There's A Recession - have a blast!!!

With the recession, people are cutting back. They're canceling vacations, skipping the restaurant and staying home. And when news of a layoff comes, they cut back even more.

It's important to watch our pennies these days, but the people who do the best are keeping one thing at all costs - fun.

When we give things up, we often don't replace them - then we feel deprived, angry, hurt and sad. It's why many diets don't work. We feel like we're being punished, that things are unfair. And if we have kids, they often pick up on that and feel the same way. We say things like "we can't afford that" and "we don't have the money."

It creates sort of a self-fulfilling prophesy. And we go into job interviews with this hurt, deprived, "I can't afford it" quality permeating everything we say. Not very attractive.

What if instead of this we took a look at our budget so we could tighten it, network to find jobs, look for the best deals, trade for what you need, cancel vacation (if necessary) but also took a look at how can we maintain the fun?

I would argue that fun should be at the top of the list because it helps us maintain a positive mind-set. It reduces stress and helps us reconnect with our kids and with one another. It can help you sleep better at night, reduces over-eating ... and imagine going into a job interview with this fun attitude. Imagine the night before you played cards with your family and just finished a picnic with your partner just before the interview. You'll be a better mood - and it'll show.

Instead of saying "we can't afford that" - see it as a choice. Instead of dinner at a restaurant and going out to a movie, you might trade movies with the neighbors and have a pot luck. Instead of taking a vacation, you can set up a tent in the back yard or trade homes with a friend.

Instead of going to a ball game, play baseball with your kids and their friends. Board games, pic-nics, swimming, tennis, learning a new skill in exchange for teaching, pot lucks...all are free or low cost ways to have a good time.

During the recession don't give up the fun. Think of a way to translate more expensive activities you enjoy into more frugal entertainment. It doesn't have to be expensive but having fun is vital for peace of mind and good relationships.

Enjoy!