I'm very lucky to have not been affected by the recession, my job is fairly secure (I work in a small but essential department in a large water company) and due to a change of role my wages have gone up by approximately 20% in the last year. Also with the exception of beer and bike parts, I don't spend a lot of money.
The downsides for me are that I am not a homeowner, but my rent has been fixed at the same rate for the past 4 years and my utility bills are pretty reasonable (I'm now a single person in a 2 bed flat).
I am however aware that I am one of the lucky ones.