How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Recession

At first blush, the recession didn’t seem to affect me at all. I think the first time I took note of it was when my mum pointed out that ice cream containers were shrinking.  She complained of paying the same price for less ice cream. I hadn’t noticed. And of course the media would say it wasn’t a Great Depression, so I wasn’t panicked. I figured it might mean cutting back a bit–buying some store brands instead of name brands. Boy, did I underestimate things.

The recession soon began affecting everything–health care costs, insurance–you name it. I remember when our health insurance covered almost everything. I thought nothing of going to the doctor or dentist. Preventive care is a thing of the past. Grocery prices have also gotten ridiculous.  The other day I saw package of toilet paper at the grocery store for $11.  You wonder how those with low-paying or minimum wage jobs are making it. If you start to pay attention, you’ll see that everything is still shrinking–paychecks, consumer products, cars, the job market. Our family has taken to nicknaming everything that has changed by prefacing it with the word “recession.” For example, if a dish at a restaurant has only a few shrimp when it used to have many, we call that “recession pad thai.”

Not only have things gotten smaller, but also more skimpy. If you’ve opened a CD lately, you might notice that those cheap-to-begin-with jewel cases are even more chintzy now.  Soon as you pop them open, they break. And yes Charmin, I’ve noticed how thin the ply on your tissue is now.

I admit I had no idea what societal changes would come with a recession. Crime gets worse.  People struggle. Stores and restaurants close. Even the suburbs have been affected by foreclosures. These things are much more obvious than the shrinking ice cream cartons I failed to notice.

Now, more than a year later, I see the recession in a more positive light. It’s a learning tool. It has given me skills I never had. I now pay attention to what things cost and am able to comparison shop. I classify things as wants or needs.  Admittedly, this gets a little gray when I want something badly. And because I’m shopping more carefully, I waste less. I also have a greater appreciation for the things I have and for the things I’m able to purchase.

The following are just a few of the things I’ve learned to do. They’re easy changes to make.

–Go to Half Price Books or the library instead of Barnes & Noble.

–Get groceries where you earn fuel points toward the cost of gas.

–Plan menus more carefully and don’t eat out as frequently.

–Print photos on the home printer.

–Read the newspaper online (sorry print media).

–Plan car trips more carefully to conserve gas.

–Pay bills online to save postage.

–Say “no” to kid more often.

–Realize that being frugal is not a shameful thing, but a good way to live in general.

Strangely, these difficult times have also made me feel closer to my grandparents, who lived through the Great Depression. They build an understanding of why Grandma reused everything, including the foam backing on ground beef packs.  Today, I look back at my extravagant spending with a bit of guilt and shame.  But I never had access to this knowledge before.

Am I still worried? A little. A job loss or a health crisis in this economy could be devastating. On the up side, I’m better poised to handle those things than I would have been two years ago.