Times are hard right now and while we have not really been hit by recession, we have our family and friends hit by it and we, too, suffer. We feel it because prices of commodities are high and getting loans are harder to get approved for. Finacial analysts have been recommending debt consolidation for people burdened with credit card debt – it will help make things easier to pay for in the long run. It really is time to tighten our belts a little bit!