what are you doing to save money in this economy? We are...

[greenbriar]

we are not "hurting" like a lot of others but we are doing some cutbacks to repair our own budget due to some wastefullness on our part in the past



We ended our Y membership and have started taking walks together in the evening...kind of romantic


we cut down on our internet speed...haven't even noticed it

we cut out a LOT of channels on TV...haven't missed them yet...ask me again during football season

We keep our air on 78 day and night...opening windows is not an option due to hubbys allergies

We have been buying more generic foods instead of name brands...when you cook it really doesn't matter

We make sure we go to several stores when we go out and do not just go to one store

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I lost my job a year ago...doing some consulting, but made some changes.

We only get Fri-Sat-Sun newspaper
Only basic cable (and hence watch it rarely if at all)
No land line, just cell
put all home improvements on hold
Netflix, not out to the movies
Rarely eat out - we love to garden and cook, and purchase little meat or prepared food...legumes, fruits, veggies primarily.
Purchasing less wine and beer, and aim toward two buck chuck!
Instead of expensive vacations, we take a drive to the lake and drop our kayaks in....

[greenbriar]

2. we have talked about getting rid of the land line

but that would actually cost us more because of the cox bundle...

and I am a bit shy of not having a house phone...something about having it makes me feel more secure

[Catshrink]

33. I'm in the same boat on that...

I did some figuring and realized that if I dumped the land line and went to lower Internet speed and fewer channels, I wouldn't save all that much.

[KoKo]

4. Netflix has become a treasure in our household....

we keep the landline, will do home improvements as they occur, don't eat out but go to Wake Forest Market for fresh veggies and the other one for some chicken, still drink our wine and never took expensive vacations, anyway because we love historical stuff and there still enough here in NC and elsewhere to drive to.

[NRaleighLiberal]

22. we live right near Wake Forest! Biggest issue this year is deer getting

into our gardens relentlessly! We've lived here 17 years and have never seen it like this.

[KoKo]

76. Well....you can either shoot 'em or get an electric fence.....

:shrug:

[NRaleighLiberal]

81. got two electric fences....one of them they jumped, added height.

brave little devils!

[PSzymeczek]

24. What in hades

is a vacation?

[Pacifist Patriot]

48. The U.S. is the only nation in the so-called "industrial world" that has not...

legislated minimum vacation standards. 132 countries have this on the books, but not us.

[bbinacan]

3. Not buying

a new car. My Honda Accord has 135k miles. My new job requires a 4 WD. But am holding off.

[Warpy]

5. I didn't have satellite or cable

If nothing was on PBS, I just turned to the puter, which was grandfathered in to cheap DSL through Qwest. Land line, no frills. Answering machine until it died, when I just stopped answering it at all. Nothing new. If it died, I replaced it at a thrift shop, fixed it, or did without. Made my clothing and mended thrift shop clothing, overdyeing the ugly stuff. Knitted my own sweaters, spun the yarn to do it. Wool is cheaper when it's off the critter's back. Cooked my own food, mostly beans, rice and roasted root veggies. Insisted on real maple syrup, my one luxury.

Reread all my books. Read magazines at the library a block away. Wrote a few short stories which have since been tossed.

Lived a dull life, drove so little I got 6 months out of a tank of gas in an old Ford Ranger, heated with scrap wood.

Survived.

[Forkboy]

6. I stopped doing heroin daily.

[NightWatcher]

7. you dont have to buy smack, you can barter

[Forkboy]

11. I'm not that kind of guy.

:rofl:

[Regret My New Name]

54. WIN!

[bigwillq]

8. I really haven't cut back on anything.

Although, I should on cigarettes. It's a nasty habit, and I am on my way to giving it up. I can feel it. I am almost ready. But that's another thread, I guess.

I am not married, no kids, no house of my own.

I haven't really cut back. I stopped going to the bar as often, but not because of budget reasons.
I really haven't felt the "hurt".

It's sad that so many have. :hug:

[greenbriar]

25. I would LOVE to quit 50 dollars a carton

daymn

[RebelOne]

87. OMG, $50 a carton!! In which state do you live?

They are only $36 to $38 a carton here in Georgia. If I had to pay $50, I certainly would be quitting.

