Though there are faint, flickering hints of light at the end, the nation remains deep inside a very dark tunnel of financial distress. The economic woes of recent years have had staggering impacts on both the national and local level, affecting everything from the value of the property we own to the stability of the jobs upon which we depend for our livelihoods. Battered and beaten by the nation’s economic conditions, it’s easy to come to the harsh conclusion that as individuals, there really isn’t a lot we can do to change the economic picture at the national level.