Recessionista at the Races

The Kentucky Derby has been an American tradition since the 1930's. With a legacy of distinct glamour (think seersucker suits and big, bigger, BIGGEST hats) mixed with accessibility (Infield tickets generally run for about $25), the Derby continues to offer the majority of Americans an experience of a lifetime. Since I was an eager and fortunate neophyte to the Kentucky Derby experience this year, here are, free of charge, the findings I brought back from Churchhill Downs and Louisville:

 1. The Notorious Mint Julep. Lesson one: Just because it tastes delicious, doesn't make it any less potent. Most of the time, this Recessionista sticks with a safe Chardonnay, but when in Louisville...If you have the good fortune to attend the Derby, note that Kentucky natives are very proud and even more particular about the Derby drink of choice. Proper mint juleps are served in a silver glass (the Kentucky Derby collector glasses used in box seating are generally the exception) and made from Kentucky bourbon. To recreate a bit of the excitement at home or for friends, follow the recipe from the official Kentucky Derby website:

The Early Times Mint Julep Recipe

·         2 cups sugar

·         2 cups water

·         Sprigs of fresh mint

·         Crushed ice

·         Early Times Kentucky Whisky

·         Silver Julep Cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

2.  Derby Attire. Generally, dressing up for the races is protocol.  For men, this means suits (bonus points for seersuckers accessorized with hats).  For women, this means dresses and noteworthy hats.  Look through your closet, and, while trying to avoid black, opt towards something you might wear to an upscale, nighttime spring/summer wedding.  The exception to this rule is Infield ticket holders - nothing is worse in a mudpit than an evening gown or tux.

3.  Placing Your Bets.  To be perfectly honest, I was a little overwhelmed with this one.  If it is not available already, someone should write "Derby Betting for Dummies."  I will keep it simple and use a "one horse" example ( we will use Einstein, a horse that won Race 9).  If I had (and luckily, I did) suspect that Einstein was going to place (i.e. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd), I would place my bet (minimum $2) by saying #6 (Einstein's number) to win, place, or show, as I passed on my $6 (one $2 bet per prospective placing).  Payouts are determined based on odds (2 to 1 will bring in a lot less of a payout compared to 50 to 1, for instance.)  There are other permutations (Trifecta, for instance, which is a sort of equivalent to a Poker Royal Flush - 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finish in the exact order you had bet upon), but I will save the more complex and involved betting strategies to the experts.  Once you put your money down, simply take your tickets back and say a "Hail Mary" or two.

4.  Louisville Proper.  For Recessionistas that are less than familiar with the Southern hospitality, you are in for a treat.  The people of Louisville are proud of and excited for the Derby, a stark contrast to many other cities and their reception of out-of-towners.  A stand out establishment is the Executive Spa in downtown Louisville.  Not only were my fellow Recessionista and I treated like princesses in the male-oriented, full-service executive  lounge, which includes a billiard table, shoe shines, and straight razor shaves, but my internationally-renowned master barber Farrell Stephens proved with my hair cut and style his acclaimed ability in working the razor beyond his notorious shave technique.  To ease into the Derby experience, I would be hard-pressed to find a better place to find the relaxation you deserve.

Whether your tickets are in Millionaire's Row or in the midst of the infield, the Kentucky Derby is an experience of a lifetime.  You will truly enjoy the entirety of this event...I'll bet on it!

Weekly Top Five Freebies and Cheapies

Every week, I scavenge the Internet, US cities, nay, the world to bring you, my beloved, the best freebies and cheapies that life has to offer. (P.S. I promise to include at least one "date" offering for my penny-pinching friends who know that lack of income should never mean lack of love!)

1. Free Coffee. Spending a rainy Saturday afternoon perusing the books of my local Borders bookstore is a (free) guilty pleasure for Recessionistas as is, but now the National bookstore chain is offering a free cup of java to boot.

2. Cheap Derby Day Delights. Free bluegrass and $3 Mint Juleps make Union Hall in Brooklyn (Park Slope) feel like Louisville meets Recessionista meets Big City. My money is on Summerbird. (PS - Look for the upcoming entry on "Recessionista at the Races" for our recap of the actual Kentucky Derby.)

3. (Relatively) Cheap GPS. If you are one of many flocking to Louisville for the weekend, save yourself the headache of the often confusing highways and dreaded "shortcut through the park" with a GPS system, like this one, which, at $180 compared to the regular price of $400, is Recessionista-approved.

