With the current financial situation, what steps are you taking to just make it through from paycheck to paycheck?

Have you already been cutting way back, and is this going to be an extreme hardship for you?

Are you finding that you are having to do without extras, or perhaps you are doing without extras as a precaution, to build up a bit of savings, or to pay off another bill?

Or, perhaps at this point in time you are not affected much at all, you make a comfortable living, or are just naturally frugal.

How about sharing your tips for getting through this crisis, as well as perhaps be more friendly to the environment? You know, like recycling, reusing, using up, etc.

We keep our ac set on 78 all summer, which makes our electric bill much lower than many other people.

I wash full loads in both the washing machine and the dishwasher, saving both water and electricity. I wash all but the whites in cold water, saving gas for water heating.

DH rides his scooter to work. Not a great savings as he's still paying for it, but he is saving a lot on gasoline.

So, now it's your turn. What do you do to save money, to help you survive the financial crunch?

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Nita

I guess I'm in the "comfortable living"/"naturally frugal" group. The only difference I've noticed in recent times is that gas costs more, but I don't have to travel very far to work. I consolidate most shopping, doing it on the way to or from work. I live only with my fur-kids and use my dishwasher as a cupboard for my disposable plastic wear, washing dishes the old fashioned way. I've always done laundry by "full load." I buy extra of meat that's on sale and repackage in smaller portions and freeze it. Like Henry, I tend to plan a week's worth of eating and cook on the weekend, with stuff allocated to upcoming lunches, dinners. I don't eat out except on the rarest of occasions and (again, except for a very rare occasion) bring my own lunch - 'specially since I've been lc. I I think a lot of my habits come from years of being poor.

I don't use AC at all. I live in upstate NY and I find a couple of fans cool things off most every night in the summer. Most of my friends have it, but I really prefer fresh air. I do NOT scrimp on heat in the winter. I bought a very small hobbit house for just that reason. I do not like to be cold. With good storm windows and doors, I can afford to heat this cozy home.

Other than that, my deferred comp account value has definitely tanked over the last year or so. I don't tend to panic over such things. I suspect that stocks and stuff will eventually find their actual value, so instead of trying to dump all my equity based mutual funds, I'm just letting it all ride. I took on a plan to eliminate all my credit card debt a few years ago and I have none at the moment. (... and, I haven't seen any sign of a "credit crunch" personally. No one has lowered my credit limits, not that I'm interested.)

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I think that people who have been poor in the past, or who have had financial struggles are better able to cope with financial problems.

I grew up poor, and raising 3 kids was a struggle, especially when we were self-employed, so we did a lot of bargain shopping, buying on sale, looking for clearance. My girls learned from me, and they still bargain hunt, as I do. Thankfully I don't have to take a calculator to the grocery store with me any more, I can pretty much spend what I want, but at one time I remember having to put something back because we didn't have enough money for all I thought we needed - or wanted.

I don't do much coupon clipping but when we retire I might have to take it up. And we've started doing a garden again the past 2 years. Not only to save money, but to have better quality vegetables.

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Nita

I grew up "poor", but I did not realize we were poor until much later in life. I learned the art of frugal shopping from my mother and I can't help myself stop from looking for the best deal. I do use coupons. In fact, each year one of the grocery stores I go to gives out calendars with a $.50 coupon for their house brand for each month. I got several calendars just to get the coupons which we use throughout the month, especially on Wednesday's when the double every coupon, including their own. I actually did an analysis once that calculated the inplied interest rate I was "earning" by saving money on the purchase of an item. It is amazing. However, with the price of gas, I now factor in the cost of gas to see if it is worth going to a particular store for an item that is "on sale"rather than get it elsewhere. On the home front, my wife keeps the thermostat at 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter. She does not like it if I lower it in the summer and raise it in the winter. However, if I get cold, I will raise it and we will have a discussion.

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Henry