How Is Everyone Coping in These Economic Times?

We have cut out going to the movies or renting them...we go to the liabrary and borrow movies along with books.

We go out to eat just once a week on Friday night. This sets the mood for the weekend and my girls look forward to it all week. I also pack my girls snack and lunch and have picnics when we're out. The girls decorate their own sandwich bags with stickers and markers and then load them up with healthy snacks. We may go out for just a sweet treat when doing errands. Just a few ideas on cutting back, hope this helps! :)

I get all our "extras" free. Several ways to do that. One other mom mentioned erewards.com. I do that as well and get magazine subscriptions. you can go to kraftfoods.com and sign up for the Food and Family magazine that's free.
I am a member of bzzagent.com. They have campaigns that you can sign up for to try out products and then share the buzz to your friends and family. Write up a report to them and it's yours to keep. They send either the product itself, or a coupon for a free one, then many coupons for dollars off.
Shespeaks.com is another great one that has little "campaigns" you sign up for. Most of these places require you to do online surveys or write 1-3 reports. (very easy to do and it really doesn't take a lot of time.)
mypoints.com is a website you sign up for and they will send you bonusmail emails. Almost every one of these emails will give you 5 points just for opening the email. If you do any shopping online, you go through the mypoints website and earn loads of points. (bzzagent.com uses this site as a reward for doing the campaigns as well so you get double rewarded) You turn in the points for gift cards. They have a lot to offer.
absurdlycool.com is a site that lists freebies you can sign up for online. Free samples and things come constantly. It updates daily. *I suggest getting a different yahoo or hotmail account just for these or you'll get loads of spam. And don't give out your real phone number*
With food... I shop at Sam's Club for some things. If you get the big package of ground meat, to save time later, go ahead and brown it while you're putting the other things away. Almost all recipes call for the meat to be browned anyway. So it may not save you much money, but it will save you about 20 minutes every time you pull out a package of already browned meat. Tacos, spaghetti sauce, hamburger helper, sloppy joes, etc. Simple and it helps on those nights where you are super busy and think about eating out just because you don't think you have time to "cook". Coupons are your friend. Use them. If there's a product that you use a lot, write or email the company and ask if they have any deals.
If you do eat out, the best pizza deal I've found (and it tastes great) is Little Ceasar's Hot and Ready for $5 each. You don't have to buy a minimum to get the $5 price, unlike other chains who offer $5 only when you buy at least 3 pizzas.
Many places have kids eat free nights. Find out which nights your favorite places would do that and eat on those nights.
Almost every restaurant or fast food place with a website has a birthday club type thing. You sign up for the birthday clubs and they usually send you a coupon for something free during your birthday month. Toys r us does that for kids too.
Any email clubs available at stores you like to shop at, sign up. They will send out coupons and deals not advertised.
Perfume... so expensive! If you go to the department stores and look through the shelves, many times they'll have little vials of free samples. Take them. I just got a handful of different perfumes from the Navy Exchange last week. Again, email the company and let them know you're interested in samples. Most will send you some if they have any available. Double yay, it really helps to wear a new perfume before buying anyway.
We stay home a lot. We've got plenty of things here. Toys and games. Why pay a high mortgage for a place you barely see? If we do go out, we make a list of what all needs to be done. And we plan that trip so we're not driving all over town and wasting gas. Make it like a loop and get it all done in one trip. We only go to the grocery store once a week. And only once every two weeks is a "big" trip. The middle week is for things like milk, OJ, bread, cheese, etc. that run out quickly.
If you see the buy one get one free deals, always get the free one. If it's something you won't use often enough to really need, donate it to the local food bank or homeless shelter. It doesn't cost you anything and many more people need it these days.
(absurdlycool.com, occassionally will post freebies for pet products. we don't own pets. but I sign up anyway and give it to the local animal shelter)

We do not do credit cards at ALL!!! If we do not have it, we do without!!! Also for the new year I am going to cancel our home phone and just do cell phones. This will save a lot. Even if you cancel your phone bill you can still call 911, which is important.

One more thing; we go to the grocery ONLY twice a month except for milk and bread. This way the goodies when they run out the kids do without until next time.

Good luck!!!