4. Free Way to Make a Buck from Fido. If you think your pet is the animal-equivalent of Miss Universe and you live in the Chicago area, time to cash in Lynne Spears style and loan your pet out to Animal Talent. For $60-200 per hour, you pet will participate in photo shoots for advertising firms and mug for the camera, while you sit back and sip Pellegrino. Ah, life in the limelight...

5. Free Way to Earn Your Way to Heaven. The old proverb says, "Good intentions pave the road to hell." Put your good will into action without spending a buck - go online to http://www.thehungersite.com/ , spend a few minutes meandering around, and site sponsors contribute money to cure hunger in the third world. Of course, you will have to sacrifice those extra five minutes you might have sent reading Perez Hilton, but no one said charity was easy.

Living La Vida Broke-ah

If the creators of South Park can come up with hundred of ways to "Kill Kenny," one can imagine that there must be many other sites that offer valuable deals, discounts, and overall tips to fabulous living on a budget. Recessionista Roadmap wants to arm all of the masses with these, and we will continue to spotlight blogs and websites that can contribute to a positive outlook on life during dark economic times. Here are a few of note:

Popsugar: This website offers fabulous up to the minute tips on beauty and lifestyle, entertaining, technology, and, for the uber-indulgent Recessionista, a plethora of celebrity gossip. With special offers and fantastic tips, this is one to check out when you need a break from perusing Monster.com.

Wisebread: Who wants stale, dried-up financial advice, when a deliciously-written, starchy alternative is a hop, skip, and click away? Wisebread offers daily savings tips that, while entertaining you, can help increase the, er, dough in your pocket.

4 Reluctant Entertainers: I've met Martha Stewart and can honestly say there is only ONE of her in the world. Time to get realistic. However, the reality is Recessionistas can throw fabulous parties, be tremendously creative, and accomplish all of this on a budget. This website is loaded with excellent examples and lessons learned. It's a good thing.

Recessionista Tip of the Day: So, you can't quite kick your Starbucks habit - no judgement, Recessionista! However, instead of falling prey to the green and white cupped monster, try a quick stop by Dunkin Donuts instead. A Venti latte at Starbucks will run you $3.65, where the DD equivalent is $3.29. This minor switch saves you $131 annually. If/when you give up your daily DD habit, you save, brace yourself, $1200, yes, twelve hundred dollars. That overburnt office cup of joe never tasted so good, right?

Recessionista on the Web

To start your week properly, I feel it is my duty to bring to you, my fellow Recessionistas, brand new websites to explore during your non-existent downtime this week. Instead of leaving the office, paying $5 for the Frappucciono at the Starbucks down the street, try this quick, delicious make-it-yourself coffee drink and spend 5 minutes of coffee break time checking these out:

"The Poor Man's Mocha Latte"

• 3/4 cup brewed coffee (make sure the derelict from the mail room didn't brew the last pot)
• 1/2 packet Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa
• 2-3 Tablespoon of Fat Free Cool Whip 1/4 cup Milk, Cream or Half and Half
• 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon 1 Tablespoon Sugar

Mix coffee with Sugar, Cinnamon, Cream, and Hot Cocoa. Top off with the Fat-free Cool Whip and a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, and congratulate yourself - you just saved $5!

Then, check out these sites:

1. http://www.restaurant.com/ : This website is exclusively designed to bring local restaurant deals to you. You enter the site, type in your zip code, and it will display specials occurring in your area (example: Baci Restaurant, in the Washington D.C. area, will sell you a $25 gift card for the cost of $10 to use on dinner. Amazing!)

2. http://www.theonion.com/ : Nothing solves the mid-day work blues like a little laughter. This faux news website, originally a faux news newspaper born out of Madison, WI, offer laugh out loud satire in the guise of news.

3. http://www.eopinions.com/ : We have all succumbed to the glossy ads and recommendations coming from our favorite magazines, or found ourselves entranced with a clever or enticing commercial on television. No more - we deserve better than to find ourselves as a passive media consumer/drone. This website features the unbiased opinions of the proletariat, the average Joe, and those who have not been featured on reality television.

4. http://www.worldsbestbars.com/ : This site is a must for world traveling Recesssionistas who are seeking the social scene in an unfamiliar area of the planet. Though the site is not updated as frequently as one might like (this Recessionista is living in the most efficient city on the planet, after all), the places and recommendations have not yet let me down when traveling abroad. If nothing else, it is a great incentive to track down that Russian pen pal you had in high school.

