We didn't need an international poll conducted in Canada, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia to determine the recession is affecting most people's lives. But the differences in the ways we're responding to economic worries are definitely interesting. Here are some interesting conclusions from the poll's responses.

• Added stress or ruined relationship/marriage: 30 percent of Americans, 23 percent of Canadians, 24 percent of the French, and 12 percent of Germans.
• Extended working life: Unlike Europeans' and Canadians' shorter projections, Americans believe it will take another 10 years of working before retirement because of the recession.

Find out how these nationalities differ on ways to save money when you read more.

• Importance of building nest egg as financial goal: 53 percent of Austrians, 43 percent of the French, 35 percent of Americans.
• Avoiding credit cards as means to save money: 50 percent of Americans, compared to 11 percent of Germans and 17 percent of Italians.
• Cooking at home and bringing lunch to work to save money: Popular with Americans and Canadians, but only 20 percent of Italians consider it a top-of-the-list money saver.
• Love for cars: 30 percent of Americans and Britons said cars would be among the last three things they'd give up to save money, compared to 14 percent of Italians and 18 percent of Spaniards.