apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've been a somewhat careless spender in my few adult years. I'm starting to realize now that I have no financial security and luckily I'm young, but I can't keep going at this pace forever, especially with the way the economy is. I've decided to stick to a strict budget: I get X amount of dollars to spend each month (after factoring in rent, utilities, student loan payment and putting a big percentage into a savings account), and I'm finding it much easier to live day-to-day and realize what I can live without. I don't *really* need that candy bar, or that $15 lunch, or that cute scarf...and the list goes on. It's kind of like playing a fun game, where you feel bad if you spend all your money or you want to test yourself and see how much money you can carry over at the end of the month. If I have money left over at month's end, it goes into an easily accessible account that I can use for more expensive purchases, like travel to my friend's wedding this summer or buying something I really want. Now that I actually feel like I'm restricted my spending, I will hopefully make smarter purchases and not by things on a whim (only after I faun after something for a few months and finally have the money to buy it!).

• make almost all meals at home now & have a food journal.
• got rid of premium cable channels. when i called to get rid of cable completely? they took $30 off a month to keep me. down to $45/mo.
• learned something from this and got Verizon to do something similar.
• the wardrobe is on lockdown
• stopped sending out the laundry
• got a roommate (hugh change)

Down-sizing is exactly what this economy doesn't need right now, so instead of cutting back, I am actually trying to continue on with my previous lifestyle and will as long as I can. Figured it was sort of my duty as a still employed citizen.

oh...and one more thing:

• the library -- love not buying books anymore!

I don't 'do without' anything except fatalist thinking.

tifacola,

You are exactly right. There's a term in economics called "the paradox of thrift" and unfortunately everyone who stops spending money--even those with secure jobs who are living within their means--is contributing to it. It's gotten to where the response to everything is "not in this economy!" and it's hurting everyone from local businesses to people working at big-box chain stores.

I am not spending less, but trying to spend smarter--less on high-interest credit cards and more with cash, and trying to buy local wherever I can.

I read several rave reviews of Trader Joe's Nourish Spa shampoo online and decided to give it a try. It is less than $3.00 for 16 oz. and the ingredients are largely herbal (no sls). I really like it, and it is certainly a lot less expensive than my standard Kiehl's shampoos. Trader Joe's toiletries are generally rather good; I like their toothpaste as much/better than Tom's of Maine and am fond of their soaps and shower gels. I'll be shopping at CVS/TJ's for toiletries a lot more and Kiehl's a lot less. No problem with saving $$ for quality products.

I'm still buying organic food so my food bill is huge. We are eating out only once a month. And, we are holding off buying new carpet and paint.

Having been laid off from a job in the construction industry nearly six months ago and that industry being struck really hard, so no new jobs to be had, I've done the following:
Got two housemates to help me with the mortgage, cook at home, borrow books or check out from the library, selling all "extra" furniture and clothes either on craigslist or consignment, downgraded cable---I actually wouldn't miss it---but it's a big expense to cancel, doing lots of fix-it stuff around the house that I would have paid a handyman to do now that I have time to figure it out, "baby sitting" friends' dogs for cash . . .

We started cutting back when my hubby lost his job last April. The shopping is cut to almost none - limited to replacing the completely worn out, necessity items or gifts (home-made or sale) and the groceries are always sale items. But we still go out to eat - it is actually cheaper for the two us to go out (minus alcohol) than go to the store to make the same stuff. Now that my family business is gone (after 56 yrs), let the cuts continue. He has contract work, but who knows how long that will last. Next goes the cable, the speedy internet, home phone - cells will do just fine... Sucks to be a mid-westerner these days. Unfortunately it's not fatalist thinking, but reality. The rest of the country is just getting a taste of what it has been like around here for years. I will take all the positive thoughts I can get!

Most of my changes are in trying not to be so wasteful. I try to only buy as many groceries as I can possibly use before they go bad, bringing my lunch to work, not eating out unless there's a special reason or literally NOTHING to cook at home . . . Not buying any new books until I read the ones I have, not buying new clothes and instead trying to wear old ones I've shoved to the back of my closet...

