How are you surviving the recession?

Buying more canned/boxed goods. They last longer and cost less. I do all my grocery shopping at Walmat and take advantage of their price matching program, every little bit helps.

Also being tight with my budget. I'm currently paying through the nose on my student loans and that HAS to be paid. I don't eat out anymore, i don't buy frivolous merchandise like i used to, I don't go out to the bar.

My day consists of feeding my kitty, going to work, coming home, doing my online surveys & ebay, then going to bed. I figure the more time I spend at home instead of out spending money, the more money I make by doing my various internet ventures.

Very good suggestions! I too spend more time at home and not eating out. I have also cut out the "goodies"(even though my husband protests!) scince they are something really uneeded, and are very expensive! even though he complains, its the first winter we have noticed our waiste lines getting smaller instead of bigger! a very good perk i must say!

Coupons coupons and more coupons. Thrift stores and yard sales. I am in Florida its yard sale time here. Cheap beer has replaced micro brewed.

i too clip alot of coupons! it is something new i started and my husband makes fun of me, but it is amazing how much you save with them. I also love yard sales but here in pa, we dont have those in the winter! Im also a big fan of dollar General store were i buy my cleaning supplies very cheap.

also, this year i think i am going to do crafty christmas presents. They are time consuming, but cheap. And I feel more people will treasure a handcrafted gift made with love that they will treasure more than a 15.00 bath soap arrangement from wal-mart or popcorn tins. you wouldnt believe how many of those i recieved this year. Times have gotten so tough

Hi everyone,

I, when I had the money, I went out and bought a good size floor freezer and when all the grocery stores around here have their "price wars", which I think is great, I stock up on all the frozen items. Sometimes one store will have buy 2 get one free or half off. It is really nice to see it sit on the floor knowing that I will be ok.

Also, I only live a short distance to work so gas is not the issue, my rent, by the grace of God, is very cheap even next to this beautiful river, and most of all I have learned to keep all that I can SIMPLE. LESS IS MORE AND MORE IS LESS. These are very true and accurate statements, I am living proof.

Thank You

Baking a lot of bread and learning to use the crock pot a bit more. Bakery thrift stores are great for hamburger and hot dog buns and bread when I dont have time to bake. You cant beat 75 cents a loaf for Sara Lee bread.
Egg dishes, a lot more hamburger. Luckily I am a vendor at a huge farmers market during the summer and I froze a ton of veggies I got for free. Stocked up on pork chops and chicken drummies when they were cheap. I hate Walmart with passion so I try to avoid it especially for meat....if you read the packages almost every meat product they sell has a 10% solution injected....I aint paying for water!! I go with a friend to Sams club that has a butcher on-site.

Bakery thift stores are great for hamburger and hot dog buns and bread when I dont have time to bake. You cant beat 75 cents a loaf for Sara Lee bread.

Started buying larger portions of sliced cheese. Here in Minnesota we have Bongards Cheese slices (not processed cheese food)...108 slices for $11. 16 slices of kraft was running about $2.59 . Bought it and repacked it at home...they are not individual wrapped slices so are environmentally kinder.

I guess I am kind of lucky. My daughter works for Kraft and I get frozen pizzas for $1 each. Plus hubby and I work for a different major cheese company and we get a really good discount on sliced and block cheese and the cheese and cracker snacks. My dad works for Walmart and I use his discount. My Father-in-law works for a papermill so I don't have to by papertowels or toilet paper(a huge savings there) But I do like shopping at the wonder bread thrift store and dollar stores and the cheap grocery stores like Aldi and Save-a-lot. I watch the ads and I stop in Walmart after I get done with work and at that time the meat is already marked down for the next day. Heck last week we had some very yummy ribeye steak that I got marked down at walmart. I got 5 ribeyes for $9 :shock: So what if it has to be used or sold by that date, isn't that what a freezer is for? At our local grocery store they have a marked down section in the meat dept. that has beef,pork,lunch meat,sausage. That is one section I hit first. But I make sure to check the dates to see if it hasn't gone past the best by date. I got a bunch of name brand hotdogs and brats for $1.99 a package, when the reg. selling price is $6.99. I would NEVER pay full price for those. That is just way too much for me. In the bakery I look at the day old stuff to see if there would be anything my kids would eat. Their muffins and cakes can be anywhere from $2-$5 cheaper.

So I guess we are blessed during these tough times that we have enough money to pay the bills and still have a little left. Just not looking forward to tax time. Things will be different then (we will be paying :? )

good tips everyone, i guess we are all doing what we can and what we gotta do.. i am grateful to be working (even though i really need a second job and cannot find one for the life of me! my old one laid off all the part-timers), but i am grateful even though i struggle.

