TikTok creators are sharing their 'recession hacks'
Many millennials have already lived through one recession, so as more economic turmoil looms, they're jumping online to share their "recession hacks."
The last recession in the U.S. lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, right about when many millennials were leaving college and entering the job market. That economic downturn hit at a pivotal life stage and left a lasting impact. It shaped culture, shifted expectations, and created some tough realities: lower wealth accumulation, higher student debt, thinner resumes, and delays in buying homes and getting married.
But because of those challenges, millennials have picked up some smart, practical strategies — and now they’re sharing them on TikTok for anyone facing financial uncertainty without a safety net.
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Here are some of our favorite recession hacks from creators who’ve lived it:
Review your spending habits
Buy canned tuna
Find a meal hack that works for you
Learn how to sew
Go trash-picking
Regrow your green onions
Get smarter with your credit cards
Stop using your dryer
Turns out, living through a recession teaches you a thing or two. Luckily, millennials are more than happy to pass the cheat codes along.
Topics TikTok
Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.
Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.
