Adapting to adversity.(briefs)

The things consumers are doing to adapt to an unknown number of lean years are a mix of age-old ways of doing without to "nouveau poor" reconstructions of the lifestyles that they've developed in recent years. Standing out among the age-old responses is helping other people who are worse off--not only through organized charities but with direct help in the form of food, services, and sometimes money too.

Helping others

In our latest poll, helping others came in right behind sales and coupons--perhaps an acknowledgement that we are all in this together, supported by the widespread idea, that notwithstanding the brave efforts of our new president and his team of supposedly wise men, no one really has the answers.

Drinking more tap water

Drinking more tap water is a widespread response that combines environmental concerns with concerns about the toxicity of plastic. It also reflects the growing interest in the healthfulness of drinking more water, and the use of free tap water to replace more costly and less healthy liquids like soft drinks, bottled water, coffees, and juices.

Reducing waste

Reducing waste is growing in popularity, partly as an unanticipated result of the increasing use of reusable shopping bags, which have inadvertently helped to focus consumer awareness on the amount of trash they generate.

The more packaging waste that a household generates, the more shoppers have to spend on plastic trash bags to get rid of it, whether or not they pay to have it hauled away.

* "Too much packaging is being used. "

* "I'm sick to death of packaging that takes up my whole trash can to get rid of it."

* "Since using cloth grocery bags, I'm more aware of alt the paper and plastic that I discard."

* "A recent purchase even stated 'less packaging.' It was so much nicer to open!"

Eating healthy

Shoppers are using the economy as a reason for healthy eating. Suddenly, more shoppers are finding that issues like cost, health, safety, and environmental impact are interrelated rather than separated.

* "I have to eat healthy--I just can't afford to get sick in this economy."

* "Snack foods are a terrible waste of money and calories."

Not being able to afford to be sick is not just attributable to the high cost of health care but also to the fragile hold that many people feel they have on their jobs, whether they are full or part time.

Watching more movies at home

Watching more movies at home is coupled with less eating at restaurants, in recognition of the entertainment value of eating out.

* "Putting a movie together with a fun meal is a really cheap evening that we are enjoying more and more often."

Seeking emotional support

Seeking emotional support has lost its stigma. People are seeking out neighbors, support groups, church groups, blogs, exercise groups, training groups. Note that most of the supports we've been hearing about utilize groups--I have no data to support it, but my memory of the last jobs crisis turned Transcendental Meditation or TM into a household word--a very solitary way of centering and reducing stress. One of our shoppers reminded us that "Hugs are still free."

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