I have until 10/14 before I get sent home but I am furious and scared. I actually was caught off guard and I have almost no money in my savings. This is obviously stressful and not appreciated.

I cannot believe they are all ok with absolutely cutting off people's pay with no notice. I mean if I got laid off I would get severance and unemployment. And now they are going to fund certain pet projects? Unbelievable.

It isn't just me -- the cafeteria -- where I work is about to be shut down because there isn't enough business.

It is a disgrace.

I'm sorry that you may be affected by this. Many of my neighbors were out and about yesterday. One of my neighbors said at least it was a nice day to be home yesterday. I wouldn't be directly affected but if it goes on, it could hurt my employer in the long run. My employer says they will not send people home for quite a while and they have looked into alternative work options/locations for those that are affected as we do have people who work on site at government agencies.

I am so sorry that this has affected you.

I am not directly impacted, but I am really upset for the people that are. This is outrageous.

Please keep posting and let everyone know how you are doing.

I'm so sorry! Looks like I may not get my NSF scholarship any time soon, but that's nothing compared to "Surprise, we can't do our jobs so now you don't have one!". I can't believe representatives will continue to draw their pay...disgusting. If any of them had any honor at all and actually believed the crap they spew about the budget crisis, they would decline to be payed. On both sides of the isle, liars and thieves.

Like nelie, I'm not directly affected (yet, knock on wood), but the impact on my neighbors is incredible - I could go down the block and tell you one by one who is furloughed or working without pay. I am not sure how many household budgets can absorb the impact of a prolonged shutdown, especially since it seems actually questionable this time that furloughed employees will get backpay. Edit to say - the impact on contractors is different, hard to quantify, but even a larger scale issue. Some are fine, some are not, depending on the size of the company, the company may be able to take care of its employees -- but others are just totally out of luck and filing for unemployment already.

It's hurting the DC area $200 million a day. And I know people demonize "the Beltway" and "bureaucrats" and contractors all the time, but the truth is, people here have come from all over the country, and they're just people like anyone else - good people, bad people, but mostly just people, trying to get through life. I know political discussions are not allowed here, so let's all refrain from crossing into that... but yes, I am seeing huge impacts where I live.

My husband gets housing allowance from his GI Bill. It is literally our rent money, I work but we cannot afford the place we live at without that money. We received a letter stating that basically they are not promising it next month.

I also was in the process of getting hired somewhere else with a nice pay increase and benefits but they went on a hiring freeze.

I am at least thankful that the job I have is currently not in any danger that I know of.

I also saw hordes of drivers being pulled over and getting tickets when I was on my way to work, I mean it was ridiculous. I was wondering if this was somehow related to the shutdown??? I was thinking maybe a way to make up for lost funds.

I wish I knew the end game here. It seems silly to be about Obamacare. The cost to the economy is already substantial. My commute yesterday was much lighter. Even if you are not a federal worker you will be effected. There was a construction job set to begin at my building that will not go forward now. They have all the stories out there of the people who were to begin cancer trials, now not going forward.

It is stunning the blithe way they can hurt American's and America because the don't like something.

AnnRue, I am just so very sorry that you are being affected by the shutdown. It's just so awful! I have never seen such childish egos in my life. And the game of chicken they are all playing is hurting Americans. It just makes me profoundly sad for good, hard-working people like you who are scared and left out in the cold by all this.