Recession Affects The Wealthy, Too

'People are shopping more studiously'

The Marcians reject the wealthy title, although their home on a 10-acre farm in Harwood makes them better off than most.

Before the nation's economic downturn, Michael and Carolyn Marcian re-evaluated their lifestyle so they could spend their money on things they valued, like their family and various charities. They disliked the "keep up with the Joneses" lifestyle and now that there's a recession, it hasn't changed their habits too much, Michael Marcian Sr. said.

"We've always been conservative even before this," said Carolyn Marcian, whose husband is chairman and CEO of a Prince George's County printing firm. "He's from Michigan and I'm from Nebraska. Our idea of a nice vacation is Ocean City. One thing we'd like to do when we travel is to get an RV and go to parts of the country we haven't seen."

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