I found a recipe online for bagels and just finished making them up...they came out just as good as deli store bought bagels...even my daughter thought so and she likes the expensive bagel store type. They apparently freeze well so we will use them for school lunches this week which will be a big savings there, plus other lunches for when we adults are home.

I got three meals from a package of chicken leg quarters. Fried chicken, barbequed chicken and soup from the backbones. Total cost 2.50 for the package of five. There is only two of us so double that for four.

we are lucky to have a amish economy store near us were you can purchase four,sugar, all sorts of baking needs so so so very cheap! They also have regected items from stores. You never know what they have so you cant go there wanting something in particular, but you can get name brand laundry soap for 2.00 shampoo .5, toothpaste like .80 its great i love that place and its like the old days were they are happy and greet you at the door and are greatful for your business.

we have an Amish community near us, sometimes their stuff is very cheap and a lot of it, other times their stock is low and the prices seem high. One problem with them is they always have awesome homemade fudge, candies, cookies, cakes etc and it is HARD to leave without getting something. But then I look at the change jingling in my pocketbook and leave, head low :( "This too shall pass" ... sooner rather than later I hope!

These are some great tips guys! Maybe here other people can get some great ideas to help save them some money in thier time of need. That was the whole idea of my blog, and forum activities. Even though we struggle too, maybe we all can lighten everyone elses load by sharing ideas. I like the bagel idea, wanna share the recipe??

A few years back, I had to learn to cut back and to be frugal in my spending. I started buying roasts, that had been marked down and bought two instead of one. I fixed the roasts as usual, we had leftovevers and then I shredded the rest and froze it. At a later date, I took the shredded roast out, put it in beef gravy and had hot beef, so we got three meals.

I also but hams when they have them for 99 cents a pound a buy a larger one. I fix ham for dinner, then I slice off some slices and freeze them for ham sandwiches and have soup with them. I then freeze the big ham bone for beans later. When I boil the ham bone, there is still meat on it I can use for the beans.

It costs more when you buy the bigger meats or more, but I always get three meals out of it when I do this.

I recently moved into a new apartment and utilized my local Goodwill store for furniture, the furniture is excellent quality, real wood, also found some great home decorations.

i am barely surving, i cannot even afford goodwill :(
i have trouble making rent every month have trouble paying for groceries, i cannot find a second job. lol sorry for complaining :)
i did cut back on pretty much all spending though, which helps. i still have cable because its tied in with my internet and my only luxury. i find it saves money on entertainment.

Thats my favorite saver right there like i said in my orginal post. My handi-vac is my best friend. it may cost 10-15 for that big ham but it will make us many meals.

Im also a big Thrift store shopper. I know this is benieth alot of people but you would be suprised as to the things you can buy with price tags or still in the bag bran new. I love our local salvation army and its a good cause too. Its like killing 2 birds with one stone. at halloween I purchased my sons pirate costume for 6.00 a 6 piece set still on the store hanger tags and all. I have scince then decorated my kitchen with 2nd hand items and no one notices the difference and they always compliment me on my decor.

Just bought a brand new crockpot at the local thrift store for $10.00 i priced it at walmart for $30.00. I LOVE THRIFT STORES!!!!

Im feeding 3 kids of my own, my sons girlfriend, plus whatever other kids wander in......I've learned to stock up on Doorbusters, the trick is not to buy anything else but the doorbusters.

I use the library internet, and borrow books, tapes, CD's, DVD's and VHS tapes from the library for free ... and I get out walking with my dogs and husband ... that is my entertainment! All for free!

i love walking with my dog and my guy :) but its cold where i am now! my last post was a bit dramatic as I am struggling for rent bleh, same story every month but i somehow always pull through. what really gets me by at times like this is hope. i find if i believe i can earn extra money it gives me motivation to actually do it

i would not say im religious, I dont even go to church, but I do have faith and sometimes thats all that gets us through sometimes. recently someone stole my husbands wallet in the end it cost us about 600.00 it was to go to our property taxes. Of course they didnt get paid we could barly get through the week. I assured him that god always takes care of us he will see us through. a couple of days later we recieved a 50.00 christmas check that was late. It hardly was much, but it got us through the week. Its funny how things like that happen. you dont always get what you want but you get what you need. Eventually I will figure out how to pay the taxes but for now, I got what i needed to get by and thats what its always about.

i agree, thats how i feel about rent. it is awful that i am going to be late but i know my landlord pretty well now (i was late in the past and he was not too bad about it) i have not been late in a very long time at this point - it has been many months so i know he will understand, i tried to call him but i keep getting answering machine. either way i just am trying to work to make as much money as possible and know it will be alright (it also helps that rent is not due until next week - and like you said, life has a funny way of helping people out as long as they keep on trying, and i will never ever stop trying)

great attitude! It will get you far, I feel that for the most part if you always try you will eventually get somewere, even if its not far or were you want to be, Its a little closer to the goal anyway!

