Families Hurting

No one would expect a series of questions about personal finance to provoke happy answers right now, so it's no surprise that polling about just that topic in El Universal delivered a shot of pessimism. Fifteen percent of respondents (which the article refers to as Mexican families, but it's unclear if they were all heads of households or what) said they would stop paying electricity bills and other utilities as a response to the crisis. Another 54 percent said they'd cut down on food costs, slightly more than the 50 percent who planned on reducing transportation costs. Seventy-three percent said they spend less on entertainment, with 69 percent saying they'd reduce clothing purchases.

The poll also mentioned a handful of ways that Mexicans are adding to their spending power: 18 percent have pawned something, 16 percent are increasing credit card debt, and 23 are requesting assistance from a government program.