What are your personal "economic indicators?"

[ColbertWatcher]

I just read a story in my local paper (excerpted below) and it got me wondering: we know the GOP consider the health and well-being of stock brokers and bankers as their "economic indicators" (a la Santelli), but what do you see as every-day indicators of how the economy is doing? (see the snippet below for examples)

From the Los Angeles Times
The mood out there? Dread, and resolve too
Main Street America has its own set of economic indicators.
By Peter H. King
February 26, 2009

A heightened demand for teddy bears at a California toy store, night lights blinking off across the Texas oil fields, high school students in suburban Detroit walking the halls in last year's clothes, a sudden abundance of available parking spaces on what had been a crowded San Francisco street -- these were the sorts of ground-level economic indicators that came up Wednesday in conversations with Americans a day after President Obama's address to Congress.

While foreclosure rates, unemployment percentages and plunging stock prices trace the outline of the beast, the day-to-day dread it stirs can be more difficult to measure. But it's there, and it's everywhere.

A mid-February Associated Press poll, for example, found that 47% of Americans were worried at some level about losing their jobs, which suggests that 53% have not been paying attention. To borrow from songwriter John Prine, "If heartaches were commercials, we'd all be on TV."

For me it's been how people have moved from shopping at the mega grocery store to the smaller grocery store and the number of people selling things door-to-door.

[NMDemDist2]

1. empty shelves at the grocery store and Dollar store

that is freaking me out....

[LSparkle]

6. You're right -- not a single chicken-flavored Maruchan Instant Lunch ...

on the shelf at one of my local markets the other day (when I
wanted to buy one!).

[ColbertWatcher]

12. Okay, that's even worse. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

11. That is bad. n/t

[panader0]

2. There's still beer in the fridge..........(hic)

[ColbertWatcher]

4. LOL! n/t

[LSparkle]

3. Empty malls ... and empty parking lots

I haven't been a conspicuous consumer for about 4 years now
so I'm not the mall denizen I once was, but when I drive by
empty parking lots and hear about malls cutting down their
hours, then it's a sign that times are getting tough for
more and more people.

[ColbertWatcher]

14. No kidding.

If it's obvious to anyone driving by, how can the GOPers not see it too?

[Broken_Hero]

5. For me, its what people have in their carts...

I hardly ever see anything that isn't essential in peoples carts...its always food, dog food, cleaning supplies, soap, laundry detergent...

Every now and then I see people with a dvd or two...but I see a lot of people just getting the essentials.

Another indicator I have is job security...my wife rode the waves of three weeks of job layoffs, and that was very rough, when our fate was in the palms of her employer...it was scary times.

[ColbertWatcher]

15. True.

Hope everything is going okay for you considering.

[Fire1]

33. Mine is similar to yours petersond. I'm seeing more store

brands and 'value' brands in the MAIN aisles and in grocery carts. Longer lines at fast food places, too.

[thereismore]

7. my stomach contents. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

16. I'm sorry. : ( n/t

[dipsydoodle]

8. They had an interesting one on our UK TV News just now

The Price of a Pig. Now c. £107 : January 2008 was c. £ 77.

I've heard in the past that economists sometimes use Mars Bars...........no not like the one on the swing with the Rolling Stones. In the fiftes Mars Bars were £0.025 each and now they are C. £0.50 each. They're also samller go figure.

[ColbertWatcher]

17. I think here we use the Hershey's bar. Also smaller and more expensive.

One other thing: they changed the packaging to save money.

[leftstreet]

9. The # of Middle Classers R Us going without dental and medical care

Which was once a measurement of sorts for impoverished groups.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Sadly, I think that's been going on for a while now. n/t

[SoCalDem]

10. A store not far from us with a "Grand Opening" balloon & banner

and "Going out of Business" signs in the window..

I guess the ballon is rented, and the time's not up yet:)

[ColbertWatcher]

19. BOTH signs in the window!? I'm confused. n/t

[paulsby]

13. the other day

on the weekend i was at university village (near UW) and the place was frigging PACKED with shoppers.

also, i have not (yet) seen a spike in the type of crime we see with financial disasters. iow, crime rates have not spiked noticeably where i work, and i work amongst tons of middle and lower class as well as some upper class neighborhoods.

i have seen far more restaurants (especially fast food) offering discounts. subway extended their $5 subs to ALL footlong subs (Which is actually a very good deal). McD's is advertising several meals under $3, etc.

so, in brief... i have seen mixed indicators.

[ColbertWatcher]

20. Good to hear. n/t

[Norrin Radd]

35. Fred Meyer is always packed, too.

And Trader Joes.

[wickerwoman]

21. The size of the tent community down the street from me

and the percentage of its inhabitants who are obviously mentally ill.

Likewise, the number of job listings in my particular field which was in the low 600s all last year and is now at 220 without a single one matching my experience and interests. Most of last year I could find three or four jobs a month worth applying for. I haven't seen a job which was worth sending in a resume for in almost three months.

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Scary.

It seems that crack that everyone falls through is getting bigger and bigger.

[slackmaster]

22. Availability and price of small arms ammunition

It's very expensive if you can find it at all.

I may have to set myself up for reloading.

[ColbertWatcher]

24. Interesting. n/t

[rwheeler31]

25. Grandkids are not asking for much,they know.

[ColbertWatcher]

29. That's sad.

Grandkids should never have to do without!

[rvablue]

26. The uptick of empty rentals in the trendy business district...

a couple of years ago there wasn't a one.

And, now, even businesses that were there before I moved here are shutting down.

And the empty shops aren't getting relet.

Then again, one has....someone is venturing to open a new restaurant? Brave soul I would say.

But in the more mini-mall shopping district, the chain restaurants are all packed and the chain stores are all stocked and heavily visited (which I've read is different in some parts).

But seeing the long standing, indie businesses go is a disconcerting.

[ColbertWatcher]

30. "seeing the long standing, indie businesses go is a disconcerting."

Yup. It's the Wal-Martization of America: we're becoming homogenized, but with a distinct lean toward fascism.

[Warpy]

27. Light traffic during the week here in the city

Every strip mall with that "missing tooth" appearance from closed stores.

Less produce selection at the supermarket.

People with safety pins in their clothing that are not being used for fashion.

Very few women wearing skirts because they can't afford new nylons.

Too many "wanted" posts st FreeCycle and Craig's List.

Four pages of job adverts on Sunday when it used to run to two multipage sections.

Smaller and smaller art shows because artists can't afford the trip.

Lots of forehead creases on people going about their business.

[kiranon]

28. Agree. Used to see lots of cars leaving for work and now see just a few.

[ColbertWatcher]

31. Good list.

Interesting point about the nylons, I'd never considered that.

I've heard from others on DU about the advert sections getting smaller and smaller, but not about the shrinking art shows. Artists need to eat too.

[Mr. Hyde]

32. The degree of general negativity and pessimism regarding 401Ks, IRAs, etc.

It used to be, people were all about "riding it out". Now, people are all about "cashing it out".

[ColbertWatcher]

34. I don't blame people for doing that considering ...

... the mess the mega-money-lending institutions have made.

[Kip Humphrey]

36. Lack of trucks on the highways, layoffs due to falling demand in the oil patch.