The Queen, Amish Latest to Experience Economic Troubles

Apparently, some members of the Amish community in Indiana have been living beyond their means, buying second homes in Florida, splurging on fancy horses, and pimping out their carriages with velvet and LED lighting.

After the recession and widespread job layoffs, all the overspending has caught up with the community, much like it has with so many other Americans. The local Amish trust has stopped loaning money, and communities are now scaling back on spending and pushing a “back to basics” mentality. Check out the WSJ story here.

Meanwhile, the Queen of England says she is running out of money, and she’s asking the British government to double her income. Based on comments from readers of The Independent, the public’s not too sympathetic about the Queen’s cry for help. Here’s one comment:

Millions out of work,and she wants more!!!
The awful class system in Britain is a direct result of privilege, from which the Queen and her family continue to defend.
The French at the end of the 18th century seem to have had a good idea, when they charged the Bastille in Paris, and we all know what happened next!

Done Deal: CBS Gives Green Light to Sitcom Based on Groupon

Daily deal giant Groupon is known for its peculiar sense of humor. There was the time the site “bought” April Fool’s Day. The introduction of marketing gimmicks like the creepy virtual discount wheel called “Clicky” can only be attributed to some offbeat sense of what’s amusing. And of course, from the beginning, subscribers have been reading Groupon’s trademark absurdist, careful-not-to-offend descriptions for deals arriving in their in-boxes. The fact that there’s a network sitcom in the works featuring Groupon is apparently no joke, however.

You’ll Be Able to Buy ‘Waterproof Sunblock’ This Summer, Even Though There’s No Such Thing

Last summer, the FDA announced new regulations affecting how sunscreens are marketed. Accordingly, sunscreen labels will no longer be allowed to feature the words “waterproof,” “sweatproof,” and “sunblock”—because no sunscreen is truly waterproof or sweatproof, and no lotion completely blocks the sun’s harmful rays. Originally, the changes were set to take effect this June. Now, though, it’s OK for stores to sell products making these dubious claims on through the hot months ahead.

http://cheapskate.blogs.time.com/2009/07/03/recent-recession-porn-nba-star-faces-foreclosure-queen-begs-for-cash-and-more/ Recent Recession Porn: NBA Star Faces Foreclosure, Queen Begs for Cash, and More – The Cheapskate Blog – TIME.com

[...] Even the Amish have been living beyond their means, and the recession is making members of one Indiana community rethink the way they were spending [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2009/11/05/who-is-truly-the-queen-of-coupons/ Who Is Truly the Coupon Queen? – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] Something tells me that few actual queens clip coupons—but perhaps the Queen of England should, in light of her recent financial woes. [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2009/12/15/the-year-of-living-cheaply-a-retrospective/ The Year of Living Cheaply: A Retrospective – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] the Queen of England cries poverty, going public with news that she is going broke and wants her income doubled by the British [...]
http://money.blogs.time.com/2009/12/22/the-top-recession-porn-stories-of-2009/ The Top ‘Recession Porn’ Stories of 2009 – It's Your Money – TIME.com

[...] Save the Queen from the Poorhouse The Queen of England, hat in hand, says she's broke and needs the government to double her income. Quote from somebody [...]