Grinding Recession Fractures Careers, Teeth

On the surface, it is peaceful at Cathy Mazzuchi’s home on Penni Lane. Inside, her two teenagers are reading. Outside, beneath the blue suburban skies, the birds are singing. But underneath all this, there is the stress. Those kids, Mazzuchi knows they’re going to mean college tuition in just a couple of years.

“What savings we had or investments we had just bottomed out,” Mazzuchi says. “Not only do you have your expected education costs, but how are you going to save for your retirement when the stock market is such a mess and your investments are such a mess? It’s a little bit hopeless.”

Mazzuchi does not have much hope of making more money anytime soon. She is a substitute teacher and schools are cutting back. Meanwhile, her husband is in sales, not exactly the best thing to be in when consumer spending is down.

“So he has the stress of being the solitary breadwinner at this time,” Mazzuchi says.