Recession Proofing! From Consumed to Thrifty? European Vacations

As the word 'recession' is in the air, are we gonna be recessed and depressed or will it call us to act.
By acting, I mean rethinking the way we live.
Our lives revolve (in the US at least) around consumption...you are what you buy...
I can commiserate about the value of the Dollar versus the Euro and feel that I have no option but to cancel my planned visit to Europe (late summer, early fall).

Starting today, I will look at ways to make the most of our 'new' circumstances in From Consumed to Thrifty.