[bemildred]

9. No cable, no "health insurance", no "security services", no fast food, no movies, ...

It's amazing how much stuff you do not need once you get focussed on the problem.

[prostomulgus]

10. Each Sunday AM, we check the grocery coupons in the paper

We buy groceries for 5 - 7 days. That saves an amazing amount right there.

We also put away the credit cards and now have them almost paid off. October will be the last credit card payment!!

[greenbriar]

15. I need to do that and STICK to my list when I go to the store

I make a list


but when I get to the store things just look really good and I end up spending 20 bucks or more over what I had planned


Like just yesterday I bought a tub of cheese cake filling that is new from the same product that makes cream cheese.

I am not making a pie...we just are eating it like ice cream. Neither one of us need it and we will probably end up throwing 1/2 of it out because we ate our fill and now are tired of it

[prostomulgus]

19. For me, that's the hardest part of the "new normal".

I used to be so compulsive and would buy stuff on whim. This would happen everywhere: grocery store, WalMart, HomeDepot, local artisan shops, etc. Now, I try to buy only what we need. We make lists but, as you noted, it's hard to stay with them. Got to do it, though. Looks like its going to be like this from here on in.

[roguevalley]

72. get a food saver and freeze it. I have a food saver and it freezes

everything. I buy peaches and cherries and the like by the box and freeze them. Pit the cherries and freeze on a tray until solid. Then put in containers. They will be good. Mix fruit fresh with the peaches and other fruits and food save. Then freeze. Delish.

Foodsavers will save you jillions. You can buy in bulk and foodsave. I do that with meat, vegetables and other things. You can't go wrong.

[Pacifist Patriot]

47. I have tried to use coupons, but because we buy so many store brand items...

we have found we hardly ever have the opportunity to use coupons which are primarily on name brand items. The name brand items after the coupon amount is subtracted are still more expensive than the generics we are perfectly happy with.

[FreakinDJ]

12. My 93 Ford Escort is still chuggin along

Car was given to my wife for FREE with a blown head gasket. I pulled the head myself, surfaced it, refaced the valves and seats, and polished the chambers and ports just for sh!ts and giggles - all in my machine shop at home!

It averages 33mpg and pulls 75mph up a steel grade with the air conditioning on

My 20 mpg 3/4 turbo diesle sits at home only used on weekends now

[lunatica]

84. That would be a good bartering job in the new Dark Age ahead

I'm kidding. I think

[bvar22]

13. Why would anyone "unrecommend" this?

We "cashed out" in 2006 and moved to The Woods where we grow a good percentage of our food.
We raise Free Range chickens and keep HoneyBees.

We avoid buying anything NEW whenever possible.
What we can't make ourselves, we buy 2nd hand or Salvage direct from the previous owners when possible.
We don't use credit cards.
We avoid packaged food and cook from bulk scratch as much as possible.

We are working to make our cabin more energy efficient.
This is a good one:


We are working with neighbors to coordinate trips to town for supplies to save gasoline.

We are no longer Good American Consumers.
Next year, we will consume even less.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=268x2601

Again, who could "unrecommend" a thread on effective ways to deal with the current economy,
and WHAT is their agenda? :shrug:

[Pacifist Patriot]

45. Excellent question. I'm hoping to get some good ideas.

I'm in the middle of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" right now and dreaming (literally) of moving to a farm in Virginia. It would never happen because of my husband's work, but I am chipping away at my family's consumerism.

[CTyankee]

14. Have only one old cell phone w/minimal service, no IPOD or Blackberry.

Land line and not the greatest hi speed internet. Basic expanded cable. Don't do any DVD rentals, we just watch what movies are on the TV. Clip coupons like crazy, buy weekly food on sale and/or w/coupons, Buy gas at supermarket w/discounts on each gallon according to how much I've spent on groceries. 2 credit cards: one is LLBean which gives me $ back in coupons on clothes for what I spend and Chase Rewards which gives me $ back on gas purchases. Pay credit cards in FULL on time to avoid interest charges. Check all bills and bank statements carefully for mistakes. Carefully assess which movies to go to see, if any.

