This is just an observation but I have noticed more people discussing the economy and with strangers. For example, a woman just discussed this same subject the other day with me. We struck up a conversation at a grocery store over a sale item when she offered, “I can’t hardly afford to buy groceries anymore”. This has occured with me at many places and I have noticed an increase in the last few months. Just a thought.
In the past few months I've had a couple of people (not homeless bums) come up to me in the grocery store and ask me to buy groceries for them.