Darn economy!

[Trigger Man]

media does affect peoples decisions, but in this case I think it is a good thing they are pointing out the downturn. If they were not then people would spend more and probably worry about paying it later, without realizing the whole worlds economies have slowed down. This in turn would cause these people to get hit even harder when the slowdown affects them.
I run my own business lending out money to people who can't get it from the bank or need it really quickly, since September I've had to reposess on properties, which I've been lucky enough to never have had to do in years. Some of the people you feel bad for, but others just continued to travel, eat lavish dinners, buy new cars, and then when money is not coming in for them anymore they don't know what happened, or how it happened.
There is a fine line between enjoying life and living within ones means (tend to get through these times), and just blowing money believing that nothing will affect them.