Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Blog #26 - How has the Michigan economy affected you or your family?

There have been a lot of dire economic issues hammering the state of Michigan during the past 7-8 years. IN September 2009, Michigan had the highest unemployment rate in the country at 15.3% (North and South Dakota were the lowest at 4.3%).1 However, this 15.3% is still not the state's highest rate on record which occurred in November 1982 in which it peaked at 16.9%. 2 This recession of 1978-1982 was caused by inflation, high interest rates, high fuel prices, and hit the Big 3 companies hard. The only state hit harder with unemployment in this time period was West Virginia with 18.3% in March 1983.

According to the Consumer Price Index, from the summer of 2008 to the summer of 2009, prices have gone up about 1.7% on all goods sampled. Overall, the cost of food at home went up 3%, fruits and veggies went up 6.6% and meat and poultry went up 3.3%. Fuel and heating oil increased by 6%, and even clothes for the whole family shot up between 8 - 20%.

While many Americans are losing their jobs and the prices are continuing to rise, disposable incomes ( the money leftover to spend after the bill are paid, food is bought, and money is put in savings) begin to shrink, it starts a cyclical process. People buy less, and that affects companies who may have to lay off workers.

Please share you or your family's stories with us in this tough Michigan recession. How has the economy affected your family? Do you buy less? Do your parents and family give fewer gifts at holidays? Do they make you pay for things more often instead of just giving you what you want? Have you gotten a job to help out?

Due Thursday, November 12th. 200 word minimum.


Sources:
1. Unemployment stats: http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm
2. Highs and lows http://www.bls.gov/web/lauhsthl.htm
3. CPI Report 2009 - http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf

68 comments:

Anonymous said...

Erin Robnett-1st hour
My family has been affected by the economy because my family really has to watch what we buy. We try to stop paying so much for unnecessary expenses so we can save for things that we really need. My dad got a new job in Chicago working for a navigation systems company. The pay is better, the work hours are better and he likes his job a lot more. Also, he is guaranteed to have this job for a longer time then his old one at Sirius satellite radio. He now commutes to and from Chicago every week (He is home on weekends.) This has affected my family a lot because we have to try to sell our house in Michigan, while this economy is bad and the housing market is terrible. We have to also buy a house in Chicago and we are taking advantage of the bad market to buy a good house for less then we should. My mom got a job so she could help pay for nicer things and I babysit a lot so I can buy my own things, but my parents pay for most of my cloths and movies.

Anonymous said...

The economy affected my family by making my family work harder and longer. My dad works more and gets paid less. My father has to work longer hours and sometimes have to work nights and doubles; he also has to work on Saturdays. My mother has to work all week. The company my dad works for took away our heath insurances; Blue Cross Blue Shield, and gave us another kind that is not as good. The Union that takes money from my father’s pay check is doing nothing about it. My parent and family members give fewer and less expensive gifts during the holidays. We are not setting up the lights this winter for Christmas because the electric bill would be too much. We will not be turning on the heat in my house in till it gets colder. They make me pay for anything I want except if it is a birth day gift or Christmas gift, an example is that my father bought me a $364 dollar gas powers remote controlled car for my birth day last year. They will pay for anything I need like school supplies. My family does not go out to eat as much as we used to.
Damien Dorre/ 5th hour/ Wickersham/ 11-11-09

Anonymous said...

Kevin Ross-5th Hour

The economy has affected my family a little but not too crazy. We have cut down a lot when buying things, because no job is safe right now. With my mom being involved with the auto industry it is really scary because companies are making a lot of cuts. I think that around holidays, we have cut down a little and not getting the most expensive things that people want or as much stuff. My parents do make me pay for things, not everything I want but a good amount of stuff; sometimes they will help pay for something I want, if I do good in school or something along those lines. With this economy, I have noticed that we will not go out to eat or buy the most expensive things to eat. So yes, this economy has affected my family, but not to the point where we won’t buy anything, but we are very careful about our spending because you never know what could happen. We want to make sure that if one of my parents did lose their jobs, that we would be ok for little while until they found another job. So as of now the economy has affected me and my family

Anonymous said...

Jennifer Levin
1st hour

My family tries to pay less for groceries, and when shopping we try to look for sales and avoid buying things we don’t need. We use lots of coupons to save money. Some of our very good friends have had to move away so their parents could get new jobs. My family owns a lake house, and we have been trying to sell some of the property in the past few years, but we have been unable to do so because of the economic recession. We have received very few potential buyers as a result. My parents have also cut back on spending money on Christmas gifts. Many people are losing money and are no longer able to afford health care. My father co-owns a cardiology practice at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Recently, both his and other practices have started providing free care to patients because they don’t have health insurance. This hurts the hospital because it makes less money from these patients. My parents have always made me pay for most of the things I buy; for example: I have to pay for anything I purchase at the mall and when I go out to eat with my friends. However, when I go back to school shopping with my mom, she helps me pay for some things. This has always been a rule in my family, but during this economic recession it has gotten stricter.

Anonymous said...

Malarie French
3rd hour

The economy has affected my family by we are more prepared now and saving money. My family won’t go out to eat, go shopping, or spend money in any way that much anymore. We are trying to pay off anything that could get us in trouble for if the economy gets even worse. It almost caused my dad to lose his job. He made his resume and is prepared for anything wrong. We a few years back decided for holidays that our extended family will only spend $15 most per child. Then, my parents told us that for Christmas we won’t spend as much money as we used to. My parents would make me pay for some stuff, but I honestly don’t get that much stuff. I don’t go shopping that often as is. For school work, my parents will pay for posters, pencils, etcetera though. My parents never have given me anything I want just out of the blue, it would have to be Christmas or my birthday in order to get something from them. I currently haven’t gotten a job, but I’m taking lifeguard training through the school third trimester and hoping I can get a job this summer as a lifeguard at Woodside or BHAC. I’ve been wanting to help out with my family though and have been asking around for jobs, like babysitting, and then I have talked to people about working somewhere close.

Anonymous said...

The economy has effected my family by i get less of the amount for my allowence and they dont give me as much spending money. Also my uncle has gotten laid off because he works at chrysler and he has been needing help out with some money. I dont buy less, actually i buy more.We get the same amount of holiday present as any other year, i dont think that since the economy is doing bad my family is doing bad.Also, my family gives out the same amount of gifts to our other family members too. Yes, my parents make me pay for more things than i usually do. When my parents see i have money they make me by everything that i wanted. Also they sometimes make me buy things for them. No, i havent got a job yet but when i turn 16 im going to get a job to help them and me out with some extra cash. ALso i hope when i get my job that i still get my allowence.

Adam Pauley
history 1st hour

Anonymous said...

