Dan’s Take On Today

Good Morning!

In my last blog, I addressed the sad, sorry state of our nation’s economy.  This time around, we’ll take a look at some things you can do to help make it through these tough financial times.

Food

We all need it,  we all have to eat sometime, right?  But how do we keep up, with rising prices at the supermarket?  Nothing outrageous, just good, common-sense ideas.

Clip coupons.  Check your local newspapers for coupons and clip out the ones you can use.  Don’t “impulse buy”, only clip coupons for the things that you regularly buy and use.  You can also sometimes find coupons online.  You can also start a coupon club with local friends and share coupons with them, this saves time clipping and maybe you can find even more coupons that you can use.  Also - check the local sales papers and follow trends!  If milk is on sale, stock up if you use a lot.  Also, stock up on non-perishable food items such as canned goods, cereal and pasta when it’s on sale.   Store these items and use them later.  Freeze what you can, but don’t overbuy..you’ll just end up throwing away the unused items and that’s a total waste.

Contact a local food pantry.  Many communities have local food pantries which give food out to needy families in their area.  Take advantage of this and other programs designed to help disadvantaged people.  They may not give out everything that you need, but they often cover some of the basics, which will free up your money to buy other things.

Network.  Talk to people you know.  See if they have some food items they no longer need or are about to go out of date before they can use them.   Maybe they can give you these items - and you can do the same for them later.

Rent/Mortgage

Not too much to do here if you’re already locked into a contract.  You can talk to your mortgage lender and try to negotiate a lower rate if you have good payment history.  This alone can save you hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars a year.

If you are about to move, look for a smaller place for the time being.  They are usually cheaper and you can always move up once the economy improves.

Remember to turn off lights when not in use.  Use compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) when possible - they save something like 70% on your lighting costs.  Unplug any appliances you don’t regularly use.  Leaving that tv that may only be used twice a year plugged in the guest room or basement can run up your electric bill - they use electricity even when they’re not turned on.  Turn off your computer… monitor, too when you’re not using it.   Keep the a/c set to the warmest comfortable level you can live with.  Turn off the water while soaping up in the shower, turn it back on to rinse.  This will save both water and water heating costs.  Don’t flush until you need to (I know, a little higher on the “ick” scale here) … remember the line from that movie, “If it’s yellow - leave it mellow, if it’s brown - flush it down.”  Sage advice.

Don’t sleep with the tv on.  If you need some noise to help you sleep, use the timer on your clock radio instead.

When cooking, microwave when possible, it’s cheaper than using a full oven.  Consider using a toaster oven for cooking smaller items.

Check your local yellow pages for nearby Salvation Army locations.  Contact them and ask what programs are in your area to help people pay their bills.  Many communities - even smaller ones - have programs in place to provide economic asistance to people in hard times.

Transportation

Gas costs are ridiculous.  Many people can’t afford to fill their car anymore.  Others can’t even afford to own a car.   Comparison shop for gas - pay attention to prices at your local stations and try to catch the lowest price.  Fill up when you do, but don’t drive out of your way to go looking for cheap gas, that’s just a waste.

Try to drive less, limit your trips and try to combine stops in a single trip.  It’s cheaper to make several stops on one outing than it is to repeatedly have to leave the house and go out, come home and have to go back out again.  Bum rides from people.  The neighbor mentioned going into town?  Ask if you can ride along if you need to go there, too.  Do the same for them next time.  It’s called car-pooling and it’s a good idea that’s not just for going to work.

Get a scooter.  They get great gas mileage and can save you hundreds in gas costs each year.

Get a bike.  Ride it.  No fuel necessary.

Use public transportation.  Walk when possible - it’s free and good exercise, too.

Clothes/Personal Items

We still need to get dressed.  Consider going to the second-hand shops.  You can often find fantastic bargains there.  Lots of people are already doing this… the parking lot of my local Goodwill store is always full!  Many clothing items  sell for a fraction of their original price, and they often have “half-off” days and other incentives.  Take advantage of these.  You can also find tv’s, microwave, dishes, etc for sale at prices far below retail.  Also, go garage sale shopping.  Lots of good, lightly-used items to be found there, just remember to resist the impulse to buy things just because they’re a cheap if you really don’t need them.  Buying unnecessary items is no bargain at all.

Remember, Craigslist.com is your friend.  Many items for sale there.  Also, subscribe to your local “Freecycle” newsletter.  Thousands of people each day find items they need being given away by other people who don’t.  Take advantage of this.   Contact friends and relatives.  “Hand-Me-Downs” have always been there to help families cope with the high cost of living.

Remember to keep your head up, things will get better.  We just have to hang in there until it turns around.

Best luck till next time.

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