MinnEcon: March 19, 2010 Archive

Who buys the beers in the recession?

Posted at 11:39 AM on March 19, 2010 by Paul Tosto (0 Comments)
Filed under: Saving & spending

We've talked a bunch about awkward money conversations with family in this recession. But what about your friends?

You know your buddy's unemployed. You're out for some beers and you know he really can't afford them. He's broke. But he doesn't want anyone feeling sorry for him. If you make a big deal about trying to pay you may make him feel worse.

If you've been there during the recession, share a story with some advice.

We'd also love to hear from Minnesotans who are jobless or otherwise short on cash. If you could honestly level with your friends about going out and spending money, what would you tell them?

We're thinking a bit about this today as the University of Minnesota men's basketball team plays in the NCAA tournament.

It's a great time of year if you love sports and going out. But we know from the most recent state jobless data there's still a lot of pain out there.

Minnesotans in MPR's Public Insight Network have shared great stories and advice about asking colleges, mortgage companies and other institutions for help.

So tell us how you navigate that ground with your friends.

It doesn't have to be about beer and food. Share any story of talking to your friends about money or job challenges. How do you help or ask for help? How do you work it out in a way that doesn't damage the friendship?

Post something below or contact us directly. We'll share some of your stories and advice in future MinnEcon posts and maybe on the radio.

Comment on this post