Love Lives not Immune to Recession

A recent survey by Minyanville, a personal finance site, found that about 17% of people said their love life has suffered because of the current economy. Luckily, that is not the majority, as almost three-fourths (74.2%) said their love life is “unchanged—some things are immune from market flux.” And almost 9% are actually seeing a boost in their love life, saying “I’ve gotta do something while I’m staying in and saving money.”

Like it or not, the economy has come into the personal lives of Americans. The majority of Americans find themselves discussing finances more. In fact, 28% say they talk about it so much, it’s in their dreams, according to the survey results. That must be why the National Sleep Foundation found that Americans are losing sleep over their finances (see “Sleep Deficit on the Rise“).

Despite the stress people feel about the economy, most (62%) of the respondents said if they could get back all of the money they lost, they would just start buying again. And the overwhelming majority (92.9%) are brave enough to look at their financial statements. Most also said they understand enough about their personal finances to get through the current crisis (63.6%).

The influx of information on the radio, television, and Web has been helpful for some—and just harrowing for others. About 42% of respondents say the vast information about finances helps them be clearer about what to do with their money. However, a pretty large number say the information just makes them more confused (34.1%). But about one-fourth of respondents “don’t pay attention.” They must have a technique the rest of us haven’t mastered.