Are You a Retro Porn Addict?

There’s something musty in the air. Many of us are finding ourselves sifting through flea markets, queuing up old movies, and eagerly listening to Granny’s tales of days gone by. We’re yearning for simpler times, picking up values cast aside, and coveting objects thrown away. Sometimes we’re putting on our rose-colored glasses and pretending that everything was better in the Land of Long-Ago. Call it retro porn – the urge to romanticize and fetishize the past during hard times.

The marketing world is already hip to the fact that consumers crave the security and comfort of their childhoods during the Recession…

Group-Gardening is All the Rage

If you pick up one new activity this year, we are betting it will be gardening (if you aren’t doing it already). Thanks to a confluence of DIY fads, a need to grow-your-own, and the White House’s own initiative in this area, gardening seems to be taking on an elevated status in the Recession.

Over the weekend, WiseBread dug into (excuse the pun) the White House way of gardening in a group, noting, “That sort of combined effort can be exactly what it takes to create a gardening success.” The key is communication and good planning about what you actually want to grow (in case none of you likes eggplant despite your abundance of seeds) and fairly divvying up the work and expenses…

Redux: Bootleg Nation?

Lynn Parramore looks back on the Great Depression to see the path ahead.

How do consumers save when they make less than ever before?

Sometimes, they take their business underground. Call it the Downturn Hustle. As folks tighten their belts on just about everything, certain bootleg activities are on the rise.

That’s nothing new. When Prohibition went into effect in 1920, bootleggers got busy providing alcohol to speakeasies and thirsty consumers. By 1929, the year of the Great Crash, a vast underground industry of black market booze had arisen, an illegal trade unlike any the US had ever seen. Gangsters got rich, grew violent and became celebrities as newspaper stories and movies covered their exploits…

Frugal Fitness

Maybe you’re finding it hard to justify your expensive gym membership. Or maybe, like me, you’ve lost your sweet corporate discount on said expensive gym membership.

Either way, lots of us are looking for less expensive ways to work out. There are some obvious options, like walking or running outside, doing crunches in front of the television, and taking the stairs. But if they were so effective, you probably wouldn’t have joined a gym in the first place, would you?

We’ve found several ways to get a yoga/cardio/muscle-building fix on the cheap. Our promise: None involve using soup cans for bicep curls.

At the End of Your Robe: Subtle Secrets

Stylist Julie Greene offers expert advice on looking fierce in a financial crisis.

It’s been said many times, many ways—it’s all in the details. You put thought into the layout of your resume, and wouldn’t send it out with a typo. Maybe you pair your wine carefully with your food. Consider applying the same principles to the way you dress.

Seemingly small things can create harmony in your look and add a subtle—but very real—polish. They show the world that you are thorough and always on the ball. During a time of uncertainty, that is the perfect message to be sending out.

Here are eight surprising concepts that will create balance and give your look a little lift, without spending big bucks on a personal stylist. The best part? Most are just using what nature gave you…

Recession Lexicon: Canniversary

Recession Lexicon: Canniversary

A year from the date when you got canned from your job.

This term, especially popular in the UK, takes a celebratory stance towards what could otherwise be a downer (shout out to our friend London Jack for the suggestion). If your canniversary is coming up, we suggest rewarding yourself for surviving with a night on the town. If you were laid off in a group, why not get the whole gang together for festivities? You’ve earned it.

Ex. Should we do our canniversary at Raoul’s?

Love in the Time of Layoff: Of Uncertain Times

Last week marked the two-month anniversary since my dear husband got the axe. A lot can happen in two months’ time. We canceled a family pilgrimage to Puerto Rico and put the apartment up for sale. Marco quit the gym. Our cat died. We both have gained some weight, but other than that, we’re actually doing okay. Fat but happy, I like to say, with a roof over our heads (for now). We’ve got our love to keep us warm.

The other day, Marco came home from a day of freelancing feeling blue. I tried the usual—kissing it away—but no go. “You don’t like it when I’m moody,” he said. “I’m going to be moody sometimes.”

Traveling Tight: Swap Your Pad

Money’s tight. So every penny counts when you’re on the road…

Maybe the Recession has given you more time to travel, but less cash. How does a rent-free vacay sound? Swap your pad for another in a destination you want to visit and enjoy potentially unlimited savings. Home swapping allows you to travel further and longer than you ever thought possible: We’re talking Italian villas, mountain retreats, and beach bungalows. Plus, you get more space than a hotel could ever offer. It’s even possible to swap vehicles and pet care. The best part is that you get to live like a local and receive tips on what to do and see from your “host”. For a $100 annual membership fee, HomeExchange.com will guarantee you a swap partner, or you get a year for free…

Redux: The Self-Help Industry

Lynn Parramore looks back at the Great Depression to see the path ahead.

Can we help ourselves out of the downturn?

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.
~The Beatles

Self-improvement is in the American cultural DNA. After all, the pursuit of happiness is one of our inalienable rights. From the get-go, American society was relatively fluid in its class structure compared to European counterparts. This dynamic situation encouraged people to believe that perseverance and hard work could bring the bluebird of happiness flapping to their door. Founding Father Ben Franklin was a self-improvement guru, outlining strategies for attaining moral perfection and improving body and mind. Franklin, was a pragmatist, too. He didn’t shy away from investigating the most orderly, self-disciplined path for the accumulation of wealth…

Should Yuppies Take Food Stamps?

Lunch in Tribeca with a friend and former colleague, an Ivy Leaguer who still has his media job. He looks at me over the comfort food that he will very kindly expense and asks, casually: “So are you eligible for food stamps?”

I think he is joking. Then I realize he isn’t.

“No! Of course not.” I pause. “Wait, am I?”

I can’t remember that last time I was so taken aback by a question—much less confronted with big questions about identity, need, and most of all, my own prejudices.