I think we've all felt the pinch of a tight economy in some way this year. From the oil spill to the moratorium money has been tight but are we as bad off as the national media tells us we are? Well lets look back thirty years to 1980 and compare. So everybody get out your Members Only Jacket and let's poof up the hair with the mall bangs, we are going back in time.

The price of many day-to-day expenses such as food and even energy increased at a slower pace than over all consumer prices , which means their relative costs are lower, while some big-ticket items, such as education and health care, became more expensive, causing a shift in spending.

So are things that bad or that different? Give a click and you can see for yourself.

(via are-americans-as-poor-as-they-feel:PersonalFinanceNewsfromYahoo!Finance.)

More From 97.3 The Dawg