The XX Factor: What women really think.

Times Richest and Neediest

Last week, we put out a call for a parody of the "Feel the Crunch" series  in the New York Times. Here is our favorite, by Elizabeth Lazar of Chicago:

"As the Recession Worsens, Rich Teens Show Character"

This fall, Morgan Wellington began her senior year of high school much like the other privileged students at Kenilworth High, on Chicago's suburban North Shore. Her parents were providing a weekly allowance to cover basics such as a spa regimen, bento-box lunches and gas to cover the strenuous 8-block school commute.

But in October, Morgan's dad lost his top-paying job managing his father's investment firm, Wellington Fund in the Loop. He was forced to take a lower-ranking executive position with more hours and less pay at the nearby Wellington Family Foundation. Morgan's life changed almost overnight.

First to go was the school morning spa ablutions, a daily package which included black-soap body cleansing, steam room, deluge of freezing water, Spanish-whirlpool followed by a brief massage.

"I had to start showering at home twice a week," said Morgan, who is 17. "At first it was really hard and my pore size almost doubled, but now I'm totally used to it. I've gotten really good with the exfoliator."

It is impossible to quantify how many hyper-affluent parents have pruned allowances in recent months—or how many of their offspring, in turn, have adjusted their lifestyles to meet the stringent terms of the newly pared budgets. But interviews with dozens of North Shore teenagers, parents and teachers suggest that many youngsters in the area seem to have developed a new work ethic as the economic crisis that has jeopardized their parents' investments has also led to reduced spending money for after-school shopping sprees at the local Marc Jacobs or study-group hangs at the Michelin 5 corner spot up the street.

"I told my friends just to meet me in my home library wing for exam crams because by the end of the week I was starving and couldn't afford anything on the menu except the veal carpaccio appetizer. I was embarrassed at first, but my friends have been really supportive."