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Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?

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Gretchen is a new kitten mom!
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
I've been fascinated with our local news reports on 'how to save money'. Last week they had a segment that told people how to buy food on sale. It was a special 3 minute segment. I could have done this in 15 seconds flat:

1. Go to food store

2. Look for food items on sale

3. Buy said sale items

4. Remember folks, canned stuff KEEPS.

Are people really this stupid now?

On a related note our income is about the same and our jobs are secure. But since we're not stupid we've stopped buying anything we don't need. If we buy from the internet we take advantage of free shipping offers. I bought a garage sale bag for $2 that looked kinda cool but needed something so I blinged it up with $4 worth of crap from Wal-Mart and everyone wants to know where I bought it. And I needed a pair of 'sloppy' jeans so instead of buying the Polo men's carpenters I've liked in the past I found a pair of Wal-Mart Levi copies for $20. Next summer I'm stepping it up and am going to participate in a community garden at church and do a lot of canning.
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Mikey375
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
I wish this were more of a coherent movement, like rationing in WWII. I want a feedbag dress, damn it! And a Victory garden!
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Lizawithazee
11/06/08

@Mikey375: One of our fabulous local organic nurseries is calling these "prosperity gardens." The guy who owns the nursery says that sales of edible plants are up almost four times what they were last year.

I dug up a huge perennial bed and it's now full of beets, arugula, radishes, mixed greens, collards, bok choi, leeks and herbs. Cannot wait for the first harvest!
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Buffalo_Gal
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
Good God, the buyer for the Shoebox needs a major reality check (did anyone read the WSJ article?). During a Depression people give up food, not $2,000 bags, you nit.
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LBB
11/06/08

@Buffalo_Gal: Seriously.

(unrelated: I love the phrase "you nit". Makes me think of Violet Beauregarde.)
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antioxidant
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
They laid off 130 people in my office today...I can't even imagine buying anything non essential for a very long time.
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LBB
11/06/08

@antioxidant: !!! So sorry to hear it. If you don't mind my asking -- what industry do you work in?
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Lawyerette will perform legal services for food
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
The only way to make way to survive this recession after the novelty of being a recessionsita wears off is to change our buying habits. It's time to swap out the crap we buy that doesn't help our economy, like flatscreen TVs made overseas, for stuff we need that does help our economy when we buy it, like locally grown food. And buying stuff from other recessionistas on Craigslist!

Buying cheap shit from China that will fall apart in 3 months is a bad value for the consumer and isn't helpiong to rebuild our economy. Go local!
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krismry
11/06/08

@cacrawford99: Going local is good too because you get to spend the same money twice, here's how: you get the apple cider you wanted at the farmers market while you're giving some money to the family and their kids at the same time!
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Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
But I love my Prada backpack!
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TheFormerJuneBronson
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
I'm a little tired of reading about the upper middle class's financial woes. Welcome to the way the middle 50% lives, recession or no recession.

But it's quite likely I'm only bitter because I know of a couple of wealthy McCainiacs who live too far away for me to slap.
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Plum-Pie
11/06/08

@TheFormerJuneBronson: Thank you! My sister teaches financial capability to very vulnerable, very excluded people and she has no time for people whining about having to stop buying organic walnut loaves and start buying sliced white, the price of which has gone up atleast 20% in the last twelve months.
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LBB
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
The one upside to my having been Spendy McSpenderson (mostly at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and resale stores) before the recession is that I have a nice stockpile of clothes I can mix and match. When money is tight for me I generally cut spending on clothes/shoes first, then books/music/DVDs... I'll still spend on experiences (concert tickets etc.) and food, and the latter is where the real trouble comes in. I've used the "But it's FOOD" argument to justify buying expensive ingredients for things rather than sticking with lentil soup and mac&cheese.
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Kivrin
11/06/08

@LBB says YES WE DID!: Me, too (although I cut back my spending several years ago, pre-recession). I do have a good collection of "nice" pieces -- sweaters, blouses, handbags, shoes -- so I really don't need to shop for anything for awhile. It was just a matter of making myself stop shopping for "fun" (which wasn't that hard, just wished I hadn't let it go on as long as I did).
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LBB
11/06/08

@Kivrin: The past few times I've gone shopping for "fun" I haven't bought anything, which made me feel particularly virtuous. Of course, that has as much to do with the fact that so many of the styles that are currently on sale look dreadful on me, but less temptation is always a good thing.

