Admit it we are in a recession

Dear readers, yes, we ARE in a recession. The signs of an economic downturn are all there.  Massive layoffs, government spending cuts, the stock market crash and continuing market volatility.  What else?  Disruptions to global trade in the form of tariffs are on the horizon. Just when you think it couldn’t be any worse, more warning signs abound as if you are entering the Twilight Zone. The cost of living is increasing: grocery prices are up, housing and rent prices are up and wages are not increasing,

Just in case you need more convincing, even the President of the US is finally admitting  our US economy may be in trouble. A headline on a New York Times article today reads, ” Trump Says a Recession Might Be Worth The Cost. Economists Disagree.”

I disagree.  Recessions are painful.  I survived the last one by working full time and doing part-time work, while writing here on The Recessionista.  Frankly, blogging saved my mental health during that stressful period of belt-tightening.  While the current administration may think a recession would long-term reap benefits, I don’t see an upside to the downside.  A “detox period” may be helpful if you’re struggling with addiction, but it’s not helpful if you’re struggling to pay basic bills and potentially losing social programs that might help. It’s not a good thing when your retirement plans are losing thousands of dollars of your hard-earned money.

In my opinion, this recession is different than 2008.  This  2025 recession doesn’t seem to offer a turnaround. Theres’ no Obama or FDR is sight.    During this time, I encourage all my readers to become conscious consumers, using their dollars to vote for the policies companies are sponsoring and the wages they pay their employees.  From my perspective, I’ll be shopping more at Costco and less at Amazon. I’ll also be clipping coupons and watching grocery prices more carefully. I’ll cut my discretionary spending and focus on the essentials. Fashion will always be important to me, but I’ll be doing more thrifting & consignment shopping with the occasional trip to TJ Maxx for low-cost retail therapy.

What about you gentle readers? How are you doing? Is anybody really feeling that the current recession is gonna be a  great reset?