Food, Home and Style

10 Things That Are Not So Weird in Recession

We all have our oddities—ah, idiosyncrasies. Difficult times can often accentuate personality quirks and neuroses. Don’t be ashamed, but rather flaunt them! People are more forgiving of weirdness then ever in a bad economy, probably because each person has their own anxieties to deal with. Here are 10 things that are completely acceptable during the economic downturn.

1. Using the 2012 end of the Mayan calender/Armageddon to relieve anxiety about your current unemployment. Hey, the world will be ending soon anyway.

2. Turning down an evening out for “financial reasons,” when you really just want to stay in to watch the newest round of the Real Housewives series. Further justification—you could learn a lot from the ladies of the OC/New Jersey/Atlanta/NYC.

3. Wearing your favorite “going out” ensemble twice in one weekend. You don’t have the extra moolah to swing by Saks, and besides, that outfit makes you look really hot.

4. Justifying the purchase and consumption of a big slice of pizza with the need to be frugal. A $2.50 dinner? How can that be wrong?!

5. Dusting off the old Backstreet Boys/TLC/Busta Rhymes CDs and patting yourself on the back for remembering all of the lyrics. In this economy, who can afford new music? Miley and Kanye who?

6. Buying the six pack of Miller Light instead of the more expensive foreign brew. Throwbacks to junior year of college are not only fun, but good for the wallet.

7. Making daily visits to Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com while imagining the perfect job and how you will kick butt at it. Now, go ahead and apply…see#1.

8. Openly reading the gossip magazines for a blatantly lengthy amount of time in the grocery store. Like you really are going to PAY to read about Jon and Kate Plus 8.

9. Openly reading Dostoevsky at Barnes and Noble for a blatantly lengthy amount of time (while cruising for smart hotties). It’s cheaper than Match, and the odds than at the local dive bar!

10. Drinking that second martini with the justification “We’re in a Recession.” Just make sure you are only using this logic during Happy Hour, rather than late evening, when drink prices jump.

More from Recessionista’s Roadmap to Life.

• Five Reasons to Fall in Love During a Recession
  
• Love Don’t Cost a Thing
• Homemade is the New Hallmark
  

Traveling the globe every week, Rebecca Wiedmeyer makes it her mission to follow her passions—meeting amazing people, experiencing new adventures, and discovering fabulous places known by few. Also, she smiles a lot and has been known to overuse emoticons.

Tags: economy, humor, jobs, spending