If people are going to be broke or out of work, at least the cost of buying goods and services should drop, even if no one can afford them. To some degree, that is what a recession is all about. Cheap stuff can't be sold.

According to Bloomberg, "The cost of living in the U.S. probably fell in November by the most in six decades." The news service reports that consumer prices probably dropped 1.2%.

While it may appear cruel that people cannot buy things when they finally become "affordable," it may be one of the maps out of the recession. If prices keep dropping and housing and employment bottom, the consumer could start spending again. That spending could get aggressive.

The consumer has dragged the country into this recession. Consumer spending is supposed to be about 60% of the U.S. GDP.

Now, the consumer has to spend us out of the downturn. Falling prices for the things he needs, whether that is gas, clothing, or a new car, may just do the trick. Even the pinched can afford goods that have moved ludicrously low.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

26 U.S. states will unveil their latest compliance with federal minimum wage increases this week. Including the District of Columbia, the minimum wage will increase from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour (at the least). This will only affect states with a minimum wage set from the federal standard, of course.

This move could not have come at a better time. Although oil prices see-sawed a little last week -- bringing the cost of gas down a dime or two for the time being -- consumers are still grappling with high gas prices, a slumping stock market, energy price increases and commodity costs that are affecting food staples. If you regularly feed a family of four with two adults making minimum wages, you know all about these price increases. But, so do all of us.

Small business owners may see this differently, though. Those places of business are also seeing costs and overhead go up, and now labor costs may take a sharp increase as well. What will some businesses do? Pass along those increased labor costs to customers as a price increase due to "economic conditions."

About a year from now there will be another minimum wage increase, will will send the minimum up another $0.70 to $7.25 per hour. Do you think the economy in the U.S. will have dug out of its small hole by then? And yes, it's a small hole even though financial companies with previously-idiotic holdings in mortgages may not agree.

Credit cards ... the little plastic cards in your wallet that are so convenient to rely on when you are strapped for cash. While the convenience of having cards definitely makes it easier to buy items when you are running low on cash, the flip side is that credit card debt can drown the typical household, and statistics are showing that Americans are pulling out their cards more than before.

One of the reasons why credit card usage has been on the rise is the fact that homeowners are having a harder time using home equity to get a cash infusion into their accounts. As a result, they are looking to borrow money from somewhere, and more times than not, they are turning to credit cards.

The evil with credit cards is that once you start to use them to pay for your basic necessities like food and gas, you find that in the months to come you still can't afford your basic needs but in addition, your monthly bills are racking up like crazy due to your credit card expenses. It's a scary cycle that many families find themselves trapped in.