5. http://www.freerice.com/ : When did the English language become so pedestrian that we have to invent new words to keep it lively (not to mention acronyms!) Instead of embracing the vocabulary wardrobe of a Clueless extra, check out this site to refresh your vocabulary and bring a little dignity back to the language of Shakespeare. More good news: you will find many alternatives to the non-existent word "irregardless."


Recessionista Tip of the Day: For Recessionistas interested in yoga but short on cash, you can indulge in the ancient practice guilt free with a fresh daily routine available to you online at http://www.yogatoday.com/ . Bonus: No one has to see you fall out of Warrior 3 pose...again (and by "you", I mean me!)

Saving a Soul: 24 hrs. in Kuala Lumpur (Part 2 of 2)

A 24 hr. Memoir -Featuring the writing of Guest Blogger/World Traveler/Recessionister Peter...

The notable part of my last day in KL began in an abandoned, walled-off lot I had seen from my room. It was large, about half a square block, but difficult to get into. It contained the ruins of a never-completed building’s foundation, pools of poisonous-looking water, and the brute, green, and magnificently varied growth that covers everything here not paved. I thought it would be good for a couple photographs. As I waited for my lenses to un-fog, two dogs-about-town decided with unerring canine sensibility that I didn’t belong where I happened to be, so I left on the quick.

I had thought about going to the National Art Gallery, but now decided that I would just explore the city on foot, get an impressionistic sense of how it works and is put together. So I started off in the most colorful direction. Here were covered outdoor restaurants where the food was made makeshift and sometimes eaten with hands. Much was made of rice and bean curd, supplemented with ingredients whose English names don’t feature on the handwritten menus. It was at such pseudo-establishments that I ate from time to time.
From here, I wandered through lower-middle class and poorer neighborhoods at a time of day when everything seemed to be about eating and meeting. In all, the people appear to be a happy, or at least not outwardly unhappy, people.
As I write this under the awning of a café drinking Argentinean wine topped with the spray from the daily thunderstorm, I’m reminded by the couple drinking next to me that I may never have been anywhere where there are more inter-racial couples. And the races are many: Malaysian, Chinese, European, Indian, African. I don’t want to draw any facile conclusions from this, but it is notable.

But I had walked all day. I walked, and I took pictures, and I thought of my surroundings. I happened to see my reflection in a shop window where dresses were being sold for the equivalent of US $1.50 and realized with a little embarrassment that I was soaked through with sweat. I decided to ride the monorail. There’s only one, so I knew it would take me back to places I was a little more familiar with. For I had no idea where I now was. Nor did it matter, but I was thinking a drink might reinvigorate me, and something surfaced which had been gnawing at the lower levels of my consciousness all day and the import of which now became acute. I don’t believe that regular drinking establishments as we know them – call them bars, taverns, pubs – I don’t believe these exist as such in KL. There are hotel lounges and clubs, and you can get drinks in nicer restaurants, but I was by now a little worried where my afternoon sustenance would come from. Much of my later wanderings were disappointing searches for cocktail hour, something I never found. But chance did land me in the café I mentioned earlier, and here I am now sitting in a deluge the likes of which are unknown in Wisconsin (where I live).

Damn, it’s raining hard. I lean over to the guy keeping me in wine at this bodega to ask how typical this is. It is, apparently, a big storm, and I’m finally ushered inside so they don’t have to keep the awning propped up over me any longer. Fair enough.
I’ve made no mention of the major shopping area immediately surrounding my hotel and directly across the street from my present situation. It doesn’t interest me at all, but it may interest others that it’s there. This is a world city and not impervious to Gucci, Prada, and other names no doubt important but unknown to me. What actually does draw my attention is that there are fashion ads everywhere, as there are everywhere else, but there is not one among this extremely varied population here who looks anything remotely like anyone in any of the ads. I have no grudge against fashion – how could I? – but the worldwide industrial demon that has taken possession of it, if it had a throat, that throat would require quick slitting, and I’d volunteer for the hit.

Let me now elaborate and summarize, for I’ve taken much of your time. KL is architecture most varied, people good and friendly and sleezy, food delicious and unclean, and I’ve not even mentioned the prominent beauty of the women. In short, it is a vibrant, partly modern, partly developing, city of the world. It is also located on the equator, so much daily activity centers around fluid loss and replenishment, though not so much replenishment as I would wish.
Finally and most importantly to me, but for the occasional times when I wish I were sharing this with someone else, I was able to inhabit a space outside myself; almost 24 hours I did this, and I am healthier for it. The soul is in remission.

