USA Today reports yet another recession survival story about Americans coping with the severe economic slump.

But you don't have to become a hermit, or live like the Unabomber, to dramatically cut your living costs. You don't have to downsize your life to downsize your budget.

When buying their own house (or plantation) in Nicaragua, most couples here find they can live a comfortable middle-class life here for around $18,000 to $24,000 a year (including maid service and weekly trips to the movies, high-quality health care, restaurants and the mall). With a budget of $36,000 a year — that's a modest Social Security check — you're living in luxury (including live-in maid service).

Or you can choose to live without those things and live as simply as the Wojtowicz family and save even more  — a lot more. And it's a lot easier to grow crop down here than in Michigan…

It's well past time to Discover Serenity.