I don't scrimp on family stuff. If I go to see family members it is usually not expensive but sometimes there are expenses you can't avoid, e.g. my daughter, son in law and grandson live in CA and a trip out there can be costly but worth it!

[Roon]

16. My Uncle planted a garden

That and consulting with my Grandparents what is on sale at the grocery.

[Speck Tater]

17. Buy food staples in bulk, no factory-made food.

Driving a 1992 car with good mileage.
Not wasting money on plastic crap from China.
Growing a lot of my own food.
Baking my own bread.
etc. etc.
Same stuff I've been doing since adopting a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity 6 or 8 years ago.

[greenbriar]

18. we did a garden this year...first time

when our tomatos turn color, we are going to have a LOT of nice red plump tomatos about the size of baseballs...

but sadly they are still green

[Speck Tater]

53. I strated with nothing but tomatoes years ago.

Then came my "salsa garden" with all the ingredients for salsa.
Now I grow corn, squash (many varieties) beans, peas, garlic, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, grapes, and blackberries. Plus my little orchard with apples, cherries, plums, pears, and peaches.

[timeforpeace]

20. Cutting back? I'm stimulating the economy. Why aren't you? Spend!

[quiller4]

37. Me, too.

[mamaleah]

21. Several things similar to yours.

We walk a lot, and yeah, it's nice to do as a family, or just me and the hubby. :)

And we have been buying many more generics too. All they need to have is a hechsher and we're fine. I really can't tell a difference either.

I make better use of leftovers. In the past, neither me or the hubby liked them much, but now I insist on finding a use. And so far the results have been tasty.

We have basic cable, but we hardly have the tv on, so we are thinking of scrapping it all together.

[PSzymeczek]

23. I live in a craphole.

A circa 1974 "mobile home" with electrical wiring that is not up to code and a bathroom that is falling apart. The bathtub is cracked and there is no drainplug, nor a plug for the sink. I have been begging the landlord for at least 18 months to fix the tub, but get nothing but excuses. And most of today, we had no water. Am I bitter? Yeah, just a little.

[mwooldri]

39. If you can afford to fix the tub, talk it over with your landlord.

If you're renting this mobile home, the landlord is supposed to keep it in good repair, and that does include the bathtub. You can offer to do your own repairs for a reduction in rent.

We're lucky: we own our "craphole" of a mobile home, but we rent the "lot" (it's not a trailer park, a private lot). It is circa 1984, the electric is out of code in a few places and yes the water goes off. However our landlord is fairly responsive and gets the water going usually within 24 hours. For $150/month, this isn't a bad deal, and the rent has not gone up in about 15+ years. Why is it a craphole? Holes in the floor, and the roof needs re-coating. I can fix them, just haven't got around to it yet along with all my other issues I'm working on.

Mark.

[tularetom]

26. No vacation, cheap wine, plan trips better

It's 30 miles to the nearest grocery store so we have to think about what we need. We've also gone to store brands.

Cereal and fruit for breakfast. No more bacon and eggs (That one's a REAL sacrifice but it's probably better for me anyway).

One place we have not skimped is on our critters. We spend a few hundred bucks a month on dog food, cat food, cat litter and hay for our horses. This year we had very little rain so our pasture was dried out by May and I had to start bringing in hay.

It costs a lot of money to air condition our drafty old house so we sit out on the porch in the evening and catch the breeze.

[unblock]

27. i posted a similar thread recently and was met with considerable vitriol from a few posters

i think it was because among the cutbacks was getting rid of the twice monthly cleaning service and using coupons which we didn't bother with before.

apparently, this made my standard of living to alien to some and therefore mock-worthy instead of a cause for sympathy and common anger against the republicans who screwed the whole economy.

hope you get nothing but sympathy, there's a whole lot of belt-tightening going on, and it affects people in nearly all income brackets.

