Because the stock market and the economy are so volatile right now, people are looking for any kind of guidance they can get—even if that means turning to the supernatural. According to a New York Times article, psychics and astrologers are doing big business these days, with clients paying anywhere from $75 to $1,000 an hour for a little insight. While we love our Kiki T and her advice, we can think of a few things that would make us feel better than knowing we’re going to lose another chunk of change this week. After all, a psychic’s advice about the stock market lasts for a day, but a horse bit necklace is forever. Keep reading for 10 alternative ways to spend $75 that will make you feel better about yourself, if not the world…

I wouldn’t consider myself to be a Grade A snob, despite what some may think.  I may carry an expensive bag or be sporting expensive shoes, but chances are that I’m wearing Forever 21 everywhere else.  I prefer a diner sandwich to a fancy meal, have cut myself off from mani/pedis and learned to polish my own, and am getting a little less bitter about the subway. In these tough economic times, we’re all trying to cut back, but there are some things we’re just not willing to give up.

Unless you’re living in a cave somewhere in, I don’t know, rural Alaska, far, far from civilization, you’ve probably noticed that our economy is in the crapper. And despite last week’s presidential election of Barack Obama and his message of change and hope, it will take some time before things stabilize and we’re back on track. In the meantime, many of us are choosing to embrace our inner recessionistas, shunning the big-budget shopping sprees and pricey meals out that we may have enjoyed in the past in favor of clothing swaps and cozy dinner parties in. But quaint as all that sounds, it isn’t always easy to go from spendista to recessionista, to save for a rainy day instead of splurging on a cute, new pair of Wellies the second we spot anything less than clear blue skies. After the jump, a few tips to try in the next 30 days to help you find your own inner recessionista and jump start a new lifestyle of living large, but spending small.

With the state of the economy as it is (sad, very sad), U.S. retailers are cutting orders an average of 10 to 15 percent and expecting reduced spending in the coming months. You might think that when shoppers do make a purchase, they’ll stick to buying basics that can be be worn more than once without anyone noticing. However, JC Report spoke to several retailers who said they were seeing an increase in the buying of pieces that make a statement. “To some degree, there’s an element of fantasy going on—our customers are buying more daring pieces, perhaps to escape from what’s going on in the world,” said Jenny Le, manager of Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles.

A look through my closet, and those of other Frisky staffers, backs up this theory. The last three things I’ve purchased: a dress covered in giant hot pink polka dots, a black dress with an extremely drapey neckline that can definitely not be worn to work, and a pair of neon tights with different colored legs. None of these items can be worn on a daily, or even weekly, basis without me becoming known as “the girl who always wears that crazy polka dot dress,” but they’re exciting articles of clothing that will put me in a good mood whenever I wear them. Heck, even thinking of them hanging out in my closet makes me happy.

We’re hoping that with this week’s election, the financial situation will straighten itself out—but it’s not going to happen overnight, so we’re gonna need to be a little more frugal. No more eating out every night! No more buying expensive salads for lunch! If you missed Teri Tsang Barrett’s “Hot Out Of The Oven” recessionista menu last week, make the dishes this week! After the jump, the shopping list and daily recipes…

All of us at The Frisky are pretty addicted to websites like Gilt and Shop It To Me that email us about designer deals. It’s hard to resist dresses that are half price, even if we are in tough economic times. The blog Stilettos on Cobblestone had a genius idea that is totally going to help us avoid buying clothes just because they’re on sale: Create a recession email filter. (If you have Gmail, got to Settings, then Filter to create one.) Then, all shopping-related emails, like the one I got today showing me this Marc by Marc Jacobs Wooly Pointell Sweater and J.Crew Penelope Peep Toes won’t torture you, because they’ll never appear in your inbox. [via Racked]

Hot foodie Teri Tsang Barrett knows her way around a kitchen—a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she works as a Food Editor at Everyday With Rachael Ray in constant search of the perfect thin crust pizza. Here she unveils her favorite frisky recipes—good food that every ravenous gal can make in a pinch. Got a rumble in your belly for something you want her to cook up a recipe for? Email us at tips@thefrisky.com.