The economy hasn’t affected my immediate family much at this point. I haven’t been very informed about the effects of this yet, but my dad is a doctor and I know he’s very disappointed with the new health care plan. From what I’ve been told I know that at some point his pay will be cut. My mom, being in the acting business, isn’t yet affected by the economy. But some of my extended family struggles with work; my uncle has three kids and he owned a mortgage company and my aunt was a stay at home mom, then when the economy got bad, his mortgage company failed to survive. Both my uncle and aunt recently went to medical school, and are trying to catch up on money with that. Because of this, at holidays they have limited amount of money to spend on gifts. Since my parents do not have any financial pressure, I don’t have to pay for my own things because they understand I can’t find a job at my age and in this economy. Although my dad has a good income, he always bargain shops to save money. One thing my dad always says is that you can never think you’re safe with this economy, no matter how much money you have (which is a pretty pessimistic view in my opinion, but I guess it’s true).
Sydnee Cohen
5th hour

Anonymous said...

I’m not sure how the economy affects me personally because my parents are the ones who pay the bills, but I do see it effecting people around me. My dad works at a hospital so he doesn’t necessarily need to worry about getting fired, but getting his pay cut down he does. At our church we now have a separate offering for people who have lost their jobs or need help paying bills, and I know there is more than a couple people who really need the help. No matter what your job is you cant be too carful with the changing economy. Some family friends work for the car companies and their hours and salaries have gone down a lot or have just lost their jobs all together. Some people have already started their holiday shopping because things are cheaper now, and some people are saving the coupons in magazines, it’s a great way to start saving money.

Melissa Pace 1st hour

Anonymous said...

Even though Michigan’s economy is in a very bad position right now I have not been affected by it. Actually I have been helped by it. Since I run my own lawn business, more people now are hiring me to rake and mow their lawn instead of the big businesses because I charge less than they do. Since the beginning of summer I have I have actually gotten a few more jobs because people see that I charge less and my work is just as good as other businesses work because of this I have been earning more money this year. It has also not affected me too much because it hasn’t affected my family yet. My dad is a banker and my mom works as a dentist. Both of their jobs are sturdy right now so I think that we are in pretty good shape. This does not mean that my family is not affected by it at all though. My parents still spend their money very wisely and always compare prices before they buy. My parents now make me buy more things that I want than before because they realize that they cannot spend their money on extra things. They have also taught me to spend my money wisely in this economy because you never know what will happen. My hopes in the future are that the economy improves and that my parent’s jobs and my job still remain sturdy.

alex allen

Anonymous said...

My family has been affected in different ways by the economic downturn in Michigan. My parents are divorced and have different financial situations accordingly. This last year my mom lost her job working in a legal firm and has not been able to find one since. She is not necessarily needy for money but she is not living extravagantly right now to say the least. She has been receiving unemployment checks and is hoping to find a new job soon since this recession is almost over. My dad on the other hand is now remarried and makes a good salary to begin with. On this side of the family, he is not affected as much by the recession. Having a spouse who also makes a good income helps a lot. And although we cannot go and just buy everything we want, we are still living ok and getting along just fine. A lot of people in Michigan right now are suffering though, but I consider myself lucky because living in an area like Birmingham/ Beverly Hills has never caused me to be financially conscious. Overall, my family has been hit somewhat by the recession but we avoided the worst of it.

-Andrew Williams
3rd Hour

Anonymous said...

The economy has not affected my family at all. We do not buy less, nor do we give fewer gifts at holidays. My parents don’t give us any less money to spend and do give us what we want. I have not gotten a job to help out. My brothers applied for a few jobs, however. They have not been able to get a job though because not many places are hiring. My parents are both self-employed so they are not worried about getting fired, because they can’t.
I know that, at places like my ballet company’s’, prices have increased because of the economy. Tickets for seeing it has gone up from 15 dollars to 20.
Businesses have recently opened, just to be rapidly closed. Many other places are trying to attract customers by giving better deals. This has actually helped us because we have been getting better deals at different stores.
We don’t go shopping a lot in the fall and winter, naturally, because we get all of our clothes during the summer when Nordstrom’s has their annual sale. This hasn’t changed at all, though. My family and I have been doing this since as long as I can remember.

-Lizzy, 1st hour

Alex said...

The recession has not affected our family directly. My mom is a healthcare executive, and my dad is a master plumber. I know my parents have been giving more money to different charities to help the less fortunate, or those out of work totally. The economy has affected some of my uncles—one on each side of the family. On my dad’s side, his brother-in-law had to move out of state to find a job. He did find a very good job—but that means he has to come home on weekends, or every couple of weeks to see his family. As far as my mom’s side, her brother-in-law lost his job—luckily his wife, my aunt, works, but we have to help them because they are definitely struggling.
My parents have asked us to be aware of others that are in need. My brother and I have tried to help others as best we can. We have both gone through and given our slightly worn clothes, as well as play station, x-box, etc. games to kids that we know are in need. It is like Christmas Day to them—only a month ahead of time! Watching these kids and families faces when they receive our clothes or games—they were so thankful. It was like we gave them a million dollars!
My parents have always raised us to be very thankful for what we have, or what we receive, and not to take things for granted. I hope all parents are like mine-to always helps the less fortunate in life—because no one knows what could happen with them!

Alex Victor
5th Hour
11-11-09

Anonymous said...

The economy affected my family because my mom budgets monthly expenses more carefully. We eat a lot more home cooked meals instead of spending extra money to eat out. To save money on the gas spent in the house we turn down the heat using blankets as a substitute for more warmth. We buy things that we need first before we buy items or products we want for leisure. My parents give one or two gifts, but generally they are nice unique gifts that can possibly be a necessity. Yes, I pay for things more often, but during the winter I don’t work because my job is on a golf course. My mother doesn’t give me anything I want anymore. When I would get what I want and I would rarely use what she bought if I became bored with it. Now, we cannot afford to spend money on items that have a chance of not being used. Yes, I have gotten a job originally to help out and be able to buy wants. I worked as a caddy at Franklin hills golf course, but later on I would be allowed to keep my money that I earned. The economy might have sabotaged the chance of me getting a car for a 16th birthday present.

Keon Collier
3rd hour

Anonymous said...

Alex Valente
5th Hour

The economic conditions in Michigan have affected my family a little bit but not too much. My mom is back at work so that we can have more money for things that we like to do and not just things that we need. My step dad works in the auto industry, so it is kind of scary because that industry is doing very badly. We buy a little bit less food for lunches because we don’t get all the expensive stuff anymore. My parents do spend less money on presents during the holidays. They set a certain amount of money that they want to spend on each kid. That amount has been lowered in the last couple of years. They make us pay for our own gas in the car. I don’t have to pay that yet because I don’t have my license yet. I am currently working on getting a job. I am not getting it to help my parents pay for stuff. I am trying because I have to pay for more stuff on my own. I haven’t gotten a job yet because in this economy it is very hard to get one. There are people who have gotten laid off that are taking jobs that teens would usually try to get because these people don’t have any other options.

Anonymous said...

