for the free drinks and eats.

The other things I have been doing for extra money is recycling. We have been staying home and eating a lot. A small mom and pop hamburger place that has been around for years closed its doors last month. It was in walking distance from my house and I had stopped eating there as well. So many places are left empty, and still no one wants to say the word depression or admit that we are all poor these days.