financially, stressed

What do you suggest, Pat? I joined the forum with that in mind as well as to learn about others. But apart from exchanging links, which not everyone takes advantage of, I don't know how else to get people moving. (By the way, I'm not sure if you got my response to a related discussion you started lately, re a survey/earning site. Still waiting for your PM with the link. Thanks).

Times are tough for us all. I lost my job over a year ago. I now have two jobs and still don't make more than $5.50 an hour working 45 hour weeks. I work for an insurance company this is my primary job and then a daycare to supplement my lack of sales due to economy. What we do is make a budget for bills, then groceries, and fun if we have left overs. Once a month we order pizza- I have 5 kids at home so this can be an expense. On payday I take my little ones to Mc'D's and we skip the kids meals and get the large Chicken Nugget meal- the rest of us order off the dollar menu. I don't buy latte's any longer; I make a pot of coffee now. We go to the stores where the good deals are.. Like I know our Fred Meyers sells milk for $1.99 everyday and loaves of bread are $.94. So each week we just fit that trip in. We do shop at Walmart and yes I have hit the Discount Grocery stores. I didn't want to, but if you watch the dates there are some good deals. We drive less to save gas; we stay home in order to spend less. When the weather permits we go to the park, ride bikes and do other family things to save from the big expense of taking the family out. I use coupons from online coupon sites; I never buy the paper. The online coupon sites are great and they actually have savings for things our family uses. They are free too. I use a free online security system for my PC- recommended by a computer teacher at our local college who also owns his own business- works great...So this saves me $30 a year instead of buying the security online or at best buy.. If I need to go shopping for clothes or X-mas I sometimes charge it -only to the amount I know I have in my regular checking account; then on or before the bill is due I take the money from my checking and apply it to the bill- improves credit -my score is pretty darn good considering I took over a 50% pay cut. Good luck to everyone and best wishes for the holidays....

Coupons are a good way to help with finances. Also, I recommend that you stop using all credit cards and only pay in cash. You won't have to pay such high interest and the economy would be helped a good deal too if more people would do that. I am surprised to see that many stores are now offering layaway again. That shows that more people are paying cash for items.

We have never really lived beyond our means. That was a good thing for us. We now don't go to the movies hardly at all anymore. We don't eat out often. We use more coupons. The biggest place we took a hit was our entertainment budget. Our family makes leftovers stretch. Just a lot of little things.

Well I have done wel with the cat litter this week, normally I just throw the whole lot away and put 100% fresh in the boxes , we have two boxes. Instead I used the scoop and only took the wet stuff out. They poop outside which is very good. Come Jan I am going to slim the food bill down again, am planning the ideas of how ot do it. Think I shall use a big brother style. Write my list and then have so much money for each section, ie £*.**p for drinks, £*.** for cleaning stuff and so forth and then go through the list and only put back on the list what I really need to buy, hoping to slice at least a tenner off the food shop and that buys everything for the week apart from extra milk, pototoes I buy by the sack ful from the market plus a big net of carrots but those we have to share with the guniea pigs. That's two of my ideas

I have been supporting a family of more than 10. Yes, compared to 6 years ago when i started working, I am earning 4 times as much, the responsibility grows as well. tough. but i think the reason why we were able to make it through is living within our means. There are emergencies that I can not do anything but to overshoot my expedinture but with an action plan that will take me back on track. Lesser outflow with a steady inflow or higher inflow. It is hard. but, I am still breathing and very much alive. Good day!