A couple of the things that I've always done are wash the laundry in cold water. It really saves on the heating bill. I only use hot water when I absolutely have to. But since you say you've set your power bill to budget billing, that may not be an issue. Another thing that I do to cut down on the water bill is to not let the water run when I'm hand-washing dishes or brushing my teeth. When doing the dishes I fill the sink, wash them, THEN I rinse them all off. When brushing my teeth, I wet my tooth brush, turn the water off, brush my teeth, then turn the water back on to rinse my mouth & toothbrush off. You wouldn't believe how much water is wasted by letting the faucet run when brushing your teeth. Lastly, take an old gallon or 1/2 gallon milk jug, fill it with water and place it in the tank of your toilet. It takes up a lot of room in there and keeps your tank from filling up with a lot of water after each flush. It doesn't affect the flushing at all, just keeps from wasting a bunch of water in every flush. In fact, you won't notice any change at all - except on your water bill. :-) Hope that helps. Good Luck!!

Our family was struggling to make ends meet before the whole economic crash-- but I used to pretend I could keep up with the people around me and would end up dipping into our savings at the end of the month in order to pay off the credit card bill. I stopped hanging out with people who have extra money to spend and now find it a lot easier not to grab that cup of coffee and lunch when you go to the free play area at the mall. It's amazing how much coffee and lunches out add up-- even "occasional" ones. Also, as your bills come in, call every one of them and speak with someone to find out what you can do to spend less. I didn't know about the budget plan for your utilities-- I'll have to look into that one. But, for example, our family are HUGE water drinkers and can't stand tap water so we get water delivered (it's just as cheap or cheaper than buying it at the store but we don't pollute the environment with little plastic bottles). I was on a plan that was supposed to be a value plan, but I changed it to pay-as-you-go instead and now I save about $10 a month. I called my cell phone company and they are giving me a bit of a discount monthly-- I think it's 15% off (that happened a long time ago when I called to whine that it was too expensive but it would cost $200 to break my contract-- the key is to call with the intention of cancelling your service because those operators are trained and authorized to do whatever it takes to keep your business). Look at your home phone bill and see if you really need that package with caller ID and all the other features. I personally don't think it's safe to turn off my home phone service completely because I have 3 kids and we need it in case there is an emergency-- I don't always remember to charge my cell phone or hear it when it rings. I found some recipes my family loves that are cheap-- we eat pasta at least once a week and I started making meatball subs once a week. I thought it would suck to stop going out for breakfast on the weekends, but I have really been enjoying making a big breakfast at home for the family and taking our time lounging around on the weekends. I was getting tired of my clothes but instead of going shoping for something new I dug through clothes I'd never gotten around to giving away (from my "skinnier" days) and discovered a couple of things that still fit. We decided FINALLY that we will only be buying for the kids and not for the aunts and uncles for xmas this year. We break out the board games instead of going to the movies...... That's everything off the top of my head!

i went out on maternity leave in june and will not be going back till january and my husband is quitting his job to go school full time at embry riddle in daytona so we have cut out everything we can. on top of the nation being in a recession our life situations are making it difficult to bring in money.
i canceled the ymca, pest control, lawn care. we lowered the premiums on our car ins, got rid of the house phone and lowered the minutes on our cell phone. we have a contract with direct tv but have the cheapest package with them. we also bought one of our cars with cash so we have no car payment. i cut coupons and do very strict meal planning during the week and we never eat out.
when i buy toys they are from consignment shops or craigslist.
i also know what i am spending my money on every month before the month even starts. we have never been late on a bill and have not accrued any debt in the past four years. we were even able to take two mini vacations this year.

Goodness know, if I was a less secure woman, my own kids would give me a complex. LOL! "Mom won't buy it if it's not on sale!" Hey - there could be worse things in life to be known for, right? I just refuse to pay full price for anything, knowing that either the mark-up is ridiculous, or at some point and time, it will be offered for less.

Here's a couple of tricks & tips I like to use that I don't see already mentioned:

No more commercial cleaners. I picked up a Readers Digest book - Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things - at our schools book fair one year (if i do pay full price it'll be for a cause. ;)). This year I pulled the book out when trying to remove permanent marker from a laminate cabinet. There were TONS of economical & efficient ideas using every day household items. And yup - I got the permanent marker off using rubbing alcohol. I was amazed and hooked. Reading on I discovered how to use vinegar to clean almost every surface in the house. It did wonders to whiten the tile grout. Yeah - ya gotta get past the smell, but it dissipates fairly quickly, and somehow deodorizes when it's all said & done. Don't get me wrong - I may bust out the Fabuloso or Febreeze product on occasion, but only because I like the scent. ;) Not sure I can post the link to due copyright, but I can email the vinegar article link to anyone interested. That particular article lists 175 uses for the stuff.

