I can’t stand when writers or marketers take corny words and try to make them sound cool just to support some trend that may or may not be there. In this instance, the NYTimes breaks down where the word “recessionista” came from (I could choke just from typing it), and how some companies are pimping the word to make it seem like it’s OK to spend money on crap during a recession, just so long as it’s not overpriced crap.

Let’s get real, people! There’s nothing new about people trying to shop for bargains and still look nice or have nice things. Why’s now any different, except for the fact that consumers are cutting back and now companies need a way to make them feel better about buying?

Would you buy a product just because it’s packaging says it’s a good value in tight times? Or are you always on the hunt for a bargain no matter what?

I don’t even know where to start with this one, so I’ll just let you have at it:

A 29-year-old mother of seven in Cincinnati was arrested yesterday for handcuffing her kids so they couldn’t eat all the food in the house. The woman, Kena Ross is on welfare and said that was the only way she could keep the food from running out before the end of the month came.

I’ll let you have at this on the message boards now. What’s your take: desperate mother who made a mistake trying to make ends meet? Or just triflin’?

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Credit is so tight these days that people can’t borrow for those flat screen TVs anymore. So retailers like K-Mart are bringing layaway back from the dead.

You ever lay something away back in the day? I did — all kinds of things like games from the first Nintendo to clothes I wanted but ain’t have the cash for when I was in high school.

What’s the last thing you remember “laying away” and would you use it again now if you didn’t have the cash for something you wanted?

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Remember those $300 checks the government gave out earlier this year? There might be more coming.

Congress is considering another “economic stimulus” giveaway, but likely won’t make a move until after the election ends. The point, of course, is to put some money back in people’s pockets so they can spend and hopefully help the economy. But since it didn’t prevent a meltdown the last time around, why would it help now?

If you got another stimulus check today, would you save the money or spend it?

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Now for today’s post. Here’s five tips for managing your money during the downturn, from the National Endowment for Financial Education.

1.      Don’t borrow money to continue your current lifestyle. If your income has dropped or you think it is about to, now is the time to rewrite your budget. Income doesn’t match expenditures? Then it’s time to make some cuts and adjust.

2.      Avoid pulling out funds or taking a loan from your 401(k). Even more important, you should continue making contributions into it. If you have to cut back, at least continue to save the amount (or percentage) matched by your employer. Remember, that’s “free” money. If you’re nervous about the ups and downs of the stock market, consider changing your allocation strategy, but stay diversified.

3.      Even if you’re tempted by low interest rates, avoid borrowing against your home equity to fund current expenses. The last thing you need right now is more debt. Another reason to avoid this type of lending is that your home could potentially devalue as a result of the soft housing market.

4.      When the going gets tough, the tough turn to retail therapy and that is not a good philosophy in uncertain economic times. This would be an excellent time to re-evaluate your spending habits and avoid activities that cost money to make you feel better. Before shopping, make a list of only items you need and stick to it. Also, delay purchase decisions on anything other than routine items in your budget for at least 48 hours to be certain you need them. And remember, a diligent shopper is a smart shopper. Be sure to look for alternatives that are low or no cost.

5.      Avoid turning to credit for unexpected expenses while you have savings in the bank. Credit card rates are in the double digits, while interest on savings is in the low single digits. Why would you want to “give away” 15 percent or more of your spendable income to credit card interest? If you have not already done so, now is the ideal time to start to build an emergency savings. You never know when you’ll need it. Hindsight is 20/20, and many Americans wish they had done that.

In Atlanta, business at pawnshops is through the roof. In my hometown and others, violence is spiking in poor neighborhoods.

For the last two weeks I’ve been writing about how people are being affected by the ups and downs of the stock market, mostly focusing on 401(k)s and other investments. But the real impact of a recession is felt by real people, in real ways that go way beyond what they’re worth on paper. And from the looks of some of the stories I’m reading, more and more people are getting desperate. It’s not a good look.

I’ve even seen stories of the ridiculous, like the man doing jail time because he couldn’t afford to keep his lawn green.

Are you seeing signs of desperation in your community, or are people dealing with the downturn well?

How do you teach your kids about money?

Yesterday I wrote that financial education should be mandatory in schools but like every other kind of learning, it has to start at home.

When my sons are with me, we play Monopoly so they can get used to handling large amounts of cash, making decisions about what to buy and to understand the value of owning and developing property. There’s also a rule that if I give them money, they have to spend a little of it and save a lot.  I  take them to the ATM machine with me and have them watch while I check the balances on their college savings accounts online.

A friend of mine sent me a link to this game, which she said she played and changed her opinion on money. I’m going to get it for my boys, I think and we’ll alternate it with Monopoly on game nights.

What are you doing, or are you planning to do to teach your children about money? How did your parents teach you?

Three presidential debates and none of the candidates are talking about what I think should be one of the next administration’s top education priorities: financial literacy.

Look at what’s happened to the economy: credit and equities markets have tanked in great part because many people borrowed to live beyond their means. And with the economy in trouble, now a lot of people are poised to make huge mistakes by pulling out of their 401(k)s or “putting their money under a mattress” where inflation would render it worth little to nothing as the years go on.

In San Diego, the schools have realized that learning how to handle your money is as important as knowing how to read and now require students to take a financial literacy course to graduate.

Isn’t it about time the rest of the country caught up?

If you’re black, look at the person next to you in the office. If she’s white, she’s probably got a 401(k) 50 percent bigger than yours, according to the latest Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey.

Time to step your game up, homie.

There is good news in the survey, which polled about 500 African-Americans and 500 whites who make at least $50,000 a year. 90 percent of both groups said they’re already enrolled in their 401(k)s. But we on average kick in about $169 a month, while whites put in $249. That means the whites have media retirement savings of  $114,000 compared with only $53,000 for African-Americans.

This is sobering, especially considering how many young, black professionals have asked me in the past two weeks whether they should be pulling out of their 401(k)s.

How much are you putting into your retirement every month, and do you expect to be able to retire comfortably at the age you want to?

Yesterday, I wrote that an important rule of investing is that those who get hurt the worst are those who pull out of long-term investments at the bottom. Think of it like jumping off a fast moving roller coaster right before it climbs its steepest hill: not only will you get hurt, but you’ll miss the best part of the ride.Then, there was a HUGE rally on Wall Street and the Dow Jones closed up more than 900 points — the biggest percentage gain in 75 years, according to the New York Times.

This proves my point. If you jumped off the roller coaster last week and got out of your 401(k) last week, you essentially took four hit: 1) You paid an early withdrawal fee if you’re a young investor; 2) you paid a big tax penalty; 3) you lost principle by pulling out while the market was down and 4) worst of all, you missed the biggest moneymaking day on Wall Street in almost a century.

Need I say more?