The change in the economy has changed my family for a couple of reasons, but nothing too drastic. One of these reasons is questioning things we buy. We have to decide before we buy a big purchase if it is worth it in the long run, and whether or not we really need it. When we were younger we expected certain things to happen, like getting a certain present for the holidays or for a big birthday, but nowadays those things are considered a privilege. Another way the economy has affected me is that instead of getting money from my parents to do things with friends, I now have to pay for all of those things, like movies, events like concerts or dinners, or trips. Because I no longer had a constant source of income for the things I want to do I have worked at a couple of jobs to earn my free spending money. Over the past couple of years I have babysat here and there, and last spring I was a baseball and softball umpire for Franklin Baseball League. All summer I worked on landscaping for my family for money that I could use. My parents said that along with the obvious benefit of money, this has taught me valuable economic lessons I will never forget.
Elyse Dumas - 5th hour

Anonymous said...

Scott Crosthwaite
5th hour

I think Michigan’s economy has affected my family and me but I haven’t really noticed it. Michigan’s economy has gone down dramatically so what my family and me have to do is watch what we buy, and how we spend our money. We have to spend our money very wisely. We can’t just go off and buy whatever we want we have to pick and choose. Yes, at holidays or special occasions when we have to get gifts for people we do set back on the price and buy fewer things for our relatives or friends. We have bought fewer items in this past year than any other years before this economy had gone down. It has very much effected my moms sister because she just got a divorce and she is desperately trying to find a good job that pays well but we all know those are hard to find. I try to tell my mom and my dad not to spend so much and my dad listens but my mom just keeps buying stuff for the house, and I tell her that the economy sucks but she just doesn’t care. Those are some examples that show you how my family has been affected by Michigan’s economy.

Anonymous said...

The failing economy has not really affected my family. In a few ways it has affected us though. Neither my parents, nor grandparents lost their jobs or customers. We are still affected by the price increase on daily necessities. Such as food or even the Groves school store. The Groves school store has made a price increase in the beginning of the year from the previous $1.00 to $1.25 on most items. To make up for these general increases, or for future funds in case of another drastic plummet from the economy; we try to save on things that we might not need, but simply want. One of the simplest ideas that my family does is going out for dinner less frequently; we can live eating at home a few more times. Sometimes, I might have to pack a lunch or pay with my own money because my dad would give me money for four days of the week. My family tries to buy things at cheaper prices such as shoes, they could be bought at seventy dollars or fifty dollars then my family would go for the fifty dollar shoes and then have some money afterwards. On holidays or birthdays we buy the same amount, besides it only comes around a few times a year. The recession has made my family make minor changes in our life to save money and hold out in the marathon called life.
Ezra W.
Hour 3

Anonymous said...

Kendal Gumbleton
1st hour

The economy hasn’t affected my family as much as it has most families in the country right now, the biggest affect is my mom works as a rep for manufacturers of car parts and she now only works 3 days a week and she’s had to cut back on how much money she spends. In other means my family doesn’t really buy that much less than we used to, but in my extended family some of them aren’t doing quite as well as we are in the current economy and they have had to cut down on spending. Also for holidays some of my extended family doesn’t really buy as much as they used to for presents for their families and the rest of us. Thankfully my dad doesn’t work in the automotive industry and his job is a Michigan based nonprofit company that they haven’t had much cut backs at all. I don’t really pay for much more than I used to, but I usually have to buy my own things anyways so that hasn’t affected me too much. I do have a job right now, but it’s not to help out with my family’s spending as much as my own so that I can buy the things that I want without having to ask my parents for money.

Anonymous said...

Alvin Pitris
3rd hr.

The economy has affected my family by making us have less of a disposable income. We don't have the disposable income we used to have. We don't just buy things and don't think about it anymore. Now we make a conscious effort to save money on things we buy. Now we don't always just buy what we feel like, we buy things when its needed. We do buy less now. Also I don't just get what I want as much, I pay for more things myself now. Also some houses in my neighborhood that are for sell, that would regularly sell relatively quickly have not sold. And the houses that are for sell, and do sell, sell for significantly less than if the housing economy wasn't so down. It is strange how the housing economy works sometimes, because some houses in my neighborhood as I said won't sell, but my old neighbors house was put for sell, because she passed away, sold relatively fast, that happens sometimes now also because the people looking for houses can find excellent deals on houses. Things I don't need, I pay for. We also eat at home more often than we used to. Although the economy has affected my family, it hasn't made me get a job. I don't even want a job, although I'm sure if I did try, it would be difficult because of the shortage of jobs.

Anonymous said...

We have felt the economic downturn by being more cautious with our money. At grocery stores we now check to see what the sale items are and if there are rewards for shopping at the store. We also try to buy Michigan made products at stores when we can. My parents still pay for most of my things but I do pay for some, and I do not have to work or babysit for anyone. My sister who is in college is also tight with her money and only spends it when she needs to. We have also stopped going on as many family vacations. When I go shopping with my friends I only buy things that I would need or use in the future. We have cut back on the number of presents we get on holidays and other occasions, like birthdays. My Father got out of the car industry and moved into a solar panel company, and my Mother stopped working when I was born. Our economic situation is not bad enough that my Mother needs to go back to work.


Sarah Knoll 3rd Hour

Anonymous said...

The economy has caused our family to make minor changes in our everyday live. We have had to cut down on spending and my parents try to work as long as they can. When we watch our spending, we are making sure we are buying only the essentials, looking for sales and discounts, using less utilities like water and electricity, plan our trips to make good use of gas. When I want to buy something that I don’t need, my parents have me use my own money. My parents are still willing to help me out when I want something, but I need to write them an I.O.U. There have been slightly fewer gifts at Christmas. Surprisingly, my parents haven’t limited the extracurricular activities my brother and I do. My father was self employed and just recently decided to stop the work he was doing due to physical limitations. He now has two jobs. He has one at The Great Indoors during the day, and one at my brother’s school as a janitor at night. He is only working part time, but hopefully he will soon move up. We are also looking for a foreclosed home for my grandma to move into.
-Amanda Carrick 5th hour

Harshita Pinnamaneni said...

Fortunately, during this recession my parents have been able to keep there jobs. Even though this is true we still have to cut our costs on unnecessary things so if something does change in the future we will be prepared. We cut down on simple things like eating out less, and using coupons, etc… During holidays my family has cut down on gifts and expenses which is highly understandable considering the circumstances of the economy. My parents still do pay for most of my expenses but mostly because they want me to save my own money and also because I don’t have an allowance; however if I do choose to spend some of my money then I do have to pay for a few of my expenses. But I still try to cut down on my own expenses like shopping for clothes, or going to the movies; I also try to ask for less to reduce spending, so since I don’t ask for too much I usually get the thing that I want as long as its realistic in that present situation; however there are also times of disappointment that I face when I don’t get the thing that I want but once again that is understandable with this current economic climate. I currently do not have a job but I plan on looking for a job in the near future, like in a year or so, when I am a little bit older.

Harshita P.

Anonymous said...

