"I'm on a fixed income and it's evaporating like an ice cube in the hot sun," she said.

She's not alone in her outlook.

A Star-Bulletin poll, conducted earlier this month, found that a majority of Hawaii residents aren't happy with the state's economy or their own personal financial situation.

More than 80 percent of those questioned said the economy is stagnant or declining, about the same percentage as in a year-earlier poll. More than half said the economy is flat while 29 percent said it is in a decline.

But there is some personal optimism out there, according to the poll of 421 registered voters.

More than one third, 36 percent, said they believe they will be better off next year and 41 percent said they don't expect to see their financial situation decline. Only 13 percent expect to have a harder time next year.

For now, however, things are tough.

In their personal financial situations, 37 percent said they are worse off than they were a year ago. That's a little higher than the 32 percent who said they are worse off in a March 1995 poll.

The highest level of optimism is in the $25,000-to-$40,000 earnings group, where less than 2 percent said they will be worse off next year and 41 percent said they expect better times.

There are some pessimists in the higher earnings bracket, $70,000 a year and up, where more than 28 percent said they don't expect to be doing as well financially a year from now as they are now. On the whole, however, those in that earnings bracket aren't too worried, with 37 percent believing they will be better off next year and 27 percent saying they at least won't be in worse situation.

A lot of those higher income people are feeling the pinch now, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 5 percentage points. More than 39 percent of the $70,000-up bracket people said they are worse off than they were a year ago.

Financial worries are more widespread among the lower income people, the poll shows, with 61 percent of those earning less than $25,000 saying they are worse off than they were a year ago. Still, there is optimism in that group too, with more than 32 percent of the lower earners saying they will be doing better next year.

Attitudes are close to what they were last year, when nearly the same population share felt the economy was in a rut or about to get worse.

Hawaii's leading economists say the state's economy actually is improving, albeit slowly. They expect slow, moderate growth through this year with low inflation.

Eckland says doesn't see too much of an inflation effect in her shopping for food and other essentials and puts that down to careful shopping. "I'm one of those coupon clippers," she said.

Eckland is in age group, 64 and up, where nearly 20 percent of the people believe they're worse off than they were last year.

But that's not the most affected group. In the over-35 but under 45 group, a whopping 60 percent believe they are in a tighter financial situation then they were last year.

Randal Fuffern, a part-time restaurant manager and a University of Hawaii student, says he is no better or worse off then he was a year ago. One big reason is that he lives with his family in Kaimuki and doesn't have to try to make it completely on his own.

"I see things getting worse," he said, in the economy and his personal financial situation.