How badly are consumers getting squeezed?

Is an extra couple of hundred dollars at the gas pump enough to break the budget of the average American? By itself, maybe not. But rising gas prices are just the latest in a series of blows that have consumers tightening their belts.

I have mortgage on my small home in Western Chicago and I’m sure it’s going down in value, but it doesn’t affect my bank account.


It turns out there are a lot of Americans who are trying to make ends meet on a Wendy