1st hour
11/11/09
Natalie Hords

Michigan's economy is a scary thing. One second you could be on top of the world, then the next you're struggling to make payments on things that you never thought you'd have to worry about. Sometimes that struggle gets to be too much and people end up loosing their homes or other items important to them. Fortunately my family doesn't have that struggle and I'm thankful everyday for what i have and the things i don't have to worry about financially. But there is always that fear that in a split second we could end up being short on cash, so we try to cut back on groceries and go to places where they sell things cheaper. We take shorter showers and always turn the lights off when we leave the room so that the bills will be bearable to look at. My parents only get presents for their close friends, but i think that it has always been that way. Also my brother and i have never really needed a bunch of presents piled up around the house during the holidays, we normally get a few presents that we want, then we get a few presents that we need (computer storage space, printer, socks to replace the one's with holes... etc.) so that hasn't changed much either. No i don't get everything i want, and i don't expect to get everything i want. If i really really want something that i know my parents wont get for me then ill save up my money and buy it on my own. Over the years i've noticed i've had to pay for more things, but i think that's only because of my age and i should be paying for some of my own things. I haven't gotten a job, I helped out at my dads office over the summer.. but I'm not sure if that counts. This upcoming summer I'll get a job so i can support myself further and save up for my future because with this economy, you never know what's going to happen.

Anonymous said...

Crystal Oropeza 3rd Hour

The economy has affected my family, but not too much. Since I don't pay bills I don't really notice what all is going on. I have realized though that we have to pay much more for things. We try to save money so we don't become broke because of the economy. When we shop we look for good deals, and we won't buy not needed things. We haven't necessarily been too much affected but we look in the future at what may happen to us. I don't get all the things I want when I want now, and I have to be smart about things I do buy. Some of my cousins have cut back on holiday gifts and started having a drawing for people to give one present to certain people to save money but still share the Christmas spirit. My family also has two cottage's on the lake. We have been trying to sell one, but no one will buy it because of the economy. Now we have to manage keeping up not only one extra house, but two. Also, I don't really get as much money as I used to from my parents to spend, I still get a good amount, but this is the result of the not so good economy.

Anonymous said...

Kaleigh L.T. Passarelli
U.S. History 1st hour-10th grade

This economy has affected my family because last year my parents were worried that they might loss their jobs. Luckily they didn’t or we most likely would have had to move. My family is careful about what we buy and how often we buy it. I had to get dry ice to practice a science demonstration with and it cost $10 and I was only able to get it two times, because it wasn’t a necessity, it was an unnecessary item. We used to go out and see a movie maybe every month or so, but so far this year we have seen Fame, and This is It and that’s it. We used to go out and eat sometimes, but lately we have been eating at home. On my street the house prices have gone down because we have one house that was foreclosed, one that was abandoned and another that caught on fire during the summer, so even if my family wanted to move we wouldn’t be able to because our house would sell for way less than it’s worth. Many of my friends’ parents have lost their jobs and are trying like nuts to find a new job so they don’t have to move away. I really just hope that by the time I get out of collage this whole problem will be gone and then a big field of job opportunities will be opened.

Anonymous said...

Blake Jackson
5th Hour
The economy has greatly affected my family with most of my family moving around from house to house all of them have had problems selling their old homes. We found it easier after nearly 3 years on the market for my family just to rent out my stepfather houses. When that wasn’t working out the way we planned we dropped the price on the house by a lot of money. With the problems in the economy my mother was forced to take a second job on her day off once a week and on the weekend. We have also begun to buy less especially during holiday season. On Christmas we decided that instead of buying a gift for everyone like we had done before we decided it was best for every one only to buy one gift for one other person. Instead of paying for pointless things like we used to me and my brother tend to do the work needed. I haven’t gotten a job but I do, do a lot more work around the house and get paid to do yard work for my family instead of them hiring a company for their work. Needless spending has been cut back by my family and most of my family is now considering moving out of the state and has been for a while.

Anonymous said...

Griffin Harms
1st Hour
The current economy in Michigan has affected my family, but probably not as much as it affects most people in Michigan. Since my dad works in the automotive industry, there is always the possibility that he could lose his job. However, there is not that much of a risk because there are many other people that would be cut before him. The economy has had us cut back on spending. We cannot always buy what we want right when we want it. We usually have to wait until it lowers in price if its something that we want but don't need. I currently have several jobs so that I can buy the things that I want and save money for a car in my near future. In terms of holiday spending, I have not noticed much of a change, but we never did spend outrageous amounts of money on holidays. So, personally, the current economy has not affected me, but it has affected my family as a whole.

Anonymous said...

The economy has definitely affected my family in a few ways. Just as it is for most people, money is tight. Before these tough economic times, spending required much less thought. You could go out to a mean, or buy a new pair of jeans without having to worry about whether or not it was a necessity that needed to be bought. Now, you really need to put everything into consideration before buying. Overall, spending for most families including my own has been reduced. As a result, we obviously try to buy less things. During the past year, there was certainly a cutback of gifts during holidays. Since everybody needs to be watching what they need to be buying for themselves, there is obviously less gifts being bought (and money being spent) on other people. I still get an allowance for doing work around the house, but I don’t ask for/receive any money additional to that, and I try to be more independent with my purchases. As of right now, I don’t have a job (although I have looked), but I intend to get a job soon. Because of this, I have tried to help my parents out by asking for less, unnecessary things.
Brad Benghiat 1st Hour

Anonymous said...

Tim Wimbush
5th Hour

The Michigan recession has affected my family quite badly. because my family is forced to stop buying the things that we want and start to only buy things that we need. it has also affected my moms business who as before had many customers but now due to the recession has much less than before which has an impact on my family financially.I also am affected by the Michigan recession because i know must start buying things on my own with out my parents giving me money every time i ask for some. So therefore leading me to getting a job to help support myself without my family having to sacrifice themselves financially to satisfy my present needs and wants.But on the other side my dad hasnt really felt the effect of Michigan awful recession thankfully because his job is more of a stable one and one which includes not many changes,but there has been talk of my dads benefits being effected in the near future.because the company he now works for may have to cut back to save the rest of the employees. but in the end no matter what, some how the Michigan recession has effected us all in some way or another.

Alice Turner said...

The economy recession has definitely affected my family. We buy less and it always seems like we need just a few more dollars to get by. We used to go out to dinner fairly often, about once or twice a month but now only go out about once every 3 months. We’ve cut back on everything – even the necessities in order to keep up with the rising cost of our bills that somehow start to get outrageously high. (Once we received an 800-dollar water bill and that month we had to scramble to squeeze the money out of everywhere.) My parents keep a separate savings account for vacations we take in the summer and it seems like dipping in to that account has become much more frequent and regular. Buying things on my own is something I’ve always really had to do so I don’t see much of a change there but I have gotten a job to make things easier. This past summer, my parents seemed to rack up quite a bit of debt so they decided to try and take a second mortgage out on our house. They applied and has the house appraised at a fraction of what we even thought we would get for it. This is simply because they took in to consideration the selling value at the homes around us, which were exceedingly low. The effect of the economy is seen everywhere and seems like an endless cycle.

Anonymous said...

