The definition for “basic necessities” was continually rising to include internet, cars and home appliances once thought of as luxuries. But this year, for the first time, there is evidence that the bar is holding steady. Almost half (47%) of consumers interviewed say they already have all the possessions they need, up from 34% in November 2006, and three-quarters (74%) say that the pressure to buy more, bigger and better is not what it used to be.

Apparently, while the American dream still alive in 2009, huge changes in the economy have led to a re-thinking of priorities for most Americans and a fundamental shift away from materialism. Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses, many now seem focused on simply trying to keep up with the mortgage payment, car loan and credit card bills.

Americans still view material goods such as a car, washer/dryer and residential Internet access as necessities. Yet some spending purchases are looked at differently. More than eight in ten (81%) Americans now view vacations as a luxury, up from 73% in 2006. Similarly, 91% see eating out as a luxury, up from 87% in 2006. Four in 10 Americans are even feeling “buyers’ remorse” about past purchases – wishing they had spent less and saved more over the years.

This is a good thing as not only do we as a people need to get out of the crushing debt we are living under – we need to get our government out from under it as well!

ATLANTA – If you’re looking for a job or even if you just want to learn some new job skills, millions of Federal stimulus dollars now arriving in Georgia might help you.

“Many of the jobs that have been lost will not come back, even when the economy strengthens again,” says State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.

That’s why he’s glad his department now has millions of federal stimulus dollars to help thousands of Georgians either find work or find new job skills.

Starting Monday, extra checks for an additional $25 a week began going out to about 180,000 Georgians receiving unemployment benefits.

The new law also means the IRS will suspend taxes on the first $2,400 of those benefits.

But even if you aren’t unemployed, the stimulus plan might help you learn another job.

That’s because Georgia is also getting nearly $100-million in stimulus funds to help with programs at its 53 statewide Career Centers.

The money will go for career counseling, skill assessment, job search assistance as well as training for new careers.

“Thousands of Georgians will be able to be served who up until now could not qualify because we just didn’t have the money to do it,” Thurmond says.

Even so, he warns the extra job help is no silver bullet and tough times are still ahead.

“This is a difficult job market,” says Thurmond, “We will get through it, will emerge from it, but it’s going to be long and hard and difficult, but at the end of the day we will be successful.”

To find out how you might get help from one of Georgia’s One-Stop Career Centers, you can find them by going to www.servicelocator.org or call 877-348-0502.

If you have been wondering about how the recession is going to affect your state, check out this list of the worst 10 states for job losses in 2009. It may be time to either relocate to Colorado or strengthen your resume. Things are about to get rough…

10. Mississippi (-2.61 percent; 29,693 jobs lost) – With U.S. manufacturing, especially auto manufacturing, declining faster than ever, this blue collar state is hating life.

9. West Virginia (-2.7 percent; 20,409 jobs lost) – You should be seeing a trend forming here. States, like West Virginia, that have depended on manufacturing are getting hammered especially hard by the economic crisis.

8. Massachusetts (-2.8 percent; 90,025 jobs lost) – This may be evidence that, while the economic crisis is starting with blue collar auto workers, it will not leave white collar and education-sector jobs untouched.

7. Kentucky (-2.85 percent; 51,341 jobs lost) – Again, manufacturing jobs are getting hit the hardest. This is going to get really repetitive before I’m done.

6. Ohio (-2.9 percent; 154,938 jobs lost) – Repeat after me: the blue collar manufacturing job market is becoming a swirling vortex of doom. Get out while you can!

5. Missouri (-2.93 percent; 80,550 jobs lost) – Repeat. Manufacturing workers, abandon ship. Go back to school. Do whatever you have to do to get out before the roof collapses on you.

4. Florida (-3 percent; 231,265 jobs lost) – The other bad places to be in this economy are real estate and tourism. And Florida, unfortunately, has both. Quickly sliding down the backside of a huge housing boom, this state has more houses than it can sell. Add to that a huge drop in people willing to fork out the cash to visit Disneyworld and Miami, and you have a big problem for the Sunshine State.

3. Hawaii (-3.4 percent; 21,228 jobs lost) – The Aloha State’s biggest problem? It relies almost solely on travel and tourism. When budgets on the mainland and overseas tighten up, the first thing to go is that yearly trip to Kona and the timeshare in Turtle Bay. Worst of all for this island state, there are no other industries in the state large enough to buffer the economy. Expect to see a lot of people relocating elsewhere from this beautiful but mismanaged state.

2. Connecticut (-3.45 percent; 56,882 jobs lost) – This state will likely be hit on two fronts. First, its blue collar manufacturing sector will suffer just like in other states. To make matters worse, however, the cash that used to come into the state from the Wall Street fat cats that call Connecticut home will falter. This drop in cash inflow will hurt every kind of consumer business in the state.

1. Michigan (-4.3 percent; 175,368 jobs lost) – This is no surprise. The fates of the U.S. automakers are directly tied to the future of this state. With the Big Five taking beatings daily in the news and in their performance, job prospects in this overwhelmingly blue collar manufacturing state are dismal. With no salvation in sight for automakers, employees are being paid to leave. My advice: take the money and get into another career. Auto manufacturing is not a good place right now for anyone.

That’s the worst of it! New York, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Utah aren’t far behind. Check out the silver lining later this week when we talk about the 10 best states. Okay, so it’s more like a bronze lining.