[greenbriar]

29. I am sorry you were treated bad, but I am not looking for sympathy

I am well aware that my family has it better than others...all of my sisters for example


I am more curious as to ideas to make things even better

[roguevalley]

74. I bike ride to work. I paint and do all house repairs myself. Home

Depot is my new candy store. I grow tomatoes for the joy of it and corn for the fun of it. Up here, it never grows to fruit. :)

Put in thermostats that can be set if your house is newer. Go under your house in the crawl space and insulate it. It will keep your house toasty in winter and cut down your bill. Insulate your attic space if you need to. Go to the library and check out the how to books that often have illustrations to follow.

car pool

GET A FOOD SAVER and buy in bulk. It is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Try new things -make your own bread and butter- keep a couple of hens to eat your bugs and lay eggs. Give them table scraps and enjoy. You don't have to eat them. They can lay for you. They are also entertaining. :)

get energy efficient appliances as you go. Save water in barrels for gardens and cleaning. ride a bike to places if you can.

[greenbriar]

28. one other thing... when I fix hamburger helper I use 1/2 the amount of beef

and make it stretch

[Pacifist Patriot]

44. I water down cleaning products.

They really don't have to be as strong as they are in the bottle to be effective. Same thing can be done to stretch soft soaps, body washes, shampoos, etc.

[Liquorice]

30. Coupons! You can save a lot of money if you know how to use coupons effectively. nt

[mdmc]

31. no eating out, no cable, AC one in the bedroom only ..

went vegan but only to get a grip on my RA..

[mdmc]

34. next month

We are moving from our townhouse (2bed.2bath.basement) into a one bedroom apartment..

[conflictgirl]

46. Got rid of cable, only run a/c on days it gets above 85 in the house (rare)...

No more weekly pizza night, quit smoking (I was smoking 2-3 packs a week), no more unnecessary trips anywhere, cut back on doctor visits to monitor health condition because I can't afford the co-pays, only meet friends for dinner once every 6 weeks instead of 2-3 times a month. We have now cut back on almost everything and yet it's still not enough. I can't cut internet because I use it to make extra money, and it's my form of entertainment since we didn't go to movies or sporting events before and now have cut out the cable too.

[NNN0LHI]

32. My idea of a big day out is going to a little league game up town

And the funny thing is it is a hell of a lot of fun.

Don

[tavalon]

35. This is kind of tangential

I went to Whole Foods today and it was empty. So, I stopped by Costco on the way home. What a colossal mistake that was. It was more crowded than Disneyland on a perfect summer weekend! I thought that was interesting.

[quiller4]

36. Haven't made any changes--doing our part to re-start the

economy by spending at local businesses as much if not more than before. When you are already retired you don;t need to worry about layoff

[dysfunctional press]

38. i just signed up to switch from directv satellite tv and att&t phone/internet...

to the comcast hd triple play w/free hbo. our current directv package has ALL the premium channels(a holdover from our landlord days, when we offered it as part of the rent package), and making the switch will save us almost $140/month.

we've expanded the garden by several rows, from 30X35 to 40X40...next year it'll get even bigger, AND we've started up a nice size blackberry/rasberry patch/bramble to go along with the strawberries.

even tho my 2000 dodge caravan is on the cash for clunkers list- i just spent $1700 having the transmission rebuilt, rather than look to replace it with something new. even with a $4500 allowance- replacing it just isn't in the cards.(btw- i almost gagged this morning during the george snofflophegus show on abc- there was a commercial for the cadillac escalade- $63,000 for a freakin' car. :wow: i'll admit that i've been out of the new car market for...well, my whole life- but that's a LOT of coin. do people really buy those things? i see them on the street, so somebody must, i guess...:shrug: but i digress...)

i fully expect to be 'hosting' at least another family(right now it's just my wife and i, and 4 bedrooms) by the end of the year, unless the job market turns around(it isn't going to).

we just did a garage sale w/ my parents & sister & cousins & aunt, oh my...and we'll probably have another soon enough. plus we're getting more serious about getting more stuff up on ebay more regularly.

and as always- i cut my own hair.

[greenbriar]

41. we had a yard sale this weekend and next saturday I am taking what didnt' sell to another town

and having another sale at my sisters house



I have daughters tenor sax on craigs list and if it sells I am putting that money on a bill

[Pacifist Patriot]

49. I've been selling some things on eBay and Amazon.com...

added a few items to a neighbor's yard sale recently. I'm planning on going through the house with a fine toothed comb over the next two months and having my own yard sale when the weather is cooler. July and August in Florida are just not yard sale months.

