Bummed

[malkin]

Sounds like a bona fide bummer to me!

It also sounds like you're making reasonable adjustments and that you'll figure out plenty of ways to have a good time while you muddle through.

During one lousy economic time, I heard someone say he was "riding the crest of the trough" and that phrase still makes me smile.

[tharley]

I understand that completely; we are trying to cut costs everywhere possible. Heck, today I learned how to express my dog's anal glands to save money rather than going to Petco. Not a fun thing to do.

[NoNo]

Every little thing adds up, believe me. I gave up a lot of things the past two years to dig out of my hole, but I am SO glad I did it now. I sleep much better at night. On the other hand, I have family that's in a deep hole and doing very little to get out of it. I don't buy the "Well I'll never pay it all off, so what's a cup of coffee or dinner out?" Um, it's that much more that could have gone towards paying bills. You've got the right mindset and at some point you'll be able to look back and know you did the right thing for your family.