In terms of Halloween outfits, you can go cheap and easy, or put a little money into a costume that’ll last. Or you can play off what’s in the news (the recession!) with a clever, timely costume like a Pyramid Scheme, a Bear Market, a Repo Man, a Job Seeker, or, scariest of all, Bernie Madoff. Warning: not appropriate for children.
recession
Tightie Whities, the Recession, and You
Other than the obvious hygienic positive for society, there is a reason we all should be hoping that men are wearing clean, new underwear. Sales of boxers, briefs, and boxer-briefs are excellent indicators of how the economy is faring. When times are good, sales are good, increasing slightly over time. But as the economy struggles, sales …
Recession or No Recession, Come On, Get Happy!
Could the onset of the recession actually make people happier? In fact, it could—if only because it can remind people of what’s really important in life. And truth be told, buying stuff doesn’t make folks happy in the long run.
Dates Gone Bad in the Recession
Perhaps there is no such thing as a good cheap date. The website MyVeryWorstDate is fairly self-explanatory: Folks (pretty much all women) write in with anecdotes of dates who are crude, who are obnoxious, who suddenly lose their pants, who are under house arrest (with the leg monitoring device and all), who go shoplifting during the …
Big Discounts on Home Furnishings, Cars, Clothing, and More
SmartMoney lists five types of stores where business is bad this summer—and where therefore, consumers have their pick of steeply discounted merchandise. In the home furnishings category, for example, more than 1,000 items at Pier 1 are currently being sold at discounts of at least 50 percent. There are also deals to be had on …
Creative Job Training Solutions: Pro Wrestler, Clown, Trapeze Artist
Who wants to be a computer programmer anyway? As noted earlier, the usual job training programs may be proving less than satisfactory. Perhaps it’s time to try something more, uh … artistic?
Save at the Bank, Flea Market, Supermarket, and at Home
Just about everywhere you spend, there are simple ways to save. Here’s a roundup of stories with tips for spending wisely—and not getting taken for a sucker—at flea markets, the bank, the grocery store, and in your own home.
Job Training Programs: Why Bother?
The stimulus package was supposed to get people working—in the short- and long-run alike. But based on unemployment figures released last week, the stimulus bill seems to be a lot less stimulating in the real world than it was when drawn up on paper. Has the money been poorly misspent? In terms of job training, that seems like the …
Recent Recession Porn: NBA Star Faces Foreclosure, Queen Begs for Cash, and More
Here’s a top ten of recent stories that dwell upon how the economic downturn is affecting rich and poor, famous and obscure alike—a.k.a., recession porn. Because who isn’t fascinated with the impact of hard times lately?
Has the Stimulus Bill Stimulated Much of Anything?
Are you feeling stimulated? With the jobless rate approaching 10 percent, many observers are saying the stimulus bill isn’t working like it was advertised. As a WSJ editorial notes, all the stimulus money was supposed hold unemployment under 8 percent.
“Recession Obesity”: Economic Woes Make People Sick and Fat
Here’s the scenario: People lose their jobs and health insurance. They don’t have money to pay for gym memberships. They hold off on medical care because they’re worried about the costs. They’re depressed, and eat more than they should. They also eat more fast food to fill up on the cheap. And the net result is that a lot of people have …
Big and Little League Baseball Hit by Recession
Knowing how sports fans from outside the New York metropolitan area feel about the city’s sports franchises (“Evil Empire” anyone?), people from around the U.S. must get a little joy in watching the Big Apple squirm just a bit as it looks to soon be home to five big-time sports venues—and no realistic plans to fill all of the seats on …