Up to our eyeballs with rising panic and bombarded on almost a daily basis with stats and figures regarding the current global economic crisis, all of us are hit by budget cuts, less disposable income, rising debt, job insecurity and more.

We are told that the psychology of recession breeds negativity. As we continue to stress, scrimp and save, the overall economy suffers even more as a result of the pull-back in consumer demand.

But if you are tired of your friends, family and co-workers whining on about the global economic downturn, eBucks would like to share some inspiring and positive signs to watch for.

So be sure to impress all your nearest and dearest at the next gloomy dinner party, with these top economic "turn-around" trends:

1. Keep an eye on the pasta index: Pasta is cheap, making it a more regular menu item when the going gets tough. Watch the sales of pasta versus proteins such as chicken or fish. When pasta sales begin to dip, people will probably be feeling better about their personal finances. The same applies to new car and residential property sales; although, these will take longer to tick back up.

2. Inspect the job pages: Once business starts to pick up, companies will start to re-hire. So watch for an increase in the number of temporary positions advertised (companies are most likely to first top up their workforce with temporary labour), as well as an increase the number of recruitment agencies looking for recruiters.

3. Scrutinise travel specials: With international travel in particular, having been hard hit the airlines are currently embroiled in an all out price war. As business confidence improves, so will business travel. And as soon as the airlines start experiencing fuller planes, so too will we see an end to all the crazy airfare deals.

4. Follow the price of paper: As we know, just about everything arrives standard in cardboard packaging; and what isn't on the shelf in cardboard, was more than likely shipped in a big cardboard box. So when the price of paper starts to increase, you'll know the demand for packaging is up – simply because people are buying goods again.

Start sharing these positive indicators and help turn that national tide of recession depression.

Brought to you by eBucks, South Africa's most powerful rewards currency.

eBucks has found that consumers value their loyalty points even more highly during economic downturns and members are using their eBucks to help them stretch their wallets.

Glossary:

Recession: In economics, the term recession generally describes the reduction of a country's gross domestic product (GDP) for at least two quarters

Gross domestic product: The gross domestic product (GDP) or gross domestic income (GDI), a basic measure of an economy's economic performance, is the market value of all final goods and services produced within the borders of a nation in a year

Colloquial terms for current global recession: World-wide financial crisis, credit crunch, slowdown, downturn, meltdown, collapse and turmoil

Reference:
Harvard Business Review

About eBucks:

eBucks, the rewards programme offered by First National Bank (FNB) and RMB Private Bank, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading rewards programmes with highly active members spending in excess of 80% of the eBucks earned in any given month.