Due to the recession the building company that my dad worked for started to lay off workers. Because of this my dad found a new job before he would eventually be let go from the company. While my dad continues to do the same job at this new company he is making less money than he used to and this has caused our family to take some setbacks. We had to start trying to spend less on everyday items including food and clothing. Also, my mom had to go back to working after being a stay at home mom for many years. While the setbacks are not very large it is still a change in the way we live. This recession is also affecting other people in my family, those of which are doing much worse than my immediate family. My grandmother, who works in real estate, is doing much worse due to the crash of the housing market. Because of this she and my uncle, who is out of a job, come over for dinner every Sunday. While my family is being affected in some ways I believe it could be much worse and I am glad to be as fortunate as I am.

Jimmy McCafferty
5th hour

Anonymous said...

The economy has affected my family in many ways but there have not been any drastic changes. Since my dad is in the auto industry, we need to be much more careful on what we spend out money on because he could be let off at any time. Last year, the head advertisement agency threatened to close my dad’s office, which would mean he would be let go. This sent out family into a state of shock and we did not know what to do. That Christmas, my sisters and I received very little gifts because we didn’t know if my dad was still going to have a job or not. It turned out that they did not fire my dads company so he is still working there. Now, my parents do make me pay for a lot of things that are personal; baseball bats, hockey sticks, etc. Also, this winter, my parents are making me get a job so I can pay for gas and any snowboarding trips I take. But my parents do pay for important things for me like school, clothing, and the house we are in. The economy has affected my family, but right now, we are still fine and nothing drastic has happened.

Jake Balicki
3rd Hour

Anonymous said...

Ari Franklin
5th hour

The economy has affected family in a big way. We have been trying to drive around less and carpool with the rest of my family. This is because my family is very large and it is a big waste of gas to drive one child somewhere and then come back to pick up the other one. I haven’t gotten any unnecessary goods in a while such as toys and electronics. My Parents still give me the same amount of gifts on the holidays but the rest of my family gives me a lot less. For things that I want, that my parents feel are not necessary, I have to pay for them with my own money. I have been trying to get a job lately but I haven’t been able to. This is because the jobs that are usually open to teenagers are being taken up by people that have been laid off. This is a good thing though because my family doesn’t need me to get a job to help out that much and the people who have been laid off need those jobs way more than me. Overall I think that I have it better off than most people during these hard times but I am very grateful for it.

Anonymous said...

Well my dad works at Johnson Control (JCI), it’s just like Lear Corporation, they design and create things for cars and sell them to car companies like Ford and GM. With the car companies these days going down the drains, they produce fewer cars and become more independent which causes JCI to have less to offer and sell. Lots of my dad’s work friends are getting laid off. JCI has been more than ever finding new ways to save money. They toke out the coffee machines that they used to just offer for free. They toke out most of the color printers and encourage workers to keep the use of the printers to a minimum. They recently started to do the majority of their work to foreign companies like Nissan. Of course all the stocks my dad had in JCI went shooting down from $42.32 in October of 2007, to $27.53 a share. We haven’t been affected to badly at home, but we have been doing things to help save money like not using the heat as much as we used too. We also last month bought new efficient shower heads to cut back on the use of water.

Muhannad Albakkour 5th Hour

Anonymous said...

alex wong

My family has been hit kind of hard by the resection but it has been my extended family the most not just my immediate family my mom and dad’s jobs are ok because they both work for companies and things that depend on them. My dad is a structural specialist for DTE and is the main go to guy for questions on cracks on the equipment and for seeing how much a load can carry. He is also the guy who tells them if they need to get a new turbine or if it is cheaper to fix it general electric will send a guy over to look at it but they will usually say buy another 100 million dollar machine from us so my dad is there to decide if they need to. My mom works in the emergency room at Beaumont hospital and is at a good place because we are only at her house every other week and she can fill in for people who need the day off. Another good thing that is about her job is that they just changed the rules and that means there will be less layoffs, the bad part is that she will need to get 40 hours a week and then some to receive over time. My mom’s jobs are pretty cool because she works three days a week and is home the rest of the time.

ian frederik 3rd hour said...

The economy has affected everyone differently. There are some who just don’t drive their hummers and are not buying third cars and second houses. There are also those that cannot eat and do not have homes at all. In my families case we do buy less stuff but can still hold the amenities. We do cut down on things we don’t need, every TV channel known to man, keeping every light and other electrically powered appliance turned on. The gift giving is not an issue so far. I believe that people would give gifts even if they are in debt up to their eyeballs to keep their problems hidden from the world. There has been more “character building “by making me buy more stuff by myself. This is partially due to the economy but partially due to the fact that I am going to have to buy my own stuff when I’m older. I do not have a job to help in this economic recession, Partially because it’s called a recession, partially because I’m lazy.

Anonymous said...

Because of the economy I can’t go out as much and I can’t get unnecessary things. We as a family have to watch how much we buy and not over buy. My dad owns his own business and is doing well. He gets a fair amount of work. He is in a roofing business and in this time there are a lot of leaks so therefore he gets business. My mum does not work but at times helps with my dad when he needs it. We now don’t go out as a family to eat as much because of how expensive it is.
Mitch Kelly
3rd hr

Anonymous said...

Ryan Williams
3rd Hour

My family has been affected by the economy, but not in a major way. Now, because of the bad economy my family tries to limit our spending, by only buying things that are necessary or things that are on sale. Like, now we cut our own lawn, and this fall we picked up our own leaves for the first time in a long time. We also go out to eat less, and this winter we aren’t going anywhere for Christmas vacation. My mom has also started to work fulltime now to earn some more money, and my older sister got a job to help pay for things she likes, like clothes, the movies, exc. Also, I got a car a couple of weeks ago and I had to get a smaller car that is easier and less to maintain. But, I’m glad that these are the only thing my family has to change. My next-door neighbors aren’t so lucky, their son and his wife were engineers for Chrysler, and sadly they lost their jobs. So them and their children had to move in their parents (my neighbors), and now they’ve had a hard time finding work again.

Anonymous said...

Matthew Brodley
5th Hour

Michigan’s economy as affected my family big time in many ways. First of all my parents are like heavily trying to turn off as much lights as they can at all times, and it has left my Dad out of a job. My mom is now working 3 jobs and my dad is working none at this time. We had to cut back on lots of our every day necessities such as buying new cloths, a lot of food, and going out to dinner with the family. We indeed buy less now due to the economy and parents not bringing in as much money as they use to. My Parents and family do indeed give less gifts now because they don’t have enough money now to spend on gifts, they have to use the money to pay bill’s and such. As a result of this, I have to pay for pretty much everything I want to get because my parents refuse to buy anything for me which is not a dire need because they need to save that money and use it for important causes. Every once in a while, I do indeed work with my mom at her catering party’s to make a little income of my own, but my mom I don’t think would ever ask me to get a job to help pay for bills. Overall, Michigan’s economy has affected my family in tons of ways which has caused us to make some big cut backs.

Anonymous said...

