Just an observation:

During WWII, the King and Queen of England refused to be evacuated during the Blitz and the later rocket attacks on the city. Their daughters, Elizabeth and Anne, served in the auxiliary (IIRC). The royal family observed the rationing laws, and lived their lives as their subjects did.

In a severe recession, the Obamas could take a lesson from that - particularly with respect to White House expenditures. It’s known as leading by example.