Another shared tip is i am using alot of just plain old bleach for cleaning instead of expensive cleaners. If duluted properly you dont get harsh smells and it cleans just as well as anything.
Dollar General bleach like 1.25 for a gallon it lasts me a long time. Buy a refillable spray bottle 1.00 and like a cup of bleach to the rest water. works great.

great tip i love the dollar store :) i hide my poorness pretty well most people have no idea how broke i am because i always make it work out somehow, i have the feeling it is the same way with you :)
people may say i am crazy for not worrying about rent but the worst it will be is two weeks late and he will get $70 in fees and what else can i do? i am so sick of being so paranoid all the time when i am just trying to make things work.

worring about the situation will not go away. I have learned from experience that all that will do is make you sick. Literally sick with worry over debt. I choose to not allow that to happen to me anylonger. And people who would think you were crazy probably have never really been "poor" like us. Your right when it comes to money we probably are pretty close! When it comes to money I am poor, but in life im rich. Most people dont count thier blessings and look at the cup half full. My husband is one of them always down on himself and upset about our financials. Maybe that is why we are together because im the glass half full one. Every day is a blessing to me, I wake up one more day, we are healthy and alive, we had a health son(this is one thing most people dont even notice as a blessing) Do you know how many babies are born everyday with a handi-cap? to many. We manage to eat everyday even though it may not be what we want, but were not starving. We have a roof over our head while others are sleeping under bridges or on park benches. He was sad about not recieving a bonus this year, I was glad he still had a job and sent a christmas card anyhow thanking them. To many people just dont realize what they got, and how worse it really could be.
Some one stole my husbands wallet after christmas we lost alot of money. It could have been worse, what if they came into our home and hurt us? people rarely consider the "it could have been, or It could be worse scenerio" I live by it.

One of the most significant things to do to beat the recession is to cut down on eating out. Do more home cooked meals.

Travel less in your vehicle, that will bring down your gas expenses much more than you realize.

Make fewer shopping trips, but more groceries at one go rather than go frequently, this will give way to many fewer temptations, and you will be amazed how much of savings come about as a result of this habit.

i myself swear by lists. Im a stay at home mom, so i make sure that i right down everything i need throught the week until i go to the bank on friday. It is the only day i go to town unless there is a dr appointment or something. now town for me is only about 15 miles, but by only going once a week really helps my gas situation. If i dont get it on friday i go without it. This was a problem for my husband at first, (ie, not telling me he needed something) He said he thought that i took inventory before i went to the store. yea ok. so anyway i also dont look at the products on the shelves just the list because i know were everything is. looking at the shelves promote spontanious purchases i cant afford. except for every once in awhile they will move stuff on me it makes me so mad. I hear they do this on purpouse so that you do purchase things you are not looking for. Its a sales technique. dirty dogs!

we eat alot of noodle things so so cheap. Noodles are very cheap at our save alot 1.00 a bag and i can break that down to 3 meals.

Try buying stuff off ebay if you want something significant. You can get some good deals there for which you would otherwise have to pay a middle person like a store a significant mark up on the retail price for.

There are some great buyers markets online that are even cheaper than eBay. Put ebay alternatives into google and you will get a list of them.

this thread is great! thanks for all the great posts on it. Some really useful information here by all of us posting things here it is really helping each other. I made a post on my blog today and ill shorten it here a little. When your in debt here are some things you can go without but are molded to think are necessities
1. nice car, sell it loose the payment save the cash use some of the cash for a 1,000 beater or auction you can get great deals at repo auctions, theft recoveries, whatever
2.lower insurances
3. get rid of the cells you dont need them what did we do 20 years ago without them? If you want one for emergencies by a tracphone 20 or less for phone 20 for 60 minutes every 3 months. so after the phone purchase your bill would only be at most 20 every 3 months
4 name brand cleaning supplies generic work just as well
5 laundry soap i know some of you are die hard tied fans, but at 18.00 im not paying it when i can buy xtra or arm and hammer for 6.00
6. cable or satallite tv, do you want it yes, do you need it no
7 lower insurance or raise deductables
8 it pays to recycle, not only do they pay you it will probably lower your trash bill win win situation

And sell sell sell.. liquidate that stuff you dont need or use yard sales, ebay, newspaper whatever. It all helps!

all good tips! Except #5 ... make your own laundry detergent! For $6 dollars you can make about 20 gallons that will last the average home over a year, plus you have 2 of the 3 ingredients left for the next year when you need to make more. It really is a huge money saver.

wanna share that recipe? or share the link? id like to check that out!