[mwooldri]

40. A few cutbacks but then a few luxuries.

Cut the cable TV; split the satellite bill with my father-in-law and he gives us use of one of his boxes (shhh don't tell DirecTV on us!). Bought an outdoor TV antenna to get reliable reception of terrestrial broadcast TV.

For gym membership swapped Golds @ $30/mo for Planet Fitness @ $10/mo.

Shopping more at Aldi.

When the cellphone contract expires, I'll switch to pay-go. I really don't use the phone that much.

[greenbriar]

43. I used to be an assistant manager at Aldi like 19 years ago

back when everyone had to memorize all the prices as there were no scanners or labels.


We shopped there for most of the items we used



when we got better finacially we stopped doing that


but we are going to start again

[Pacifist Patriot]

42. Hmmm....

Cancelled Blockbuster.com, Audible.com, ChemLawn and gym membership

Initially decreased eating out to only once per week and then only for lunch, now down to no eating out unless a very special occasion

No home repairs, mowing the yard with an old unsafe lawn mower we can't afford to fix or replace, using a dryer that has stopped working on all but one setting (dry towels in the sun so we don't have to run the dryer through twice to dry a load) and having to hold the handle in place on the dishwasher during the drying part of the cycle

Allowed one of our children to drop out of his violin lessons when in the past I would have encouraged him to keep at it.

Making my mocha lattes with coffee from the kitchen pot and generic chocolate syrup rather than trips to Starbucks.

Stayed home last week when my husband took vacation time because we couldn't afford to go anywhere.

Last month we celebrated our anniversary using hotel chain points and bringing a picnic in a cooler with us rather than dining out.

Use the library ALOT! (eg. borrow DVDs and import CDs from the library rather than download tunes from iTunes)

A/C is set at 80 degrees. We're in Florida so this feels cool to us.

Water down cleaning products, soft soaps, body washes, shampoos, etc. They really don't have to be as strong as they are in the original container to be as effective.

Farmers market has produce MUCH cheaper than the grocery store and MUCH better quality.

[we can do it]

63. Why Not Line Dry Everything? We've Been Doing That for 3 Years Now

No static or wrinkles (hint:ditch the fabric softener, it doesn't)

[Pacifist Patriot]

67. An absolutely horrible reason

Five people in the household, three of whom participate in sports regularly meaning lots of sweaty changes of clothes throughout the day. I also live in an area with highly unpredictable summer weather. I line dried a few years ago when the kids (and the hubby) weren't generating as much laundry. Way too many afternoons I'd look out the window to see an unexpected squall soaking my clothes all over again. The towels I can fit under the lanai and are the easiest to hang out. They are also the biggest drain on the dryer energy and what make me have to run a second cycle. I do so much laundry I don't even bother with laundry baskets or separating colors, whites, heavies, etc. As soon as it comes off a dirty body it goes right into the washer. As soon as it's filled it's turned on. And trust me, if it doesn't have stains or stink it's wearable again. Which is a rule three boys are perfectly happy to accommodate but don't often have to take advantage of.

[Obamanaut]

71. I've made some terrible blunders in our married life (41 yrs)

One was telling Miz O if we would get rid of the stacked washer/dryer I do all the laundry including hanging out and bringing in. Two days later the new owners picked it up, she brought a washer home on the pickup, and I’ve been doing laundry ever since.

I’ll tell you about stainless steel vs. non stick cookware another day. Hint: don’t tell Miz O you are willing to do all the pots and pans clean-up and s lot of the cooking if we can just get rid of the non-stick cookware.

[we can do it]

85. I Hate Those Sneaky Storms

[Ignis]

88. Short answer: Florida!

;)

[Liberty Belle]

50. lots of things....here are some:

Bartering for many services. I run a magazine; I've bartered for car repairs, event venues, jewelry, and more.
Cancelled magazine subscriptions.
Careful to turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
installed more efficient sprinklers/irrigation (24% water rate hikes here in S. CA)
fewer meals out
growing most fruits and vegetables ourselves; we have a 600-square foot garden, plus an herb garden, grapevines and 16 fruit trees on just a 2/3 acre lot.
using more natural remedies to avoid unnecessary trips to doctor (such as tea tree oil or emu oil for skin conditions or minor infections)
switched to COX cable phone service (goodbye AT&T)
using unpaid college interns in my business
making better use of leftovers
feeding dog more leftovers (lean meat and chicken), less store-bought food
car pooling more
Buy used or discount clothing only
joined a food coop

[IDemo]

51. Dumped Direct TV and haven't missed it

Other than Keith and Rachel, anyway. And yeah, I know I can view them online, just haven't bothered.

