Retail Therapy in a Recession

I am currently involved with a wonderful man who treats me like gold, however, he lives an ocean away. I can't resent this too much, as part of his appeal is his charming English accent. Ever since I saw Four Weddings and a Funeral, I was hooked on the English. Somehow the accent makes everything including locating the nearest restroom sound, well, romantic. I try to remind myself that it is just an accent, and that if I am in a disagreement with my boyfriend, I must stand my ground and not falter at the sweet melodic tone of his accent.
I give this introduction because of the current economic situation in the US. England's pound, although not as strong as it once was, is still more than 2 to 1 to our US dollar. Needless to say my boyfriend picks up the dinner tabs, Starbucks tab, and generally any other tab when we go out. If he was American, I might call him "old fashioned", but since he is English(although he is charming) this comes as necessity. He views the US as a third world nation, where he can come and load up on Levi's, Northface, and Nike running shoes for a fraction of the cost in the UK. I am reminded of how Americans often interact in poor countries, handing out sweets to local children in exchange for a photo in their native land. Is this where our country is headed? Will we soon be welcoming Europeans and Chinese bearing small trinkets and sweets to our cities? Will I have to apply for a remedial job cleaning toilets in London so that I can support my newly impoverished family in the US?
Perhaps I am being hyper-sensitive to the recession, but I like most other Americans have had to curb my spending habits. So, how can one succeed in dressing for success when a gallon of milk soars to 4.20 a gallon? In the coming days, I will be working on a budget for young women facing the same situation. First tip: Buy powdered milk, mix with water, do this every day for one month and the money you have saved will afford you one small sterling silver key chain from the "Return to Tiffany" line at tiffany.com.