Partner or Patsy?

I recently had a conversation with a longtime friend whose house burned several months ago. Before the fire, he had been planning some renovations. Now, with the interior of the house largely destroyed, he is undertaking the original renovations and then some. When my friend spoke to the same service providers about work he had gotten bids on a year ago, he found that the costs are now lower, sometimes by as much as 30 percent. The reason, of course, is the terrible economy. It’s happening all over. The New York Times reported that Starbucks is renegotiating contracts with its suppliers. And I recently agreed to do some outside teaching for 20 percent less than I received for the same teaching a year ago.