Oct 1, 2008 6:23 pm US/Central
Profile Of A Local Family In Economic Crisis
(CBS)
CBS 2 viewers are sounding off on the effects of the economy. We have received a number of emails. One came from Claudia Bruening of Bolingbrook.
She writes: "Our income has dropped 60 percent within the last two years; we have cleaned out our IRAs, cashed in life insurance policies, and drained our savings accounts." As she told CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker, that has meant big changes in her lifestyle.
It is lunch time for Claudia Bruening. She heads to her favorite restaurant to get a cup of tea - to go. She seldom buys a meal there. She can't afford it. The only reason she sat down Wednesday is to share her story.
"It's hard. It's hard," Bruening said. "You go to bed at night praying to God this can't be happening. Please let me wake up from the nightmare."
The nightmare started two years ago when Claudia's husband lost his $80,000 a year sales job. He was out of work for more than a year and bills piled up.
"It's not the life we planned," Bruening said. "We never thought this would happen to us."
Claudia's husband didn't find a job until a few months ago. But it's in Ohio, where the couple used to live and now they commute. The job only pays $30,000. Claudia doesn't make much more than that.
"I don't' have Internet. I have basic cable," she said. "I eat lots of pasta. I eat chicken when it's on sale. He's eating frozen dinners for a dollar just so we can get the bills paid as best we can."
But the bills are barely getting paid. The couple faces foreclosure on their Bolingbrook home. They've cashed in their IRAs, drained their savings and racked up $30,000 in credit card debt.
"It's sad. We thought we were going to retire," Bruening said. "But we're going to be working for a long time."
Claudia will be watching the Senate vote on the bailout plan closely. She says she's in favor of a rescue plan to improve the economy, but not one that supports bonuses for CEOs.
CBS 2's web department has received a number of emails from people like Claudia. If you'd like to tell us how the economy is affecting you, click here.
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