Do you feel like you have less money than you used to? Photograph: Getty
Are you feeling less confident in your finances now than you were at the start of the year? If so, you're not alone. According to a poll in today's Guardian, "economic optimism" has fallen away since the beginning of the year, with the number of people feeling gloomy about the future rising by 7%. The pollsters point the finger of blame at falling house prices, rising energy prices and the credit crunch.
Certainly those things have all been in evidence in 2008 - along with stock market jitters and rising petrol prices. Inflation has also increased, with the cost of food - an unavoidable expense - rising at record levels. Despite this, almost half of those questioned still feel confident about the economy and their own financial situation.
Is this because things aren't as bad as they seem from the headlines? Interest rates are still relatively low, employment is high and perhaps many people do have room to absorb some extra costs. Or is it that people are burying their heads in the sand?
Writing on housepricecrash.co.uk, enuii predicts the current level of optimism won't last. Of the numbers saying they feel pessimistic about the future, he says we should "expect 51% to be nearer 60% by April".
Are you still one of the optimists? If so, what would it take to make you worry about the future? And if you are one of the pessimists, what are you doing to stop your worst fears being realised?
