Recession

[Laurie919]

Are the price increases in everything changing things you do with your family?

Will it change your summer vacation plans if you had them? Does it change the way you do things like shopping?

 

[Manna]

Not really. We live very frugally anyway, so that just continues!

 

[Leanna]

The gas prices has meant that even though our income has increased, the actual take home pay has not increased because we have to make up for the cost of the long commute.

 

[Green Orchid]

We are about to get rid of one car. We can't really cut down in much more because, like Manna, we already live frugally.

 

[Green Orchid]

Leanna, that stinks.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Oh it's definitely hurting us. Our home value has gone down about 10k in the past year... despite our home being beautiful, it's just the way the market is going. Which has illiminated our option to refinance and drop our payments

Gas continues to go up. Currently where I work there is no public transportation (well there is, but it would take me approximately 2.5 hours to get to work, and the buses don't start running until 6:30, which would get me to work way too late). I have been looking for a new job in an area with better public transportation so we can illiminate one car, but so far no bites. I've sent out approx 30 applications in the last month and nothing... it's just the way the economy is right here. So many people looking for work, so few jobs available (and since I work in accounting, it doesn't help that it's already an oversaturated market).

 

[Laurie919]

I just spoke with a truck driver who said it cost him $1300.00 to fill up his truck. I can't even imagine. Of course we end up paying for that in the long run.

My car is about $60 to fill up. My new job is much closer to home so that helps a lot. I am not making as much money but I am saving a fill up a week so that is like a $1.50 an hour.

So far cost haven't changed the things we do. I am going to start looking for a new car though. I want something smaller and better on mileage.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Getting a smaller car is a good idea Laurie. If you're not too picky about the type of car you have then I highly suggest getting a Ford Focus. I know it's not a trendy car or anything like that but I have a 2001 that I bought in October and that thing is SO GOOD on gas!! I don't care that it's not fancy, it's cheap and gets awesome gas mileage (better than my husband's Subaru that is 3 years newer!)

 

[Adela]

Yeah, gas prices are depressing. I can't believe how much we have to pay just to drive a car. It's ridiculous!

We've been driving our tiny little Toyota. We can't drive our Explorer as much because it's brutal to fill it up.

We used to travel a lot on the weekends. Now we end up deciding to entertain ourselves in town.

Also, my husband just got into grad school and was given a nice teaching assistantship position. However, the pay is less than usual, because the economy is even effecting how scholarships are awarded.

 

[Laurie919]

Getting a smaller car is a good idea Laurie. If you're not too picky about the type of car you have then I highly suggest getting a Ford Focus. I know it's not a trendy car or anything like that but I have a 2001 that I bought in October and that thing is SO GOOD on gas!! I don't care that it's not fancy, it's cheap and gets awesome gas mileage (better than my husband's Subaru that is 3 years newer!)

At this point my only requirement is that it be dependable and have an ac, lol. I actually like the Focus'.

Taylor on the other hand thinks we need a mustang.

 

[3girls2dogs]

Are the price increases in everything changing things you do with your family?

Will it change your summer vacation plans if you had them? Does it change the way you do things like shopping?

It has actually changed things for the better for us, IMO. We stay home more, which means we eat dinner together more often, my kids play outside more often, and we waste less money. Plus, I have started the treadmill again, so here's hoping it will even help me lose weight.

We are trying to pay down credit cards before we move, and we are trying to save because I want new furniture for the girls when we do move.

 

[tiredwalker]

It's not really hurting us too badly at the moment. We upped our grocery budget from $60 to $80, but that's the price of living in beautiful New England...everything has to be shipped from somewhere during the winter (except apples mmmm apples).

Our little economy is pretty stable where we live. There are a lot of restrictions on putting up new houses, condos, and apartments, so companies didn't start major building projects when the housing market started to jump (like they started to do in CA where we lived two years ago). It'll just be a little harder to make a profit. Gas prices are only around $3.20 at the moment which is pretty good given the national average.

 

[Laurie919]

It's not really hurting us too badly at the moment. We upped our grocery budget from $60 to $80, but that's the price of living in beautiful New England...everything has to be shipped from somewhere during the winter (except apples mmmm apples).

Our little economy is pretty stable where we live. There are a lot of restrictions on putting up new houses, condos, and apartments, so companies didn't start major building projects when the housing market started to jump (like they started to do in CA where we lived two years ago). It'll just be a little harder to make a profit. Gas prices are only around $3.20 at the moment which is pretty good given the national average.

How many people are you feeding? $80 a week? I wonder if we could do that. I really don't know what we spend on food, I know I average about $150 at Walmart a week. That is food, cleaning supplies and "stuff".

 

[Leanna]

It has actually changed things for the better for us, IMO. We stay home more, which means we eat dinner together more often, my kids play outside more often, and we waste less money.

I love your positive take on this !

I'm going to start telling myself this

 

[Redguard]

Aside from the increase in gas prices, I don't see us being affected THAT much.

Business as usual, I guess.

 

[Manna]

It has actually changed things for the better for us, IMO. We stay home more, which means we eat dinner together more often, my kids play outside more often, and we waste less money. Plus, I have started the treadmill again, so here's hoping it will even help me lose weight.

We are trying to pay down credit cards before we move, and we are trying to save because I want new furniture for the girls when we do move.

I love your outlook!!

 

[tiredwalker]

How many people are you feeding? $80 a week? I wonder if we could do that. I really don't know what we spend on food, I know I average about $150 at Walmart a week. That is food, cleaning supplies and "stuff".

It's just preggo me and my DH. I don't buy pop or prepackaged food, so it stays pretty cheap. We do $80 a month for household stuff. We keep our budget pretty tight because we are saving money for me to stay home. I also stick to what's on sale, and we really don't waste food (which we did before we started to budget).

I'm also big into making a big pot of something from scratch so that we can freeze the leftovers (like soups and pasta sauce). It's really inexpensive and stretches food pretty far. For example, the picked over body of a baked chicken, that would normally be thrown out, with dill, onions, and garlic makes the best broth, no need for bullion.

When we lived in CA, our budget was $40 a week, but we lived in the central valley (red bell peppers for $.75 a piece instead of $3.99 a lb).

 

[Laurie919]

I am horrible at making and even trying to keep a budget. I really don't know how to do it.

We throw away so much food. It is so hard to cook for two. Sometimes eating out is cheaper.

 

[tiredwalker]

I am horrible at making and even trying to keep a budget. I really don't know how to do it.

We throw away so much food. It is so hard to cook for two. Sometimes eating out is cheaper.

It was an adjustment, but I found that planning a few meals a week helps. We also take pack lunches and usually left-overs taste better than a sandwich. You can dooooo it if you put your mind to it.

 

[Laurie919]

Our dogs eat enough scraps to feed a family. I like to make things like roast. We eat it one day with rice and gravy, one day with sandwiches, one day some other way then the dogs get it.

They really eat better than some people.