Recessiontainment: Free TV

If you haven't discovered hulu.com check it out. Catch up on some of those t.v. shows you've missed for free. That's right, no need to spend money on Netflix or buying dvds on Amazon that you'll only watch once. And, if you do it now you can catch up on all 7 episodes of Lipstick Jungle before the season 2 premier on Wednesday, September 24th at 10:00p.m. on NBC.

Loose Change

Thanks to Franke for this. And, have fun seeing how much change you can find in a day.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/08/13/change_hunters/

Recessionista: Revisiting Old Habits

Wow. Are we screwed economically or what? I don't know about you, but I am freaking out. I'm not going to pretend like I understand why or how Lehman Brothers collapsed, AIG is in the toilet, and Merrill Lynch is downgrading to "bank" status. What I do know is my already fragile financial life is doing it's own circle down the drain. But, it's fall and it's time to make wardrobe improvements. What's a budget-conscience freaked out girl to do when she feels like she can't shop, yet the air is cooling down and she wants to look cute? Go to Old Navy! Maybe you're like me and needed a break from this discount Gap because 1. you don't want to look like everyone else, 2. you feel you've outgrown it, and 3. now that you're older and making more money you should shop at grown up places. Well, I spent a little time at ON recently after a long hiatus, and was pleasantly surprised by the selection, the diversity of styles, and the accessories. ON sells shoes now! And, they're, like, totally cute! And, the jewelry is fun, bright, and adorable! I dived into the many dresses and skirts they have for fall and found many things I liked that were also flattering. The best part came when I reluctantly picked up a pair of jeans and added them to my dressing room stash. My expectations were low; I have trouble finding jeans that fit in more expensive stores, so I was sure ON could not possibly have jeans I could wear. Imagine my utter joy when I tried on what they call their "Sweetheart Fit" and they wrapped around my curves to perfection. The best part -- they cost $29.50. $29.50 for jeans! That fit! And look good! And don't look cheap! I'll be going back to get them in every wash.
So, ladies, the lesson here is revisit those places you've written off as they might surprise you. The second lesson -- that perfect thing you're looking for (jeans, for example) might be where you least expect them.

NYTVF

I can't believe we ladies here at Recession This! forgot to post this amazing FREE event. The New York Television Festival began on September 12th and offers free screenings of pilots made by people from all over the country. Not only are the pilot screenings free, but there are several panel discussions featuring professionals in the entertainment industry which are also open to the public for FREE. Check out NYTVF for more details. And, if you're around Wednesday afternoon at 3:30, come on down to see Living In Captivity, a 22 minute sitcom about zookeepers, written by Nicole Greevy, Uma Incrocci, and Erica Jensen.

Recession Consumption: Brunch at Home

The Recession This! Girls love brunch, but sometimes $16 for a waffle can seem ridiculous. Inspired by my latest web obsession, Smitten Kitchen, and her deliciously simple recipe for huevos rancheros, I fed my Queens neighborhood posse for the price of one Manhattan brunch entree!

eggs $3.49
2 cans goya black beans $3.38
Sour cream $1.79
Shredded Cheese $5.29
Corn tortillas $1.29

Total: $15.24

It helped that I had a ton of gorgeous tomatoes to make fresh salsa with-- I can't wait to eat them again next weekend!

Recession Consumption: Puttanesca

I love brunch. I believe brunch should include a free alcoholic beverage. But, while it's never hard to find brunch in the city it's getting more and more difficult to find many restaurants that still offer the free mimosa / bloody mary / bellini / screwdriver.
What The Husband and I discovered completely on accident today was Puttanesca's brunch deal: for $8.00 they offer unlimited bloody marys, mimosas, and strawberry or peach bellinis. And, with their already really low prices (eggs benedict for $7.50 which can with a salad and potatoes) this is a pretty good deal. That is, if you have a Sunday you can spend drunk for the afternoon. The Husband and I did not partake in the unlimited alcohol as we could not face the rest of the beautiful day wasted, but the next time we can we're totally going back.
Please note: dinner here is $$$. Brunch is much less.

