Picture Shopping in the Recession

We’ve all read or heard about how retail has been suffering in the downturn. That’s why “on sale” has come to mean 70 percent off, well-known names like Eddie Bauer and Filene’s Basement are ending up in the bankrupt bin, and even Wal-Mart has laid off hundreds of workers. Of course, all the layoffs mean people have less money to spend at stores, which means more financial difficulty for retailers, etc., etc.

At the same time, it can be hard to picture the numbers–like September auto sales being down 25 percent. How much has everything else dropped? Compared to what?

The New York Times has created another nifty chart…

Thrift Today, Gone Tomorrow

The global recession that began in 2007 revived Americans’ interest in an old-fashioned virtue: thrift. And some say it will last — but history says otherwise.

Thanks to shriveling job and stock markets and plummeting real estate values, saving money have become all the rage, and Americans en masse are re-using their tin foil, cutting coupons and boasting about their thrift-store bargains. (Read 13 Thrift Store Shopping Tips.) Conspicuous consumption is out, conspicuous frugality is in. Economists and pundits have pronounced the arrival of a new era – the era of like-it-or-not thrift.

Over the last few months, we’ve seen signs that the economy is perking up. The housing market is leveling out, growth in parts of Asia and Europe has been surprisingly robust, and many forecasters expect the U.S. economy to grow in the second half of the year. (Though Some Smart People Say We’re Still Kinda Screwed.)

Even during periods when thrift was framed as a virtue, it turned out to be a virtue Americans couldn’t wait to relinquish.

But one important piece of the puzzle – consumer spending – has remained stubbornly low, and economists and policy makers worry that consumption won’t ever climb back to pre-recession peaks…

Downturnaround Deals: Bloomingdales, Macy’s, HP, Limited, Orbitz, LuggagePoint

Every week, we post a handful of online deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers from Savings.com. Feel free to pass them along to your friends. And if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know!

20% off sitewide at Bloomingdales…

How to Manage Money After a Layoff

With the unemployment rate now at 9.8%, chances are that you or someone you know has been laid off. Yet the bills still need to be paid, and without that salary you used to depend on, it’s hard to know what to do first. Galia Gichon, founder of Down to Earth Finance, former Wall-Streeter and personal financial expert with a particular focus on women, suggests creating a financial plan and sticking to it in order to make the most of your savings or severance. Here’s what she had to say about spending habits, budgeting and more after a layoff:

Recessionwire: What’s the first thing you should do with your money after you’ve been laid off?

Gichon: I would say that the first thing to look at is automatic payments that you might not be aware of. Look at your credit card bills and bank statements—perhaps it’s the newspaper, video rental, the gym or charitable contributions—which can add up to hundred of dollars a month…

Saving on Spa Days

Whether you’ve lost your job or you’re struggling to keep the one you still have, there’s no denying it’s a stressful time out there. But even as women cut back on expensive gyms, luxury vacations, and “It” bags, one thing we’re not forsaking is the spa.

According to statistics from the International SPA Association, overall revenues at spas across the country were up last year, even as the total time spent per visit went down. How could that be? It turns out more stressed out women—and men, let’s be honest—are visiting day spas for treatments that take less time, usually 30 minutes or less, than in years past…

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…

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…

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…

The Grand Prize? Free Rent

What’s one way to grab the attention of consumers in an overly-crowded market of coupons, deals, and special discounts? Offer up a free place to live.

Shopping sprees and around-the-world trips have apparently become passé when it comes to company-sponsored contests, since an increasing number of businesses are dangling free rent as the grand prize in seemingly-unrelated marketing efforts meant to attract new customers and draw attention to their products.

From discount clothing chains to beverage companies, there doesn’t need to be any connection to the housing market for free—or discounted—rent to be offered as a prize. Need proof, or just a place to stay? We’ve gathered up a handful of contests to prove our point…

Downturnaround Deals: Gardeners Supply, Beauty.com, Red Envelope, Banana Republic, Wynn Las Vegas

Every week, we post a handful of online deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers from Savings.com. Feel free to pass them along to your friends. And if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know!

Click here to get 10 percent off $10 or more from Gardeners Supply Company

Click here to get get $10 off $60 or more plus free shipping at Beauty.com

Click here to get get 10% off any order at Red Envelope

Click here to get 20 percent off orders of $75 or more at Banana Republic…