(I did almost weep, though, last time I looked at Anthropologie's clearance racks. They currently have these impossibly awesome Chie Mihara shoes, mustard suede with red lips on the toes... still too expensive even on clearance, but there was once a time I would have justified them.)
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Kivrin
11/06/08

@LBB says YES WE DID!: Yeah, I feel particularly virtuous when I leave Target without picking up something from the cosmetics department. I've wasted so much money trying out new makeup...
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LBB
11/06/08

@Kivrin: Oh God, the amount of makeup I have cluttering up my bathroom is disgraceful, especially because most days I'm too lazy or in too much of a hurry to wear any.
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Kivrin
11/06/08

@LBB says YES WE DID!: Do you run out of the house with your hair pulled up in a clamp, because you're too lazy/late to dry it? If so, we may actually be the same person. ;)
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LBB
11/06/08

@Kivrin: Nope, I wash it at night -- but I do let it air dry overnight [hot air = nest of brittle dark brown straw atop my head]. Which means if I don't have time to do anything to it in the morning I sometimes have very interesting-looking hairstyles. Try taming a weird mutant puff of hair on the side of your head when you're running out the door and digging in your bag for car keys.
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Kivrin
11/06/08

@LBB says YES WE DID!: I'm thinking of getting a body wave just so I can let it air dry overnight and spritz/scrunch in the morning. I suck at doing my hair, I don't enjoy it, and I'm always oversleeping...so I really need to move away from the bob that needs to be blown dry with a round brush...
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LBB
11/06/08

@Kivrin: My hair is thick and wavy, so my usual "styling" = wide-toothed comb + Brilliant Brunette Satin Shine, but when it gets the weird slept-in puffs and swirls only a spray bottle of water and heat-styling tools can save it. I kind of miss having short bobbed hair because it didn't cause nearly as much drama.

@the_famous_grouse: OMG, the ones Dodai pointed out in one of their catalogs? (...I may spend too much time on Jez if that is my frame of reference.) Those were gorgeous.
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LaFemme
11/06/08

@LBB says YES WE DID!:This is what I do every day. Shower at night, let air dry and then sray in the morning with some water and pop in hot rollers.
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Devonna
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
yeah, I've kinda romanticized those days when I shopped all the time and ate out a lot...the days when I lived with my parents...

Now I keep reminding myself that a healthy savings account or retirement fund is better than a shopping spree. And for me, $50 is a shopping spree.
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OK_NiceLegs (formerly: thevickinator)
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
In other news, handcrafting super-site Etsy had their best month ever with over $8.4 million in revenue and over 835 million hits. [www.etsy.com]

Go handmade people! Unique, reasonably priced stuff FTW!
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Plum-Pie
11/06/08

@thevickinator sings solid as Barack!: There was a lot of Etsy love at the last London Jezzie meet up, which was held at the Time Out Cheap Eat of the year...
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velvet.fistfull of love
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
I am about as broke as usual, which is why I buy pretty much everything second hand. Except for jeans & underwear, I like an untouched crotch.
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Dottie Gale
11/06/08

@velvet.fistfull of love: Funny, I like my crotch touched by a second hand.
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aubonpam
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
Sadie, you come up with the best stuff time and time again. I has a favorite!
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squirrelcop
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
I do still shop in my closet, but it always seems to be out of my size.

I am, however, determined to catch those downsizing gnomes.
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Alohamaid
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
What bugs me about "playing recession" is that it's being used a s a marketing ploy to sell cheap crap. Like newsflash you don't need the $30 purse that will probably fall apart soon anyway if you want to be technical. So I worry this isn't so much economizing-which would focus on really only cutting down to things you need-as a way to glam up some formerly declasse cheap items and bulk up the market share of bargain brands. Sorry, am I making sense?
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Plum-Pie
11/06/08

@Alohamaid: Totally - price is what you pay, value is what you get as W Buffet said (IIRC).

It works in all parts of the retail market too. The UK news is full of reports of which shops are doing well and on which products. (E.g. Posh supermarket selling more steak as rich people are eating out less. Director of said shops is interviewed by BBC, great free advertising.)
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brendastarlet is on it
11/06/08

In reply to Playing Recession: What'll We Do When The Novelty Wears Off?
In addition to having f-you money, every Jezzie should sit down and calculate what they need to get by on each year. Add up the fundamentals -- mortgage/rent, taxes, utilities, car payment, gas, insurance, cable, and a reasonable food bill -- but nothing else. No credit cards, no booze, no trips, no T.J. Maxx.

Mine is $33,000. I know it will be higher for married Jezzies and Jezzies with kids and other family consideration, but it helps you figure out what you can eliminate.
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dianersb was bit by a zombie
11/06/08

@brendastarlet: wow...that's a great idea. I think I've found what I'm doing tonight.

Question, can I be drinking booze while coming up with these numbers, because I think reality is going to hurt
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