Canadians were feeling pretty well off in the first few months of 2008. Who would've thought that house prices couldn't rise forever and that the dollar would fall from the lofty level of parity with its U.S. counterpart?

As 2009 looms, consumers are in a decidedly different mood: pessimistic about the future and — perhaps — a little leery about the safety of our food supply.

Here are some of the major stories from the past year: