Trend: Recession Diet

Crafty consumers are finding new ways to keep living large as bank accounts shrink

When Angelio Serenil first started carrying a whiskey flask, the silver container felt more like a hip, manly accessory than an economic necessity. But when the economy got tight and Serenil (a self-described bargain hunter) started to rethink his budget, carrying a flask filled with his own booze to bars became less a once-in-a-while thing and more a cost-saving way to go out with friends without blowing his budget.

“It’s something that I don’t leave home without—keys, wallet, watch and flask,” says Serenil, who works at a local record store. The 29-year-old estimates that supplementing his drink orders with surreptitious sips from a flask saves him about $25 a week.

In Seattle and across the nation, consumers are battling the recession blues by finding inventive, cost-cutting ways to maintain the lifestyles to which they’ve become accustomed. Signs of a “recession diet” abound: The potluck dinner has replaced the expensive night out at a restaurant, weddings are being booked at public parks instead of fancy banquet halls and those McLattes are looking better and better. In case you hadn’t noticed: Saving money has become chic.

Even art patrons are finding creative ways to support their habit on a budget. In recent months, the Seattle Art Museum’s neighboring SAM Gallery, which sells artwork from more than 1,000 established and up-and-coming local artists, has seen a rebirth in popularity of an old live-beyond-your means trick: rentals. Like Bag, Borrow or Steal, the Seattle-based company that allows users to have—at least, for a contractual period—their very only Louis Vuitton or Berkin bag, SAM’s rental program gives customers access to artwork from big-name local artists at a fraction of the cost, says Barbara Shaiman, SAM Gallery director. Shaiman has seen a change at the gallery: Sales have decreased but rentals have remained steady. It seems clients would rather pay a rental fee than buy a piece outright for a few thousand dollars. “It’s a way for people to be able to get the art and have it in their home without making the commitment,” says Shaiman.

Families, too, are getting creative in their quest to keep their lifestyle intact. Emily Dills, director of Seattle Nanny Network, a company that matches clients with local nannies, says her clients are increasingly opting to pool resources (and children), hiring a single nanny to watch kids from several families. This “nanny sharing” approach appeals to families who like the one-on-one in-home interaction that nannies offer but don’t necessarily have the resources to pay for a nanny of their own. “You’re getting more bang for your buck,” says Dills, who is working on a marketing plan that promotes the nanny-sharing model.

The recession has also breathed new life into old trades. People are literally scaling back down to their shoe leather—which turns out to be great news for local cobblers. “I was actually thankful when the city shut down for snow, because I was able to get caught up on work,” says Dan Swanson, a third-generation cobbler who owns Swanson’s Shoe Repair in Wallingford, a once moderately busy shop that has seen a 15 percent increase in the past year, raising the average wait for a pair of shoes from one week to three.

But like all things economic, the buying-low, living-high lifestyle doesn’t benefit everyone. At Nordstrom, Seattle’s go-to department store for everything from business attire to special-occasion dresses, observant sales staff say they’ve seen an increase in the number of customers who are buying $300 to $3,000 items, wearing them once and returning them. For Nordstrom—famous for a liberal return policy—this is troubling, because the store may have to resell the used item at a loss (or may be unable to do so at all). But that doesn’t worry Nordstrom shopper Dionne, who asked that her last name not be used. “I can get a va-va-va-voom dress—great for a night out,” says the 22-year-old communications consultant for a local school district. “Two weeks later, I’ll take the dress back and say, ‘I found something less expensive at another store.’” She estimates she’ll save a few thousand dollars when she returns last season’s purchases—Italian leather boots, ballet flats and designer outfits—in a few weeks.

With little chance of our robust economy returning anytime soon, tactics like Dionne’s—though ethically questionable—are bound to increase. And many people on the recession diet consider their savings not merely a relief, but something to be proud of. “My friends don’t look at me any differently,” says flask fancier Serenil. “I’m just doing things smarter these days.”