The prosperity enjoyed by Upper Gwynedd residents is in peril, and we know it. Small talk at community events has moved beyond gas prices and the cost of groceries. Polite conversation has moved into something more urgent: survival. Recent studies paint a gloomy picture for the future. With dwindling savings, most suburbanites (Upper Gwynedd families included) are only two weeks away from a bad day. Study respondents cited gas and groceries as the primary concerns, but the largest sticker shock came from utility bills. That means that our households, with median incomes 40% higher than the state and national averages, are anxious about our ability to heat our homes heading into this winter. In turn, we are fundamentally changing our spending habits. In the recent studies, half reported that they simply stopped buying stuff. Thanks, Brandon! Thanks, Madeline!