Remember Chicken Little's famous words? This time he's right. The sky IS falling. Have ya'll been watching the stuff with the economic crisis? We've been glued to the news, catching the votes for the "infamous" bailout and wondering what will happen to everyone. Now, whether you're for the bailout or not isn't the question today. Today I'm wondering how most of us will feel the pinch. This morning for the first time I heard someone say...yes, we are in a recession. We already know the price of a gallon of gas is over the top and let me tell you, my grocery bill has doubled. What about you?I've been thinking about this a lot and even more so over the past few weeks when all of this came down and yes, the sky fell. We have Christmas coming and gifts to buy on top of the little day to day things that once cost so little but now cost so damn much.
We have a kid in college and another heading there. How about you? I suspect, like everything else, the price of a college education will go up too especially when you factor in living expenses...food and housing.
The big ginormous banks are going under fast and everyone says it is hitting main street too. How are you seeing this effect you in your world? What, to you, are you seeing hit the hardest? For me, just a trip to the grocery store blows my mind. Went a few days ago and spent over $400. Granted I picked up one or two items that I DID NOT NEED...like some pumpkin spice candles and the new Christine Feehan book but other than that it was food and cleaning supplies. That's just awful. I've noticed the prices of just everything going up.
Have ya'll sat around your kitchen table lately talking about ways to cut back on things? We've been thinking that even the little things have a way of adding up. We've switched to energy saving light bulbs and are careful about keeping lights out if we aren't in a room. We all drive gas-saving cars. We don't travel nearly as much as we once did. Now we can add the holidays to the deal.
ARGH! Yep. I agree with Chicken Little...the sky is FALLING!
14 comments:
I find that I'm "helping" my kids more and more often. My daughter's electric/heating bill averaged $1400 every two months LAST year. No telling what it will be THIS year. Don't know what else can go up...
The kids have noticed the meals aren't as 'gourmet' as they were last year, mainly because we can't afford extra ingrediants. I subscribe to a free recipe e-zine, and usually try out new recipes every month. But lately, I'm sticking with the 'meat and potatoes' meals. Once a week, I'll make something special if the kids are craving something else, like my Wolfgang Puck chicken recipe, or homemade stroganoff.
I've noticed that while I'm spending the same amount every week, the amount of items are considerably less. One of our priorities next week is a return to our favorite butcher to restock the freezer! Then maybe I can 'fancy it up' again, and get some variety back. When I get to the point where I'm even tired of eating what I cook, I know it's time to try to spend a little more on groceries:)
And I've been restricted to half a tank of gas (when the van is running! It's getting fixed next week) unless I have to take the kids to Grandma's, and then we fill it up.
I suspect lots of people will struggle with heating bills this winter. Hoping for a mild winter so it doesn't just kill everyone to stay warm.
I've been buying groceries for the WEEK...just what we need and trying to avoid frills (although THAT doesn't always work). This winter things like SOUPS and STEWS will provide a number of meals for not much money.
Oh. One other thing we're thinking about. We've been really tempted to buy a freezer to put in the garage. We can stock up of things when they are on sale. That could be an investment that would save money in the long run.
We're drowning in this mess. Everything is outrageous and it keeps getting worse.
This is what I do to try and save money if anyone is interested. It does not really save much by doing this but every little bit helpw. I go to walmart.com and look at the free samples page they have up and then if I see anything of interest, I fill out the form for free items. It usually takes 4-6 weeks to get them though. Sometimes they have free samples of toothpaste and female products, laundry soap, which unfortunately is not vry big. Well anyways if you check out the page you can see what they have.
I LOVE my deep freeze:) Especially when it's stuffed with frozen meats and veggies:)
We also stock up on canned goods and staples at our local Aldis. Thank god I also have a basement where I can store stuff.
Great idea on Wal Mart samples, Lee Anne.
I've been using the plastic grocery store bags as small trash can liners. They fit perfectly and you can just tie them up when full.
I've never been big on studying my grocery store receipts when I get home and now I do. You should see my eyes bug out at some of the stuff that has gone sky high. Milk??? Awful. Eggs. Horrible.
I REFUSE to pay more than $3 for milk. Our CVS has it perpetually on sale for $2.99 per gallon, while in the stores its closer to $4. Occassionally I'll find it 2/$5, and we'll stock up and freeze it. Eggs, I only buy when they're around $1.
I miss my friend back home, who raised chickens. She was always giving me eggs!
And I recycle the W/M bags the same way:) Makes it easy the night before trash day! And the extra's I take back to the store and put in the bin.
We don't eat out much anymore at all. My grocery bill is terrible, and the bad thing is that my grocery store puts "LOW PRICE" on stuff that has gone up! Isn't that awful? I know my prices, and they don't put NEW low price, so they aren't lying, but still.
Christmas will be bare bones this year, I think, just the parents and the kid.
The price of gas is killing me. I drive about 300 miles a week just going back and forth to work every day. And in my little town, just about all the gas stations have no gas. I have the option of working from home but I haven't gotten to in a few weeks. That's going to change. If I can work at least 2 days a week from home that would help.
I eat a hot lunch at work so for dinner I usually eat a sandwich or some soup. I've cut way back on the grocery buying.
Normally when we go down to my brother's in Mississippi, we fly but this year we are going to ride Amtrak. It's a longer trip but it is alot cheaper.
Today at work my best friend and two other employees were laid off. Then we had a meeting where we were told we would all be taking a 10% mandatory pay cut, and should be thankful that WE were not let go as well. I have been assigned the jobs of two of the employees that are gone, as well as the one they were already paying me to do. Now I get to do the jobs of three people for less than the salary of one.
So yeah, we're feeling it too. Michigan sucks.
XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel
we've had family members laid off, another who's self employed and getting very few jobs, barely getting the bills paid. We've been cutting back in little ways too. Going to the cheaper stores for clothes, waiting for things to go on sale, then stocking up. Buying in bulk. Getting larger quantities, then splitting with family members...it's crazy!
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