This recession wouldn’t be so bad if it were not constantly beat over our heads.
Hoping to take a little escape from the impending doom of global financial crisis, I sidled up to the kitchen counter to browse through the latest edition of Better Homes & Gardens.
It’s terribly out of date, I know, to read the printed page instead of going online. But in order to take my mind off the plunging status of the domestic gross product, it’s best to scan through the magazine pages. I flipped it open and prepared to be transported to scenes of blooming flowers, triple-layer cakes and window treatments.
Instead, I was greeted by a full-page advertisement for a coffee brand proudly proclaiming their home brew only costs 5 cents a cup.
Good grief.
If it’s reached the point where you have to pencil out how much a cup of coffee cots before starting the day, you might as well roll over and pull the covers back over your head.
In fact, Americans seem to be coping quite well with the recession.
Depression-era recipes like corn cob jelly and lima bean soup have been dusted off. Then they are filed back in the box because things really aren’t that bad. Yet.
Instead, diners resort to desperate measures like using coupons when eating out. Restaurants are going to great lengths to keep the recession at the forefront by pouring out a steady stream of coupons. Fast food joints wrap burgers in economic lessons and promote their dollar menus. Things are so bad that Denny’s gave away free breakfasts this week.
Should all these discounts become a distraction from the desperate state of the economy, others are more than willing to bring reality crashing down faster than the consumer confidence level.
Some new gadget promises better fuel mileage. Another will trim home heating costs. There’s the magic phone jack, food dehydrators and energy-efficient light bulbs.
Funny how all these tips on saving money involve spending money on someone’s product. Legislators tell us they feel our recession pain, so they are hammering out a stimulus package that takes money from taxpayers and gives it to executives.
All the recession-mongering has caused Americans to save more than they have in years. Panicked over layoffs, every possible penny is being poked in piggy banks.
That’s producing another problem. Trading in a $4 latte for a nickel cup of joe at home saves you money, but costs a barista a job. So as long as we feel like we’re in a recession, we’ll cut back on spending, causing the recession to linger.
Pass the lima beans.
