White Collar Day Laborers (Video)

Remember the days when you practically had to fight off recruiters? The relentless calls, the wooing lunches, the promises of huge salary jumps?

These days white-collar jobs are a lot harder to come by. They’re so scarce, in fact, that some workers have taken to the streets.

Lemonade Maker: Ken Gullette, Online Martial Arts Master

Ken Gullette, 56
Silvis, Illinois

In April 2008, after more than two decades in media and communications, Ken Gullette was laid off from his job at the University of South Florida. He decided to try turning his small side business—shooting and selling martial arts DVDs online—into a full-fledged company. Within several weeks, he had launched Internal Fighting Arts, a website that provides long-distance instruction in Chen Tai Chi, Hsing-I Chuan and Baguazhang to subscribers around the world.

You launched your business on the Fourth of July?
It was my metaphor for being independent of the man. The other day on IM one of my friends typed, “Oh shit, tomorrow’s Monday.” I thought, Yeah, tomorrow I get to work harder! When Friday comes I’m almost disappointed…

The Zen of Job Hunting

Desperately seeking employment? Spending hours on job sites, with not an offer in sight?

“Give up,” writes Peter Bregman over at HarvardBusiness.org. “Not completely. But mostly. Stop trying so hard.”

We’re totally on board with this idea. Yes, it’s a tough job market. Yes, it’s important to be looking after your career. But that doesn’t mean obsessing over your resume, growing pale and wan because you spend hours each day scouring the internet for openings.

You can get burnt out just as easily job hunting as you can on the job, generate tons of stress and waste acres of time that you could be using to network, explore other opportunities, or simply enjoy your life while you’ve got it. Indulge in your passions, or test out activities you’ve always wanted to try. Broaden your horizons–you never know what new doors will open as a result.

But back to job hunting. Bregman, C.E.O. of Bregman Partners, a global leadership development and change management firm, offers these rules:

What’s Weathering the Summer Recession

This Memorial Day kicked off a different kind of summer for many of us. The warm weather and slower pace are as welcome than ever; the big change is how much less we have to spend. We know what we’ll be keeping a lid on, but were curious about the broader trends across the country. Are summer camps closing? Are barbecues fizzling out? Some of the answers surprised us.

Down: Vactation rentals
Inventory is up and prices are down in resort areas from the Hamptons to New Hampshire’s Lake Winnepesaukee to North Carolina…

Getting Punished with Rewards

When it comes to money, I’m a bit of a goody-two-shoes. I have two credit cards I chose very carefully, always pay bills on time, and stay far below my credit limits. As a result, I’m sort of getting screwed.

These days, since I’m earning less money, I need my credit cards more then ever. I’m not talking about running up more credit, but the second currency I’ve built up over years of hard—yet responsible—spending.

In flush times, credit card rewards are a nice bonus. Since I lost my job, they’ve been helping to make up for my reduced cash flow. I used three months worth of American Express Membership Rewards to offset the cost of a hotel room for my cousin’s wedding. I used some to buy a toy for my oldest nephew…

It’s So Bad, We’re Cutting Commas (Video)

The worst of company reductions might be over, said the New York Times the other day—but only because there’s nothing left to slash. Obviously the firms surveyed aren’t being creative enough. You can always eliminate punctuation, which takes up costly time, ink, and pixels. (We use lots of it, so we know how expensive it can get.)

Seven Ways to Shrink Your Housing Costs

The recession’s not over yet, folks. Jobs continue to be lost, money is still tight. So why are you still paying the same rent, mortgage, or storage fees?

One upside to the crisis is that cutting those costs may be easier than ever. In many parts of the country, landlords are willing to negotiate on rent. New federal policies have made it easier to refinance home loans. Here are seven ways to pay less—and most are even sacrifice-free…

Cold, Cold Art

Is the art market on the verge of an ice age?

Last week, the all-important contemporary art auctions were held in New York. The big houses raked in tens of millions of dollars—Sotheby’s hit $47 million in its May 12 evening sale, and Christie’s did $93 million the next night—and set a few records. But no matter how they tried to spin it, those sums were relatively skimpy. Christie’s brought in three times more last year, and the big lot at Sotheby’s, Jeff Koons’ Baroque Egg with Bow (Turquoise/Magenta), which had been shopped around for $20 million, sold for $5.5 million.

The problem isn’t just lack of enthusiastic buyers…

Downturn Deals: Luxury Travel for (Much) Less

Is this really the time to be booking an oceanside suite, basking in Italian linen sheets, indulging in butler service on the African plains?

Actually, yes. We’re not telling you to spend cash you haven’t got. But if you’re lucky enough to have time on your hands and dollars to liberate, this is an exceptional time to travel in style. Prices have declined, upgrades are abundant, and even the hottest destinations are less crowded. A fantasy trip that seemed out of reach may now be doable, thanks to deals like these…

Recession Salvation Through Duct Tape

The downturn has made many of us question our priorities, become more interested in spirituality, and even seek out new religions. It’s certainly true for me. I was raised a nonbeliever, and before the recession, I lived a misguided life. Even in the wake of September 11, I resisted the call.

But now all that has changed. It took losing my job, but I have let duct tape into my heart. Duct tape, it turns out, can be a miraculous cost-saver and time-saver, and in the recession, we could all use both…