“This is a gross exaggeration. Many (maybe most) people are better off this year than last. They stilll have jobs, their mortgage payments have gone down, gas, electricity and petrol prices have also gone down. There are loads of bargains in the shops. What more can you ask for. It's sad that some people have lost their jobs, but this happens all the time. But things definitely aren't as bad as this article claims. Most people feel less optimistic because of headlines like these not because they are actually worse off.”