Scott Horan would love to dine out with friends or shop at the Galleria for stylish additions to his wardrobe.

But instead, he cooks at home and wears what he already has in his closet.

“I have limited funds, so I could go out to dinner for a night’s meal or get a week’s worth of groceries from Wegmans for the same amount,” he said.

With the down economy, joblessness and widespread hardship, Horan, like many others, has cut back.

“I’m not poor or anything, but I don’t have a lot to spare,” said Horan, a full-time cosmetology student.

But while watching his spending, the 32- year-old Buffalo resident has found new reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

“It’s brought me closer to friends and family, because I’m spending more time with them,” he said. “I’m grateful for my relationships and how they’ve evolved to become stronger.” And now, the only time he eats out is Sunday, when he goes to brunch with buddies and relatives.

“I look forward to it every Sunday,” he said. Horan and other Western New Yorkers are celebrating this holiday season by highlighting the people and things that enrich their lives.

Jennifer and Ben Ayres, a young Hamburg couple, embarked on a photography business when the recession became official. They launched Ayres Photography last year.

“We knew it wasn’t a good time to be starting up a business,” said Jennifer Ayres, a 29- year-old Buffalo Public Schools teacher. “But we were just going to go for it. And it’s so worth it to do a job that you love. It’s more important than money.”

She added: “It has been a struggle with a new business, and you have to get recognition.” Also, she said, the sluggish economy has forced couples tying the knot to get the basic wedding package.

“People are looking for the best deal,” she said. “Whenitcomestoweddingbudgets, it’snot what it’s supposed to be for the photography.”

Despite that, the Ayreses are thankful for their business, an opportunity to do what they are most passionate about. “We love doing

ing this more than anything we could ever imagine; we love making people happy by giving them beautiful pictures,” she said.

The couple met as teachers and did photography on the side. First Ben Ayres, who was also a Buffalo school teacher, left teaching to pursue photography full time. And now, Jennifer Ayres plans to do the same next year.

“It’s a dream come true to be able to do something that you love after doing something that really stresses you out,” she said.

For Ada Hopkins, 57, living her dreams came by way of a freak accident at work that left her disabled.

“I hurt my back and my knees, and I have a hard time sitting or standing for a long period of time,” she said, making it impossible for her to do her job as an administrative secretary at a now-defunct bank.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. Hopkins was already involved in her neighborhood block club and decided to give it more of her attention.

“I went full throttle with it; I really threw myself into it,” she said. “It’s been over 10 years. I was able to turn a negative into a positive.”

She helps block clubs organize and coordinates different programs, such as crime watch, disaster preparedness, gang awareness and activities for National Night Out.

“I have more joy giving than I did when I was getting paid,” she said. Now when I sleep at night, I know I’ve helped someone do something they might not have been able to do.”