What’s Recession Proof? The Pleasures
See what typically not only thrives during a recession, but often thrives.
So, times are tough, businesses are failing, and the economy has seen better days. Everywhere you go, a local shop is out of business, a neighbor now jobless, this becomes the signs of the times. There are job postings online, offering low wages for demanding jobs, claiming them to be “recession proof” as a primary benefit.
But what is really recession proof?
Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr
Big box stores? No.
Long lasting investment banks? Nope.
Well established engineering companies? Not likely.
Then what? What truly survives a recession? Let’s take a look.
Movie theaters
That’s right. The economy is collapsing, families are broke, but where do they spend their remaining cents? $10 a ticket for the movies. Movie sales typically see record breaking highs during times of economic uncertainty. Take the critical bashed movie Transformers 2, pulling in over $200 million in five days.
Image via Wikipedia
The Porn Industry
Another surprising one? Yes, oddly enough, the porn industry, strip clubs, anything relating to leather chaps and whipped cream really.
Image via Wikipedia
Gambling
You are down to your families last few remaining dollars, how will you invest this and get a great return on investment? Did someone say Lotto?! That’s it! We can solve this recession by every American citizen going out and winning the lotto and becoming stinking rich. Lotto tickets, scratch offs, casinos, any form of gambling is sure to do good as people pit their dying hopes on the rare chance of striking it rich.
Image via Wikipedia
Comfort foods
Mashed potatoes, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, donuts, donuts donuts, Starbucks. Anything that is bad for you and gives you a moment of satisfaction. Income goes down, weight and cholesterol goes up is the trend these days.
Image via Wikipedia
So what is the moral of the story?
When times are tough, people turn to what makes them happy. Be it from a funny new comedy, a dozen donuts, a night at the strip club or that momentary heart stop as the first number on your lotto card is called off. Americans cut the semi necessities, paying bills on time, paying off the credit card, ridding themselves of the debt, and instead find ways to avoid it, at the cost of their last remaining cents. What does this leave them with, the same exact emotional state they would have been in before. Instead of paying off debt and having that less stress but less materialistic enjoyment, they are left with the same debt, but a few good donuts.
Will this every change?
Possibly, this recession around, more and more Americans are beginning to tighten their belt and begin saving rather than spending. Holding out for hard times may be what saves them in the end this time.