The rain has lifted, and it’s time for me to fetch my bags and find the airport.

Recessionista/er Tip of the Day: If a tight cash flow inhibits soul-soothing from being performed abroad, Recessionistas/ers in NYC and Los Angeles should check out http://www.lifebooker.com/, a webstie that offers great deals on spa services, massages, waxes, etc. so you can find a moment of respite on a budget. (Thanks to Kat for today's great tip!)

Saving a Soul: 24 hrs. in Kuala Lumpur (Part 1 of 2)

A 24 hr. Memoir
-Featuring the writing of Guest Blogger/World Traveler/Honorary Recessionista Peter...

When I was a high school expatriate in the last years before Germany’s reunification, the matriarch of the family I lived with diagnosed me with an ominous condition. “Die Seele ist krank.” The soul is sick. She had no idea.

Twenty years later, the soul is still ailing, and the condition has metastasized to both more and less vital organs. But I am not lost, I am not dead, and I will beat this thing. Today I find my soul, not under the head-shaking gaze of a motherly physician, but in the lap of luxury’s exotic mistress. Two weeks ago, Malaysia was one of hundreds of places I might never visit. But it’s tonight, and I’ve just asked my butler at the Kuala Lumpur Ritz Carlton to wake me with a pot of coffee an hour before sunrise. He glances at my camera bag and asks with a huge smile, “for pictures?”

Yes. It’s half an hour to midnight, and I have twenty four hours to myself. Let’s call this rehabilitation.

The last half hour of February 24th I spend walking and soaked. Finally I was nearing the Petronas towers. I wanted to photograph these lit up, preferably from across the fountain and pool I knew were in front of them. I didn’t know just where that was, but I was probably within a mile now. I took a couple shots of the towers over the tops of other buildings, and then its lights went out. Shit. Things shut down at midnight here. Keep walking, though, I might as well.
A young man in a park tries a ruse. “Card stuck in the ATM machine,” could I give him 8 Ringgits? My instinct is quietly but firmly to refuse, but these are different circumstances. It’s the witching hour in an outdoor equatorial sauna underneath the Gothic imposition of the KLCC towers. So I venture, “I’ll give you 8 Ringgits if I can take your picture,” lifting my camera. He declines. Maybe I’m the fuzz, he might be thinking. I don’t know because he’s gone now, leaving me to change fogged lenses in a too dark park.
I circle slowly around the towers, the eye to the viewfinder seeking some eternal moment to capture, the other watchful for a place to get a drink. I resolve neither the one nor the other for a while. Then I hear some music and move in. No, it’s not music, it’s a dance club. But next door is an outside lounge. I haven’t been able to find out whether Malaysia produces its own beer, but I see a sign for Singapore’s typically Asian rice brew, and I make for the Tiger. This is a really crappy place, and they charge 17R a glass, but once I remember the conversion, it’s not so expensive, and it all seems marginally less crappy, even the lung-aggravating clove cigarette ambiance contributing to what might become an improbable nostalgia if provoked by a few more Tigers.

I borrow a pen from the hostess. It’s here that I’ve written the preceding. After a time, I move out.

In the equatorial dark, one’s compass is a poor navigational aid. I wandered far tonight, and in no certain direction. I passed and photographed and conversed with vendors of food and other fruits of the street. Street food is good for the constitution, and I vow that I will tomorrow eat nothing but species of its genus. The other may be less wholesome and try unqualified systems of immunity, and I leave it alone.

I am on back streets, and by this time there are medium sized animals testing the lesser shadows and I cannot know their dangers or designs. Welcome home says the Carlton Ritz, and plunder please the bar mini. And I so do. My god, did I make it back here? Sleep comes slowly and in small measure.

To be continued in tomorrow's entry...

Recessionista Tip of the Day: Unless you have the luxury to travel for work as my friend Peter, going to exotic, international locations might feel impossible. Even if you can afford the price of the airfare, the accommodations break the bank. Well, if you don't mind putting on your best Bohemian beret and roughing it a bit, you can stay almost anywhere in the world as a guest in a fellow Wanderluster's home! Check out Couchsurfers - a site devoted entirely to connecting Recessionistas across the globe. Freeloading is the new pink, after all.

Homage to March

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."- Proverb from Guinea



By Day, 31 Reasons Why March Does Not Completely Suck...


1. March got dumped! In Ancient Rome, March was the first month of the year...until, the younger, sexier January came along...those fickle Romans!