Jared Monchnik
Hr-5

The economy affected my family because of the price increase things and our spending decrease on wanted goods. The worse part of the recession that has affected my family, is that my father is an architect and my mother, an interior designer. Unfortunately the recession has affected the home market to the point where people aren’t buying houses let-alone build houses because of the immense cost, and no one is redecorating also. With that my dad has less job offers and my mom hasn’t had one in almost 6 months. The thing that affects me personally is the lessoning of spending on goods that we as a family want but do not need. To cope with this we have started eating out less, eating healthier because it proved to be less expensive, and we don’t constantly spend money on cloths. What I have done to help, is I got a lawn-service job and I now pay for all of the goods I own, like cloths, music, movies, and etc. my sister has also done many of the same things as I have, but I think this affected her more than me because she used to get everything she asked for but now she has to save up for those pointless $100 jeans that she has to have.

Anonymous said...

How has the economy affected your family? Do you buy less? Do your parents and family give fewer gifts at holidays? Do they make you pay for things more often instead of just giving you what you want? Have you gotten a job to help out?

The economy has definitely affected my family. My mom has been buying less of the extras like video games and that kind of thing. But the biggest way it has affected my family is that we are going to move to Arizona soon. However, it hasn’t touched me that much personally because I’m not the type of person that likes to go out to eat I don’t really care about clothes or the latest fads. I don’t drive so there is nothing to cut back on there. Also, I don’t even want to learn to drive and I don’t care about cars. I do not want to move to Arizona – I don’t want to leave Michigan – even if the unemployment rate stinks. This is my home and I am uncomfortable about meeting new people.

David Hoffman
11/12/09
3rd period

Anonymous said...

How has the economy affected your family?
The economy hasn’t affected my family to much but it has a little and we didn’t start off rich so now I guess we are average.
Do you buy less?
We don’t buy to much less because my parents use coupons a lot.
Do your parents and family give fewer gifts at holidays?
Gifts are becoming less and less mainly because we want bigger and bigger things not because we are broke
Do they make you pay for things more often instead of just giving you what you want?
I am not allowed to buy anything my parents want me to save my money
Have you gotten a job to help out?
Nope I haven’t needed to get a job yet but I might need to soon
Jake Ryan
3rd hour

Anonymous said...

Austin Rovinski 5th hour-Wickersham

The recession has affected our family in many different ways. Our spening on superfluous items, such as new electrical appliances, has reduced drastcally. Our family is using the most possible out of all our items. In addition, our family is trying to cut back on the resources we use; personally, I reduce the time in the shower in order to save on heating. This recession hasn't had the effect it could have on my family because my family already tries to save money. My family has tried to cut back on presents during Christmas, but I myself mostly attribute my smaller gifts to wanting less things than usual. I do have a job mowing my neighbor's lawn and my lawn, but it doesn't yield much.  

Anonymous said...

Keith Wright
3rd

My family has not been affected by this increase in unemployment as much as most people. None of my family members that I know of have lost their jobs. Both of my parents still work so we are still able to coop with the increase in prices of good. But my parents both work very hard and late they get at work at about 7 am and I don’t normally see them until 8 pm. Now I have to pay for almost all of everything I own now I have been looking for a job but its pretty hard to get a job that you cant get a ride to.

Anonymous said...

Michigan’s economy has greatly affected my family. My mother works in a service industry. Although she still has a job today, her salary this year has been cut over thirty percent. This has really limited our spendable income. After paying the mortgage, putting food on our table, and heating our house, there is little left over. Winter is coming up and I plan to shovel as many driveways as I can, to earn extra spending money.

This economic downturn is making everyone think about their spending habits. Do I really need a new winter coat or can I use the same one I had last year? Is there really a difference between name brand and store brand food? Store brand food really tastes the same as the more expensive, more known, label brand. And my old coat is just as warm as a new one. It is really not important that I see a new movie every Friday, I can wait a month or two till it comes out on DVD. I know the economy is going to pick up and when it does I don’t have to go back to my old ways. I am learning that cutting back really isn’t so horrible.

Corey D. -5th

Anonymous said...

Sarah S.
1st hour

The poor economy has affected many families all across the country. Mainly hitting hard in Michigan. Before the recession began, my family would ignore buying the same products in a lower price and buying things that we don’t necessarily need. Now days when we go shopping, we look at the prices and sale items on different things and try to spend less money as possible. During the times that we share gifts such as Christmas and birthdays, we mainly give each other small items that are inexpensive, or we buy expensive things but receive fewer gifts.
If I wanted to go to the mall to buy clothes I would have to use my own money. But if it’s something little such as a movie ticket or lunch money, then they would give me some. I haven’t gotten a job yet to help out but I am planning on doing that in the summer, that way I can help out my family during these harsh times in our suffering economy.

Anonymous said...

Margeaux Phillips
1st Hour

Lately, I think we’ve all been tightening our belt in one way or another. Around my house, we try not to buy fast food or eat out too much. My dad insists on making dinner at home with the food we already have to save some superfluous spending. We’re big coupon users, and it helps us save tons of money on groceries and a multitude of other essentials. My parents used to just hand out money when I went shopping or out to eat, but now I have to work for the money I spend more. Even when they do spend a little extra cash on me that I don’t deserve, I always feel guilty because I know that it’s hurting their wallets. My dad owns his own business, and business has been a bit slower since the recession. During Christmas and Hanukah my parents have been trying to cut down with the presents. I try not to ask my parents for too much or to stress them out during this tough economic decline. My allowance has decreased a bit, but I don’t mind much, and when my parents lend me some money I always try to pay them back.

Anonymous said...

The economy has hasn't really affected my family. We never really spend a lot on things, so there really hasn't a a big difference. My moms income is our only source of finances so we have always been careful on what we spend. We don't go out to eat a lot and rent movies more than going to the show. I think over the holidays there will be less gifts than before. If there is something that I really want I will wait until the holidays and ask for it then. Also, this summer I might have to start looking for a part time job to pay for things for me on my own. I don't know anyone that has list their job, but seeing how high unemployment rate is kinda is scary. I hope the economy will start to pick up soon so people that have been laid off can start to work again. Also, the more jobs that are cut around here, the more people move out of the state which does not help Michigans economy.
Ashton Botsford
1st hour

Anonymous said...

The economy has hit everyone hard, especially people here in Michigan. The current unemployment rate in Michigan is an astounding 15.3% which is the highest nationwide according to http://www.bls.gov/web/lauhsthl.htm. Some changes I have noticed are when my mom got a new car a last year she got one that has a high mile per gallon rate in order to save money on gas. Other changes I’ve noticed at home are that my family has cut back on the amount of food we purchase because as mentioned in the Consumer Price Index food prices increased 3% and fruit and vegetable prices increased 6.6%. I’ve also noticed that my Mom has done less shopping recently because of the rise in the price of clothing (8-20%). I’ve also noticed that my Dad seems to be constantly worrying about if he’ll make it through the next set of cuts at his office, and it seems that every other week he has to let someone go. Also when I go to out to movies and stuff with my friends I am less likely to get money from my parents, either because of the economy or because I’m 15 and am expected to be able to pay for things like that on my own.

