Recession Prompts More Brown Bag Lunches and Other Employee Spending Cutbacks

Survey: “Vast Majority” of Workers Making Changes Due to Economy

From brown-bagging to (temporarily, we hope) giving up the quest for the job of their dreams, a survey by Vault.com shows that America’s workers are hunkering down and making both minor and major changes to their work lives and workday routines as a result of the economic downturn.

Death of a Starbucks?

More than 60% of survey respondents told Vault.com that they have either begun bringing lunch from home or increased the number of times per week they’re relying on their brown bags. Twenty-eight percent have cut down on morning or afternoon coffee runs, with one respondent telling Vault, “I may be personally responsible for the closing of at least one Starbucks.”

People are also considering a career change, a move, or are staying in jobs they don’t like, fearful of being able to find something else.

Playing with Dominoes

Of course, every cutback has a cost; usually for someone else. For example, the people who used to work at that Starbucks. But fear also hurts those of us who allow the major decisions of our lives to be shaped by it.

The chain of dominoes can begin with denying ourselves a cup of coffee. If we aren’t careful, however, the last of those dominoes to fall could be our confidence in ourselves, our willingness to take risks, and even our sense of community.

What Changes Do You Want to Make?

It’s one thing to realize that we Americans have been living way beyond our means, collectively and individually, for over a decade now.

Relying on our own skills, including learning new ones — like cooking for ourselves, saving our money, and making our own darn coffee — has always been a good idea.

The real bottom line, however, is that we can, collectively and individually, define for ourselves the opportunities and changes we want to see result from this challenging economic situation.

Every crisis has, at its core, an opportunity for learning, growth, and positive change. What opportunities are you going to seize upon?

Sphere: Related Content