RECESSION

Everyone over the age of 18 and not in the armed forces knows that times, right now, are tough. This recession has not only hit me hard but my entire family as well. My mom was unemployed earlier this year for the first time in 15 years and thank goodness she obtained her degree and met a few good people at her last job because that was her saviour in this tight job market. New York has so many opportunities however not many are avaliable to everyone(key word). I would say if your not working as a waitress, retail associate or fast food person you need a bachelors degree. Bachelors degrees are today's equivalent of a hs diploma. It won't give you a job interview however, the people you know has the most influence in your job search.
Even the army has been tighening up their recruitment. Its a fact if someone is in a bind financially and emotionally they usually turn to the armed forces as their last resort. Enrollment has been going sky rocket because many people are at the end and need a way out.
As a new college graduate I was looking seriously into the Marines Officer program because of the diffculty in my job search. I even went as far as to sign a few papers but stopped the process when I recieved my dream job.  I even told my dad I'd be joining, he said "well if your desperate then go ahead but I would go to the airforce because their for weak people like you." (Don't get me wrong I'm athletic but I'm reallllly girly and I didn't want to look butchy with a big back like I heard the armed forces got girls looking). I now ask my cousin about his experience in the airforce and he loves it but I'm glad I didn't go through with it, that would have been the easy way out.
The best way that I have been beating this economy is persistence and budgeting! If I want a job, whatever a job might be, I persistently email and call until they all know my name and have to grant me an interview. I have been cutting down on my shopping, like 100% actually. Urban Outfitters and the occassional catalogue shopping has been cut down ten fold. I have brought one shirt in three months and have concentrated my money on essentials and BILLS. I was use to shopping, honestly, twice a week and I always brought over a hundred dollars worth of useless items everytime.
I am not poor but I'm not rich. To be quite honest, Josh and I together make over 100,000 as our household income but you wouldn't think that by the way we spend. We split our grocery shopping bill, as far as eating out we take turns paying the bill and as far as anything else if he wants it he buys it for himself, if I want it I buy it for myself. Thank God I don't need a car, I am walking distance to my job and he has two vehicles. I don't have car insurance or a car note to pay however I do have student loans which are the equivalent of both those things.
Life is very unstable now for everyone so you must play it safe. Don't overspend, don't buy luxuries you'll never use and use what you have.