According to USAToday, during the recession Americans were buying more chocolate, shoes, cheaper wine, and Spam. Sounds like a strange party.
The article is from May of 2009 in the heart of the recession. I think it’s interesting to compare then with now. Are we still buying like we’re in a recession?
I don’t know about you, but I have been buying more of that good-for-your-heart dark chocolate with about 70% cacao. It’s really good. Not that cheap, but hey, it’s health food! Chocolate and lipstick were selling well as little indulgences in 2009.
I also bought more shoes than usual this year. The article says we bought more running shoes, but I suppose that includes any kind of tennis shoes. I’ve paid more attention to getting shoes that are good for taking lots of walks. I also bought some nice sandals on sale because it’s hard for me to find comfortable sandals. You have to buy shoes eventually, so when I find a decent sale on good ones I tend to stock up a bit. My favorite source: www.SierraTradingPost.com (no affiliation).
I don’t drink wine that much, even though red wine is supposed to be good for your heart. Bringing a bottle of wine is still a good hostess gift. I do enjoy a beer now and then. We’ve been buying brands that are on sale, so that’s kind of on trend.
I am not a fan of Spam, no matter what they say about it. I know it’s very popular in some parts of the world and considered a great hostess gift there. I don’t care for processed meats very much. I’d rather go vegetarian in most cases. Canned beef stew and canned chili were also popular according to the article. I remember in college heating those in my popcorn maker! Now I’m happy to make my own. I freeze the leftover chili for a quick meal.
The article said people were postponing purchases of large appliances and cars in 2009. I read the other day that people are buying large appliances again, but I don’t know about cars. Could be another sign we are coming out of recession or are already out. I see cars on the road with unfixed crumpled bumpers and plenty of rust holes.
How about you? Have you followed any of these recession trends? Click the title of this post to link to USAToday for more of these trends in May, 2009. What trends have you noticed now? Do you think we’re still in a recession or not?
Maggie@SquarePennies says
Robin, thanks for sharing your experience. That is the kind of economic indicator I can believe in. Nothing tells what the economy is doing like discretionary spending.
Maggie@SquarePennies.blogspot.com says
Barb, don’t you feel virtuous that you are helping the economy so much! lol I know you planned for this, so it’s within your budget. If only you would be starting a trend!
Robin says
As far as Im concerned we never got out of the first recession. I run 3 chinese foot massage businesses here in LA. I have seen the amount of customers in my shops drop just like the stock market in august. people are definitely cutting back on discretionary spending. Economy and jobs are stagnant and the government keeps printing money as a way to solve problems. Its like trying to cure a drug addict more drugs.
Barb Friedberg says
Maggie, The economic news is complaining that Americans still aren’t spending enough, and that’s part of the problem with the economy.We just moved and bought a new house, and we are spending 🙁 a lot.
Maggie@SquarePennies says
Kellen, thanks for your comments! Many people buy cars only when they need them. Used car sales are up too.
Shoes were not high on my list until I began to have foot problems. Then finding shoes that support my feet enough became a big deal. Since it’s so hard to find ones I can walk in all day I pounce on any that are a good price! We travel a lot (retired) so it’s important to me.
Many people can’t tell the difference between an expensive wine and a cheaper wine, so why pay more?
Thanks for stopping by!
Kellen says
Haha, I am down to only 2 pairs of shoes (my dog ate a couple of pairs) and they are starting to show wear – so I guess I will be buying a couple of new pairs this month or next month, but shoes are not high on my list in a recession. I don’t drink wine, although I think buying cheaper wine is not a hard thing to do in a recession since study after study has showed that cheaper wines are often more widely enjoyed than the more expensive wines.
Also, apparently cars were up last month, but the report I heard seemed to think this didn’t mean much for recovery because maybe people waited a couple years and now they just *need* to replace their car.
I hope we’re not sliding back down into recession 🙁