Alice in ‘Flation Land

‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ ‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master, that’s all.’

After Alice left Numberland, she found herself in ‘Flation Land, where she encountered Humpty Dumpty, so robust in good times, now perched precariously on his Wall. Alice solemnly pondered Humpty’s fall. All the King’s horses and all the King’s men had put the many pieces of this delicate egg back together (with the help of scotch tape and a little tarp), but which “flation” would be master, Alice wondered. Would it be Deflation? Stagflation? Inflation? Perhaps even the dreaded Hyperinflation?

Alice knew: Inflation would be master.The magical trillions conjured out of thin air in Numberland had convinced her of that much. It was just a question of when. Inflation, the rise in prices caused by an increase in money supply, is inevitable when so many dollars are pumped into the system. Once the stimulus works its magic, there will likely be a rush for scarce goods and services. Warren Buffett predicts that, thanks to the government’s costly economic rescue efforts, inflation could eventually exceed the highs of the 1970s…

Recession Briefing 4.21

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Recession indicator of the day: The amount of trash hauled by garbage removal companies across the U.S. is down for the second straight year. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Faced with tough economic conditions, companies are trying a variety of methods to keep from having to lay off employees. About 1 in 4 companies have cut workers’ hours by some degree, 7% have gone to a four-day workweek. (Los Angeles Times)

A new survey has found that the economy is still in decline, but that the recession is starting to let up. Companies are beginning to see rising demand for their products, tapering plans for job cuts and reporting profit margins on the uptick. (Associated Press)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on.

Screwed: 1,600 at General Motors

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.
General Motors Corp. announced approximately 1,600 layoffs to occur in the next few days… Liquor and wine producer Brown-Forman Corp. plans to cut 250 jobs, or 6% of its workforce… Robert Bosch automotive plant is laying off 225 South Carolina employees… In another round of layoffs, Georgia-Pacific’s Plattsburg toilet paper mill will lay off 39 workers by mid May… Calvert City, Kentuky’s Gerdau Ameristeel plant lays off 28 employees.

Recession Dispatch from…Madrid

Thanks to “la crisis,” Spaniards are struggling to keep their jobs more than any other country in Europe. Unemployment has rocketed in Spain to 15%, leaving more than 3 million out of work. Retirement packages are being handed out early, younger workers are being fired, and financial incentives for legal immigrants to leave on a paid return program are in place. With people moving out and younger folks out of jobs, Madrid is filled with “for rent” signs. It’s likely that come September, rents are going to fall even more. Need a cheap place to wait out the Recession, anyone…

Out on the Street: How to Feel Like a Bitch

“Hey—I got to hop, I got some friend of a friend I have to talk to. I’ll lose him in 10 to 15 minutes.”

Ummm, I am waiting right outside your office. I can hear you.

So that’s how I met Kevin, a friend of a family friend who runs a $2.5 billion hedge fund. When I actually met him I was greeted with a terse, “How can I help you?” No pleasantries with Kevin—after all, our informational conversation was going to last 15 minutes tops and he was doing me a favor. But I was determined to stretch it to 20. Ha. That’d show him.

I have been to too many meetings in my professional career to count, and along the way I learned that every single face-to-face is an opportunity to establish your standing in the power structure…

Recession Briefing 4.20

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Men are bearing the brunt of jobs losses in the U.S., opening up the largest gap in male-female unemployment since records began. Men have lost nearly 80% of the jobs that have been eliminated since the recession began. (Financial Times)

Despite receiving massive bailouts from the government intended to jumpstart lending, the largest banks made or refinanced 23% less in new loans in February than in October. (Huffington Post)

There has been some evidence in the last few months that the housing bust may be nearly finished. Three key pieces of housing-related data coming out this week will provide a reality check. (Washington Post)

Older consumers have become a more coveted target market for advertising from major corporations. The recession makes older consumers who may have paid off mortgages seem a safer bet than younger ones who may get laid off. (New York Times)

Many laid-off folks are turning entrepreneurial and starting small businesses. One in four workers who have not found jobs is considering launching a business, according to a new CareerBuilder.com survey. (USA Today)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on.

Screwed: 3,900 at Toshiba

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Toshiba will be laying off 3,900 contract workers in Japan within the next year. … Sony Ericsson announces its quarterly loses and its plan to cut another 2,000 jobs. … In Twinsburg, Ohio, Chrysler will scale down its operations, including cutting up to 500 jobs. … Another round of layoffs at semiconductor manufacturer Teradyne Inc. affects 350 employees…Virginia’s Media General has laid off 300 employees. … New Hampshire-based Tele Atlas will cut 260 jobs, 140 in North American and 120 in Lebanon.

Liberty is Burning

No matter how many homes go into foreclosure, the sun still shines in St. Petersburg, Florida, where most of 18-year-old Cameron Cottrill’s peers don’t have a clue about what’s going on with the Recession. “But they do have Obama Mania,” he admits. A few, though, are seriously concerned. “Some have lost jobs,” says Cameron, “and so have their parents.” These young people worry because “they don’t see any real ‘change’ coming any time soon.” Like Cameron, they are trying to learn about current events, hoping to understand what they need to do for the future. And nobody really seems to have the answers…

Free-cation: House-Swap Getaway

Is there anything that gets struck from a tightening budget faster than superfluous hotel trips? I’ve got two words for you: house swap.

Track down another couple and do the old swaparoo. They spend a weekend at your house and you stay Friday night through Sunday afternoon at their place. It’s a lot better than some boring, old staycation. But there are a few ground rules that have to be established.

First: the campground rule is in effect (AKA leave things better than you found them).

Second: no snooping. No matter how well things are hidden, busybodies can…

At the End of Your Robe: Get Thrifty With It

When the going gets tough, the tough go thrifting. Growing up in the Midwest, I wanted a designer look but couldn’t afford the designer prices. So I did the next best thing—found one-of-a-kind items at thrift stores and pieced together my looks with little more than the change in my pocket. Times are tough again for many of us and getting more for your money is the new cool way to shop. Thrift store shopping takes a little more time and a lot more digging,but you can find classic, high-quality pieces as well as more outré ones. Armed with this strategy guide—a thifter’s dozen of tips—I guarantee you can score a new spring wardrobe for the price of last year’s little black dress.

1. Choose wisely
Try to avoid thrift stores in neighborhoods filled with college kids and hipsters—they will most likely be picked over, and the quality of the inventory may not be the best. Wealthy communities with older residents usually have the top shops and stores…