Making any changes??

[MaryL]

Gas prices are crazy! Groceries are more expensive! Air travel is expensive! Are you finding that you are making changes in the way you are living...to keep pace with what's going on in our economy??

Dh and I were talking about that this week. Obviously, he's not working...so we're not taking a major vacation, etc. We are trying to be much more careful with our spending. No major purchases!

We also realized that we are combining errands...not driving as much as we used to. We don't eat out nearly as much as we had in the past...(maybe once a week now).

Ds2 is very "into" the environment. We call him "Mr. Green". :lol: (lovingly, of course!) He's really focused on recycling (which we do) and wants us to use reusable bags for groceries. I'm thinking about it...but don't have any yet.

I'm curious to find out changes other people are making...

[Amy]

We use our subaru more often because of the gas mileage

Definitely don't eat out as much as normal (from 4 times to 1 time)

We have cloth bags that we use everytime we shop. I love them and cringe everytime I see some use plastic

We recycle all our food scraps-dh made a compost bin. It has three sections, so every year we have a full composted pile of dirt.

You all know about our water tank ;)

We have no big vacation planned. I am taking dd to Disney in Sept., but that was already planned before the economy started sucking.

[AnnW]

we had already been cutting back, but i am trying to combine errands too. i use plastic, but i save them and reuse them for other stuff.
thankfully, dh gets a gas card with his job cause he is all over the city.
i am trying to keep the kids on track about turning out lights ect.

Mary, how is the job hunt going? How are you doing? I know how hard it is on the spouse.

[vea29]

We're using my car more then dbf's (better gas millage). Some carpooling to hang with friends.
Trying to by mostly sale items on food.
Putting in a new furnace this week:yippee:

[MaryL]

Mary, how is the job hunt going? How are you doing? I know how hard it is on the spouse.


Frustratingly slow...but I know that's part of the process! :tearhair: Thank God for having savings to get us through this....

I'm impatient! Of course I have faith that the right thing will come along, but it's hard to wait. I adore my dh, and know that he is submitting resumes, and keeping updated with new positions. I'm proud of him, because he considers "finding a new job" to be his job right now. That's a cool attitude to have.

I, am the silently disgruntled wife, who has her husband home for with her for the summer! LOL

Thanks for asking, and the continued prayers. I am always inspired by your dh's success in finding a great job...and I know it will happen here.

[AnnW]

I am always inspired by your dh's success in finding a great job...and I know it will happen here.


and to think he found it without looking :rolleyes: imagine what your dh can accomplish with his great attitude!!!

hang in there. just go about your normal activities like he isn't really there. give him a honey do list! ;)

[angie r]

We haven't purchased a new vehicle, which we would have done. We haven't purchased a new house, which we most likely would have. I don't drive distances like I normally would have, and that just saves me from spending the money when I get there. I really don't feel like we are suffering though. brich's job is in such a volatile area right now we don't want to add anything that we couldn't afford without it. just chugging along with less grocery money because it goes in the gas tank...

[littlesista06]

i'm saving $$ on gas being off during the summer. i have about a 15-20 mile round trip commute to school each day. BUT!!!!!!!!! please storm heaven for me. i have an interview on the 29th for a library assistant position at an elementary school close by. i really really really want this job! it's double the hours, which means benefits, and i'm still off in the summer. i could use a lot of luck.

dh has a short commute and i've always tried to make my tank of gas last 2 weeks. driving to dance 2 times a week for 6 weeks this summer hasn't helped. i don't know why the carpool didn't stay in place. i only hope it will reform this fall!

we didn't eat out very often before, and now even less. but when we do, we notice how empty the restaurants are.

mary, hang in there. i just posted the same question to you as ann did, but only in the saturday thread. lol :)

[Diane]

I use canvas bags when grocery shopping... even bought a few for my mom. We'll save gas and $$ (between $350.00 to $400.00 a month) when dh doesn't have to drive back and forth to work anymore, I'm eventually going to be getting a new car that will double the gas mileage I'm getting now. We'll use that instead of dh's car when we can. When we go somewhere were sure to run all our errands while were on that side of town instead of going back the next day just to have something to do. ;) We spend more time at home... only use the lights when we need them. We always watch tv without any lights on. We don't turn the air conditioner down as far as we did... and don't use it unless it's really hot/humid. We use to just leave it on all the time. We still eat out a lot... just easier for us and with the price of groceries it's almost as cheap for us to go out than go to all the trouble of buying/cooking it. (at least that's what we keep telling ourselves ;) ) Oh yeah... I've started clipping coupons again. ;) (I saved $8.00 on my last grocery bill)

[Melody]

We don't use the central air conditioner as much anymore, just fans and windows. Don't drive unless we have to and combine trips. Stock up on sales at the grocery stores when we can and buy in bulk. Just in general we are cutting back and I'm looking for work. Was going to do day care even though it's not my cup of tea but I found an ad the other day about house cleaning in our little town. I can make more doing that for 3 hours than I would for doing day care for one child all day. I'm calling. It said something about setting your own hours so I'm hoping to do a few hours after the kids are home from school. Since ds1 and ds2 are home 45 minutes before ds3 is out of school, I can have ds1 babysit and ds2 go get ds3. Then be home for a late dinner. Plus all day Saturday's I could work. With the money they are willing to pay, I can't pass on it but hopefully they are willing to work with me on hours.