2. National Reading Day. Pick up a book - it will make you (at least look) more interesting.(Forget Amazon and Borders! Go to the local library! If you have an expired library card - bring a piece of mail and drivers license/passport, and you will renew your passport to brilliance in no time!)

3. U2: New album No Line on the Horizon out today. Love him or hate him, Bono is back.

4. Tell the Truth! On this day in 1861, Honest Abe Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States.

5. Spring Awakening: Good news! Duncan Sheik did not disappear with Y2K! The pop-rock band provided the music for the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, and they perform live at the Memorial Union in Madison, WI today for the Recessionista-friendly price of $10 today.

6. Stars are Aligning. Take a date (for free!) to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles for a dreamy night of star gazing.

7. Peace Corps Day. Jump onto Facebook and drop your friend/brother/cousin in Thailand a note to let them know that you admire and appreciate what they are doing...and, no, sending them a Facebook "poke" is not enough.

8. Religious Services: Okay, so this happens to occur every weekend (and, in some religions, every day.) Take this Sunday as a opportunity to thank your God(s), or, if you are an atheist, your loved ones for all that you have in your life. If you are a misanthrope, I probably lost you at "hello."

9. Toast the Lovely Ladies in Your Life! March 9th is International Women's Day. Celebrate with homemade cosmos, Sex and the City reruns, and a group of fabulous ladies!

10. Talking Marionettes. Pinocchio, the Disney classic, comes out on DVD today in celebration of its 70th Anniversary.

11. Britney is Back. If you love a comeback story and are still bummed that Mickey Rourke lost the Oscar to Sean Penn, perhaps viewing Miss Spears in full lip-syncing glory will boost your spirits. Performance, at the Nassau Country Coliseum in New York, begins at 8 pm.

12. National Girl Scout Day. Bring on the Thin Mints.

13. Friday the 13th: For the second month in a row! Rent the film of the same name, curl up with a blanket, and let out a good blood-curdling scream - very cathartic.

14. That's Genius! Today is the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birthday. Read up on the brilliant man with the wacky hair. We will overlook the mustache.

15. Ogres. Half off of Shrek, the Musical on Broadway. If you loved the movie, you will undoubtedly fall for the real-life remake of the animated take on a fairytale that was never written.

16. An Excuse to Booze on a Worknight: What if someone told you that you could have as many drinks as you wish and only pay $20? No, I'm not talking about a frat party at the Sig Ep house. Bondi Road, at the corner of Rivington and Sussex on the Lower East Side of the city, offers all-you-can-drink in 2 hrs. to patrons who just can't bear Mondays...or unemployment.

17. St. Patrick's Day. As if drinking green beer is not something you do everyday anyway.

18. South by Southwest: For those unfamiliar with the festival, music fans flood the streets of Austin, TX to check out bands on the rise. Bring back a few new artists and you will finally prove to your friends that you are "indie," in spite of the Kate Spade bag you tote around.

19. Mingling with Other Yuppies. Madison Magnet, the young professionals networking group based out of Madison, WI will be hosted its monthly happy hour today. Bring business cards, leave the politics at home.

20. First day of Spring. If there is still snow on the ground, just remember...this too shall pass.

21. Hot Vampires. Twilight, the teen movie phenomenon, is out on DVD today.

22. Dance like There is No Tomorrow: D.C. Recessionistas, take note! Check out the Dance Expo and try as many classes as you like for the recession-friendly price of $20.

23. The Feast Day of Saint Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayès: Potentially the Saint with the longest name, the Roman Catholic church celebrates St. Rafqa on this day...and you think people get your name wrong a lot!

24. Labour Day: The holiday we celebrate in September is recognized on this day in Melbourne, Australia. Fake your best Aussie accent when you try to convince your boss you deserve the day off too.

25. For the Men Who have No Game: For D.C. men struggling on how to woo the ladies, fear not. At 7 pm, attend a seminar that will give you the necessary social savvy required to meet and attract the hottest Recessionistas.

26. Festival of Wines. Recessionistas in Boston are cordially invited to attend Wine Tasting and Dinner at Vinalia. Warm Italian food, along with a plethora of wines - what better way to spend a rainy Thursday night?

27. National Skyscraper Day: Kurt Vonnegut once fondly referred to New York City as "Skyscraper National Park." Drive, bus, train to your nearest city and look up at these amazing architectural wonders.

28. Urban Scavenger Hunt: What could be a better way to meet fellow young professionals in NYC than roaming around the city searching for random items and locations?! Event starts at 12:30, so bring your metro card and your flask.

