By Lorna Tan

I never needed to think twice when I took taxis. Not anymore.

The financial hurricane might have blown over but the rest of the world is still gasping for breath. We are facing a global economic slump with no clear indication of how long it will last.

There's nothing I can do to change the world economy but I've taken steps to make some changes to the way I live so that I can ride out the downturn successfully.

The changes may not lead to massive savings - in fact, they will appear insignificant in the bigger scheme of things - but they do go some way towards trimming some excesses and, hopefully, will result in better spending habits.

Take public transport. My husband and I share a car and in the past, when he used it, I would take a cab. It's convenient, comfortable and saves time. But the exorbitant cab fares are a big disincentive now.

Just a taxi ride from my Toa Payoh office to Shenton Way cost me almost $20 one early evening. It still amazes me how much a taxi ride can come up to after accounting for the various surcharges.

My husband, who takes public transport more often than I do, had been persuading me to do the same and I finally succumbed to his good sense.

Three weeks ago, I bought my first ez-link card. Since then, I've become a more regular public transport commuter, although I have to ask for directions at the MRT stations.

One change led to another. Because I take public transport more often, I've assembled a 'recession' wardrobe. This comprises mainly pants, short-sleeved or halter-neck blouses and boots. To add a professional look, I carry a jacket.

The reason is simple. I now have to walk to an MRT station or a bus stop and after I have alighted, I have to walk to my destination. That makes wearing high heels as well as pretty, delicate sandals difficult. Hence, the boots with flat or low heels.

It is also more comfortable to be wearing pants instead of dresses and skirts when you have to run after a bus or cross a road briskly.

And since my seven pairs of pants are mostly black, no one can tell if I am wearing the same pair two to three days a week if I wear them with a different top each time. That way, I save on the washing and ironing too.

As I'm wearing boots more frequently now, I figured that I could cut down on the frequency of my pedicures. After all, what's the point of having immaculately painted toe nails if they are hidden in covered-up footwear.

I used to pay more than $200 for a package of six pedicure sessions and would renew it every quarter. Now, I'm trying to stretch the same pedicure package over a year. And instead of having my feet massaged by a pedicurist, I do it myself at home with a pumice foot scrub.