- TracFone only, no landline or monthly plan.

- No central air (window AC in the bedroom).

- Hardly ever go out to eat or watch a movie. We both enjoy cooking and have a small garden to add a few fresh ingredients.

[uppityperson]

56. Figured out how to get paid for having DirecTV (really)

I pay $7/month for local channels and PBS, end up with about 10 stations. They bundled with Qwest (only phone co available to us) and we get a discount of $10/month. The extra $3 goes toward our phone bill.

Not having a phone, it won't work, but maybe others can check it out. The "local channels" is supposed to be an add-on, but if you ask for just that (have to call) they will give it to you. Or they used to anyways.

[taught_me_patience]

52. Wash own car

Just gave her the hand wash today, in fact.

cook in more
rent
service my car at Jiffy Lube rather than dealer
Hike more
golf less

Things to not "skimp" on:
shoes: Spend $200 on a good pair and they will last years. I've been wearing the same Too Boot shoes for 6 years now (resoled 2x).
knives: a good set will last a lifetime. A bad set is plain dangerous.
bed: nothing worse than spending 1/3 of your life on a lousy mattress.

[Regret My New Name]

55. I call mommy and daddy more than once a year just to say 'hi'

I'm kidding...

...sort of.


Gawd, I'm a horrible son.

[roguevalley]

75. DUzy post. LOL!

[tammywammy]

57. Stopped eating out as much

I'm starting a new job in a couple of weeks and I'll be making more than before.

BTW, I have an automatic thermostat, so it goes up to 85 from 8am to 6pm when I'm at work.

[greenbriar]

58. cool on the job

what is it

[tammywammy]

59. I was in accounting at a car dealership

Now I'll just be an admin assistant, but with a large corporation. It pays better, better benefits all around, plus they'll pay for school. I'm really looking forward to it. You start off with 3 weeks vacation! lol

[noamnety]

60. food was the biggest switch for us

much less eating out - used to be a few times a week or so, now it's maybe once a month, some months not at all.

I've been increasing what we grow each year, we have a full veggie garden, herb garden, fruit trees and berry bushes.

I got a food dehydrator at a thrift shop, and a used pressure canner last year off craigslist, I canned our own jelly, applesauce and salsa last year for the first time, and dried up enough extra swiss chard that I am still crumbling that into soups trying to use it up.
I've been doing bread from scratch (have been off and on for over 20 years), and now I've reverted back to something we did when I was a kid, making our own yogurt with a blob of homemade preserves instead of buying it all in disposable packages with HFCS in it.

I stopped buying so many luxury food splurges at the store. Brie has been replaced with cheese sticks that are less than half the price per pound. I finally realized that those little jars of marinated artichokes, tasty as they are, have more package than food and it's not responsible to buy them. Baby carrots, pfffft, I went back to buying whole ones when mine aren't in season and realized they taste better (better tasting variety) and are way cheaper. I realized I am the only one in the employee lunch area who eats whole carrots, not processed ones!

my clothes have been from thrift shops for years, except, as one other person noted, I have quality hard working shoes because foot problems aren't a good investment.

[KoKo]

77. There's so much good stuff and fun doing it if one has the time and

given the unemployment picture...many of us will have much time. Creative Cooking! We did it back in the 70's and there are great cookbooks to be found in used book, thrift shops, etc. for cooking and dehydrating and canning from that "Back to Nature" era.

Problem is that it's so hard to find non-GMO ingredients with flours and with pork, chicken, beef.

Our meat (if you aren't a vegan) tastes like "cloned" and back in the 70's one didn't have these problems. If one lives near an organic farm source it's better...but so many DU'ers don't. Still just experimenting with dishes from the "Carter Administration" with a little organic and some from the grocery store are better than one gets from eating out at the "FAST FOODS" these days. IMHO...

