What are you doing to keep your mind off of the recession/depression?

**MRAHoffman** · 10-24-2008, 03:39 PM

It seems like everywhere I turn there is more bad/sad news. What are you doing to keep your mind off things (the best that you can) as well as coping. Also, for those of you going through difficult times, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Rhonda

**Missourimom** · 10-24-2008, 04:03 PM

Thank you Rhonda for such a nice post. The economy has been devastating to our business, but by the grace of God, we're still hanging in there and I hope we'll continue to. Like many others in the same boat, we're just hunkered down at home and not spending any unnecessary money. It's hard not to worry, especially with Christmas around the corner.

Some of the things I've been doing to keep my mind off it is:

*Not watching the news so much. We know times are tough, but we don't need it in our face 24/7. We've been working on our plans to purchase two cows to put at my FIL's, which will give us meat. I started moderating a local freecycle/chat group in my area and I began volunteering 1 day a week at the food pantry. I've also been planning next years garden. The most important thing I do though is pray and thank the Lord for His many wonderful blessings and how I know He will help us get through this.

**Gardengal18** · 10-24-2008, 04:09 PM

Hiding under the bed next to one of the cats............just kidding lol! Since I somewhat work in the Industry it's kind of hard NOT to hear what's going on. But once I get home and on weekends the News is turned OFF and I'm out in the garden or with the dog in a park somewhere.

**DaisySue** · 10-24-2008, 05:04 PM

We are trying to stay positive. My hubby's job went from a 4 day week to 3. He is a truck driver so those are long days, but losing a day has really hurt us. His company does not seem to care about their drivers. he has been there 5 years and when they rebid routes they were crappy and ran out of 4 days the guy before him.

We are just finding a lot of stuff to do around home that we never had the time to do before or get finished cause of lack of time. no new projects just completing old ones where the stuff is already there. He has gone fishing which helped mood considerably and provided two meals. Going hunting tomorrow.

We have been hanging out with our kids and grandkids, watching tv, starting a jigsaw puzzle, have a fire outside on nice weekend nights maybe roast a marshmallow.

Christmas will be very, very small. But we are ok and are paying our bills so that is all that matters.

**HisDaisy** · 10-24-2008, 05:09 PM

We have turned off the TV. Yes, I know that the economy is bad, but I really do not need it in my face all the time.

**jas** · 10-24-2008, 05:44 PM

Turning off all the depressing news. You can only absorb so much before getting into a foul mood. The news is like a rollercoaster up, down, up down. No thanks.

**Holly** · 10-24-2008, 06:19 PM

planning my wedding and our li fe together.

**frugalfriend** · 10-24-2008, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Missourimom

The most important thing I do though is pray and thank the Lord for His many wonderful blessings and how I know He will help us get through this.

I so agree! You have a great attitude, too!

**Non-Conformist** · 10-24-2008, 07:42 PM

I'm grateful for my family, their safety, and their health.

I just realized today that I need to focus more on that instead of what's going wrong.

As for Christmas, I don't mean to be insensitive but I really don't understand why people are getting so worked up over it. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. That's why you save up all year for it but still, it's not the end of the world.

And this is coming from someone who is used to thousands of dollars worth of gifts, lavish parties, and and all around good time. It's not going to happen this year, oh well. At one point I was a little blue over it but I'm living a new life now.

And now that I look at it, I am not raising my kids that way even though that is how my parents raised me. Those expectations are too high. There are more important things in life and if your biggest worry is affording xmas then I'd say you are pretty blessed.

**Ilovesewing** · 10-24-2008, 08:43 PM

I really have to say we are pretty unaffected by the economy right now. Sure, gas is higher and groceries cost more. But that isn't a huge part of our budget any more so even that doesn't affect us too badly. DH is out of work on workers comp due to an injury and will be thru the end of the year. Even that is ok.

