What advice can you give with regards to this growing prices?

Hi Sheena...what a great discussion topic. I've done many things to cut down on expenses in my own economic battle: regular tv instead of cable, basic cell plan to cut phone expense, shopping for less expensive groceries, cooking at home almost always, and sadly, giving up my health insurance. There is a free clinic in the area that I use, and if some have to take many medications, as I do, your doctor can fill out papers to help you qualify for low or no cost medications directly from the pharmaceutical companies. I've also cut out all unnecessary travel to save of gas expenses and made good efforts to lower my use of electricity. To help others, I donate used clothing, books, and such to Goodwill, make small donations to children's programs, donate help to the needy, and get involved in community to lift the burden off those who are most poor. I hope others find something useful here! Karen

For most people at or below moderate wealth, the majority of their income is for food. Therefore, saving could start from the expense for food. Reduce eating out, and buy in malls or markets, and learn cooking. This way, you and your family can enjoy good and healthy meals at a much lower price.

Hi, Sheena! I've had to cut back on everything.I organize outings, so that the car won't be burning gas any more than necessary. No matter what I look at in the store, including the grocery store, I ask myself if there is any way I could go without it. I go to the dollar store instead of the usual places for cleaning products and paper goods, etc. It's just necessary! Our pay is reduced while all our expenses are increased, so what else can we do? I spend quite a bit of my time off altering old clothes to make them look new, and therefore do without any new things at all. Necesssity is the mother of invention.

There is no tip to avoid the situation we are in. We are right in the middle of the "Domino Effect". From this point on things can only get worse. Prices are on the rise for the simple reason sales are down. Far too many companies were operating right at their limit and when sales dropped they had one of two choices. They could either raise their prices trying to keep the money coming in or fold up and go out of business. They have cut everything they can and the fact many have sut their work force is one of the things that is fueling this thing. When people don't have a job they don't have money to spend so sales drop. When sales drop the producers don't have the money to continue operating. The higher the prices go the less the consumer can afford to buy. It's a catch 22 situation and will only get worse. A lot worse before it starts to get better. I have been harping on "Run-away-Inflation" for over a year now and no one wants to listen but now they are starting to see it. There is only one thing that will get us out of this situation and back on solid ground and that is a total crash of our economy. This also applies to many of the countries of this world. The only countries that won't be hurt by it are the poor countries where the people still produce most of what they consume. The US will be hurt the worst for the simple reason we produce very little of what we consume. When and not if, the day comes that we can't can't take money and buy what we must have to survive then we won't have what we need to survive. That's where this "Domino Effect" is taking us and picking up speed every day. Art