When I was small child, thought too young to pay attention to grown folks' conversation, I recall older folks talking about the sins of buying things on credit. Yeah, neither a borrower nor a lender be. Who knew a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet would be so profound?

Lenders have tightened the rules on loaning money thus forcing Americans to live within their means. The years of greed are gone for most of us and the bloodletting hasn't ceased.

As employers continue layoffs and families continue to tighten their belts, more fiscal challenges await.

When all is said and done, we must and will overcome this fiscal challenge the same way we've done in the past. No time for whining. We just have to do what we have to do. Changing our lifestyle won't be easy but it is necessary.