MAKING ENDS MEET AND FINDING NEW BEGINNINGS

JOAN TAYLOR

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE TO CUT DOWN on red-carpet items like the corporate jet and that $3,000 weekend at the spa. Far more prevalent are those who are crossing red meat off the home supper menu and sticking with spaghetti. But however the cuts come, there's no argument: Just about everyone is adjusting to a revised standard of living in some way.

Not all of this is bad news as individuals rethink their lifestyles and how they spend their money. Shoe repair shops are posting huge spikes in business, since people aren't so quick to rush out and buy that new shiny pair. The odometer on the car that reads 100,000 is replacing its "Trade me in" message with a much louder one: "You and I, kiddo, have only just begun."

But what actually is this standard of living we hear so much about in the news? This thing we have to adjust to, agonize over, and be defined by? One thing that's safe to say is that it can be defined as changeable, unpredictable—and up for grabs. Another thing that's safe to say: Nothing changeable, unpredictable, or up for grabs is "safe."

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