How to Survive a Recession in Style

My family wasn't affected by the crash of '29. They went broke in '28.
- Gerald Barzan

Here is what a Squidoo Lens Maker Says about the benefits of a recession and how it will help you survive a recession:

• A recession makes you wiser
• A recession makes you think out of the box
• A recession makes a decision maker out of you.
• A recession makes you appreciate what you have.
• A recession forces change
  

Here is one way on how to survive a recession in style:

I just received the following letter from Raúl Mellado in Spain:

Dear Mr. Zelinski,

I am writing from Spain, after reading your book The Joy of Not Working, after a recommendation by a friend. I must say it's one of the funniest — yet at the same time useful book I've ever read.

When I told my colleagues I was quitting my job as a computer engineer to move with my girlfriend to a little island (called La Palma) in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where we had no job, no house; just a couple of friends living there and nice weather all year long, they all said I was crazy.

Now, looking back, I think it's them who are crazy for staying where they are! I clearly remember one coffee break, talking about what we would do if we won the lottery. And absolutely no one would stay where we were.

So I thought, if you don't like what you do, Why keep doing it?

Here, in order to pay the rent for our flat, my girlfriend takes somesporadic jobs as a nurse, and I use my computer skills from time totime on some projects, but most of the time, we are free. We havereduced our expenses to the minimum, and our capacity to enjoy lifeto the maximum!

We have walks in nature, read the newspaper lying on the beach, several books (one per week is our aim,) learn new recipes and cook our slow-food, learn new languages, etc.

I am 26, and she is 24. We are really happy we took this path whenwe are relatively young (no young enough to keep awake till 6 am ata party, anymore), not wasting our lives living for work.

Also, we think this lifestyle, reducing consumption to a minimumand escaping the vicious consumerism, apart from increasing our happiness, helps our planet, working in favor of its sustainability.

Currently, we are trying to find and develop some kind of businessin which we can enjoy ourselves and have a regular income, not working too hard. Do you have any suggestions?

[ Answer: Yes, read Career Success Without a Real Job.

Now we are looking forward to reading your latest book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, lying on a beach.

We would like to thank you for all we've learned with your book, andno need to say, we would really enjoy having your visit over hereone day. Just look for flights to "Santa Cruz de La Palma", in Spainand let us know what time we should pick you up at the airport.

Best regards from Spain,

Raúl

Here are a three retirement quotes:

Retirement is the beginning of life — not the end!

— from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

Don't wait for retirement to be happy and really start living. Invariably, people who try this find out that they have waited much too long.

— from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

To fear retirement is to fear life.

— from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

Also check out these resources to help you survive a recession:

Fashion and Money

Top-10 Dumbest Retirement Moves