Comments on: I Miss My Dry Cleaner

By: AJS

AJS — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:53:00 +0000

I think that is the dark untold story of this recession. The impact on small businesses and on the service industry. The nannies, cleaning people, livery drivers. People on the edge to begin with.

New York had/has a trickle down economy. The trickle is stopping.

The Times had an article about the impact on nannies etc.. a few months ago but continues to run articles like the one the other day about a “Charity Circuit” woman home shopping, rewearing her designer dresses. Oh the indignity. Just obscene.

Did not see it in NY but where I am in Spain now the local shops are hurting. Many small stores and cafes have closed. Many of the older shops have closed for “retirement”. Lots of empty storefronts.

The owner of a small Italian cafe around the corner from us was crying 2 days ago in front of my building. He was embarrassed and did not want to be seen but mumbled about having to throw out food 2 days in a row. I fear he will be another casualty of “La Crisis”

By: Import

Import — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:26:20 +0000

Great story. I certainly relate because the dry cleaner is in my building. I used to take a bag full of clothes to him. Now I take an item or two — a couple of nice jeans I don’t want to ruin in the wash. He told me that business has been slower.

By: Target-Addict

Target-Addict — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:59:22 +0000

I miss my hair colorist. Luckily, I don’t absolutely NEED to get my hair colored; I only have a few gray hairs (yet) and it was a luxury, not a necessity. But it was also EXPENSIVE, and something in this economy I feel I can do without.

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:35:01 +0000

I miss my tax helpers.

After several family deaths a few years back, I needed tax help for the first time in my life.

My first tax lady was at HR Block in Florida, and she was a winner. Scary drudgery vanished once it hit her desk and was transformed into neat certainty. When we moved to another state, I got an accountant–a sensible low key guy who let me vent about difficult money decisions. Life seemed more worth living every time I left his office.

This year, there was no reason for tax help. My life is simpler, we’re in the same state as last year, and before my tax helpers came into my life I had been doing my own taxes for years. This year, I decided, I would do them myself again, now using Turbo Tax online.

Turbo Tax was great software and the job is done…but I feel kind of beat up. I miss my helpers.

I miss venting to them and confiding in them about being alone with hard decisions. I miss them more than full-price dinners, more than clothes-buying trips to the mall, more than Starbucks.

I’ve probably saved a few hundred dollars doing my taxes this year, but this is the first economy that makes me truly feel poor.