How optimistic are you about the economy?

December 2007 marked the start of what would become the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. At the height of said recession, the economy was hemorrhaging jobs at an unprecedented rate. Business were shuttering. Layoffs were touching virtually every industry. The situation was bleak, and it seemed like the sky was going to fall down.

Slowly but surely, we've come out of it, and now the worst appears to be behind us. Consumer confidence has rebounded in a big way, with consumers forking over big bucks on everything from dining and entertainment to cars and homes. When I conduct searches on CareerBuilder and Indeed.com, I see twice -- if not three times -- as many listings for jobs in my field as I saw just a few years ago.

Unfortunately, though, real wage growth remains non-existent, and there are still far too many people out of work. Some people fear it might be another 5-10 years before the economy is in full swing again. Although things have improved, who's to say the economy won't go on another downward spiral?

Hopefully, the recession has taught consumers to be a lot more judicious when it comes to their money and purchase behavior. That they're saving more is a double-edged sword: While it signals that people aren't as profligate as they were prior to the recession, it also means those dollars aren't being used to stimulate the economy.

We should all aim to be responsible consumers. Don't spend frivolously. Don't run up your credit card debt. Don't buy more than you need or can afford.

How positive are you about your financial prospects? Do you feel things have improved considerably, or are you still finding it hard to pay the bills?

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