Surprisingly, I don't really feel like I'm "doing without" anything... in fact, I feel like I'm getting more use out of what I have!

1. We don't have a land line.
2. We don't have television or netflix (library rents movies for free).
3. There are two of us living in a one bedroom apartment, which saves a ton.
4. We cook a lot at home, especially using our garage sale deep fryer...yum.
5. The only money we really spend is on food, both groceries and occasionally eating out, so no buying what we don't need.

But, it's not the economy that has made us live like this. It has always been us living in simple luxury with no lazy-man's extras like cable, sending out laundry, or having a cleaning person. Oh, and not having children helps.

tifacola,
I definitely agree with you, even though I am cutting down on my spending I'm doing it so I can save money for a condo down payment. That dream cannot be realized if I keep piddling money away, unfortunately. I want to spend money, just on something substantial!

l am actually NOT cutting back

l've been laid off since mid- Jan....with nothing but time to re-do my condo with all the fab ideas l would look at on here whilst at work, as business slowed to a halt!!

Seriously.... l had been saving up to have a handy man do jobs like a very well done interior paint job, new bathroom, and closet demolition, which will now be done by me.....for free!

And the $$$ i save will go to the Z-Gallerie who's outlet is bound to be brimming with sofas and such at 75% off.

l find deals everywhere so l spend.....l have been saving for this project since 2005, so l am out there spending some $$$..... and getting more quantity or or higher quality for much less than l have budgeted for.

l'm happy to be "stimulating" the home furnishings and decor industry at a much needed time!

l even gave a a

I have found a great way to save. In the media room, I have 12 electronic whatevers plugged into two electrical strips. It's easy to switch the strips off. Since I started doing that, it looks like I'm saving a dollar a day in electricity. And I don't care that it's unplugged while no one is using it. My electric bill just plunged. I was shocked. It will be year before I know for sure.

A plugged in microwave costs $3 a month to run.

I think I am actually buying more things in the past few months, but paying a lot less for them. There are a lot more bargains out there and I have been able to cheaply acquire a number of things that I have wanted for years (but was reluctant in the past to pay the going prices for them). The places where I buy things has changed - I am buying more from craigslist, etsy, bonanzle and ebay and fewer items retail. There are some great bargains out there and I have found a number of high quality, gently used merchandise at great prices. I have been slowly going through my things and purging things I don't want or need (some things I sell and others I give away), so I would say that the overall quality of things that I have is going up although the amount of stuff is approximately staying the same.

I have been eating out less and planning meals at home more carefully. I preferred eating at home to eating out anyway, but I am more mindful now about planning meals.

I realized my biggest expense for a long time was food - we are two people working in Manhattan and I realized if we both spent $15 or more each a day on breakfast and lunch we were spending A LOT, and that didnt include weekend food spending, dinners during the week, or restaurants, or alcohol. This has been adding up to I'm sure well over a thousand dollars a month. It seems CRAZY, but I'm sure there are others out there in the same boat.
So I'm committed to cooking - I'd say 90% of our meals at home, packing lunch, etc.
I feel by making this change over the past couple of months, plus cutting back on some other areas (asking myself - do I really need this?) we have been able to save SO much money.
I understand the point about if everybody spends less, then the economy starts tanking. But now that I've seen the money I'm saving, I can never go back to the wasteful spending as before.

I've also emptied and donated endless items from my home and closets and I'm much more selective in what I bring inside.

We would like to buy a house in about a year and I feel by doing all this, we will be much better prepared to buy a better home.

We do spend money on the following luxuries:
*cable - although a quick call to Comcast knocked over $50 off our cable-internet cost per month for the next 12 months. Call if you havent already!
*laundry service
*we've recently acquired my husbands old car and all of the monthly associated costs. This is because he recently moved his job to the suburbs (gasp!). Before this, we only used public transportation for about 6 years.

