Recession Briefing 8.3: Housing is Back

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

By every measure, except foreclosures, the housing market has stabilized and many areas are recovering, according to a spate of data released in the past two weeks. (Los Angeles Times)

Families are expected to spend 8 percent less on back-to-school purchases, including everything from new shoes to dorm room gear, the National Retail Federation forecasts. Also, Recessionwire: 10 stores offering deals. (Associated Press)

Strapped local and state governments are still spending on at least one activity: seeking stimulus money. (Wall Street Journal)…

10 Deals for Back to School

There are lots of ways to cut back on your back to school budget — you might, for instance, do a full inventory of any pencils and scissors you have in the house. But if you do have to get to the store for some missing items, you’ll find lots of retailers are eager for your business. According to the National Retail Federation, back to school spending is expected to fall by 7.7 percent this season, while more parents report plans to purchase hand-me-downs at secondhand stores (though they’re also expected to increase spending on electronics, like laptops, by 11 percent).

The big chains are doing all they can to encourage you to buy from them at any price. And the government hopes to help, too, as several states are offering “tax holidays” for back to school shopping (see a list of states and dates here). We’ve compiled a list of some of the best deals out there…

Recession Briefing 7.9

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

“Our first stimulus bill … was sort of like taking half a tablet of Viagra and having also a bunch of candy mixed in,” said Warren Buffett, backing the idea of another stimulus package. (ABC News)

While parents may scrimp on their own clothing allowances during the recession, they won’t on their baby’s, making basic baby apparel one of the most defensive discretionary consumer categories in the economic downturn. (Wall Street Journal)

The free and cheap daytime activities at Seattle’s Recession Camp are designed to bring summer camp-style socializing to unemployed adults. (KOMO News)

In this climate it isn’t difficult to imagine that some museums are looking to the works on their walls (or more likely in the their collection vaults) as a possible solution to to their financial problems. Should they? (Chicago Now)…