Our Horrible Economy...When will it get better?

Let's face it, our economy just keeps getting worse. Some companies are shutting down domestic locations and moving over seas where they can get the same work done cheaper. Meanwhile, other companies such as Circuit City, Lane Bryant, KB Toys and Linens N Things are just shutting down altogether. Many other large retailers like Target, Ann Taylor and Gap are closing up to 100s of locations.

But what does this really mean to the average American? Well I can tell you what it means to my family... stress, unsuccessful job hunts, questions as to how we'll pay our bills, late nights and early mornings filling out applications, stress, worry and did I mention stress?? I have been a stay at home mom for over 4 years while I went to college full time. During this time my husband has worked his way up the ladder from a warehouse boy to a manager at our local Circuit City. He has worked his butt off to get where he did in that company, and now it's all gone. Any day now he'll show up to work and the doors will be closed.

All I can think about is whether or not we'll get his next pay check. All he can think about is where else he can put an application in at. In just the last week since we heard the news about the company he has put in around 50 applications, dropped off around 20 resumes and had 2 job interviews. I can say the interviews went well, except that he was over qualified for the first position (we were under the impression it was a management position, but it was actually a supervisor position, making just a small fraction of what he makes now). The second interview was for a company that sells supplemental insurance to elderly and was all commissions and no health care. Great! Now what?

With all of these companies shutting their doors there are no new jobs and no one is leaving their current jobs. More and more Americans are becoming unemployed....and the unemployment that you can get from the government is not nearly enough to pay the monthly bills! It's outrageous! I never thought I would be in this situation. I always felt so bad for others that were losing their jobs but figured they could just go and get a new one..... I now realize that it's just not that easy! In my opinion, the worst part of it all is knowing that it will likely get a lot worse before it gets better. I just hope that we can make it through, financially and emotionally, until it does get better.