We have made small changes. No more cases of water and sodas but using the Brita pitcher religiously and refilling our water bottles. No weekly bar bills - but inviting people over to drink wine by the fireplace or in the garden. And they reciprocate - and we are having some fun. No spring vacation this year. We may still have jobs and money is not tight - but it is hard to watch investments plummet and not feel the need to save some money.

amongst things like trying to cook and entertain at home more, i am trying out paperbackswap.com to see if i can cut down on buying new books and find a good home for books that i don't have the space to hold on to.

I've cut back on eating at restaurants, and I've rid myself of the habit of filling up free time with shopping.

Also, I've been using my DVD rental service more than just buying any movie I like.

Another thing I've done is really looking at sale items and generic brands for things that I'm not picky about.

I've been cutting back 25-50% on some specific things but still find myself conflicted about the loss in tax revenue any cutbacks present for my favorite local communities (I'm a big fan of the local firefighters... g).

I've tackled some smaller upholstery & seamstress jobs myself (but am still having a bed frame custom-made).

Taking breakfast and lunch with me to the office instead of buying out.

Cutting back dinners out with friends and doing more entertaining at home.

Giving up credit cards in favor of cash (and I've made some stunning deals based on cash-only buying).

Vacations, saving those for visiting family & friends (where I don't have to spend on a hotel), and figure my business travel offsets some of the hotel loss.

I've cut back some, on my book buying, but now I favor a local bookstore that I genuinely want to see survive this economic period.

I prepaid big bills, property taxes, property insurance, etc., so if I DID lose my job I wouldn't be worried about those expenses again until next year.

And, for the first time, I'm seriously thinking about taking in a roommate so I can save more money. Giving up that privacy would be a huge adjustment though, it might be worth it, it's an opportunity to save another $1,000 a month easily.

We're doing without some things (less shopping, more $$ tracking), but we live a VERY minimalistic lifestyle already, so there isn't much wiggle room. We are planning better. For example, I go grocery shopping once a week. I get ONLY what I need for that week. If I am close to using the last of the toothpaste tube, but I have enough for a week, for example, I wait a week. Same for food (with meal planning), whatever. It has saved us SO much money - I couldn't believe it at first.

KWorld--thanks. I had just paid a bunch of bills online and then read your post and thought, "Bonanzle? What's that? Is there a new source beyond Craigslist and eBay I don't know about?"

I now have a vintage lamp (my obsession) on its merry way to brighten my home. A Bonanzle seller is now $16 richer, and the UPS guy has at least one customer to deliver a package to.

No more Amazon Prime. It enabled very bad impulse purchases.

No meals from fast food chains - our greasy spoon restaurants are suffering. We go out twice a week.

No frozen entrees. Steam bag vegetables are ok, but all the other crap is making us fat.

I'm spending more on DIY tools and raw material - there are great values.

I'm using the exercise toys I've bought. Elliptical machines really are boring.

No shipping fees. I can spend $200 on an antique hunt and bring home a carload of fun stuff or I can spend $200 on one item and have buyer remorse by the time it arrives.

Oh, and no eBay. Too many personal reasons.

I'm trying to bring more frozen entrees to work for lunch rather than eat out (Doc says I need to watch my cholesterol anyway - So it's easier to read the labels and keep my portions down by bringing my lunches too) Also cutting down on my Chinese Deliveries - that helps the cholesterol counts too.

I recently joined a local Wine Club - therefore fewer evening$ out after work for drink$, plus their monthly Wine Club pick-up night events are discounted and fun times to get out socially.

Watching more free movies On-Demand rather than Pay-Per-View.

Taking more swims and saunas in my building - which is relaxing and also warms me up in the evenings so I don't feel the need to turn on the heat as much.

I'm not cutting back on wardrobe expenses - I need to look the part in my work, I look for the same salespeople in the shops which they appreciate and provide me great service and I'm getting great prices.