29. Shamrock Shuffle. The name of the race actually might inspire you to participate!! Chicago Recessionistas should cross their fingers for good weather for this 8K run.

30. Break Out the Absinthe! March 30th is the anniversary of Vincent Van Gogh's birthday. Given that the "Van Gogh: Colours of the Night" exhibit is currently showing at the artist's museum in Amsterdam, this might be a great "spring break" destination for Recessionistas on a budget.

31. End March in Appreciation: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”- Marcus Aurelius

Recessionista on the Road: Travel Tips and Tricks

Spotlight: Paris

There is a French proverb that says, À coeur vaillant rien d'impossible ("nothing is impossible with a willing heart"), and even travel is not impossible for my fellow Recessionistas! With off-season rates at their prime and an absence of herds of tourists in the city, this is prime time to take advantage of the best that Paris has to offer. However, Recessionistas know better than to sashay into the City of Lights with blinders on. Here are some highlights and values for falling in love with the French capital on a budget:

1. Bring Your Lover, Best Friend, or Accountant: The point is, bring some one with you! Although vacationing alone can be enjoyable and should be done at least once in life, traveling alone in Paris can add on extra fees on to your hotel stay, as single rooms generally will run you over a hundred Euro more per person than a double room. I found deals out of NYC, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles that hovered around $700 USD for airfare and 6 night hotel stay. Il est étonnant!

2. Eat like a Parisian: Most hotels will provide a continental breakfast (coffee, pastries), mainly for the courtesy of foreigners. Parisians generally begin the day with coffee and a cigarette (Surgeon General's warning to Mis Amis Francois!), but that does not mean that the residents do not enjoy food. Quite the opposite, the French savor their meals, spending an hour or more on lunches and late night suppers. Parisians eat slow and luxuriate on what they are consuming, taking as much enjoyment from Coq au Vin at a fine restaurant as they do at the inexpensive Lebanese "fast food" (I recommend Noura restaurants: http://www.noura.com/) Spend time on your meals and you will find yourself ordering less and truly enjoying what you are eating. Finally, Parisians generally drink wine and/or water with their meals, so try to avoid the faux pas of ordering a Sugar-Free Redbull with your meal - not only is it gauche, but it will likely cost Recessionistas twice as much as a glass of wine.

3. Paint a Theme and Select Your Palette Selectively: Paris, like many large cities of the world, offers so much- amazing antiquities, sumptuous dining, and, oh, the shopping! It is not surprising that any Recessionista can easily become overwhelmed with the possibilities. To avoid feeling panicked and potentially overspending due to lack of planning, identify a list of "Must-see/do/tastes" prior to departure. Given that Paris is the City of Romance, might I suggest you take carte blanche in designing your own love affair. Do not feel that you MUST visit the Louvre or feel obligated to stand in line top go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Recessionistas should select only the venues and excursions that they are really excited about. I have a much more vivid recollection of the cappuccino I indulged in at the infamous Cafe Deux Margots, an old Hemingway haunt and the odd French artist I met than I do of some of the more standard "tourist venues" I toured. If you are a creatively-impaired Recessionista, you can outsource the development of a fabulous itinerary to others.

4. Splurge, but wisely. Paris provides nearly every indulgence you can imagine, and indulge you should, but selectively so. If you enjoy the fine art of shopping but your budget is more Costco than Champs-Elysees, fear not. Check out the Paris Flea Market, the largest in the world and negotiate prices that suit your budget. If you find your inspiration in the great Museums and historical architecture in the city, paying the individual admission fees at all of the great Parisian institutions can run you a fortune. Thankfully, Paris now offers a pass that gives Recessionistas unlimited access to museums for 2-, 4-, or 6-consecutive days for a drastically reduced rate. /) For my foodie Recessionista friends who just must indulge in the trendiest and tastiest of Parisian cuisine, I would hardly discourage you from doing so, but perhaps spoil yourself with lavish lunches that will lighten the blow to your wallet or select one or two evenings to go all out, instead of pretending you have the budget of Louis XIV and eating at L'Atelier or Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee every night.

5. Fall in Love. Good news! The real kind, it's still free!

Recessionista Tip of the Day: Many Recessionistas I know are on the prowl for a new job in the midst of a difficult job market. To keep your momentum going, visibility and networking are key. Get involved in your the local chapters of your alumni associations or sign-up for local young professional organizations. Often, membership dues are nominal, and the networking opportunities abound. Just remember, Alumni Happy Hours are not the appropriate forum to recreate the Beer bong championship you won senior year.