We've spent the last year saving for our dd's wedding and went into super frugal mode. We didn't want to have any debt from it, and we ended up paying for the whole thing in cash. The wedding was Oct. 12th so it's all over now. But, we're still in our super duper frugal mode lol

I don't watch the news, I don't read the newspaper, I don't play the stock market, so while it's sad when I do hear about businesses closing up - and there have been so many recently - it hasn't affected us. Bad news will just drain me so I stay away from it.

If everyone would live well below their means they would be so much better off!

**Cricketlegs** · 10-24-2008, 08:43 PM

Saving money
paying debt
getting my stockpile going

You do what you can do and then you just roll with it as best you can.

**EmilyD** · 10-24-2008, 09:16 PM

Been working on getting our BEF built back up while waiting for the insurance to pay the medical bills.

That is done, now we have applied to GAP.

Depending how that works out we will begin making payments on the medical bills and hope he doesn't lose his overtime.

The stockpile is going well and we are trying to figure out where to put it so it is more accessible.

Paying debt the best we can. Everything is current.

**dcompton** · 10-24-2008, 09:36 PM

Seriously working on a stockpile.

Focusing more on the EF. I've stopping voluntary contributions to the 403b for Oct & Nov to get the emergency fund back up where I will be happier with it. I lose a tax break, but I really want that EF in place, since I am my only source of income. I've just started a CD ladder of small 6-month CDs that would cover a month's fixed expenses - rent, utilities, insurance, and such. The first was last week, the second will be after the first of the month, and today I budgeted them in through March. That will keep the immediately available EF smaller, but this feels more definite to me, knowing that critical expenses are locked in place rather than just being part of a generic EF.

I entertain myself around the house, always my preference anyway, and my choices are pretty cheap ones.

I am very fortunate in that, so far, it hasn't affected my job. I don't have to drive much, so the gas prices have been much less burdensome for me than for most of you. So other than the shocking totals in the 403b - and I'll be looking at that with a rep next week - I am ok.

I do listen to the news, as bad as it is, on my days off, and read some online at work. Usually I don't pay much attention, but I feel like now I do need to be more alert to what is going on in the larger world. I try to remain as detached as I can. I'm hoping that after the elections, at least some of the hysteria and shrillness will subside somewhat, even if the situation doesn't improve.

But global news and crisis is hard, in some ways, to get hold of. What is more distressing is the devastation it's causing to individuals, people with names and faces - jobs lost, families struggling to keep their houses and keep food on the table, drowning in medical bills. And that news, since we all know people, is unavoidable. What can we do but hope the situation eases as soon as possible?

**AmyBoz** · 10-24-2008, 10:20 PM

Just keeping on keeping on.

We're being smart with our money through shopping well, not buying unneccessarily, cutting back on everything, and enjoying our time together.

At this point, what else can you do? It will either get better or it will get worse. Roll with the punches and don't freak out and it will come out alright in the end.

**Missourimom** · 10-24-2008, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by Non-Conformist

I'm grateful for my family, their safety, and their health.

I just realized today that I need to focus more on that instead of what's going wrong.

As for Christmas, I don't mean to be insensitive but I really don't understand why people are getting so worked up over it. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. That's why you save up all year for it but still, it's not the end of the world.

And this is coming from someone who is used to thousands of dollars worth of gifts, lavish parties, and and all around good time. It's not going to happen this year, oh well. At one point I was a little blue over it but I'm living a new life now.

And now that I look at it, I am not raising my kids that way even though that is how my parents raised me. Those expectations are too high. There are more important things in life and if your biggest worry is affording xmas then I'd say you are pretty blessed.

I'm pretty sure no one said they were worked up about Christmas..at least I didn't. Worried some, but my world won't end. I have never spent thousands of dollars at Christmas nor held parties, so that isn't something I can even relate to. I didn't get to save this year because our family was too busy keeping a roof over our head and paying our bills, not where we could buy the next great gift on clearance. Sorry, but your post sort of struck a nerve and I felt as if I was being lectured.