How Credit Card Companies Are Making Nice

And you thought credit card companies held all the…well, cards.

Now they’re getting battered by the recession, as some consumers get smart about credit, and others get so broke they can’t pay at all. Then there are the new rules coming down from Washington.

So credit card companies are changing the way they play (a little). Lenders are actually getting friendlier…

Six Things You Will Miss About Unemployment

There are a lot of people without jobs out there, and there are not a lot of openings. No matter how anxious you’re getting about your unemployed state, about a stalled career, about running out of money, just trust me–when you land a new gig, there are things you will miss about not having a job. So enjoy it while it lasts.

Here’s what I miss most:

Eating healthier

I ate way better when I didn’t have a job. I had more time to shop and cook and less stress-induced sugar cravings. Plus, there’s no vending machine in my house. I miss taking my time at the health food store and farmer’s market, hunting down healthy bargains and cooking up dishes that were good for me.

Being fitter

Less money for transportation means more walking and biking. More time on your hands means more time for the gym.

Naps

No explanation needed…

Downturnaround Deals: Ski Vacations, Sirius, Shoes.com, Ann Taylor, MacAfee

If you’re going to spend, at least save a little doing it. To help, every week we post some great deals hand-picked by our friends at Savings.com.

Exclusive: $100 off plus one free night and ski day in Breckenridge at Southwest Vacations. (See more Southwest coupons.) Check out more ski bargains here.
Take 20% off sitewide with free shipping on $50 or more at Sirius. (See more Sirius coupons.)…

Screwed: 1,000 at Suncor

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

Today’s total: 975

Calgary-based energy company Suncor will cut another 1,000 jobs after laying off 1,000 in 2009…Pfizer is slashing 450 at the former Wyeth headquarters in Upper Providence, Penn. … More than 200 city workers could lose their jobs under a new budget proposed for Tempe, Ariz….

Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2010

There are no excuses left for not getting a good, firm grip on your money.

I’ll just earn more? Last year, even the richie-richest learned that cash doesn’t always keep rolling in.

I don’t know where to start? There are countless resources on the internet.

I don’t have time? There are great tools that will break it all down into steps that can take as little as a few minutes.

Learn your lesson from the recession, already, and get your financial ducks in a row. Start your year with these simple steps:

Get organized

Don’t know where to start? Our friends at LearnVest (one of Recessionwire’s content partners–hey Caroline Waxler!), are running a financial bootcamp this month…

Screwed: 830 in Finland

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

Today’s Total: 1,149

UPM-Kymmene Corp. said Tuesday it will let go 830 people and close mills in Finland…CRO Charles River Laboratories will shut its facility in Shrewbury, Mass., and lay off 300…Briggs and Stratton, a gas engine plant in Auburn, Ala., will cut 19 jobs…

Screwed: 6,380 in Romania

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

Today’s Total: 6,808

CFR Marfa, Romania’s national rail company, plans to lay off 6,380 workers in April…Washington, D.C.’s Metro system is considering cutting 150 jobs…Pfizer is letting go 116 people in New York…Clark County, Nevada, pushed out 67 employees, mostly building inspectors…53 people will be let go from San Francisco’s transit agency…Louisiana’s college system will let go 42 workers to save money…

How to Sniff Out Your Talents

Whether you’ve been laid off, hate your job or just have that uncomfortable, it’s-not-really-me feeling at work, you’ve probably faced this question recently: What the $@%# do I do with myself?

You might even feel like you haven’t managed to unearth your most special abilities. If that sounds familiar, check out this post we recently found at Skelliewag. The gist of it is that you have hidden talents, “things you could do that would make you happy. But you don’t know it yet.”

Skelliewag is talking about skills that aren’t necessarily practical, but isn’t it a great start for thinking about a career? I mean, there are people who manage to build careers out of things that my conservative grandparents would have deemed totally useless. (Personal stylist comes to mind.)

To find your new passion, write down a list and then just try stuff out. Seriously…

Downturnaround Deals: Bliss, American Apparel, H&R Block, Levi’s, Kenneth Cole, Kodak

If you’re going to spend, at least save a little doing it. To help, every week we post some great deals hand-picked by our friends at Savings.com.

Get 15% off your entire order at Bliss, purveyor of covetable beauty products. (See more Bliss coupons.)

Take 15% off your order at American Apparel. (See more American Apparel coupons.)..

Now’s the Time to Stock Up on Spa Services

Recessions are stressful. People are out of work or overworked, they move to smaller houses, they’re generally pissed off. But that’s no excuse for being unkempt or un-massaged—especially with the bargain prices we’re seeing at day spas these days.

Some in the spa industry claim it’s “recession-proof,” but guess what? It’s not. Plenty have gone out of business, and many are struggling to get people in the door. You can benefit from the big discounts they’re offering—sometimes more than 50 percent off. And because you can buy vouchers that last for up to a year, if you have some extra cash, you can actually stock up on 12 months worth of bargain beauty and wellness services. Here are some sources to check out:

We’ve already noted our affection for Groupon, which offers discounts in more than two dozen cities around the U.S.