Got these tips from another book - can't recall the title but will look for it if requested:

Dishwashing soap - dispense your dishwashing liquid out of a spray bottle. If it's a REALLY good brand, you might water it down a smidge so that it sprays easier and lasts even longer. You'd be surprised how much more soap you use when you pour and go.

Hand Soap - I'll admit - I'm a Bath & Body works or Caldrea soap kinda gal. It's expensive so I stocked up on those ages ago when on sale. What makes them last a lil' longer? Rubber bands! Wrap a rubber band around the pump base so that when you depress the pump, you're not getting a "full" squirt. You'll still get more than well enough to do the job.

Another great resource - Warehouse shopping with a friend! Living in Florida, there isn't a whole heck of a lot of room for us to store warehouse packs. No big deal if you shop with a neighbor or family member who needs to get the same stuff. I sat down with a friend, and reviewed products that we both bought from Costco/BJ's/Sams whatever. Then we shopped, splitting evenly the goods AND the bill. This does double duty - you get a better price (typically), without having to get sick of the product before it goes bad (can you REALLY go thru 20 lbs of potatoes in a month?!?! Heck - 10 is pushing it!) If you don't already belong to a club - split the membership fee as well. You can get a one day guest pass to all the above stores to see which locale best suits your needs, then decide which you want to subscribe to.

Speaking of subscribe - I do still get magazines, but I don't pay for them outright. www.erewards.com is a survey website that "pays" you to take surveys. There's no referral program or anything like that as I've seen posted, You earn based on how much you choose to participate. I went months deleting the survey invite emails, then went survey wild and earned enough to get 3 of my fave magazines. I like it because I can share my views as well as get small rewards.

There's a few other thoughts floating in my head, but I have to boogie. I hope you find some of these useful. Every little bit helps, right? :)

Hi, Teri. Sounds like you have things under control. Our family is doing those things, plus we are making different choices at the grocery store. I have always been pretty frugal, but these days, we are depending much more on pastas, potatoes, cheaper cuts of meat, and so forth. We're shying away from expensive cookies and stuff, and relying more on fruits and vegetables like carrots and celery with cream cheese for snacks.

We're being more careful in our clothes shopping as well. The kids LOVE new clothes all the time, but we've had to say no to that a lot more than anyone is comfortable with. However, this is a good opportunity to help teach the kids a little more appreciation for what they have and to take better care of their things to make them last longer.

We hardly eat out at all anymore. We haven't gone to any movie theaters in months; instead, we rent DVDs from those machines at the grocery store. Those are $1 per rental, so that is WAY cheaper than buying videos or going to theaters. We also encourage the kids to go to the park or roller skate around the neighborhood for daytime entertainment, rather than taking them places all the time. We would end up spending a lot on gas and food for all their friends, but now we give them sandwiches when they hang out.

We've also let the kids know that they are getting ONE major present for Christmas. We're getting them other, smaller things as well, but they understand that this Christmas, we have to conserve our money.

Well, I hope everyone copes well and keeps each other happy during these tough times.

Peace,
Syl

Hi T.,

Here are the best tips I can give you:
1. Turn off your Water Heater - after everyone is finished showering & it has reheated for the day.

2. As for Long Distance phone calls - I use MagicJack.com - i pay $20.00 for the year - free calls to all of the United States and Canada.

3. Check out this website and earn money from home:
www.shoptoearn.net/norawolf

A little about me:
widow, no children but I assist with children with learning issues of sorts.

For a long time we had felt pretty comfortable with our income, bills, and outgoing money. The last few months things have gotten so tight that we overdrew our account several times in 2-3 months. Each time thinking it was just a small error in money not coming in at quite the right time or big $ emergency running down our funds, I figured we would have it resolved soon and things would be ok. After a while I realized it wasn't getting better, and I had to be much better with budgeting our money and not getting the extras that sometimes come up.

After going through every bill and all our spending I found that we were not pulling in enough income to cover all bills and all the neccesities (food and gas). Now I have a strict budget that accounts for all regular bills, and utilities that fluctuate I budget at the highest amount they tend to come in at, it also includes averaging out the bills that only come out quarterly, plus a set amount for gas and food. I try to go through our accounts and budget several times a month to make sure we are sticking to the budget, bills are coming out when they should, and any small extras are being included in my gas or food allotment. We rarely get fast food anymore and if we do it is taken from our regular food budget, that way I don't allow extra spending. At the end of the month when things start getting tight and the budget gets close to being maxed out I watch a lot more carefully, go shopping at much longer stretches trying to stretch those left food items that I might not be as likely to eat when other food is around, and make every effort to get only what we have to and get as much discount as possible. We do a lot more dollar store and discount grocery shopping, buying generic or off brands, and looking for buy one get one free of only items we really need and use. I don't allot for clothes or other extras so I either don't buy them or use the food budget with extreme caution.

