Less is the new More

EconoMuse, here!

Welcome to all you Recessionistas out there.  Our time has finally come.

If you are like me, that last decade of unprecedented growth in the Dow--while welcome to your pocketbook--left you a little queasy.  Maybe you were never comfortable parting freely with money.  Or you were raised by thrifty parents.  You know the type: Mom made your prom dress (complete with elastic waistband because it was easier to sew). Or your parents only bought clothes for the first born, and by the time they were handed down to you--the fourth--you still had to wear them, even if you were the only daughter.  Or perhaps you had to mow the lawn, like Ms. EconoMuse's husband, who was paid $10 to mow for the job--which seemed like a good deal in the 1970s, until he realized that it was a 10-hour job that he had to do every weekend.  Mr. EconoMuse quickly learned about the beauty of compound interest since he was too damn tired to spend his money.  Or maybe you're simply the responsible type who thought you should save your money in case times turned bad.  (Smart thinking, Girl!  Color you psychic!)

So while the last decade was good to the EconoMuse and her husband, she has to admit that her inner thrift always battled with her outer consumer.  And, no, Ms. E-Muse is not cheap.  She just hates to waste money.  So while her gal pals were out plucking Pradas from Neiman's, Ms. E-Muse was combing the racks at Marshall's, looking for something that said "Expensive Italian" (at the same time that it said "Last Season.")    And on those rare occasions when Ms. E-Muse finally decided to splurge, it would takes weeks of agonized shopping to find just the perfect item that she was sure to get her money's worth from.  And in the end, she would often not pull the trigger (except for the full-retail Cole Haans that ended up sitting in the back of her closet because she was afraid to ruin them, confirming forever to Ms. E-Muse all that is wrong with her spending more than $250 on shoes.)  In short, Ms. E-Muse felt like a poseur.  She knew she just couldn't wear expensive clothes like she was born to it.  She figured no matter how much she spent, her outfits would scream, "Clashing!  Can't mix expensive fashions with practical nature!"

But to all you Recessionistas out there, no matter how you came by the moniker, know this: every cloud has a silver lining (or in our case, silver-plated, but that's no matter).  Our time has come.  Thrift is in. Overconsumption when friends are getting laid off is gauche.  Potlucks are now "quaint."  Repurposing is higher up the food chain than recycling.  Less is the new More.  And this economizer no longer hides in the racks at Marshall's when she sees fashionable friends wander in.  After all, they are now shopping there too.