In preparation for the financial apocalypse, I was challenged by Amelia to come up with five recipes for Frisky readers eatin’ on the cheap. Check out the full grocery list for all the recipes here. I tried to stick with an “under $10” budget* for each recipe, so set aside $50 and let me know if I was wrong.  After the jump, the second recipe I’ve concocted…

Just six months ago, the “Sex and the City” movie and its crazy-expensive clothes hit theaters. And we ate it up—even the $800+ pair of Manolo Blahnik heels. Oh, how times have changed. Another movie about conspicuous consumption, “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” will come to a theater near you on February 14. In the movie’s short trailer, designer brands get name-checked, and Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) goes shopping multiple times. Today, AdAge.com writes about how the movie’s timing sucks. The state of the economy has meant that people actually have to change their shopping habits. Some say Touchstone Pictures will have a hard time marketing the movie, but we say they’ll just have to get creative and reshoot a few scenes. Or, who knows, maybe the market will perk up by February. Anyway, our thoughts on how they could tweak the movie to be a little more in sync with these rough economic times, after the jump.

These days, America can’t get enough when it comes to recession sex. For women, former Us Weekly and Star editor Bonnie Fuller finds, the upside to the stock market downslide is “more sex.” To explore where the economy meets the libido, Fuller toured sex shops, talked to sexperts, and found the business of recession sex is booming. At sex toy boutique Babeland, sex toys sales are on the rise. The owner of high-end lingerie store La Petite Coquette reports lingerie sales are up. Why? Because women are looking to make their financially down-trodden men happy in the bedroom, if not the boardroom. Fuller’s sources say people are having more sex now that a recession is dawning for a variety of reasons: because sex takes our minds of our money problems, because staying home and having sex is cheaper than going out and having dinner, because if women can’t get off on shopping, we’re going to have to get off on something—or somebody. Of course, guys are finding other ways to get off, but women may find the recession may not be such a bad thing—sexually, at least. How’s the recession affected your sex life?

Bonnie Fuller wrote yesterday on The Moment blog about how the recession is affecting people’s sex lives, a topic we have explored before. So, are hard economic times helping people’s sex lives? Fuller did some research among New York retailers, and made an interesting discovery: Business is actually up at specialty sex shops.

Erotic toy and lingerie store Babeland saw a 25-percent increase in sales the week of Sept. 29 compared to the same week last year. “The same thing happened after 9/11, when our business also soared. I think we’re recession-proof because sex accessories are an inexpensive luxury,” said Claire Cavanah, the store’s co-founder.

Even lingerie store La Petite Coquette has been selling loads of lacy underthings. “We think men are really stressed out and working harder, so their wives and girlfriends are buying lingerie to help their guys relax,” owner Rebecca Aspan said. Ummm, we’re really stressed out and working harder, too! What are our husbands and boyfriends doing to help us relax, buying silk boxers for themselves? We hope not.

Yesterday we showed you some styles from Wal-Mart that are super-cheap ($15 for a navy blazer!) and they don’t look too shabby, either. Today the spotlight is on Kohl’s, where we found tie-neck blouses galore, the lovely Simply Vera Vera Wang line, and fun heels. If you’re planning on ordering online, place your order today or tomorrow because shipping is just 99 cents!

Sure, you may be broke as a joke since Wall Street has gone AWOL, but don’t worry, the best things in life are free! Just look at those Lehman Brothers posting on Craigslist for free love—they’re not even paying for online dating. So while your taste may be caviar and champagne, remember, there are simple pleasures out there that even the most fancy people can savor—like desire, lust, and nudity. Save your moolah for the things you gotta pay for and cash in on the things you really need with these five sexy freebies.

1. Back Rubs: Now that you’re stressed about your financial future, you need to relax.  Nothing will get you looser than a massage…especially if it comes with a happy ending. Hey, I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine!

Makeup company Hard Candy, first known as a purveyor of pastel blue nail polish, will limit its offerings to gift sets starting next season. If you were a huge fan of their jelly rings back in middle school but thought the polish itself was overpriced when it debuted in the ‘90s (LA store Fred Segal originally priced them at $18 each), now is the time to snap up bottles of every color. Hard Candy is having a ginormous 75-percent-off sale, and the iconic polishes cost just $1.75 each. [Hard Candy via Fashionista]

According to the Chicago Sun Times, more women are applying to donate their eggs and act as surrogates as the economy worsens. This got me thinking about the other ways in which the poor economy—including skyrocketing gas prices, increased unemployment, and the mortgage crisis—are affecting the sex and love lives of women. Personally speaking, the poor economy has taken a negative toll on the real estate market—and since the man-friend and I are looking to move, aren’t finding much in our budget and are getting stressed as a result, romance has taken a little beating as well. After the jump, a list of how the recession is both hurting AND improving some women’s sex and love lives.