We did other things like lowering our dish package to a cheaper deal that still includes most channels we get a lot of use out of, lowering my martial arts bill buy talking to the coach and getting the usual package lowered with fewer days of use and canceling my daughter's and husband's class (we were close to canceling all but I really need and enjoy the class)the coach was really good about working with me to make a program that was easier on the finances and better fit my schedule. Phone we have done with Vonage DSL for a while after I got sick of the extra fees, taxes and long distance accumulation from the regular phone companies, it is one set price around $30 and includes all US long distance and all the extras like call forwarding, call waiting, conference calling, caller ID, and voice mail. That really frees us up to not feel uncomfortable making long distance calls and worrying how long I stay on the phone. I do have a cell phone but it is the lowest package used mostly for emergency calling, or letting spouse know when I am coming home from school when I sub so as not to mess up child care and school pick up. Husband has a cell that gets paid for buy his company, so that is a relief.

There are some things that we could have cut or reduced that would save us a lot of $ but I will only do that if it is a huge emergency, like life insurance we have on all our family even the kids, IRA's & 401 k, and college funds for the kids. I just think these are far too important to our future well being, so we are willing to pay to keep them all going at the same level for the future security of life insurance, eventual retirement, and children's education.

The big things that come up like car trouble, school fees, holidays, and hopefully a trip to visit family, get paid for with extra money not in our regular income. Hubby gets a subsidy while he is in college through the VA, I get a little here and there when I substitute, and the tight budgeting has reduced our outgoing funds enough to help with these things for now.

It is much stricter spending, and we are much more careful with how we plan to shop, plus thing are planed out much more in advance, but it is working well to allow for the emergencies and still maintain the bills and daily needs, which is a huge wait off our shoulders.

Oh yeah, I also use my son's preschools annual swap and shop each year. We get rid of all the stuff we don't need, have out grown, or can convince the kids that some other child may need it more it gets dropped off one day, then the next day we replenish with things others are getting rid of, and it is free, no money exchange, and no limit to what is brought or taken. I also help out with it a lot if I am not working those days.

I think it is all going to be very good for us in the long run, and hopefully we will eventually slim down enough to not feel quite so overtaxed and burdened as we had when we kept over drafting our accounts.

Hi T.,
Times are rough for everyone. I haven't approached 1 person thathas not complained about the economic crisis we are all going through. I'm a SAHM and my husband has a lawn/landscaping business. He has never been as slow as he is now. Some ways which I have cut back with expenses has been...shopping at Wal-mart for everything. I use to shop at "Publix and Target." I use lots of coupons for food and baby necessities. I also changed our health plan... we decided to have our son on a separate plan (cheaper) we are saving on health insurance approx $250.00 a month. We eat out once a week. And we just paid off one of our vehicles which we owed like $2000.00. Now, we have 1 car payment.These are some ways that have helped us get by...good luck! Hopefully things can get better soon.

We are a single income family with a 20 year old in college, a nine year old and a four year old in a Christian school, and an 18 month old at home. Times are very tough financially and we have to adjust accordingly. Most Americans live above their means already and are just finding out that they must learn to live within their means. Here are some things that we do:
We cancelled TV all together (which we now love doing without it, since we are spending more time together); we don't even eat out 1 time a week, it's more like 1 time every 3-4 weeks; We only shop for gifts/needs at stores that are inexpensive such as Ross/Walmart/Target; Make a priority list and the top 10 are must do's, but the rest are optional only IF there is "fundage" available; I cut all of our hair (which I already did); We chose to do "free" things instead of things that cost and we give up a lot of our wants; We make a conscious effort to make sacrifices that we would normally take for granted. I'm sure there's more, but these are some of the things we have done.
The number 1 things though is this: We make our #1 priority to give our tithe (10% of income) to the Lord through our church, b/c without his provisions, we would have nothing.
Take Care,
T.
Mom of 4
Wife of 1
Child of God

I work full time and my husband owns his own business, which is not a money maker (but keeps him happy). So, I have always been VERY frugal, and becasue if that, we are not feeling the economic pinch at all. Here are some things I do (and have always done).

