With the national unemployment level pushing against 10%, and reportedly much higher in certain areas of the country, newspaper feature articles and many TV shows are dedicating a lot of newsprint and air time to stories on how people can cope with the recession.

While many of the stories center on how to cope with a job loss, the reduction of home values, and other specific money related items, one major internet site, MSN.com, has started a series called the “MSN Recession Survival Guide” that deals with all the usual stuff but also has a peculiar emphasis on the value of maintaining your relationships through money stresses. That is an interesting take because when you come right down to it it’s the relationships in your life that matter the most. What’s the purpose of the good job, lots of money, and lots of free time if it’s not to develop and improve your personal relationships?

A recent survey by PayPal reports that 43 percent of US couples say that the recession has caused them to argue more often and primarily about finances. I suppose that’s to be expected as many experts have been saying for years that money is the most frequent cause of friction in a marriage.

Now, granted some of the tips and tricks suggested by the MSN.com web site may seem corny and all too obvious but that doesn’t mean that they do not have value. Here are a few examples:

Make a date with your Significant Other to watch the sun set. If you’re lucky enough to live in a location that already has fabulous scenery such as near the ocean or in the mountains even a simple sunset can be a spectacular show. It happens every day, for sure, but when is the last time you thought of a sun set as something special? It does become something special when you invite another to share it with you.

If you live in the big-city an afternoon on a park bench with a decent bottle of wine and some French sounding cheese will provide you with a front row seat, and an entire day’s worth of entertainment, to the greatest show on Earth – people being people. You remember when you used to make images out of clouds? People are so much more interesting with so many more possibilities for good natured fun and provocation.

Invite some friends over in the middle of the week for coffee and home-baked goodies. Keep it simple, informal and very low key. People are more inclined to drop-by, and more appreciative when they do, when they know that you are not obligating them to make a whole night of it.