I put a link up about it somewhere, I'll see if I can find it

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/income/laundry-soap.html

With the economy the way it is, I'm just glad I still have a decent job. However, I will be dealing with a severe loss of income later this year - to the tune of $6,000 a year. There are a few things that will help offset that loss, but it's a loss, nonetheless.

Here are the things I'm doing now, and will be doing in the future, to help make ends meet (I know some may have already been mentioned):

1. Coupons & Rebates. I check the local sales ads every week for those single check rebates that stores like Rite Aid and Walgreens offer - then I check my coupons (which I cut from the Sunday paper every week). Very often, I end up getting items for free - or THEY pay ME to buy it. And that monthly rebate check may not be much, but every little bit helps. Sometimes that $4 - $10 check is gas in the tank or milk & bread on the table.

2. Advance food prep. My weight loss plan is not cheap, but it doesn't need to be expensive, either - and preparing food in advance is what makes the difference. Having some lunch items made in advance keeps me from eating fast food - cheaper and healthier for me to do food prep! It also keeps us from the "I'm tired and don't want to cook tonight, lets' go out!" thing - if I have the basics in the fridge already prepared, I can throw a meal together quickly at home.

3. Sell your excess stuff - I still sell in a limited capacity on Ebay, but their fees have become so excessive and their rules so ridiculous that I have moved my sales to a new venue. I sell nice used clothing, books, toys, shoes, anything we've outgrown or don't need anymore. Even my kids sell their own stuff to make money to buy the things they want.

4. Try to find a second job. I will be doing this sometime this summer, once the loss of income goes into effect. I don't see where I will have much choice, unless my online sales somehow increase enough to provide a bridge to cover the shortfall. And you can't be proud about these things - you have to take what is available - shovel manure, flip burgers, walk dogs - whatever.

Just a few thoughts on things to do!

what sites did you move your online sales to, I was surprised how much I had to pay in fees for both ebay and paypal when I sold some fabric and a bow recently!

I hired someone else to worry for me, go to work for me, walk in my shoes, gripe about my acking back and its costing me a fourtune :!: :shock:

I'm sure it's been mentioned before but USE COUPONS!! I'm very serious, this is the way to go. I hooked up to this couponing site in October and I went from spending $400+ on groceries every month to spending less than $200/month on groceries, but with the same quality of meals.

Also, I got rid of almost everything that wasn't a necessity. I got rid of my cell phone and now use a prepaid one for emergencies only, and I got rid of my home cable and internet and got Netflix (which is a million times cheaper). I will admit that it's harder to keep myself entertained since I don't have cable and internet, but I went from benig behind on bills everything to now being on top of things AND being able to save, which is a big improvement.

thanks for the tips, i really have to start getting into coupons, there is even a thread here discussing them

The best site I've come across about coupons is hotcouponworld.com. There are threads that teach you how to use coupons (LEGALLY) in the best way to save the most money. I have "friends" on there that often get free shampoo and other items b/c they are so good at using coupons and matching them with deals. The best deal I ever got was paying 99 cents for a bag of Huggies 184-pk wipes. They are normally 5.99 at Target, but then Huggies put out an internet coupon for $5 Huggies product a few months ago, so I got 12 packs for 99 cents each.

great tips! :D

one new recipe i tried was making my own glass cleaner it works great.
1 cup water
1cup rubbing alcohol
1 table spoon of amonia

works great!!!!

The glass cleaner really works? There is no streaking residue or anything? I'll have to try that, though I don't really know where to get ammonia or how much it costs.

you can get ammonia at the dollar store (or wal mart, etc).. it's really cheap :) and in the cleaning section of stores.

A quick update to my post above from February...I've gone back to selling on Ebay. I was selling on another site, but found the sales dismal at best. Since going back to Ebay, I've made more in 2 months and sold more items in 2 months than I sold in 8 months on the other site.

I don't like Ebay's rules or fees, but it's their game, gotta play by their rules if I want to play at all!

I recently started filling out online surveys to make extra cash as well. I will be facing a huge drop in my income in 2 months (losing $6,000 a year, as well as losing a child - he's going to live with his dad, while I will still have another child here to support), so I need to find a way to help supplement my income to make up for that.

Love My Things what percentage of rubbing alcohol? It comes in different concentrations I think?

i wasnt sure either scince the recipe i found didnt state so i just purchased the 70% like in the first aid section and it works great. i stink at doing windows an glass, i always streak but it doesnt seem to be so bad with this solution.

I will try that recipie, my outside windows haven't been washed in 3 years because they have screens on them, so this weekend I think I'll give that a whirl!