Hi Thomas,

Every one is affected whether they realize it or not. If you are paying taxes, part of every dollar you earn goes towards the debt. If you have children in school, you are either paying more for private school or class sizes are increasing and assistant teachers are being let go. Traveling is not as easy or as safe as it used to be and service has gone down. If you have parents that do not have a nest egg, you may have to suppliment their income, take care of them, hope a sibling takes care of them, put them up in assisted living facilities, or do nothing for them. All of the above should add stress to your life. Healthcare and insurance has either gone up substantially or has decreased in coverage. You are someone you know don't hang out as much because they are working harder to enjoy the same standard of living they had a few years back.

Louis Datz