Recession Consumption: Urbanspoon

For all you iPhone owners out there if you haven't added the application Urbanspoon stop reading and do so now. First of all, it's free. Second of all, it totally works. Say you need a cheap place to eat, but you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood. With Urbanspoon all you gotta do is pick your neighborhood, type of food you want to eat, and how much you want to spend. Hit "shake" and, like a slot machine, Urbanspoon will find your request within seconds. And, you don't even have to know what you want to eat or how much you want to spend. The application has a feature where you can lock in the the neighborhood, but keep the type of food and $ open fields open. Or, you can lock the neighborhood and type of food, but keep the $ field free. Or...well, you get the idea. The Husband and I used Urbanspoon one night before meeting friends in the East Village. We needed dinner before a night of drinking, so we plugged in "East Village" and "$"; Urbanspoon hooked us up with Velseka where we had two sandwiches, two beverages, chips and cole slaw for $18.00.

Recessionista: Nothing to Wear? Call A Friend!

It happens all the time. You've got a swanky NYC party to attend and it's going to require wardrobe no less than something out of Sex & The City. Three hours before the shindig you're in your closet and nothing is right. You can't wear that BCBG dress because 3 friends who will be at the party saw you in it two months ago. That sexy yellow thingy you bought on impulse still doesn't have matching shoes or coordinating accessories. Before you panic and run for the nearest "Clothes for Ho's" pick up the phone and call someone who knows your closet. Sometimes a friend can offer a perspective on your wardrobe that you can't see because, hey, you bought those H&M pants to go with the Daffy's blouse and they can't possibly go with anything else...can they? I speak from experience. Recently, I had a loft party in Soho that I wasn't going to miss, but after destroying my closet I still had nothing to wear. I called my friend Amanda to find out what she was wearing. Sensing my problem Amanda suggested I wear "those cute denim shorts" she's seen me in, like, once. I never imagined those shorts could be anything other than super casual, but Amanda said I should pair them with a fancy top and some heels. Sure enough, I found something totally perfect in my closet to go with the Forever 21 shorts. A pair of gold heels and gold clutch, a long green and gold necklace, and gold earrings completed the outfit...and I didn't have to spend a dime. To top it off, I looked very "Soho Loft Party". So remember, you've got three life lines: always phone a friend first!

Recessionista: Fabulously Fit

As a marathon runner I am clad in active wear just about every day. I've accumulated quite a running wardrobe over the years, and, admittedly, I'm a sucker for all things Nike. (Except their shoes which don't offer me enough support. But I digress.) However, in these recession times Nike prices aren't jiving with my budget, so I've done a little research on where to get good looking sportswear for less.

Let's start with Old Navy where I discovered tanks and shorts for $14.50 each. I even saw a pair of shorts on sale for $8.00. They offer a wide array of colors, though not as many styles as one might want, but compare this with Nike's $25.00 - $65.00 price tag and, well, you don't have to do the math to know that you're saving major ducats. And, if you need more encouragement, my good friend and avid runner Mariana wore a pair of Old Navy shorts on a 16 miler and said they were super comfortable.

Next I did a little on line visit to Kmart where I found a decent selection of running and yoga wear. Not much variety, but lots of cute colors. And, I noticed a scuba hoodie for $8.00. Their prices start even cheaper than Old Navy, ranging from $7.99 - $14.99.

It's hard to find good deals at places that specialize in sportswear. So, if you want to look great running in the park or in the yoga studio or even in the gym and you don't want to spend a lot of dinero get your gear from retailers that carry a variety of merchandise.

Recession Reading: Coupons are Cool?

This is old news, but I'm in Scotland so I'm a little slow (too many pints). The New York Times has called attention to a new movement-- apparently us gals at Recession This! are Frugalistas. Check out this article on the new hip hobby: clipping coupons! I tried one of those coupon sites years ago and thought they were a waste of time-- I'll have to check out coupons.com and couponwinner.com and report back. It will be hard to convert me-- I sort of enjoy the mindless browsing through the Sunday coupons... there's something soothing (and very minorly crafty) about getting out the scissors. And I don't need more time on the computer...