First off, I am lucky that my kids are small and don't complain about what they eat or wear or play with. My kids ONLY wear hand-me-downs or whatever new clothing they get as gifts. That includes shoes. I do not buy toys for my kids. They get plenty for Christmas and birthdays from friends and relatives. In fact, we had so many toys we just had a yard sale and MADE money off the stuff they never played with.

I only buy name brands when I have a coupon AND it is on sale. That goes for food, toilet paper, diapers, toothpaste, whatever. Otherwise, it's the cheapies. My husband complains about the wood chips in the toilet paper, but, oh well.

No dry cleaning, no cleaning lady, no lawn service. I don't get my nails done or my hair cut (okay, well, maybe twice a year at SuperCuts). I do not spend money on what I consider "luxuries" like shoes, purses or perfume. I own one pair of athletic shoes, a pair of flip flops, and two pair of black dress shoes for work. All several years old, and all originally from Wal-Mart or Payless.

We keep the heat no higher than 66 degrees (bundle up if you're cold), and the AC no lower than 76 degrees, and we keep lighting to a minimum and make sure things are turned off and unplugged.

We don't go to the movies or rent videos. Only free entertainment for us. We go to the park a lot, or the free museum, or the play center at the mall on rainy days. No magazine subscriptions either.

The biggest thing is food. I buy cheap, we eat cheap, and don't eat out more than twice a month. No coffee, no Starbucks.

"Wants" are not an issue in our house. If we don't "need" it, we don't buy it.

And one last thing... We do not own any credit cards. If we can't afford it, we can't buy it. That leaves us without any extra monthly payments and keeps our budget in check.

We drive nice cars, have a nice home, go on vacation once a year, and give regularly to our church. So, from the outside we appear to be pretty well off, but that is only becasue those are our luxuries, and when it comes to everything else, I am CHEAP!

Hi T.,

I too am a SAHM and want to keep it that way. My husband had to take a $3 an hr. pay cut and that hurt us. I needed to find some work to help out a little but did not want to leave my babies. I have an 18 month old and a 1 month old. I did find a stay at home job that has been a blessing to us and helped us not only make a little extra, but I am also getting our household products like vitamins, snack foods, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, and much more FREE!! If you are interested please let me know, I'd love to help you as other moms have helped me!

Have a blessed day!
T. Meadows
###-###-####

I shop at a great consignment store in Delray. Lot of kids things and some great things for me as well. it's a little tricky to find-on Atlantic Ave behind Tiresplus-right off 95 called the Full Circle...they're open Thursday-Sunday right now-cute young couple run it and the proceeds go to a children's shelter...try consignment!

Hi T.,

Times are really tough right now. I am thankful that the gas prices have gone down- that helps. Along with the things you have mentioned, I have really started clipping coupons and shop the sales. If there is a good "Buy One Get One Free" offer at the grocery store I will get it, even if I don't need it right then, as long as it is not perishible. Most times I will have a coupon for the items as well, double bonus. I have joined some on-line Yahoo groups that are called coupon trains. You will receive coupons from people all across the country and send them the ones you don't use. If you do a search in Yahoo for coupon trains a ton will come up. We have also cut all the extras on our phone- no caller id (that is a tough one to get used to!) and no call waiting. Just a plain old phone line.
I try to do things with my son that do not cost anything- like local playgroups, parks, etc. He is 2(and expecting in March) and this age I don't feel he need to be involved in fee based programs.
We do a lot of research before buying any big ticket items and most times we can find it somewhere cheaper than a local store or find a coupon online to print out. I have also contacted companies that I use thier products and asked them to send me coupons- most do.
I joined a local on-line group called Free Cycle.(Most cities have one, www.freecycle.org) You would be surprised the things people get rid of for free and a great way to get rid of stuff you have piled around your house that you can't sell. Things like kids toys, clothes, etc. Craig's List is a great resource as well.
Some of these things take time, but in the end you can save a bundle.

I hope this helps and I am praying we all get a break in the New Year!

Jill

One thing I do (and did even before the economic crisis arose) is to go to the Human Crisis Council and get their meat baskets. I pay $35 for it, and it's stock full of enough fruits and veggies to get me through the month (yes, and some meats, too). We usually dont eat out (if you can call fast food eating out) unless one of us has a doctors appointment, or something like that, and we have no time to cook.

