Ponderings of a Scientist

The U.S. is in a recession, but what does this mean for me?

• Yes, my house is now worth less then I owe on my mortgage, but that won’t really matter for a few more years until we try to move into a new school district in anticipation of kindergarden;
• Yes, my husband would like a new job, but can’t really risk leaving the relative security of a University job which still has a good (relatively) health insurance plan, and still double matches his retirement savings, but (as bad as this sounds) I don’t go to work with him everyday so while I sympathize, it doesn’t affect me everyday the way it affects him and were so busy otherwise we don’t harp on it;
• Yes, our retirement/college investment accounts are down, way down, but again this doesn’t really matter for another 17 years;
• Yes I’ve heard of a few friends of friends who have lost their jobs, but again this is a bit in the abstract not having met these people;
• Yes I have a family member who thought she would lose her job and another in the auto industry, but to date (knocking on wood) they are still working;

The reality is I don’t feel the recession in my day to day life.  In fact, we have been on a bit of a spending spree - new carpet, a vacation, planning for a new bathroom….

So why am I writing this post?  Because today the recession hit a little closer to home?  I posted some baby toys for sale on Craigslist and I got a response from a woman asking me to sell them to her at a reduced price, because she has 4 children and is now layed off.  I just met the woman and her husband, when they picked up the toys, which I sold to them at a discount, and the recession has now hit home!