SUZANNE TATE: Recession Offers Chance, Or Forces Us, To Change Lives

Perhaps it’s hard to see it that way – the recession as a gift – but environmentalists, authors, financial planners and others who teach self-reliance point out that financial hard times force us to look at our lives in new ways.

I’ve tried to think of that as my husband and I enjoy another free or cheap dinner meant to stretch our dollars. We’ve whipped up meals made from garden vegetables and canned goods his parents delivered when they helped us with our move. We’ve never been terribly “brand” conscious, so generic cereal suits just fine.

Both of us have gone years without cable television; to save money and to stop feeling like slaves to it. I did it for three years, and I’m living proof you can survive without it. Today we have cable television, but when we watch, we watch it with purpose, not mindlessly, and we both know we could do without it. It’s empowering, especially since many people act like junkies needing a fix when the electricity goes out and they are forced to entertain themselves even briefly.

We are more focused on what we spend and where it goes and whether we truly need it. Like everyone, we are worried to see our 401(k) investments decline or our bank sold.

Despite the bleak financial outlook on Wall Street, younger workers have no pension plan. If we aim to retire, we have to invest, so I didn’t delay in signing up for my company’s 401(k) plan. But I chuckled as I signed up this week. What made me laugh were the prompts from the company that manages the plan.

It reminded me that I could cut back on buying lunch or going to the movies or buying gourmet coffee to easily come up with funds to go into my retirement plan. A small chart showed how I could bring lunch, rent movies or make coffee at home to easily have the savings needed for my retirement.

I agree wholeheartedly. It’s a principle made famous by author and financial planner David Bach, who asks people to consider their “Latte Factor,” or the amount of money they are inadvertently spending on small items they could do without.

Fine.

But what if you gave up all those “frills” years ago? I bring my lunch nearly every day and have for years. I go to the movies maybe twice per year, if it’s something special my children want to see. And, granted, I love coffee, but I make it at home. The gourmet shops get a few dollars from me, on rare occasion, through my teenage daughter.

It’s an important message, but one I already know well. And one that I have long ago incorporated into my life. Most people long ago cut frills; today’s cuts are nicking bone.

But today’s recession isn’t going to let up anytime soon, so take the time to consider where you could change your life. This is where you could consider the circumstances a gift – you are being forced to look at your life in a different way. Author Leonid Sharashkin says the current recession has hidden gifts.

When we have less to spend, we spend less. Instead of running around burning gas, time and daylight, spend the time with family or friends. And when you have less, you can’t distract yourself with toys and trinkets. You have to get real and notice the real blessings in your life.

Sharashkin is the editor of The Ringing Cedars Series, a nine-book collection by Siberian author Vladmir Megré and translated into 20 languages. The book series has inspired millions of readers to pursue a simpler style of living.

Certainly few of us will abandon our houses and cars to go off and live in harmony with nature. But there are smaller changes we could consider, especially as financial crisis bears down.

* Re-evaluate your work life. Are you working too much? Does your work make you unhappy? In an uncertain economy, no one wants to lose their job. But take time to determine what you want you work life to be. We spend the majority of our waking hours at work. Are you enjoying it?

* Make a conscious decision to consume less. Many people work hard to accumulate lots of things. They want to live in a certain neighborhood, drive a certain car, wear certain kinds of clothes.
Determine what you really need and let the rest go.

* Spend less money on your family and give them more time. Determine if you are spending money to ease guilt. Devote one night a week as family night, or spend one night a week with special friends. Sharashkin suggests: “Do something with your family that’s free or very close to it. Go for a nature walk together, work in the yard, or just sit around the house and tell stories. The idea is to break the mental association between love/fun/togetherness and spending money.”

* Turn off the TV. It saps your energy and time. And watching too much can overstimulate your senses, making it more difficult to sleep. Try going a week, or even a month, without it. Can’t fathom going that long? Then focus on only turning it on for particular programs; don’t just run it morning until night.

* Plant a vegetable garden. The Ringing Cedars Series references Russian Dachniks, gardeners who live on small plots of land and grow fruits and vegetables.

There are many benefits to growing a garden – fresh produce, being outdoors, respect for nature, learning how plants grow. It is a stress-reliever and teaches patience.

And most gardeners grow more than they can eat, so they share their crops with their neighbors and friends. All you need is a small plot, some seeds, tools and some determination.

As tougher economic times set in, more people may choose a simpler lifestyle, through desire or design. It’s a great excuse to try your hand a planting a garden, or calling your family around the table for dinner more often.

Suzanne Tate is the opinion page editor of the Bristol Herald Courier. She may be reached at state@bristolnews.com or (276) 645-2534.