*Their food baskets consist of donated food, so there's produce that needs to be eaten up quickly. But I've found this to be something that might benefit a large family as everything they hand out, is done so in bulk. (I took the salad fixin's I got the last time I picked up a food basket there, down to my church's Thanksgiving Dinner we had for the homeless - we have a Homeless Ministry that serves warm meals to the homeless every other Saturday - and it managed to feed the upwards of 40 people who showed up that night.) I've also found a deep freezer to come in handy when getting these food baskets.

Aside from that, I tend to purchase mainly store brand products (Walmart) and since the economic cruch of recent times, have found myself only purchasing things (including food) that we ACTUALLY need. It's really caused me to take a look at, and in some cases change my priorities when it comes to spending.

I also purchase my clothing from thrift stores (everything but undergarments, that is). Most clothing sold at thrift stores is in decent shape and at a relatively inexpensive price. Altho, I strongly suggest trying such items on prior to purchasing, to make sure they fit.

Another thing I just thought of: involve yourself in any potlucks, or other type dinners that your church, or other organizations might be putting on.

When purchasing meats, buy roasts, and cut them into steaks yourself. It's A WHOLE LOT cheaper that way.

And of course, buy in bulk whenever possible.

I hope these lil suggestions are of help to you.

T. B.

Just reading your posting. What we have done is, we started a Recession Proof Home Based Business, with old money (No new money) Read our ad posted with mama source (members perk), Williams Group of South Florida, Here's our websites: http://williamsgroupsf.momsmakemore.com and http://williamsgroupsf.makemoreathome.com I know it will work for you.

We have cancelled our cable and I took a part time job in retail to get discounts on Christmas shopping. We make sure that we turn down the heat during the day and only wash/dry clothes when there's a full load. Also, I've started using coupons again and I try to write down every penny that I spend so that I know at the end of the month where our money went and whether the small purchases that add up are worth it or not. We've totally given up eating out unless it's a special occassion such as a birthday. Lastly we try to group all errands together and map out the drive so that we're not running from one side of town to the other and wasting gas. Hope some of this helps.

Have you ever considered working from home? I have been for about 4 months now and it has allowed me to save about $100 per month on our grocery bill by replacement shopping and getting those same types of items (personal care, healthy snacks, laundry care, etc.) for free. I'd be happy to share the details with you.

HI. Since everyone is talking about saving money anywhere and everywhere they could then you should check out my site- http://www.nofusscards.com. Sometimes you find you need to send a card to someone and cards can run $3 or $3.50. My online cards only cost .98. (These are REAL cards, not E-cards) With the stamp the card comes out to just $1.40 and you don't have to leave your house so you are not spending money on gas.

This is just another way to save a few dollars here and there. Every penny adds up.

Hi T.!
We are a single income family with 3 boys under 4. The first major thing we've done to address our spending has been to create and STICK TO a budget each month. We are also eating out less, and when we do, we use coupons or choose restaurants where kids eat free on a certain night, etc. We find free festivals and church events to attend on weekends or pack snacks and go to the park. We rent a movie and cook dinner after the kids are in bed for "date night in" (way cheaper than going out and no need for a babysitter!). I shop at Aldi as much as possible (I save at least $100 per month on groceries alone without coupons). We buy store brands and purchase things like diapers, wipes, and ceratin groceries at Sam's club where they are much cheaper. I've saved on Christmas shopping this year by taking advantage of sales combined with coupons and free shipping (then had items shipped directly to the recipient). We have one credit card that we pay off each month that accrues reward points that can be cashed out for retail gift cards. I've given these as gifts as well as bought gifts on sale and online to give. Hope this helps!

Welcome to the mAjority. Grow a "Victory garden" My parents were in the depression and learned to do a lot of stuff on their own.Luckily so can my husband and brother.You might be a good ole boy red neck if raised poor and hsad to do your own fixing. Get some do it your self books

First make a budget and figure out how short you are and then begin trimming. The best way to make sure you keep to a budget is to pay for everything in cash. Sometimes it even helps to create an evelope for your payments (such as food) and then take the $$ out of the envelope and the receipt back in so that you can better track your purchases.

If you need help making a budget, you can get great templates at msn.com/money. Here is a good article with info: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/Mon...

Next, go through your bills and payments to figure out what can be cut. You've gotten some great suggestions, here are a few more.

