"I want my kids and their kids to have a good life in a country that is stable and flourishing. I want them to have opportunity. If we don't dig deep into the deficit, they are made to be burdened with this debt."

Patrick Drake, of Norcross, Georgia, offers another upside. All the talk about the fiscal cliff "is very necessary for citizens and representatives to inform and engage," he says.

"Definitely, I have never been a financially responsible individual until I began paying attention to the fiscal cliff discussions and the correlation to my personal finances."

'It's all hype!'

But some others say they're sick of all the talk -- which, they believe, will ultimately prove to be another example of the government scaring the public about something drastic that does not end up happening.

"This is government hype to the umpteenth degree," AnnMarie Blodgett wrote in our Facebook discussion. "Everything gets a name these days. None of it matters."

"I want to ban the phrase 'fiscal cliff,'" added Monica Rodriguez. "There are other things happening in the world."

But Dolores Casillas, who weighed in on Twitter, said she is very concerned about what may lie ahead.

The 27-year-old is out of work and has already cut back expenses.

"I was on a phone contract but since it is too expensive now I go prepaid. I always look for deals on everything and I bargain," she says.

Now, with the "cliff" getting closer and closer, Casillas says she's considering dropping something many Americans can't imagine living without: coffee.

"But it's hard when you need it to keep you up," she adds.

Are concerns about the fiscal cliff affecting your life? Join our discussions at Facebook, Twitter, CNN iReport, or in the comments section below.