the good news

Your wallet might think otherwise, but there is one upside to living in a recession:

An easy way to avoid hanging out with people you hate.

Now, instead of relying on the often-challenged "something suddenly came up," you can simply say, "I can't...you know, with the shaky economy and everything."

Don't believe me? Consult this NY Times piece, which describes the rise of the "it's the economy" excuse. An excerpt:

Lavish anniversary dinners, the destination weddings of second-tier friends, costly gifts for children, and, yes, obligations to nannies — so often we go along, even when, deep down, we would do anything to get out of them. Now, even if we can still afford such occasional obligations, the recession has provided something of a get-out-of-jail-free card: it’s an excuse with which few would argue.

The reporter is right. Even if we have a hunch our friend is lying, it's socially taboo to delve into the depths of someone else's pocketbook.

When it comes to no-questions-asked excuses, the economy ranks right up there with "I'm pregnant."

Thoughts?

(via Lemondrop)