[littlesista06]

BUT!!!!!!!!! please storm heaven for me. i have an interview on the 29th for a library assistant position at an elementary school close by. i really really really want this job! it's double the hours, which means benefits, and i'm still off in the summer. i could use a lot of luck.



ahem, excuse me... could i get some love here??!! lol i sure could use the luck. :lol:

[angie r]

ahem, excuse me... could i get some love here??!! lol i sure could use the luck. :lol:


I'll give you some honey!! I even put the 29th on my calendar to pray specifically for it. I really hope you get it and it's exactly what you want it to be!! :read: Go sista!! :yippee:

[AnnW]

ahem, excuse me... could i get some love here??!! lol i sure could use the luck. :lol:

i am so sorry sweetie, i didn't even see this. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IB is my home page and when dd forgets to use her desk top and logs on to mine, i miss posts. grrrr

[MaryL]

Sista...you will absolutely have my prayers and positive thoughts for your interview on the 29th!!! How exciting!!!!!!

[littlesista06]

:lol: Thank you! It would mean a lot for us if I got this position; not to mention, I could stop looking for others! :)

please excuse the minor temper tantrum :goofy:

[Beth/TX]

Good luck, sista!!!!

[Diane]

:lol: Thank you! It would mean a lot for us if I got this position; not to mention, I could stop looking for others! :)

please excuse the minor temper tantrum :goofy:

LOTS of prayers coming your way, sista!
Please keep us updated... :thumb:

[kat]

We're making many of the same changes here. One thing I will add is that dh and I still like to eat out, but we've started sharing a meal. We would always leave food (not really enough to bring home). Now we will just share. Hey we might even lose a pound or two.

What chaps my hide, is making changes and then being treated like an idiot by companies. My make-up is now barely bigger than a sample any more (although the packaging is a little bigger - they need that space for their brand name cause they sure wouldn't have room on the make-up container itself). Also got fabric softener last week and thought to myself, "this bottle is smaller than normal." I couldn't remember the number of ounces but did remember that it would be good for 60 loads. Well sure enough when I get home, it's 11 ounces less. As for the claim of being good for 60 loads, yeah, if I use less. By the way the cap was smaller, so I'd be sure to use less.

I gotta tell you that kinda crap pisses me off more than them being straight up honest with me: with increased gas prices we have to increase our pricing.

[Diane]

We're making many of the same changes here. One thing I will add is that dh and I still like to eat out, but we've started sharing a meal. We would always leave food (not really enough to bring home). Now we will just share. Hey we might even lose a pound or two.

What chaps my hide, is making changes and then being treated like an idiot by companies. My make-up is now barely bigger than a sample any more (although the packaging is a little bigger - they need that space for their brand name cause they sure wouldn't have room on the make-up container itself). Also got fabric softener last week and thought to myself, "this bottle is smaller than normal." I couldn't remember the number of ounces but did remember that it would be good for 60 loads. Well sure enough when I get home, it's 11 ounces less. As for the claim of being good for 60 loads, yeah, if I use less. By the way the cap was smaller, so I'd be sure to use less.

I gotta tell you that kinda crap pisses me off more than them being straight up honest with me: with increased gas prices we have to increase our pricing.

I also noticed that about my laundry soap is in a smaller container... along with the cap. :rolleyes: I'll probably get 60 loads out of it using the smaller cap but... gotta wonder if my laundry is as clean. ;)

[RCT]

ahem, excuse me... could i get some love here??!! lol i sure could use the luck. :lol:

GOOD LUCK, You will do great! Here is hoping all the stars line up in your favor!

[Melody]

Oh Sista, good luck. Sounds like the perfect job, I'll storm heaven for you! :)

[Cathy]

Sista- I'm excited for you, and I'm crossing my fingers that they choose you (on the spot, with champagne and trumpets!! LOL).

[DMS]

Good luck!

[littlesista06]

Thank youuuuu!!! :)

[Leigh]

:lol: Thank you! It would mean a lot for us if I got this position; not to mention, I could stop looking for others! :)

please excuse the minor temper tantrum :goofy:

I have you in my prayers as well.... sorry I didn't post that I did!

[JAK]

I'm so glad I got rid of my SUV right before gas prices started going through the roof. I don't know that it would be so easy to sell now. Dh drives a diesel truck and gas is well over $5 a gallon now. Even before gas prices were that high we bought him a Mini Cooper and it finally arrived a few weeks ago. Our gas budget has gone down a lot. The Mini gets twice the gas mileage his truck does and gas is $.50 cheaper a gallon! We are keeping the truck though as we need it, it just won't get driven much over here any more.

As for me, during the week I only drive to and from work and will only drive to the grocery store/check mail/run errands 1-2 days a week. I try not to drive at all at least one day a week- typically Sundays.

Our vacation was planned months ago and I have been saving cash for it since before Christmas. We stayed under budget and I still have cash in our vacation fund! :) That feels great. We didn't go to some of the places we wanted to because it was a lot more expensive.

About a year ago I started budgeting for everything and our financial lives have changed. We are not rich by any means, but we are very frugal with the money we have, save and pay cash for everything, we meal plan and don't eat out very often (if we do, it's planned.) Life has become easier for us because of this.

Sista- GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

[RCT]

cloth bags, cutting more coupons, making good meal plans and shopping lists, we make our own coffee (no more star bucks) paying down/off the debt we still have. bringing my lunch more during the week.