Spring Clean Your Spending

The recession is making people prioritize. There are some things we can live without. And there are some things we can't. NPR reports that in Belgium, where high-end chocolate makers sometimes sprinkle bars with gold dust, people are still willing to pay. Chocolate is just one in a list of small luxuries — from spa days to drug store lipstick — that, even in a recession, people still splurge on.

Similarly, a survey from the North American Veterinary Conference found that even in the toughest of economic times, pet owners are unwilling to skimp on their furry friends. The $41 billion pet care industry continues to thrive because people view their pets as a member of the family. The thinking goes: Would you stop feeding your kids in a recession?

It puts into stark contrast the things we can live without. Like say, distressed jeans and polo shirts from stores like Abercrombie and Fitch where sales plummeted 28 percent this month.

Sure, we don't need chocolate or pedicures. But we want it more than we want a flimsy T-shirt. Maybe we'll wait until we have more money to get that shirt. Or maybe, even after the recession is over, we'll realize we never needed that flimsy T-shirt at all.

Photo courtesy of Kaiton, via Flickr