Jon Holland

Anonymous said...

Matt Baker
3rd Hour
My family has been affected greatly by the recession and is facing many problems currently. My dad, who was designer/ business marketer for GM was laid off in late spring and just weeks ago his severance checks ran out and we are finally being confronted by the recession. My mom and my brother both got jobs just prior to my father being let go, now my brother only uses money that he earns at work instead of earning money for chores around the house. I still earn $20 from them for mowing the lawn and must earn everything I buy which has always been the house rules, I also get $20 every week and a half for lunch money at school. My parents have started to buy more off-brand foods and mostly only the essential foods. They are also buy much less material goods like clothes (unless needed due to growth) and trinkets for decorating the house (my mom used to buy a lot of crap that we didn’t need). I currently trying to get a job but have been unsuccessful because I cannot find a business that hires 16 year olds that accept my long hair, because most places that hire people my age are in the food industry and don’t want hair to get in to their food.

Anonymous said...

My family has been affected a little by the recession but not a lot. We lost a good amount of money because my dad is a stockbroker and we had a lot of money invested in the stock market and when it crashed we lost some money. We have to cut back on our goods. We try to not go out to dinner as much and we usually eat cheaper foods. My dad has made more calculated investments and he is trying really hard in work and is trying to get more business. He has also had to stop playing a lot of amateur golf which is one of his favorite things to do (he used to be a pro golfer and had to stop for financial reasons). Also around holiday season try to cut back on spending so we can spend around the same much that we used to. But we still have to cut back on holidays but we try to spend the same amount. Another thing is my sisters and I are trying to get jobs. Even if there part time they will help because we can spend our money on things that we want to spend it on so my parents can save there money. These are some of the things that my parents and I are trying to do to help with the recession.

Nick Pursel -3rd

Anonymous said...

The economy has definitely affected my whole family. The main reason we moved here was because of this economy. When we were living in California, my parents were doing fine with business and money. We had a great life. However, my dad’s brother that lives here in Michigan was not doing so well. In an effort to help my uncle, my dad risked losing everything we had, and flew to Michigan to open up a store with my uncle. They had high hopes for the store and thought it would bring wealth and money to them both, but because of the economy, it did not. My dad got stuck in Michigan opening and closing every day with only my uncle to help him, and even sold the store we had in San Diego. He did not get to see his wife and kids, and it was hard for him to visit all the time. That is where he decided that we all move to Michigan, since the store was not selling and all. My life in Michigan has changed from the life I had in California. My parents do hold back on spending money as much. My mom gives me less money for allowance, and we always like to keep track of how much money we spend every day. I try to save up and my mom is always pressuring me to get a job. My dad has my sisters’ work at the store with him, and my mom has a job too. My sisters have applied for jobs here, but no one is hiring right now. The holidays are stressful, and we all miss our friends and family back home. I hope the economy goes up, so we can get back on track to the way things used to be!

Norell

Anonymous said...

The economy has affected my family because it has been hard to buy a business for my older brother because he doesn’t want to work with my dad anymore, the economy also affected us because the prices at grocery stores have gotten higher, like Sams club, Costco and big stores. We don’t buy less but we try to by things that aren’t too expensive so we have money to buy other things too. No my parents doesn’t really give gifts we buy something huge for each of us then my brothers and sisters buy stuff for each other. No my dad and mom don’t mind giving me money to spend they usually just buy what I ask for unless they think it’s stupid, pointless to buy.

Angelina - 3rd

Anonymous said...

Blog
Jalen Spicer

The Michigan economy hasn’t affected my family as much as other families because both of my parents work for the government. They are correctional officers and it doesn’t affect us, as oppose to someone’s parents who are entrepreneurs, business owners, or depend on the public for money. I haven’t seen a drop in the items we buy from your average grocery store, but the items cost a little less now. One thing that has affected me, is my job searching. Many businesses that I have applied to for a job either is closing down, or they are closed down. My family does try and save as much money as possible by not buying unnecessary items also. We are starting to cut back on things like for instance we don’t even have cable. All we have now is a converter box. We have internet because we need to research, but I have gotten so accustomed to not having cable, that it has become second nature. I also know that the pay and wages are higher elsewhere because we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the US and possibly the world.

Jalen

Anonymous said...

The economy has not really affected me at all because it’s just my dad and I so we always have enough money for the stuff we need or want like food and more expensive so there is not really a problem we don’t really buy less at all because every time a new video game is released I get it with my allowance so I can still get an allowance every week ors for good grades or something else like working on the roof of the house and my dad says he is too old for gifts and all he wants for christmas is peace and quiet all I get for christmas is whatever I choose if I get good grades in school when I want something like a video game or whatever I have to pay for it anyway unless my dad is proud of me for something like good work in school or grades and he sometimes just pays for half of it my dad has worked for a very long time so he has plenty of money to support us so I don’t need to get a job to help support us because I get an allowance I don’t need one to buy the stuff I need
Brian Taylor

Anonymous said...

The economy has affected are family just a lttle bit becuase we dont buy as much as we use. We also some of my stuff i have to pay for which is cool for me because soon i will have to pay stuff for myself.Last year during christmas me and my sister didnt get as much gift as in the past few years but it was cool though.I didnt get a job to help out but proably this year i will.the econmy hasn't my family personally but it's sad to see waht it has done to other cities and michigan i wish i could help but i can't.

Q Money

Anonymous said...

Rudy Schreier 1st Hour
1.Weirdly, the economy has not affected my family at all. I know this sounds unusual, but my mom just got promoted to a partner in a big health care business. She is traveling all over the place making deals with companies and making a lot more speeches. My dad has the same job as he’s had for a while, but he did get promoted to a partner as well, but in his law firm, there are more partners, plus it’s a smaller firm. This is what I know of my family and if they’re hiding something they sure aren’t showing it. My mom seems to buy me more when we go shopping then what she used to, and I always question myself if I need the item or not. I never ask her how we’re doing money wise, but they both never seem like they have anything to hide and I trust them. My parents give about the same amount of gifts. My sister and I can either choose to get one big present, or a few small ones. If my parents make me pay for something, it’s always their money, but I work for it. My house (inside and outside) has many tasks to accomplish. Since my mom isn’t home as much, I always offer to do work for our family for a certain amount of pay. So if I pay for something myself, it’s their money, but also money I earned. I have yet to get a job to help out.

Anonymous said...

The economy has affected my family, but not too badly. We have to watch how much we spend and how much we go out to eat. We also save our money more just in case. We never really got many presents or gifts or anything like that, but now we get even less. My mom is worried about her job because her company is getting rid of jobs in her field along with others. She has been stressed a lot more and working harder. My dad also worries about his business. His company deals a lot with consumer goods and demands, and since they are lowering, he is worried about losing all his business. He is still doing okay money wise, but it has added anxiety. I usually pay for everything i need and want myself, so i dont have to worry about my mom not buying me things anymore. The economy hasnt affected me and my family too much, but it still a worrisome problem.

