The people that suffered through past crunches learned to cut corners and weather lean times.

Reasons to hate: Despite saving every penny you' ve ever earned, you' ve never been or never will be in any of the places she mentions because your mother does not work for Cathay Pacific.

They claim that the U.S. has been spending too much because China has been saving too much (I kid you not!).

We need to pinch pennies these days.

Ordinary Japanese have cut back on inessential spending, in a mood of sacrificial restraint.