1. Cable TV, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, telephone (both landline and cell plans), netflix or similiar. Pay particular attention to service plans or "insurance" as well as extra services ($3 to be "unlisted", $6 for call waiting, $5 for insurance on your phone home wiring, $5 for cell phone replacement, etc)

2. Look at your auto payments and your insurance. Are you paying for double (such as AAA membership plus towing on your car insurance)? Also, look at other insurance....you need life, disability, homeowners, but you don't need insurance (other than medical) on your daughters.

3. Cut entertainment expenses as much as possible. Use the library for books and movie "rentals", it is free. Visit parks with your children and look into all the free activities offered by local mommy and me groups, etc.

4. Quit drycleaning, cut out salon services as much as possible (no manicures/pedicures, no highlights, perms, pick an easy style and then go to Supercuts or try a beauty school, one in Ft. Lauderdale is: http://www.ishb.edu/

Once you have gone through your bills and cut as much as you can, then if you are still short, you will have to either come up with additional income (a new part-time job) or make a major change, such as downgrading your housing, downgrading your car, etc.

I work in the financial planning field, so if I can answer any questions (free of charge) feel free to contact me again.

Good luck! C.

I am not coping so well either. I am having a hard time finding Full time work... its hard everywhere. Its been Especially hard here in Florida.
If I may ask, what you do part time? If you know some people and are outgoing/talkactive like a sales person( but most Avon products sell themselves because most women are familiar with their products), I have a suggestion would consider being an Avon rep.? I am making some pocket money anyway. Some people are really difficult on getting back to you... that's my problem. I have to be on top of them... they forget so easily. Well, It depends on your sales on how much you make. I believe on Your first two campaigns you make fifty percent of commission after that its 30 to 20. They encourage you to do all your ordering on online. And if you know someone who will buy from you long distance... they could order online then you can be an E representative also. They have great deals on shipping all the time, and sometimes you can send them an email to get FREE SHIPPING!!!

I can set you up if your interested... where do you live? Not that I am going to come to your home, just wanted to know if your by one of the offices so we can talk so more. I could give you more info. AS a matter a fact they are having an event for people tonight... its free and its at the Signature Grand in Davie. They can give you more info. on being an Avon rep. I have the start up information also if you can not attend tonight. I am bringing my daughter... she's three and half. She's trouble but I really don't have anybody to watch for me. My husband works nights and weekends.
Let me know... write me back.

Sincerely,

L.

Hi T.,
As a now, single mom, our income went way down overnight. I had to bite the bullet and get a full time job to support myself and 3 children.

We have not had cable TV in over 3 years, my kids DO NOT need it. I only keep the cheapest cell phone (29.99 a month), I use the internet at work, my neighbor and I haul our own trash off to the dump as needed, I scan the sale papers for food specials (2 for 1 deals). My kids love to shop Good Will and you can always find the nicer brands in the one here (Valdosta, GA) plus my kids have an understanding that we are helping needy people by giving back to those LESS fortunate than ourselves.

We used to eat out ALL the time, now it is only as a reward for a good job done, at school etc. I am an avid fan of "turn it off", if the room is empty - lights, TV, music - are off!

Struggles only serve to make us stronger and hopefully more appreciative of what we DO have.

I was SO broke in October (missed some work due to family illness so less paycheck) and my son had his birthday, I went to Doller Tree and spent $14.00 for toys, cards, and a gift bag. I felt bad, but my son didn't care one bit - he LOVED the toy cars, glow sticks, coloring book, pens and dinosaurs. He just turned 9 so he still tears stuff up easily and if it is cheap then nothing big is wasted.

Good luck, this too shall pass.
M. F

I started doing my own pedicures and I just had my husband color my roots, which actually went very well and saves me $70! I cut coupons and stock up with buy one get one free sales with the things we use. I clean my own house, my own dog, clean our own pool, cut our own lawn, wash our own cars. Take advantage of 0% financing when possible and budget the payments to pay it off within the allotted time period. I also keep the thermostat regulated. We eat out no more than twice a week and use coupons when we do. I pack my kids lunches, shop e-bay or on-line specials which sometimes offer great deals not available in stores. Great Question!!!

I have never been a penny pincher or a coupon queen, but the past few years have been hard economically and I have learned some tricks to survive.

Well, to help us make ends met, I drastically cut our cable bill. I turned in the cable boxes and only pay for basic (the cheapest available) cable. I can live without cable, but my kids.... I have thought about giving up cable and internet entirely, but I use the internet to look for a job and communicate with family. I've decided it is worth the expense.

