Is the credit crunch in some part psychosomatic?

[mote]

I'm not talking about those who are in/near poverty or those who've been seriously financially affected by the economic downturn.

It seems as tho' everyone feels poorer because they're told they are and now the so called 'credit crunch' is being used by companies as a marketting tool. You can't move for some sort of 'credit crunch' pun. Then I noticed one of the big supermarkets is re-marketting it's value goods in the Aldi style (having picked up on the middle classes starting to de-camp there), so instead of value ham, for example, it's now called something like 'Oak Fresh.'

Um, no.

Power and food bills and fuel bills really have increased. That's not a figment of one's imagination.

Inflation has really increased since this time last year. That's for real.

Unemployment is at its highest for years. That's actually true.

Pay rises have for the most part kept pace with inflation and cost of living rises.

Again, that's not a figment of peoples' imaginations.

Yeah - its the same as everyone taking on loads of debt because everyone else was/is too, it was all in the media and Mr Jones wanted a nice car like Mr smith which started the whole street rolling off to prudential.
The superamrkets are making it a selling point. BUY our cheaper things.
Not save your money and live without it.