Difficult to cut back?

Unfortunatly I don't find it hard to cut back on things. As I've been going with out since I've been at home. And I went thru some really hard times in college as well, so in a way I feel like I've been repeating that since I've been home it's just not nearly as bad as it was when I was in school. The hard part is when you can't cut back anymore or you can't refinance because your DTI is too high. It's like you are stuck in such a hard place, you can't cut back any further but between kids and the economy it's hard to think it'll be any easier for some time. We also have to adjust to for the time of year as there's a busy season for both hubby and I where we get alot of hours & he get overtime. Life seems great til you get the heat bill and seems like all this "extra" is going out the door so you can pay this bill. *sigh* I just keep saying to myself the following.... "Life will get better when...we inherit a relitives estate, or when we pay off the van loan, or when we pay off this loan.... ect ect. Only problem is it seems so far away.

We have made quite a few changes. For example we purchase dried whole milk for the children as it is almost half the cost of fresh cow's milk. Things like that. We have cut down on their supermarket snacks and I make cookies or they get whatever fruit is in season. We have cut down on the amount of meat/chicken that is used to make a meal. Lots of stir fries etc. We have almost cut out sodas and drink more water and the children have juice but the juice is limited or diluted. We have lots of things growing in my small garden. Potatoes are doing well in tyres and I have banana and plantain trees. I grow pumpkin, callallo (like spinach) a bread fruit tree that should bear this year, green peppers, and I am now going to plant snow peas. I am reaping tomatoes. Not a lot of anything but trust me, it really does help with the grocery bills. In the house we have low energy bulbs and I am forever tirning off the water heater. It needs to be on only 3 hours a day for everyone to have two showers each. I also unplug tv plugs and any other plug eg microwave as I have finished using whatever appliance that I neede. Clothes are ALWAYS washed in cold water and I only wash with a full load. All clothes are hung outside unless it is raining. when they are brought in then they are put in the dryer for 10 minutes awith a fabric sheet to soften them. They are folded or hung up immediately so that we do not have to use the iron. Was it hard? Yes at first but seeing the electricity bill get smaller was a big motivation and it is very satisfying to grow the veggies etc. The savings I have made are going to pay fro my cruise end of August. I just keep putting extra money on my credit card and have nearly finished paying for the fare. I will have July and August to save some spending money. You have such fantastic sales and garage sales and yard sales - all kinds of sales. I would be buying all that my kids needed to go back to school in September. Look for almost new school bags in these sales and anything else that has been gently used. I would go to Goodwill shops in the best part of town and see what has been donated. I would take advantage of coupons that are avaialble etc - we do not have anything like that out here. I would get the older kids to clip coupons and help. It is difficult but with coooperation from your family you can do it.

My hubby us the king of save it for a rainy day. So it really hasn't been that hard. His boss did cut back drastically on the overtime. Which took a big bite of the family income. So a few changes have been made. Not anything I can't live without. I only have a once in a while moment where I say, "Ouch"

We have been hit pretty hard by the recession since round about february and have had to make a lot of adjustments. Luckily I had started cutting back before we were hit and then since we were hit I have adjusted even more. I have financially planned ahead to next year for if hubby is still out of a job but hopefully that will not be the case!!! When hubby does finally get a job I am going to keep things the way they are because then we will have loads of money to save!!

My family is like yours, a little on the larger size and we like to go out to eat every once in a while. I know that it normally wouldn't be that big of a deal but as the kids are getting older they eat more and the $4 kids meals don't always cut it anymore. I look forward to our dinners out because it gives me a break every now and then, since I cook every night. I don't mind cooking but it is nice to have a break. That has to be our biggest area that we have had to cut back on and it has been really hard.

I have been trying to cut back for a few months now. The hard part is explaining to my children why we should not buy something now or why we need to eat a certain way or go to the 1.50 movie theatre. My utility bills are hard to change. My kids still leave the lights and air conditioning on all the time. I try to let them know to shut things off if they leave the room or leave the house.

not really. my hubby has been let go from jobs in the past so we have been living frugally for years, even before it became cool to be frugal. hubby and i both are working right now, but who know what life will be like in a year?

Not at all because I'm not a spender I'm a saver especially now that I don't have a job. I had to go thru this after 9/11 too so I know how to adapt and have no problem doing so. I'm not at all high maintenance and I really don't like shopping. So I can definitely deal with less more than others can.

We are cutting back on alot of things like cakes,the way i look at cutting the sweet things out is that you also lose those extra pounds and get healthier with cutting back.We also go around the house and turn the tvs off and lights now as the electric bill has gone high.We dont go out anymore as a family which is sad but i look at it this way a roof over our heads is more important.

Great discussion and I'm sure it's on everyone's mind. We haven't been hit by the recession either. I know it's reality for many and I think it would only be wise for everyone to pinch... and give. Give to churches, charities... any place you can think of that is truly trying to help people. Those of us not hit can cut back and help others. It might make a huge difference in their lives and teach us with much about "enough". I'm glad you started this discussion! BearBallew

We've been hurting for quite a while now...We haven't been out to eat in who knows how long, don't do ANYTHING that we don't HAVE to do or go anywhere that we don't NEED to go. My step-sons can't understand why Mommy buys them new toys on almost a daily basis, and they're lucky to get a few on their birthdays/Christmas at our house. But DH got laid off and had to take a lower paying job, and child support doesn't go down just because income does...It's been really hard to cut back even more than we already were, but we're managing somehow...