More Ways to Cut Costs

Yahoo.com has a good little list of ways to cut down on all the things we love that get us through the day. It's all the things you know, but a great reminder none-the-less. I'm stocking up on fruit and I'm only drinking coffee made in the office. Yesterday I heard on the news that you can save $1000.00 a year by making your own coffee. Wow.

Recession Blues? Stay Positive!

Do not watch the news. Just don't. Turn off MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, and any other so-called news program with talking heads screaming about recession / depression / apocalypse / the earth imploding any minute now if the Dow Jones drops one more point.

We know we're in crisis, ok? And, the best way to get out of this is not to listen to the cranks on the tube. Instead, take a deep breath, recognize that this, too, shall pass, put a smile on your face and a song in your heart, and add one or more of the following activities to your ever growing list of recession-friendly fun:

1. Spend more time in the park. Talk to people. Pet dogs, play with babies. I promise, one hour in the park will lift your spirits for the rest of the day.

2. Surround yourself with positive people and insist that you not talk about the recession for the whole day. Obvious, I know, but sometimes if you don't remind yourself it's really easy to get sucked in to negativity.

3. Join a church or other community group that's focused on positive thinking and community service.

4. Speaking of community service, what better way to contribute to society than to volunteer somewhere? Be a mentor at Big Brothers Big Sisters or at the 52nd Street Project; volunteer at the Humane Society; find out what projects the city has going on; plant a garden.

5. Chant, meditate, do yoga. Clean out your physical and mental closet.

6. Think of your own ways to stay positive.

Vulture Alert

The Circuit City at Union Square was pretty picked over when we stopped in there last week, but the Virgin Megastore in Times Square is still packed with CDs, DVDs, video games, clothes, and even fixtures being sold at a discount.
Virgin is also closing its Union Square location and one in San Francisco. (Union Square is still listed as open on the Virgin web site.)

Sign of the end times? Sure. But if you want some cheap music and/or movies, the time to snatch them up is now.

[Photo by Lip Kee]

TONIGHT: Free Learning Annex Teleconference + Planet Money

The Learning Annex, purveyor of random seminars of all kinds, is offering a free 14-day trial of their classes.

Tonight, they are offering a free, 45-minute teleconference: "Get Out of Debt Now with Dave Ireland." Ireland is allegedly offering tips on paying off all your debts in 1-3 years, and even paying off your 30-year mortgage (if you have one) in 4-5 years.

Hey, it's free!

From the Learning Annex web site:
"Dave's financial techniques make perfect sense. He has taught thousands how to become debt free and, in this economy, Dave can help you avoid the "debt disaster" that is plaguing millions of Americans.

Dave Ireland is a retired Eastman Kodak Executive with a Master's Degree in Accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has written numerous books, newspaper and magazine articles on personal finance, including The Monthly Payment Trap and Invest in Your Debt. "

And if you need any more impetus to sign up, listen to last week's This American Life, "Bad Bank" another collaboration between them and the Planet Money people. (You know, the same team who taught us all we needed to know to intelligently freak out last fall.)

[Photo by Jessamyn]

Money Free Weekend

Broke? Not-yet-stimulated? No reason to stay in and bored this weekend; The Simple Dollar has a list of "100 Things To Do During A Money-Free Weekend" filled with great ideas. Some highlights:

#14. Make decisions about and write out your will. A bit morbid, but death's the only certainty other than taxes. And, while we're being morbid, save your loved ones cash by opting for a green burial (they're cheaper!).

#16. Organize a walking tour. If you live in NYC, check out the walking and MTA tours in Time Out.

#20. Start a blog on a topic that interests you. Or share a bunch of ideas with an existing blog (hint, hint).

#27. Try out some great open source and free software. Check out Lifehacker or our previous post.

#37. Cut your own hair. Maybe not such a great idea...

#47. Learn a foreign language. Search YouTube for videos or check out Babbel.com.

#57. Turn on the water sprinkler. Another idea we're not so sure about...

#68. Write a letter to your future children or grandchildren. You know, the ones whom you left everything to in #14.

#84. Explore a blog you like. How self-serving can we be?!

Have a great weekend!

[via Simple Dollar]
[Photo by Pesterussa]

Free PhotoShop Alternatives

Got some great party photos you want to edit, but don't have the right software and can't afford to pay for PhotoShop? Stay on the right side of the law with these free alternatives:

SumoPaint is an online application from Finland:

Or you can download a freeware program called Gimp.

Think Outside The Moving Box

It may not seem like it, but spring is approaching and spring is traditionally moving season in New York. Hopefully you found a desperate landlord willing to offer you cheaper rent than your current place. If you are that lucky, continue the savings by packing up in cheap(er) reused cardboard boxes.

You can search for free or cheap boxes posted on Craigslist, or
set up an account at FreeCardboardBoxes.com.
Boxcycle.com also hooks you up with sellers near you who will sell you boxes cheaper than U-Haul (although they have a messageboard of their own you can search for reused boxes).
UsedCardboardBoxes.com allows you to buy discounted stacks and shipping kits and have them shipped directly to you.

Of course, don't forget to save on boxes by packing less stuff in the first place: figure out what you don't need and sell it on Craigslist!

Photo by Mr. Greenjeans
[via IdealBite]

Top 10 Recession Stocks

It's common knowledge that the best time to buy stocks is when the market's down, since it will eventually (hopefully) go back up.

According to The Motley Fool the following are the Top 10 Recession Stocks:

1. Southwestern Energy
2. Goldcorp
3. Apple
4. Gilead Sciences
5. Priceline.com
6. ITT Educational Services
7. Strayer Education
8. McAfee
9. Flowers Foods
10. Range Resources

You should check out their website for a full explication of what exactly "Recession Stocks" are, as well as further investing advice. We at Recession This! certainly are not qualified to recommend any stock purchase or activity on your part of any kind. But if you somehow are lucky enough to have money to invest right now, this post is a good place to start (and all but 2 of these stocks are currently priced under $100).

Blackberry Without Blackberry

Don't have a Blackberry, want the Blackberry experience but can't afford the upgrade from your plain ol' cell phone? Then look into push e-mail.

We'll admit, we don't know that much about this stuff and are only aware of it thanks to a tech-savvy pal. But if you need it and can't afford to pay for it, check it out. Some providers suggested by our source are emoze and funambol.

[Photo by John W. Macdonald]

Decrease Credit Card Debt with Multiple, Earlier Payments

If you're carrying a balance on your credit card, check out this post at Consumerist.com for details on how paying more than once a month -- even small payments -- helps beat down the interest and ultimately save you money. They also have links to spreadsheets that will help you calculate a payment schedule.