Smart People Say We’re Still Kinda Screwed

“The odds are we flatten out,” said former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, talking today about the stock market in 2010. He didn’t mean it in a good way.

Despite the name of this site, we don’t want the recession to go forever. It would nice to feel some prosperity and stability again. But we are big on reality. And despite the rally in the stock market that has taken place over the last three months, and some good (ish) news about the economy, there are plenty of signs that we are not out of the woods yet. There are also smart people who are less than positive that a recovery is taking place—or if it is, whether it will last…

A Bad Economy Can Be Good for You

Lost your job? Here’s some good news: Mortality rates are going down, since unemployed workers are less likely to catch illnesses from coworkers or be involved in commuter-related car accidents, and more likely to spend time doing healthy things like exercising in the outdoors and eating at home. That’s definitely an upside. Here’s how the recession is good for your health:

1. No more germy coworkers. Office cubicles can be a cesspool for germs, and with cases of H1N1 on the rise, this may not be such a bad time to be unemployed. Not only that, but unemployed and at-home workers are less likely to take public transportation during rush hour, reducing their chances of catching something during cold and flu season even more.

2. More incentive to quit smoking. With less discretionary income to spend on cigarettes, smoking is becoming a luxury not everyone can afford. In Great Britain, 39 percent of smokers polled said they’re planning to cut down on or quit smoking because of the economic downturn. Meanwhile, Washington State’s Tobacco Quit Line says it experienced a spike in calls during April 2009: 4,221 calls compared to 1,231 during the same time last year…

How to Haggle with Your Doctor

These days, everything’s negotiable – even health care, if you know how the system works. You may be able to negotiate a 20 percent discount or more on costs at the doctor’s office. A few pieces of advice:

Where to start:
Never try to negotiate a medical bill without getting a bit of background information. Read the details of your current or previous insurance plan to get a sense of what will and won’t be covered in your upcoming visit.

It’s also worthwhile to find out what Medicare pays physicians—since it is usually substantially less than what they charge private insurance providers or patients themselves—to perform whatever procedure you’ll need. This will help you determine the bottom floor of what a physician will accept. You can do this by calling the doctor’s office, asking for the procedure’s “CPT code,” and going to the American Medical Association’s CPT search engine to look up the typical payment for that procedure based on where you live. When it comes time to bargain, it’s perfectly reasonable to offer a payment that is 25 percent above the Medicare rate for services…

Recession Briefing 9.30: Joblessness for Rabbis

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

The recession has not spared the rabbinate. At a bleak and stressful time, when pastoral hand-holding may be more in demand than ever, full-time pulpit jobs in America’s liberal Jewish movements are in short supply. (Tablet)

It’s unclear whether the high unemployment rate for men comes just because men are more likely to be laid off, or if it’s also because men are finding new jobs more slowly than women are. (New York Times/Economix)

For many social-service charities across America, the recession has delivered a staggering one-two punch. Sharp drops in donations and investment income have been coupled by soaring demand for their services. (Associated Press)…

Screwed: 341 in West Corporation

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

Today’s Total: 405

The West Corporation, a telecommunications company in Harlingen, Texas, is laying off 341 workers… First Industrial Realty Trust Inc is laying off 46 employees and closing four offices… Sierra Conservation Center expects 18 employee layoffs… Funcom is laying off 20 percent of its workforce with the heaviest cuts occurring in their Norwegian home offices… Princeton University staff is facing imminent layoffs after the school’s endownment declined by 23 percent.

Happiness on $10 a Day: Schadenfreude Comes Cheap

Heather Wagner’s witty new book, Happiness on $10 a Day (HarperCollins), explains how to find joy through inexpensive activities like puppy stalking and backyard bungee-jumping. Buy the book — or win a copy by retweeting this post OR by telling us in comments their cheap happiness tips. (Deadline for entry is Oct. 9.) We love this chapter on schaudenfeude–so easy to come by in recession!

“Schadenfruede” derives from the two German terms: Schaden (damage) and Freude (joy). The mighty do fall–and it is mightily fun to enjoy their descent.

Look Hotter Than Your Ex (FREE!)
Seeing a former flame in a bloated, tired, or sloppy state when you look fantastic is one of the fundamental sources of happiness in this world. The first part of this equation is strategic: by stealthily monitoring your ex’s online activity, you can pinpoint the party or public gathering likely to reunite you with Mister or Miss Utterly Heartless…

The Recession Will End… When Coupons Are So Yesterday

Like the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Great Recession seems destined to turn many Americans into lasting coupon-cutters, scrimpers and savers. (via AP)

Why it might be false: Coupon clipping is in vogue during the down economy, but recent history shows that this trend comes and goes with the economic cycles. According to Inmar, a coupon-processing company, coupon redemption reached its height at the end of the early 1990’s recession. Coupon use fell fairly steadily until the end of 2008 but then picked up again when swaths of demographic groups like young, single and affluent consumers started to use coupons. While it’s true that these groups would never be expected to clip coupons, let’s be real and admit that it’s hard to go against the grain when signs of the downturn are ubiquitous. In fact, their coupon use may even be attributed to peer pressure since conspicuous spending is so out. It’s almost impossible not to want to be disciplined and spend money a little more wisely during the Great Recession, but this restrained way of living probably won’t last when it’s over…

Recession Briefing 9.29: Recession’s Health Benefits

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

Living through a recession or economic downturn may be good for your health, a study on life during the Great Depression has claimed. (Telegraph)

Job seekers now outnumber openings six to one, the worst ratio since the government began tracking open positions in 2000. Only 2.4 million full-time permanent jobs were open in July, with 14.5 million people officially unemployed. (New York Times)

The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets. (Associated Press)…

Screwed: 17,000 in Puerto Rico

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

Today’s Total: 17,999

Puerto Rico is set to eliminate 17,000 positions over the next few months as a part of a fiscal stabilization plan…Square Enix will cut up to 300 jobs from its Japanese workforce…Hawker Beechcraft handed out 240 layoff notices to employees in another effort to cut costs…Harman International is laying off 216 employees from its factory in Brigend, Wales…Diebold will cut 100 workers from its facility in Lexington, N.C…Dassault Falcon will cut 72 workers from its plant in Little Rock, Ark…The town of Islip, N.Y is expected to approve the layoffs of 71 employees to help offset a budget deficit…

How to Save Money at the Farmer’s Market

I’m often asked insider tips on how to save money while gourmet food shopping. I always recommend Trader Joe’s for pantry basics. An herb garden is a wonderful and inexpensive way to have fresh herbs on hand. A CSA box split between friends can be an affordable way to access fresh, locally grown produce. But for my money (and time), nothing beats a friendly-vendor, -music-filled visit to my local farmers market.

A lot of people think that shopping at a farmer’s market is more expensive than buying at a grocery store. Well, sometimes that might be true. But I’ve found that with just a little bit of thought and planning, you can find great deals on fresh, often organic goods—all while supporting your local community and having quite a bit of fun. Just follow my guidelines…