When Times Are Financially Tough, What's the First Personal Sacrifice You'll Make?

Week of January 29, 2003

Comments (0) By Wm. Stage Wednesday, Jan 29 2003

Tom Davis
Cancer Biologist
"My latte -- no, actually that'd be one of the last things. Probably dining out. I'd downscale my dining out to cheaper places, like Del Taco instead of Morton's -- that'd save enough to keep me in lattes."

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Nicie Moore
Server, Cafe Soleil
"You know what I'd actually give up? My weave -- which, for a black girl who's used to that, it's almost like going without personal hygiene. Anyway, weaves are expensive, anywhere from $20 to $50 every other week. But if things got really bad, there goes my shopping -- and I'm a fanatic for shoes. I'd give up buying shoes for a limited time only, and I would live on a strict budget for a few months."

Curt Killian
General Contractor
"I'd start selling my guns -- well, just some. I'd keep my best pieces. Even in hard times, you can always sell a gun. That's why I buy them, partly -- they hold their value."

Michael T. Sheehan
Unemployed Philosopher
"That's not a relevant question. I've faced hard times and fat times -- money doesn't matter to me. Read Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge. Try to understand Larry [the main character]'s perspective. Ask the questions he asks: Is there a God? Do I have any meaning in this world? What is the purpose of my life, man?"

Debbi Lograsso
Beverage Counselor, Bull Tadpole
"Cheaper groceries. I won't give up alcohol or tobacco. I won't give up partying or going out and raising hell, so I guess I'd have to buy cheaper groceries. I'd live on ramen noodles and free packets of hot sauce from Taco Bell."

Lindy Carroll
Owner, Head Groundskeeper Landscaping
"Cable TV. It's the ruin of the working class. You're probably spending too much time watching cable and not working. That's what's making you broke in the first place. You need to make the shift."