Best Recession: Your guide to staying hip & classy in a debilitating economic downturn

Make the switch to Antenna TV

bestrecession — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:07:46 +0000

Will work forever

One needless monthly bill in any home or apartment is cable television. Cable TV offers a plethora of entertaining programming options, but is it worth $100 a month to watch the Entourage lads chase women? You can get many of the same channels and picture quality for free with “bunny-ears”. Since it’s invention in 1925, antenna TV has enthralled Americans with shows like “I Like Lucy” and “The Tonight Show” . Free antenna TV is protected by the U.S. Constitution to continue to work well into the new millenium. Not having cable is also very popular on the Lower-East-Side of Manhattan. A cool way to answer when a friend or former coworker asks if you’ve seen a show is to roll your eyes and say “oh..I don’t have cable”

1. Buy a small antennae TV at any yard sale.
2. Reach behind your cable TV and unplug it. Cable is like water, you pay per the quantity of signal that flows through the wires. Watch your bill drop!
3.Use your old TV as a cheap stand for your hipper, sleeker antennae TV.
4.Adjust the “bunny ears” until you can see a good picture.
5. For HD channels try wrapping the antenna in tin foil or adding a plastic or metal hanger.

Monthly Cable Bill for RCN, Comcast or Charter = $100
Antennae TV + tin foil + coat hanger = $22
SAVINGS = $1,200/ year!

BR endorses: The Garbage Bag Dress

bestrecession — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:05:33 +0000

The BR Garbage Bag Dress is great for formal dances, black & white parties and funerals. Waterproof, shiny and cheap this will become any ladies quintessential “Little Black Dress”.

Can you tell which one is a trash bag?

1. Take one large garbage bag and cut 3 holes in the non-business end
2. Slide it on
3. If you’re comfortable with showing leg, cut a slit
4. For a great color accent you can use the red tie at the bottom as a fun belt

Vera Wang Dress = $465.00
Trashbag = 3 cents
Savings = $464.97

Newsweek: Luxury SHAME?

bestrecession — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:06:29 +0000

Hide it

Newsweek has a new article out about how the extremely wealthy are forgoing their usual decadence and limiting their ostentatious buying.

“I could walk downstairs now and buy a Ferrari,” he says from a suite at Wynn Las Vegas, which boasts a dealership. “But all of my friends are hurting. I don’t feel like buying random toys.”

Sacrifice. The rich are a good example. Here’s some things you can do to to minimize your conspicuous consumption:

If you put extra quarters in the parking meter; dont show off and drive off. Pretend to have trouble getting out of the spot until it expires.
Don’t tip.
Don’t have overweight pets.
Don’t buy newsweek on newsstands. You can get pick up old newsweeks in any waiting room.
Don’t “top off” your gastank. It’s obnoxious and against posted rules.

Counterexample: “Rich Boy”. It’s subtle, but listen how he brags about recent automobile purchases

Save on your heating bills: Use the oven!

bestrecession — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:27:44 +0000

It’s proven that using the heat in your home/apartment during the winter is expensive, bad for the environment and helps support Islamo-Fascist terrorism. Using your oven for heat is a great alternative:

Great for those chilly nights

Set your home oven to it’s highest setting [On some models this setting is called "SELF CLEAN"]
Leave the door wide open
For an added boost, insert some old newspapers, boxes or trash
Make sure to turn the exhaust fan on if you plan on going to sleep