Riding Out the Recession- How Will You Do It?

We're eating a lot more fresh veggies and a lot less meat. Thinking of trading in two cars for one. Got the kids their own library cards. Shopping at the second hand shop more often. Sticking with my three pairs of jeans for the winter.

I'd like to see consumer cooperatives active again throughout the country. People working together to help each other is a rewarding experience.

BBB

We live pretty simply already so cutting back isn't really a big deal, we just try to stretch things a little further than before. I'm using coupons a bit more.

I guess the biggest thing we're doing is reallocating some of our remodeling dollars into making the house more energy effecient instead of doing some of the more cosmetic things were are wanting to do.

Mr. B had some really cool storm doors made that fit in with the style of the house; glass for winter, screens for summer. We are having our fire places fitted with inserts so that all the heat doesn't go up the chimney. Since we have an unlimited supply of hardwood we think we'll be able to keep our house pretty toasty all winter without a huge electric bill.

one thing that we've done for years is to go shopping for groceries - particularly meat - on thursdays .
since meat is uasually re-stocked for the weekend on friday , 50% off on many chickens , roasts , chops etc. is the rule at loblaws (president's choice) . we always look for meat that says : "best before ... ... (today's date plus 2 , example if todays meat is still o.k until saturday , there is little reason not to buy it today imo ) . we always try to get the top grade ; so a top grade , grain fed roast that would usually go for $20 can be had for $10 . we have NEVER had any problem with that .
last thursday of the month is senior's day at shoppers drug market : 20% off AND a $10 coupon if buying more than $50 = that totals 40% off - hard to beat imo .
we've also downsized from a nine year old V6 to a spanking brand new 4 cylinder = just as zippy as the old V6 but uses less gas and should be maintenance free for a while .
set back the thermostat to 17-18 C overnight(around 8 pm) ; 21-22 C daytime in the heating season .
during the summer we try to keep the air-conditioner at about 26-27 C during the daytime , but turn it to 23 C when we go inside in the late evening .
one thing we DON'T save on is the dehumidifier ! we keep it running from spring to fall at moderate setting to prevent humidity and mold from settling in the house . the technicians have told us that it also helps the air-conditioner and the freezer - about 25 years old - do their jobs with less electricity and keeps extend their lives .
hbg

work...work as much as possible. Find creative ways to make money. Take gigs in the past I would have turned down. Cut back on disretionary spending. Make minimum payments to doctors and hospitals because there's no interest... double up on vehicle payments and the small amount of credit card debt I have.


go back to whoring and drug dealing as well. A stud like me with a nicely fitting pair of jeans and a bag of dope will always be in demand. bitches will find the money.

bpb wrote :



i wouldn't count on it . i read that even the mafia has adopted "money saving strategies" !
(they'll use one bullet to shoot two people - gotta economize , ya know) .
hbg

I have never in my life lived within my means. Don't plan to start now. I'll ride out the recession the same way I rode out WW II, the mild recession of the Eisenhower years, the Nixon fiasco, a bout with colon cancer and everything else -- by living as though I could afford it and by turning the ringer off the 'phone when I know bill collectors are about to start calling.

Have all the bills sent to:

Bush Ranch
General Delivery
Crawford, TX

Downgrading my TV channels from "gold" to "basic cable". There's nothing earth-shaking on HBO these days.

Will fall back on making dinner for myself, rather than eating out.

Emotionally preparing for quitting my current job, which isn't working out for me. There are still other jobs to apply for, but this may change as the recession deepens.

That's about it.

Damn, Thomas, sorry to hear about the job thingee. I recall how enthusiatic you (and we) were about it a year or so ago.

I understand how you feel Thomas. My job isn't working out for me either. I'm debating whether I even care about software anymore.

What I told you a few years ago - Take the money and run.

If only I'd listened then. I'm riding it out -- not a good time to quit and live like a hippy. I wonder how many threads I've started over the years about how I'm sick of this line of work. Maybe one less than kicky.

Oh, but I meant, just hunker down and get paid. Personal satisfaction comes from a nice bank account, and a fullfilling personal life. It is nice to enjoy the work, but that's not why you show up. Witness the fact that if they quit paying you, you would probably quit showing up.

With some jobs, Roger, the problem is that it eats up our personal lives. I don't know about FreeDuck's, but mine is one of them.

But even if that wasn't a problem, I don't think your separation of personal life and professional life would work for me. Even with a nine-to-five job, you spend more time working than you spend with your friends, your family, your wife, on your hobbies, and anything else that makes your non-professional life satisfying. A satisfying job is an important part of a fulfilling personal life for me. (And yes, back in college and graduate school, I used to work for free, or for a third of the market wage, in jobs not-too-different from what I'm doing now. )

FreeDuck and realjohnnyboy -- thanks for your sympathy.

Thomas - If you want a a really satisfying job, I'll hire you to "walk" Gracie. Are you wishing you'd gone to Texas, or burned out in general?

I'm not dependent on a business that profits since the HOA is a 501c. My salary, especially for what they get, is minimal compared to the hundreds of thousands they spend on other things. I'm one that probably would keep doing what I'm doing for a while even if I won the lottery, but please don't tell them.

One event coming up is to raise food for the Food Bank. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from organizing the charitable works the neighborhood does. I'm hoping they are as generous now as in the past since the Food Bank needs them more than ever.

I think there is a lot of truth in this. Some jobs make you so miserable that they haunt you even when you are not working at them. No amount of money makes them tolerable. The best thing to do in such a situation is plan your escape. Even if you know you just can't walk out, it helps to start digging the tunnel.

Unlike Merry, I've lived below my means for decades (It's my nature, I didn't even spend my baby sitting money when I was a kid). That makes me rather recession proof. I have no debts and own all my stuff (including house) out right. It's a great feeling to know I only have to cover my taxes, insurance, some basics and a few surprises like vet bills and truck repairs. I also have a job that requires I keep a waiting list of clients. If someone cancels it's no big deal, I just plug in a different job.

We gave burdened ourselves with desires over the last 100 or so years like no other time in the history of humans. We are the most dependent we have ever been on other people's labor and modern conveniences. I don't think it has made us happy, but rather paranoid and weak.

In that case I am following your advice. I feel dirty, though. Like I'm not giving my best and I don't believe in what I'm doing and I'd much rather be somewhere else. It's like I'm a code whore. But yeah, your advice is prescient in these times, most definitely.