I dont know why this didnt send on Wednesday and i just noticed today on Powerschool it didnt didnt send, so i had to retype it, sorry.
Rebecca Cook-5th Hour

Anonymous said...

Blog #26 - How has the Michigan economy affected you or your family?
The economy has affected my family a lot. My mom has had to get a job to help out when she has always been a stay at home mom. My dad lost two jobs and is currently looking for another. We use to buy a lot of things we didn’t need, we now only buy the things we do need, and nothing else. Last year and probably this year we don’t give as much on holidays. I also use to go a lot of places that cost money with my friends but now we don’t go as much because it just adds up to a lot of money in the end. It has not gotten to the point where I have to get a job to help out but I do need to get a job so I can pay for things that I do.

Liam Rush 1st Hour

Anonymous said...

1. The poor state of the economy has affected my family in a big way. It has especially affected my mom, who is a massage therapist. Due to the decrease of disposable incomes, many people cannot afford the luxury, or necessity, of massages. Because of this my mom does not get as many customers, which means she does not earn as much money. This also affects me in the fact that I can no longer buy as much personal items as I used to. My mom used to give me all the money I wanted to buy clothes, music, movies, or video games, but now that money is limited and not easily obtained. Also, I have to purchase most of those things with my own money, which I have either earned through doing chores or from my old job. My mom, however, still buys me the same caliber of presents for my birthday, which I really admire. But she also says she won’t buy me a big present for the holidays, which I understand. However, my brother and sister have not been affected by the economy in the same way, which is surprising. They have both found amazing jobs in big cities and are living a good lifestyle right out of college. I am very happy for them.

Isaac -1st

Anonymous said...

The economy has impacted my family in this Michigan recession. Luckily nothing has happened that has caused any drastic life changes, but hopefully things will stay that way. My dad’s business has been getting by, but just barley. The tough economy has impacted my dad’s industry pretty hard. My dad owns a company that distributes heating and cooling to construction sites. Because of the economy, construction has decreased dramatically. Luckily, my mom also has a job that is doing somewhat well. She is an interior decorator. It has affected my family as a whole because there is really, not much extra money available. We have plenty of money for normal expenses, but nothing extravagant. There is not much extra money for savings, or things really expensive. During holidays we can’t get quiet as much things, or expensive things as in previous years. Also, my family can’t go on all of the trips we used to go on. Hopefully the economy will shape up and everyone can go back to their old lives. I’m sure that every one in the entire state is affected in some way by this recession. Some more extreme than others, yet it is hard for every one.

Willie Beattie
3rd Hour

Anonymous said...

Fortunately, my family has not yet been really affected by this recession. We have always been careful with our money, and the only thing we seem to do less is eat out. My family still gives relatively the same amount for the holidays that they always have and around the same quality as well. I have always been excepted to pay for my own stuff with my allowance, and actually have been excepted to do so less lately. Over all my family has not been affected by the recession very much if at all. I and my dad still go camping almost once a month and I have actually started going to a tutoring company, called Sylvain, which is, from what I understand, actually pretty expensive. My dad has also said that if my grades in school are good then he will get me a new computer, which I know is not cheap. I believe the reason why my family has not been affected by the recession yet is because both my parents are hard workers, and both hold important spots in their professions. My dad has taken lunch to work more often than before instead of buying it at the cafeteria they have, but I think that was more of a healthy choice then a cost one.
Jacob Hasenau, 5th hour

Anonymous said...

Luke R.

The economy has affected my family because even though my parents both still have their jobs, we don’t buy unnecessary things. We only have enough money for groceries and other necessary things. We have started to eat in a lot more and barely go out to eat now. This also affects other families because if people aren’t going out to eat then people who rely on restaurants for their income will make much less. I have started to get a lot less around Christmas and birthdays. My family makes us buy things that we want and my brother who has a job has to pay for gas in the car. I have a summer job that I use to buy what I want but only in the summer. I also use this just to buy stuff I want so my parents don’t have too.

Anonymous said...

The economy has impacted my family in this Michigan recession. Luckily nothing has happened that has caused any drastic life changes, but hopefully things will stay that way. My dad’s business has been getting by, but just barley. The tough economy has impacted my dad’s industry pretty hard. My dad owns a company that distributes heating and cooling to construction sites. Because of the economy, construction has decreased dramatically. Luckily, my mom also has a job that is doing somewhat well. She is an interior decorator. It has affected my family as a whole because there is really, not much extra money available. We have plenty of money for normal expenses, but nothing extravagant. There is not much extra money for savings, or things really expensive. During holidays we can’t get quiet as much things, or expensive things as in previous years. Also, my family can’t go on all of the trips we used to go on. Hopefully the economy will shape up and everyone can go back to their old lives. I’m sure that every one in the entire state is affected in some way by this recession. Some more extreme than others, yet it is hard for every one.

Willie Beattie

Anonymous said...

1. The economy hasn’t had a large affect on my family, yet. Neither of my parents have been laid off luckily but my parents are very serious about limiting our spending, we don’t go on as many grocery trips, I’ve had to limit down my coaching sessions for skating, from 4 times a week to twice a week, also we spend more time doing things which don’t require money; which is also a good thing. My parents have been extra hard on encouraging me to find a job, but even if I did get a job it’s not like the money I earned would be used to pay health care, or medical bills right? They want me to get a job so I can see what it’s like to have to work for what you want and need, to learn the value of saving. Although I’m only fifteen, and I’m not familiar with the working experience I can get some-what of an idea of how hard it must be for families in America in times like these.

abbi W.

Anonymous said...

My family has been affected by the states bad economy, but not as worse as other families. My dad owns his own business, so he can’t lose his job. My family saves money by having me work weekends at my dad’s restaurant. Instead of paying someone however many dollars an hour to busboy or hostess, he puts money in my bank account for me. The tips I get is my own spending money, and I don’t have to ask my parents for it. I have been working there for almost two years. My mom also helps out at the restaurant. Last summer my sister and I were planning to take a trip all around Europe to visit family, but my dad decided to wait till next summer when he would have more money saved up for it. Recently, my uncle started celebrating Christmas with us, so if my parents are buying fewer gifts I have not noticed. Also when my mom grocery shops she compares prices. In the beginning of the year my mom bought me my new clothes and school supplies. When I go to the movie theater, the mall, or to the store I usually buy my own things.
Krisitna

Anonymous said...

The economy has affected my family greatly. My mother, who worked at CitiFinancial for a little bit over 10 years was laid off not too long ago. We don't buy as many things as we use to, but she can still put food on the table and we still have a house to live in. Luckily, My mom doesn't have a large family to take care of, it's just me and her so its not that bad. We don't buy as many gifts for family members and friends like we use to around the holidays. We also pretty much buy things that we "need" and not what we "want". My mom doesn't make me pay for anything because I don't have a job at the moment. But when I do get one, I'll spend my money for things instead of her spending her money.

Anonymous said...

Who ever it is, ur blog is going on very well....Keep it up...After reading ur blog i now hav a real feel of being in USA...