How are you dealing with our poor economy?

For my family, we trim the budget by staying home and playing games instead of going out. Also we use coupons at the grocery store to save an extra buck. There are a lot of stores that will download the coupons right onto the card. I've also learned that preparing your meal a day or two before is a great way to budget and shop for food. Another thing that is helpful is a heater blanket. My girls love them and use the blankets instead of cutting up the central system.

Well for me, I'm just collecting food stamps and welfare, while I wait for that Hope and Change Obama promised me, to fix everything. As long as you keep paying taxes, my money will keep coming. Hopefully he'll raise some more taxes on the rich soon. I hear the unemployment compensation is running out.

Well I do not think there is really much more that you could do, apart from make sure the Lights are turned of in rooms that are not being used, use Energy saving Light Bulbs That is all that I can think of right now

As far as I am concerned, I think the best way to reduce the spending may not be the basic way to solve this situation. I think the most efficient way to do is you can do many more part time job ,no matter online or just in the reality,which will help you a loy in your daily life spending. Hppy you can waern much more extra money.

My tip for stretching the family budget is to not go out too much. We're a family of five and that gets expensive when we go out to dinner or do family activities like movies and such. I also try to plan out our meals since it makes for easier grocery shopping and less produce get wasted that way. I always look for a sale in any store. Since it's been a cold winter for us, I've taken to better insulating the windows and doors throughout the house...it definitely cuts the energy bill down. As for clothes shopping for the kids, I get these $5 off coupons for Kohl's that my mother-in-law sends me from eBay. These are a great budget stretcher especially when you buy from the clearance racks. Hope these tips were helpful!

Its Really Hard For Us, We Have No Any Budget To Put it Forward For Living or Any Bills in Future... We Just Living The Same Day and That's It. We Have Even Three Kids Which Are No Older Than 8 Years. So, Its Hard To Say Something About Future.

I bought very warm comforter 4 years ago. It is good for arctic weather. I can sleep with 55F in my room. It saves a lot without sacrificed. When I am not at home, room temperature is at 60F. Evening and early morning I have 68F for one hour. I open my windows daily, because it is much easier to warm up clean air. I unplug mostly everything I don't use to safe on electric bill. I wear sweaters and warm snickers at home. This way I save a lot on my bills. After I reduced my driving, I pay less for my car insurance, because I don't drive more that 7K miles a year. I don't use credit cards. I cook at home and I safe using just basic, healthy ingredients. The most money spend are money I spent for my animals.

I dont think my tips are particularly useful. Like you, I have had to be very careful. I certainly have made economies with shopping for food. I lok foor specials, homebrand and rarely buy takeaway. For clothing I have been lucky in that the luttle I buy, I used a gift card, plus I occassionally buy second hand clothes. I dont have to pay my daughters school fees this year, so that is very helpful. I try to save electricity, but with the heat its hard not to turn the airconditioner on. When we went to the city to visit the art gallery, we took a bus.

I am cooking from scratch, no eating out, combining all driving trips, no outside entertainment, buying only what we need to get by. And still because prices are going up I am going to have to cut more.

We have two kids in college right now so things are already tight. I am self employed and the economy has taken a bite out of my income. So, I cook from scratch a lot. We eat out less frequently as well. I made a fair number of home-made presents this year for the holidays. That helped a bit as well. Mostly, though, I think we just buy less of everything: less food, less heat, less entertainment, etc.

George get as much as we can at aldy. We just spent 80 on stuff that will last us a good two weeks at least. Well, the milk one, but regardless a majority of it at least two. Some of it even longer. We split the cat litter between two litter boxes, only using half as much. Buying enough cat medicine to last us six months, and cat food to last us a month. I I look at the bills and look at where I can shave an extra dollor or two. Pay the bills as soon as they come in so we know exactly how much money we actually have to spend. I'm worrking my butt off on other websites to get a few extra bucks here and there to establish some kind of s savings.

We do not visit, friends and family during the week anymore. We do not eat out at all. We use candles until about 8, each evening, very romantic, by the way and we do not buy so much clothes anymore. Have a nice day.

I'm spending a lot less on food and dining out, i watch more movies on the internet,i drive less.

Great topic! My husband has been out of work for over a year so the economy is definitely hitting us. But we've been able to survive by doing things like watching our food budget closely. It's amazing how much money you can save by watching the sales in the flyers and ONLY BUYING WHAT'S ON SALE. That has been huge for us. We used to drop around $250/week in the grocery store but now we've cut it almost in half. Meal planning is big, especially making sure you only buy the vegetables that you are going to eat that week. We also changed our cell phone plan to a cheaper one. I dye my hair at home instead of the hairdresser, do my own manicures and pedicures. We watch the price of gas and try to buy on a Monday or Tuesday instead of Friday. Frozen pizzas instead of ordering in. Drinks with neighbours and friends at people's homes instead of going out and buying any necessary kids clothes second hand. All of that has helped us to live on one income. It's really amazing where you can find extra dollars if you really work at it.

We are trying to use coupons as often as possible, use up everything to the last drop, save on electricity, and finding free entertainment.

I am still living in a happy way. I have to save a little money for things that I have to do. Two of the windows in my home need to be replaced. I go shopping for the food that I wish to eat. I try not to waste too much food. I watch for cheap flights to come up then I book one. I shall be visiting Canada in June this year. It has been a cold winter and I have had to have my heating on a little less that I normally do. Good luck to everyone in the poor economy.

it's actually an instinct of every individual to find ways on how to survive. it is within you on how to fit in with a dying budget. the will to live and the will to survive is the KEY to fit ourselves with a loosing economy...it's within you maam neither one controls you.

actually we are planning to spend less on all items where the price has increased and decrease the amount of consumption to make a balance.try to be very little as far as possible up to the time the recession ends.don't buy high rated goods.dont use AIR CONDITIONERS during winter season.thank you.bye