Name an advantage of this slow economy; I'll start.

[hedgehog]

My son is spending the summer living at home because there are no summer jobs this year; he likes to cook and is up for painting the house!

[ThomWV]

1. Less gasoline being burned means cleaner air

[CoffeeCat]

2. Well, after that $1,000 per month paycut--

...we cut down on everything. We axed the gym membership, cable tv, NYTimes subscriptions, we drove
less, didn't eat out at all and spent more time at home renting movies--instead of going out.

I learned that it not only possible to live a more simpler life, but it really is much more enjoyable.

I feel more relaxed.

...although I sure as hell would like that extra $1,000 per month back! We'd save it though, not
return to our old ways.

[JuniperLea]

3. Rediscover your local library!

Bake something... spend time talking to people (not just on DU)...

What a lovely idea for a thread! Kudos, hedgehog!

Plant some flowers (seed packets are still fairly inexpensive)... volunteer at a local hospital...

[hedgehog]

14. Actually, I just wanted to gloat over having my son cook and bake!

He's spent a lot of time with my Mom and his BIL in the kitchen and he likes to experiment. Lemon iced sugar cookies!

Nom, nom, nom!

[NYC_SKP]

4. Planet Earth Gets a Break...

Electricity generation is down in all sectors.

Fewer trucks and cars and ships are belching out greenhouse gasses.

People are taking "Staycations" and rethinking all their buying choices.

It's much more sustainable this way, really.

I'm very pleased about this aspect, not about joblessness and homelessness, but we really do need to live better, less consumeristic, lives.

:patriot:

[Greyhound]

5. "Slow economy", ROTFLMAO!

I suppose where you are determines your POV.

Thank you Barack, We're all so grateful that your billionaire friends will not have to suffer any effects from the destruction they've wrought.

[rgbecker]

6. Temporary stop to the bulding of the ugly MacMansions that have ...

sprung up everywhere ruining the view and requiring an endless string of workers to care for the yard, pool etc. Meanwhile, the places sit vacant using up BTUs and Kilowatts which could be used for better purposes.

[DJ13]

7. Im losing weight from not being able to afford eating as much

Is that <grumble grumble> a good thing or not?

[InvisibleTouch]

8. I've learned to be more frugal and very creative at survival.

Those are lessons and skills that I will hopefully take with me into better times.

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. Many more people gardening, more community gardens,

so more volunteering, working with people to grow great food.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. I donated my SUV to a charity,

and now I take cabs.

It works so well on so many levels, and I really like not driving, which surprised me. I'm enjoying the scenery, and the cab drivers are getting another fare and tip.

The charity is Melwood - http://www.melwood.org/ - a really wonderful organization................

[merh]

11. Fewer tourists means less traffic

so I can travel the scenic highway during the summer, when I can afford to take the car out.

Oh and fewer lines at the restaurants, if I could afford to go to a restaurant.

[katanalori]

12. People in other Countries

SAVE nearly 1/2 of their incomes. Americans not only do NOT save, they get themselves heavily into debt with credit cards and other loans. No more easy credit - Americans are starting to SAVE money and they are learning the wisdom of not spending money they do not have.

[Hannah Bell]

17. half the us workforce makes $15/hr or less. so you're suggesting they live on $7.50/hr or less.

tough for one person, let alone to support another.

and most of the world doesn't save half their income.

the savings rate of japanese, supposedly one of the world's top savers, on *average* was estimated between 16-30% - during the boom years, when a lot of people had good jobs.

http://books.google.com/books?id=QGEECT7R75IC&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=japanese+save+percent+income&source=bl&ots=c3C72OxtBm&sig=wEXONFcmprStJXFBNpLlZjOsCJM&hl=en&ei=bIwgSqyzCJaktAPWtuSIBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2

today over 1/3 of the japanese workforce is part-time or contingent, including 20% of college grads.

they don't save as much as their parents did. they can't.

[BlooInBloo]

13. I got a bang-up deal on my trip to vegas a couple weeks ago.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Being unemployed, I get to spend more time with my son

I make his lunch, put him on the bus and I'm there when he gets off the bus.

[JNelson6563]

16. Good time to negotiate a lease

I work for a company that opened a new store almost 4 months ago, here in my town. The negotiated terms of the lease helped them decide to move ahead. Not a lot of places opening, not easy to fill a good sized space so the landlord was pretty flexible/desperate. This, in turn, provided lots of work for local companies to put the store together, a few year round jobs and summer employment to several college students.

Julie

[doc03]

18. Being unemployed at 61 years old and

39 years service with the company gives me a chance to practice for retirement. I'm getting lots of projects done at home, fishing and riding my scooter. I'm loving it myself I hope I can got straight from unemployment to retirement only 10 months to go, don't miss work at all.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

19. Less "me", more community spirit.

I find that there is less inhibition in "exposing" oneself and speaking more openly.

[tech3149]

20. If you can fix it, they will come

My field was electronics when I last worked for wages. I quit because the major players made it all too hard to use my skills effectively. Too many people these days don't know how to care for the technology that makes their life so comfortable. If you can do that without thinking, you'll be on the beach by 3.

My personal recommendation is to screw the idea of financial reward and do what inspires you and if you do it well you will never be without work. Even if you don't inspire others to support you it will be very rewarding to your soul.

[ConcernedCanuk]

21. Our unemployment qualification lowered - so now I can get off welfare

.
.
.

Employment Insurance benefits will give me close to twice the benefits I got off of welfare

I have to move this summer - and the extra money just made it much more affordable - I won't have to leave my belongings behind

weird

the economy tumbles

my income doubles!

wow

[here_is_to_hope]

22. I get to surf more...of course, I have to walk the 30 miles to the beach...eom

[eilen]

23. I got a job, and I like it!!!

My husband's job is an industrial/commercial electrician and the available jobs have shrunk. He was out of state for 6 months this past year. Now, since there is practically no work anywhere he is home, he just found a job for the summer. I took a job as a visiting nurse and while I have to drive around all day.... I get to drive around all day which is hella better than being stuck in a windowless hospital hall and gives me more control over my time and allows me uninterrupted focus on my patient, one at a time.

I thought I was through with nursing but as it turns out I still love it, just not at the hospital in their current care structure.

Plus, my husband is home and has done a bunch of work on the house, my teenage son has his father to butt heads with and my husband can have more consistent care with his doctors/dentist (and me) and my job provides dental and vision insurance for the family! (I have health ins. with them but dh's union still covers dh and ds).

Also, since we really can't afford the deductible on certain types of medical care, we have worked with an alternative health practitioner and come up with a good combination of supplements and herbs to treat my dh's anxiety/depression. (He refuses to go for any pharm stuff anyway). For the curious, here it is: St. John's Wort, (New Chapter Serofin), Mental Edge (Source Naturals), and GABA (Source Naturals).

[armyowalgreens]

24. I am a clone of your son. Except I don't like to cook and there is nothing to paint.

So I sit around applying for jobs and posting ungodly amounts of nonsense on DU. Eventually I will go insane.

[NJCher]

25. low cost community colleges get more and better students

I teach at a university but I also will teach courses at a community college if I can find the time in my schedule.

I've noticed that at the community college, we are getting better students. Normally they would go to a more "upscale" university but now they are coming to the community college. This is good because such students are an inspiration to the poorer students in the class. Studies show that students learn as much from their peers as they do their teacher.

I have personally seen several instances where a student with low motivation has been prodded to do a little better because he could see his colleague was successfully completing a project.

Also, the boom in students has led the colleges to offer an even wider variety of courses.


Cher