How Are You Managing These Days?

Lots of people are writing about how to make do with less in these stressful financial times. The advice is generally similar. Don't overreact and panic, make a spending plan, spend more time with friends and family, avoid abusing food, drugs or alcohol to console yourself, think creatively about new opportunities, shift your priorities from material things to relationships and other forms of less costly pleasures, appreciate what you do have instead of walking around feeling deprived. It's all great advice, but can people really do it?

I'm wondering how well managing this financial earthquake is going for most people. With American culture having been focused for so long on wealth, celebrity, ownership of things large and small, are you, your family, your friends, able to make the mental shift into appreciating things that are lower key, more everyday?

What works for you? What doesn't? Social support is a powerful thing. If we share our experiences, we can help each other through tough times. And who knows, we may discover some pretty wonderful things along the way.
Marion Jacobs