Also, take a look at your grocery bill. Quit eating out and plan your meals by the week and only buy what you need. Quit buying processed foods and junk. It is much cheaper to make it yourself. I've always hated coupons, but now I am couponing to save our family money. When I buy food, I look for high nutriction, not low cost. My kids need healthy foods, not high fructose corn syrup. I've found that if you commit to making homemade cookies and snacks it will save you big bucks and be better for the kiddies.

The other big thing I've done is sewing. I've repaired and made clothing for me and my son. My husband has to wear suits and all, so we keep him stocked. My daughter is a pre-teen, so I try to keep her looking nice and presentable (and not embarrassed). My 7 yr old could care less, so I make pants and stuff for him and blouses/skirts for me. I've not yet tried pants, but it is on my list.... Fun and saves money.

Quit using your dryer. Hang your clothes to dry. You will be shocked at how much your electric bill will go down. Now that it is cold outside, I hang my clothes on drying racks in the garage and turn a fan on low to circulate the air. The clothes smell really delicious if they hang in the sunshine.

Take a look at your cell phone and home phone bill. Do you really need both? Can you reduce your cell phone plan to save money? I have a cell, but try not to use it and I reduced our plan to a less costly one.

Now - gasoline. Run all your errands on one day, then stay home the other days. Take advantage of the school bus and car pooling.

Everytime I find my self wishing I could buy something or needing something, I try to figure out a way to make it with what materials I have on hand (or make do without it). I'm pretty crafty, so I've been able to improvise a lot (without much sacrifice).

And lastly, there are something you need regardless - shampoo, tp, garbage bags, flour, sugar, etc. Shop the sale paper for these items. The drug store practically give these away, if you watch for it. CVS is my best friend.

I guess to sum up my policy - If I have to sacrifice something, so my kids can have something else (like basic cable, new shoes, etc). I can do without it. But, I try not to make my kids sacrifice.

Good luck,
Shannnon

Hi T., Things are certainly tough out there - we had a big yard sale, and that really helped - course all I have is a couch now in my family room and one in my living room - but we got rid of a lot of excess stuff that we didn't need, or new we could get a good price for - plus, though my house is sparcely furnished now, it's a snap to clean up!!!! We also cut out the long distance, the eating out, we even xcld our cable subscription, we have videos for the kids, and TIVO'd some of their favorite shows, now they play outside a lot more, which is better for them anyhow.

Hi T.,
I'm a stay at home mother, full time. My husband supports us on his salary. Giving up my job a month before my first child was born was difficult, not because we were struggling but because I was not used to not having my own money. That was 9 years ago and I have not stepped out into the working world since. Yes, we did have to cut back quite a bit in order to make our new lifestyle workable. I loved Gevalia coffee but found it was cheaper to buy a store brand coffee so I cancelled my subscription to Gevalia. We cancelled magazine subscriptions. We are more aware of our energy consumption (turning lights and fans off that are not needed). I clip coupons and we rarely eat out. This year I'd say we've eaten out maybe 4 times, but that is from January to now. We have basic cable, cancelled our long distance with AT&T and instead got a better deal with my husband's employer for long distance. We have one cell phone and we have the basic plan because the cell phone is only used for emergencies. I pack lunches for my children and for dinner, I make plenty so there is left over food for my husband to take to work the next day. Buy things on sale, if possible and stock-pile if necessary.

Wow, I was reading through everyone's response as to how much everyone is cutting back on things and I have to say that there are some creative ways to cut back on things. My husband and I are defintely watching our pennies these days but we are also very blessed that we have not had to worry to much about extra income because my the income from my home business continues to increase even with the status of our economy and is providing us with the extra income to afford the things we have and maybe still go out to eat once a week. Don't get me wrong we are trying to be more frugal like shopping at Walmart instead of Publix, wow they are so much cheaper! Also I know someone else mentioned they reduced their health insurance, which we have done and now we use our Ameriplan membership to save on our healthcare expenses. This way we can save our montly premium amounts and use the money for other things or save for when we do have to pay for medical expenses. I know times are tough but as moms we have to continue to stay positve for the sake of our family and look for ways to make extra income to help our family. That is what I have done and so far it has worked for me and it can work for you too!

Hey T.--I am over on SSI where my husband is a minister at the United Methodist church-----i would like to call you and talk more--I teach-------maybe we could get together sometime--send me info/phone number------I am at school--will get back with you this week sometime----have some ideas------M.