[leviathant]

Yeah, I tend not to comment on stories about how hard it is to save money. My first professional job went belly up in the dot com crash, but even before that, I always made it a point to not just live within my means, but also not be too proud to scrounge. Whether that's thrift shopping, buying cars used, dumpster diving, or buying houses that are just shy of being condemned, the point was always to make sure I was building a cushion, just in case. It's hard to do, given how rampant consumerism is in America, but if you're able to blot out that narrative, these bumps in the road are much less likely to be catastrophic.

Nowadays you've got sites like Mr Money Mustache, which, while extreme, can at least present a kind of framework for being more mindful about spending and saving. I felt like I was just kind of making it up as I went along. You don't buy into someone else's idea of a lifestyle - make preparations for financial stability. Once that hits, everything else is gravy.

Was my first economic downturn a surprise? Sure, kinda. There was a lot going on that seemed really dumb, even to a relatively naive 19 year old. Had I also read about The Great Depression, the 70s gas shortage, and the 80s recession? Sure did. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.