[Ignis]

86. Agreed, our eating out has pretty much flatlined.

But we're surrounded by so many amazing "ethnic" restaurants that it's hard to be good!

[Lorien]

61. Unemployed for seven months. I've done away with Netflix and go to

the library instead (which means that I also don't buy books or DVDs anymore). No cable, but that's been gone for years. Don't miss it. Eat mostly vegetarian. Almost no processed foods-do all my cooking at home. Don't eat out anymore. Don't travel anymore. Just use a space heater in the winter, keep air on 79/80 in the summer. No new clothing, but since I don't go out anymore it doesn't matter. Haircut only 1-2 times a year. I'll probably lose my health insurance this year too, so that'll be one less bill. I don't know where else I can cut back!

[DearAbby]

62. I am back to cooking meals

I used to cook when the kids were young...101 ways to make macaroni and hamburger...Rice and hamburger....Beans and Hamburger. I am baking more. We buy house brand/Generic. Eat out less. We don't watch tv...I will be GAWD DAMNED if I give up my broadband...(but would if I really really had too)

We don't use the air conditioner...just window fans. We are outside in the heat all day. Nice and cool during the evenings. Renting a movie, our entertainment. ...we grocery shop, bank everything all in one trip..or try too, save gas ..Not much time to do anything else really...just surviving.

[greenbriar]

68. we are also cooking more

not eating out so much

[KoKo]

78. Do you find it "Fun & Creative" or a drudge and bore?

Interested in your experience. It is very time consuming but kids who are young love to get involved ...is what I've found. :shrug:

[W_HAMILTON]

64. Not much.

I did press my doctor to switch me to a generic version of one of my prescriptions, and started taking one of my prescriptions once every two days instead of once a day (it's ok to do this). I think it saved me about $140 per month.

That's about it.

[iris27]

82. Another trick, if your doctor is willing to help you out

is to have him/her write your prescription for twice your actual dose, and invest in a pill cutter. Twice as much medicine for the same priced copay. Of course this doesn't work if your medication comes as gelcaps...but it's saved my mother a lot of money over the years.

[old mark]

65. Use the land line only for local outgoing calls, have pre-paid cells

(very cheap-no contract) for all else, paid off ALL bank credit cards this month, have only a visa credit/debit card connected with our checking account. Closed our bank account, have accounts only at a credit union. Shop carefully and save up to buy large items rather than charge things.

Live simply, enjoy our home.

markO8)

[Atman]

66. I've switched to domestic caviar and only driving the Boxster on weekends.

And we had to let the maid's assistant go.









:sarcasm:




.

[SammyWinstonJack]

69. And don't forget to cancel that yearly cruise, too.

:evilgrin:

[MrSlayer]

70. I'm trying to keep this motherfucker afloat by spending as much as possible.

There's actually a lot of great deals out there right now.

[azmouse]

73. I buy what's on sale at the grocery store.

I'm buying far fewer clothes and books.

[redqueen]

79. Cut off the land line, cut back mobile service.

Cut back on family outings (one a month instead of two). I keep the a/c set to 80 most of the week, though I do cut it down a little when the kids are with me. Eating cheaper food (beans and crackers instead of a sandwich for lunch, stuff like that). Not using the a/c in the car at all to save on gas... and besides it hardly works anyway, and I can't afford to have it serviced. At least I have a car and a job, that's how I see it.

[travelingtypist]

80. Beverage habits.

Gave up Monsters. At 2 bucks a can, I'm saving 6 to 8 bucks a day. Adds up quick. One bottle of wine a week, not three or four. At 9 bucks a bottle, adds up quick. Drinking iced Darjeeling tea instead of Pepsi MAX and Diet Dew. This is probably 15 bucks a week saved.

Now if I'd just learn how to cook instead of popping a frozen dinner in the microwave every day, I could really save some money.

[Pacifist Patriot]

83. That's another big one in our house.

We're foodies so we already cook, but the ingredients have changed and the accompanying beverages decreased dramatically. Never drank sodas, but the quality, price and amount of beer and wine has definitely changed.