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When times are tough, say when the stock market is tanking and the threat of a recession looms over the average working family, how do you cope, financially, and still enjoy life?

Is the prospect of economic despair enough to throw people into a planning tailspin that eliminates all the extras?

After all, there are obvious ways to cut back the monthly budget - and incidentals might make the most sense.

Carpooling cuts down on gas. Doing away with weekly pizza delivery night puts more money toward the grocery store bill, where you also can save by purchasing generic brands.

Cut out entertainment, movies, concerts, plays and museums and you can have a modified sense of security. But maybe you can scratch the last item off the markdown list.

"People still have to live. You still have to enjoy life," said Margaret Brooks, chairwoman of the economics department at Bridgewater State College, who believes that entertainment, specifically local entertainment, might be the last item to survive most people's discretionary income budget.

"Even when people are worried about their finances, they still need to find something to do," she said.

The local arts scene, non-profit museums, small theater companies and the like, many would assume, should be worried about their survival in the midst of an economic crisis that has literally raised people's blood pressure, with documented increases in doctors' visits for that ailment.

But as in turns out, many Attleboro area venues say they haven't seen a drop-off in attendance or interest, though they are keeping an eye on the bottom line.

"You know, there's no real way to predict what will happen," said Curt Columbus, artistic director at Trinity Reperatory Theatre. "No one has ever lived through this kind of period before, no one who's working here, at least, so we're really in unchartered waters."

Columbus said he has been keeping a particularly watchful eye on things, and that there has been no falloff in attendance at the theater.

"People are still coming to see the play, every night," he said. "As much as 30 percent of the audience is staying for the after show talk. So, I really feel that people are craving a relief from the isolation."

Brooks supports that theory - that rather than eliminate entertainment expenses, especially the less expensive ones, people will turn first to everyday items to cut down.

It's good, Brooks agreed, for people's mental health. "This is a way to get out of the house and out of your worries for a little bit," she said. "Families can't afford to go on some expensive trip, but even when they're worried about their finances, they still need to find something to do."

Affordable programming helps, but local art and theater directors say it's not enough.

Providing a good product that people will feel good about purchasing, is just as important.

Lynn Singleton, president of the Providence Performing Arts Center, said his confidence in the theater's programming is what keeps him "cautiously optimistic" for survival.

Advanced sales for the national tour of Grease, starring American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, are very strong and sales for Legally Blonde, which opened its national tour at the theater in September also were strong, he said.

"Those are the good news book ends," Singleton said. "The things that are in between are all product driven. If the product slips back, we'll probably suffer. Right now, our product is very good, and that is driving ticket sales."

James Russell, president of the New Bedford Whaling Museum said that for sure, "museums will be looking at all sorts of creative options and packages to draw people to their venue."

"These are extremely challenging times for non-profit organizations, just as they are for many individuals and businesses," he said. "Non-profits typically rely on multiple revenues streams -unfortunately many of these streams are drying up."

For instance, he said, endowments have taken a beating in the market and many corporations see their bottom lines threatened and pull back on sponsorships. That means reliance on individual donors.

"Some non-profits are suspending their capital campaigns which require large gifts, often with multi-year commitments," Russell said. "It is too early to project a negative impact on annual appeal campaigns as typically these rely, for the most part, on loyal and repeat donors."

"These donors are in the best position to recognize the good work being performed by the non-profit and therefore are reluctant to pull back."

While capital campaigns may be under a cloud, there could be a ray of hope in terms of attendance at area museums and other entertainment venues.

There is a possibility of a bump in attendance from visitors who live within 50 miles of a museum, Russell said.

He referred to a recent trend in so-called "Stay-cations," in which families elect for financial or other reasons, to stay closer to home and take day trips instead of far-flung destinations.

But that can also have a reverse effect based on the financial uncertainty globally.

"The last few years saw a bump in foreign visitors particularly from Europe," Russell said. "I suspect that as the financial flu hits that continent too, this trend will flatten out."

The unsteady economy has similarly affected the Attleboro Arts Museum.

Enthusiasm for the annual auction, the museum's major fundraiser, is high, said Director Mim Fawcett, but the museum is struggling in other ways.

Donations are down, so the museum's annual fund has taken a severe hit, Fawcett said, and enrollment is way down for adult art classes.

But, she said, enrollment is steady for children's classes and the staff is hoping the auction, which this year will feature "wonderful pieces for a very good price."

"We are feeling the effects, no question about it," Fawcett said. "Folks are making a decision. We've talked to a lot of our former students who have a tradition of enrolling and what they've told us is that as much as they need to do this, as a way to connect socially and culturally, for peace, they've had to make the decision."

Fawcett said this year's auction, in November, will still feature the same level of artwork that the museum has become known for.

This year, museum staff has asked artists to consider pricing their pieces to make the auction feel "more within reach" to patrons.

They may not have to worry.

Local artist Rob Lorenson, an associate professor of art at Bridgewater State College with an independent studio in Somerset, said that while sales of private art are hard to come by for artists, if they can market to high-end buyers, they should still see some profit.

"Think of it this way. If you're a private investor, there's literally nowhere to put your money that's safe," Lorenson said. "We don't even need to get into the stock market. Even if you put your money in cash, you're losing money."

He said that while galleries are being limited with foot traffic, and sees that as a national trend, his own community of artists has work lined up for months.

While Lorenson's projects are sold all over the country, Brooks said a steady support of places like Trinity Rep and PPAC could have something to do with peoples' mindsets during hard times.

"I think that organizations might be worried about sponsors cutting their levels of support," Brooks said. "That's big in the minds of nonprofits. But I think that people try to hunker down and stay close to home and within the community.

There's a similar idea to sustainability and buying locally grown vegetables, here. People feel like they're helping the community. If (places) can continue to make their programs accessible and affordable, they can survive."