[merrylander]

Well they want all us 'consumers' to get out there and 'consume', trouble with that is if you are laid off you don't have money, and if you are not laid off you are putting it in the mattress in case you do get laid off.

I have been saying for the last four or five years if you beggar the consumer in a consumer driven economy you have shot yourself in the foot, but they did it anyway. All those wealthy folk don't spend their money here, they travel the world and spend it overseas.

In answer to your question, things are actually a bit better because the Canadian dollar is climbing and my pension comes from Bell Canada.