Thrifty Times

I really wanted to keep this blog light-hearted, a glimpse of what I feel is the happier, more fun me. All of that being said, I blogged about recessions and depression and difficult times for years and it is hard for me to let this go. I have practiced for The End of the World As We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) for a long time and when I hear something that alerts me of hard times I tend to listen. I don't want to be panicky about the New Year, but I plan to start tightening up the purse strings.

Case-in-point: My friend M. works in the coffee business. He is a master roaster and makes a great, smooth-tasting coffee that I am so hooked on (and often the recipients of his great coffee gifts!) He has been depressed for a couple of weeks and tonight he told me that several employees were laid-off and his hours were cut. Why? I mean coffee is an addiction and I don't see "Drink less coffee" on too many resolution lists. No, the reason is coffee beans have gone up 65%. Another way to put this is consumer coffee is about to go literally through the roof. I am a coffee addict. I need to stock up ASAP!

Then, if this coffee news is not enough, I hear on Chicago news that produce is tripling in cost. Even the price of things like bananas and cabbage is increasing exponentially. 2010 has not been a good year for produce yields. I guess I'll be planting that garden this year after all (order seeds now!) Of course, we could all have wonderful local produce yields come spring and summer (we can hope anyway).

The other agricultural item that is about to increase is cotton. Well, the price of raw cotton is already high, but what is going to go up is the following essential items: blue jeans, towels, and diapers (the non-disposable ones). I will thrift most of the jeans for DH and myself, but decent ones for the 8 yo always seem harder to find (will have to really hit yard sales this summer).
No one is in diapers any more and we are set on towels.

Anyway, I really was trying to get away from the panic, the doom and gloom I felt from being/having to be "prepared", but I still want to be thrifty and ready for tough times ahead. When I hear my friends are losing their jobs and the rest of us have frozen salaries, I wonder if this recession is just getting bigger and not better.