How would you describe your recession in six words?

Eric Ringham March 25, 2010, 5:00 AM Mar 25, 2010

Readers of our Minnecon blog have been sending in very brief economic status reports. That gives us Today’s Question: How would you describe your recession in six words?

About the blogger

Eric Ringham

eringham@mpr.org

Aaron M. Moorhead

Hard, harder, hopeless, No way out!

Wade

My life couldn’t get any better!

Peggy

Laid off;

Stove broke;

Hot Meals?

Keith

Temporary investment dip, but better now!

Jenessa Grant

Got laid off

Gone to Korea

Steve

What recession?

Jim

Hate my job

can’t quit it

Mary

A nagging worry like a toothache.

Tasha N

I learned to live with less.

Kai

Less work

Less money

More time

Eric

House still expensive, less income overall.

Deb

Retirement home equals a refrigerator box.

Gary F

Hope and change, thanks President Obama.

David

Increasing job responsibility without increasing pay.

David from Minneapolis

Dave W

What a pain in the ass.

Tony

Family of five.

Three jobs.

Sinking.

Sue de Nim

Disappointment.

Insecurity.

Anxiety.

“Whos to blame?”

Shane

Getting back to what matters most.

Alan

New house. New career. Going great!

Michelle

So glad I have a job!

Katie

Myself: reduced hours

Husband: laid off

Jim G

Dismal expectations for kids. They’re BACK.

Steven

Even debt is hard to get.

Alf

“… solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” – Thomas Hobbes

Steve from up north

I graduated, getting married, yay job 🙂

Kevin

Unemployment pay… better than bounced paychecks

Steve from up north

I graduated, getting married, yay job

Dan

Life temporarily suspended by ignorant others

James

Our leaders don’t care about us.

DTOM

Dayna

Roles changed-husband college, wife work

Philip

If I gotta flip burgers, fine!

Instructive as to what’s really valuable

Tommy

I have chosen not to participate

Rick Johnson

Laid off, search, search, search, retired

Chris

Cheap houses :), Cheap Stocks :), crabby people :(!

Paul

Switched jobs;moved in with friends
Damian Long

Me: Poor. You: Same. Us: Exhausted.
Amy

God’s blessings abound: absolutely no lack!
Rick

Big grows bigger,

most get smaller.
Kathryn B

My husband’s still looking, still jobless
Gayle

Back to school, intern @ age 52.
Julie

Alarm

Disquiet, Distress, Dread

Unease, Unrest
Sieglinde Gassman

Retirement postponed.

Otherwise OK.
Todd

*gulp* okay, still employed, feel lucky
Steve

Reduce debt, cancel cards, spend less.
Scott Brigham

Hunkered down, stayed employed, we’re okay.
Meredith

Lost career, friends, sanity. Found school.
Adam

law school grad, now stay-at-home dad!
Shawn T.

Unemployed, fully employed, unemployed, mostly employed.
Shawn T.

Unemployed, fully employed, unemployed, mostly employed
johnny j abbott

10-15hr/wk $9hr, no health, civil unrest, work til death??
Anthony Herman

Totally ripped, no money for food.
Sheri Bauers

Working 60 hours every single week.
Marion

Confusing, Scary, not Forewarned, not Hopeful.
stu klipper

Hardly anyone is buying art now.
Greg

Your McMansion debt ate my 401K.
Greg

Your McMansion debt ate my 401K.
Carrie

Not where I thought I’d be.
comments sent to MPR

Texts sent to MPR:

Four jobs, but I need five. -Mark, Minneapolis

Paycheck to paycheck. Including odd jobs. -Stephanie, St Paul

Shop local, think global, plan and diversify -Leanne, Waconia

Six months, no contracts; have one. -Kelly, Dearborn

Trying to learn to love simplicity. -Kathryn

Almost lost job, glad I didn’t. -Rob

Was comfortable, soft, now lean, alive. -Mark, Minneapolis

My life couldn’t get any better. -Wade, Rochester

Had it. Lost it. Want it. -Aaron, MN

Scared of layoffs – hasn’t happened yet. -KJ, Minneapolis

Less opportunity, but more neon flip flops. -Anna Lucia Krupp, Minneapolis

Hard times are here, always return. -Dave, Burnsville

I want my old life back. -Scott, New Brighton

Law school debt, BA wage. -Ann, Minneapolis

Family, simplified living, debt elimination, optimism. -Allison, Minneapolis

Look farther, work harder, spend less. -Brad, St. Paul

I am dangling in financial despair. -Julie, Howard Lake

This recession is survivable. -James Allard, Minneapolis

An opportunity to reassess and re-prioritize. -Aimie, Coon Rapids

Anonymous texts:

Not too bad at all. Yep.

Earning and spending less; thankful rest.

Two more jobs no more $.

New car, new house, same job.

Old car, spend less, save more.

JD/MBA with debt but no job.

Would be fine, if lower taxes.

Over-worked and underpaid.

Struggling two steps forward ten backwards.

Live debt free, frugal, doing great!

No work, loans, grad school. Help.

Sold house bought a bigger one.

Not even close to getting started.

Still a temp after 22 months.

No mortgage, no investments, not affected.
Adam

Giving more money to feed hungry.
Charlie

Assets tanked, but I am fine.
Ann Onymous

1: Working

2: Overtime

3: Got

4: Raise

5: What

6: Recession
Mary

Always been frugal, now I’m trendy!
Joanna

Feeling boxed in, lack of possibilities.
Comments from Facebook

Comments from MPR Public Insight’s Facebook page:

Nice concept… it’s like a misery haiku! Here’s mine: “Fifty Thousand Underwater On 05 Mortgage”. -Maria Denise Nichols

Lots to be done; no workers. -Mary Warner

Finally a chance to buy low. -Kimberly Phillips

Fear, anxiety, instability. Society circling drain. -Patrick RichardsFink

My second layoff in 10 months. -Monica Wimpee Digre

depression. unemployment. frugality. panic. debt. panic. Sorry, had to use the word twice. -Jennifer Ruth Malmquist

Lost job had to create job. -Mary Myers

More in the rainy day fund. -Zachary Thorson

Consume less. Live sustainably. Enjoy family. -Derek Barto

Give more to food shelf. -Lois Anderson Garbisch

Laid off, new job. gardening more. 🙂 -Heather Breyer

Contract for deed…still no loan. -Jessica McAlpine

No recession here. Hired three people. –

Steven Carter

Haven’t had one. Sorry for others. -Steven Carter

Eat more of what I grow. -Tish Stewart

Welcome to my world, everyone else. -Meg Ryan Gronau

Really nervous about moving next month! -Lauren Larson

Found new ways to live frugally. -Chris Harrington

Opportunity to change for the better. -Tammy Oseid

Insecurity of future layoffs weighs heavily. -Tonya Van Tol

Take the bus or maybe walk. -Kris Kerzman

At least I still have a job. -Tim Tollerud

Keep it simple, reuse & recycle. -Gail Tufte

Identifying the important things in life. -Edward Jensen

An opportunity to continue my education. -Myah Nelson

Went sailing on other peoples boats! -David Crum

I don’t listen to investment advice. -Melanie Rowan Logan

family. priorities. frugal. saving. enjoying life. -Lisa Barber Zahn

Moved to south padre island Texas. -Melissa Smallman

Unemployed. Healthy. Fit. Frugal. -Josh Agapito Jimenez

Living simply,frugal, and being happy. -Emily Louise Dockendorf

Nothing new for me! -Jo Belvedere

Found solace in the simple things. -Tory Kielbasa

Stay at home mom. -Kim Funk Senne

Are any companies hiring these days? -Erin Trader

Glad I retired before I couldn’t. -David Bergum

Do I really need that? -Gina Stillwell

I’m not eating as much anymore. -Anne Priest
Lesley McDougall

Laid off. Better Job. New house.