Tao Xu/Getty Images Americans are combating still-high prices by getting creative to procure essentials. Some are buying pigs for meat, and others are looking into raising chickens for cheap eggs. While the US is still not in a recession, the current economy is still leaving workers squeezed. Right now, Americans are facing the fallout of the still-strange economy: Layoffs are dominating the news, prices are staying high, but a recession is still nowhere in sight.But while the labor market is booming, and economists are less concerned about a downturn, that provides little relief for Americans who are not seeing pay keep up with inflation.