The current economic recession is deep. Deep enough that some are already speculating it will shape and define the decade to come.
Good! I had lamented before that, once the economy is in recovery, the lessons of this recession will be forgotten. I feared that people will go back to their old ways of super-sizing everything from cars to credit card debts.
Fortunately, that appears less and less to be the case. In fact, as I was listening to the radio, they brought up a buzzword that I really like: The New Normal.
Still, as the radio program begs the question, how has this economy affected your every day life? What is your New Normal?
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Since I'm asking, I suppose I should also be the first to answer. The truth is... besides worrying about becoming unemployed, I can't say the economy has affected me that much. Don't get me wrong though. It could have, but I already turned frugal as a result of my divorce, before the economy got really bad. But if that had not happened, then yes, I think the economy would have had a bigger influence on me.
Actually, and at the risk of stabbing myself with fateful irony, perhaps this economy HAS influenced me in a rather peculiar way. Despite being re-born as a frugal person, the economy is quite the consumer's market right now. There's just so many good deals out there that I ended up spending on a lot of stuff that I've always wanted, but kept putting off.
20% off for micro-fleece Snuggies blanket with sleeves and super absorbent made in Germany wonder towel Sham-Wows at the local Bed Bath and Beyond? Heck yeah, sign me up! Just kidding.
Anyways, back to the question for you, has the economy changed you somehow, and if so, how?
The New Normal
April 8th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
April 8th, 2009 at 01:03 pm 1239195829
April 8th, 2009 at 01:15 pm 1239196509
The other change is how people now see your frugalness as a good thing rather than thinking something is wrong with you. It's true, before you could see people hiding their coupons and now they are proudly giving them to the cashier.
I find it much easier to say no to some purchases or to certain gifts that I would have given before. I think everyone is in agreement about that.
April 8th, 2009 at 01:39 pm 1239197947
April 8th, 2009 at 02:03 pm 1239199402
April 8th, 2009 at 02:46 pm 1239201974
April 8th, 2009 at 03:52 pm 1239205948
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April 8th, 2009 at 04:36 pm 1239208560
April 8th, 2009 at 04:49 pm 1239209369
My grandparents grew up during the Depression and my dad grew up in poverty. I feel like they have spent their whole lives preparing for this economy, and teaching us to be prepared to.
I do try not to listen to the news too much any more. Depressing! If I turn off the news, life seems to be like normal...
April 8th, 2009 at 08:19 pm 1239221962
April 9th, 2009 at 01:15 am 1239239757
April 9th, 2009 at 03:56 am 1239249398
The vegetable garden this spring will possibly be a change for us.
Perhaps the one thing that has changed is I'm not the only person at the grocer with a fistful of coupons, a carefully plotted list, and recycled shopping bags. I've been cloned!
April 9th, 2009 at 05:17 am 1239254267
A lot of people are overshooting, so my normal buying of stuff looks like cheapness in 2006 and looks like spendthriftyness in 2009.
The zeitgeist is frugal, but when the good times reappear, the worm turns and most will revert back. But with every zig zag, we pick up a few more. Frugality sometimes feels like a secret club - the real frugals know our people, and our fakers.