I'm also not cutting back on my cruise travel either - there are some great fares right now and if anything happens to my job, I can cancel or defer my cruises and not lose any money.

Let's see... as a recently and unexpectedly unemployed person I have had to change alot of habits. Actually, and thankfully, I made many of these changes earlier so that my cost of living is low enough to live on my unemployment compensation. I downsized from a 3-bedroom townhouse with basement to a 1-bedroom apartment, got rid of everything that didn't fit into my tiny amount of closet/storage space, gave alot to charity, sold alot at resale shops, mostly cook at home, have a priority list for any purchases and stick to it, stay out of stores, go to the library, do free things like walk outside and spend time with people. I don't feel deprived, I enjoy living more simply. I will certainly have a greater appreciation for my income when I get a new job.

I am living without instant gratification.

I am living without debt and so is my significant other, so everytime we hear about DEBT, what we live with is a big pat on the back! :)

It's been 6 months since I bought my first home with my S.O. ... so downsizing hasn't really happened, but I guess we're tighter with our money b/c the big purchase is our "excuse"/reasoning to not spend anywhere else. Being homeowners is a life goal of ours, so we won't cheat ourselves out of it by overspending. We eat dollar menu items if it's fast food. We don't visit the same place twice in a year when dining out and we eat out once a month. We each have a "me" allowance of $60.00 per week, and we get it in cash... this covers everything that is a luxury... nonwork clothes and shoes, beer/wine, luxury dinners, makeup, jewelry, and almost everything else. personally I save my allowance to purchase big luxury items like a new mattress and tv's, it takes less than 6 months to do so!

I used to be a poor undergrad student, so now I'm a poor graduate student. The economy hasn't really changed my lifestyle, but it has pretty much killed any dream of getting a real job.

I've always pretty much been a believer in doing without what I don't need. So I haven't had to change much and have money saved up just in case. I own a small one-bedroom with my partner and we don't own a car, which saves TON. It's amazing how much money other people spend on transportation.

We have reconsidered redoing our bathroom though. And we bought a worm bin so we'd have better plant food for our windowsill herbs and spices, making cooking at home more tempting.

My credit card.

That shit's been maxed out.

I hate being rubber-check poor.

I haven't really cut back since I am just now (this week!) starting my first "real job" with benefits.

What has changed *maybe* is the type of job I am doing- I originally had planned on being self employed or only working part time running my business full time. Now my business is still part time.

I'm currently doing some "zero-cost" decorating. Through Craigslist, I've been selling old furniture and other items we don't need or want to upgrade, and using the money towards new (to me) furniture and accessories from other sellers. This process has opened my eyes to other items around the house that we don't need and are cluttering our home that we can either sell for cash for things we DO need, or donate to people that need them. It's very cathartic, not to mention budget-friendly!

nothing, I lived within my limited means when the economy was flush and do the same now, if anything we've been able to do more as there are more sales for things we have had our eyes on and there are more people willing to do trades for services. Best thing I ever did was get rid of all but one emergency credit card seven years ago and always putting aside money every paycheck no matter how small the total paycheck was. Everytime I get new items I sell or give away things and I've always preferred modifying things myself.

I've always been tight so I haven't changed anything.

We're saving up to lay wooden floorboards in our flat, but I recently bought three giant Persian rugs from eBay and a fleamarket to cover the ugly carpet in the meantime. This is what I always would have done.

I have lived frugally since my divorce and I am happier in many ways. Easy changes for me:

1) Meal plan and buy only what I need so as to avoid spoilage and cut out overprocessed foods. I also buy bulk and store in easy to access pantry jars.

2) I eat out for special occasions only.

3) I buy gifts, clothing & household items from Value Village, online classifieds Kijiji, Etsy and any other thrift store, yard sale or bazaar that is in my neighbourhood. I like to wait for the right items and that way I appreciate it that much more.

4) Basic Cable as opposed to the wide range of options.

5) I wash clothes in cold water & line dry when the weather permits. This also avoids much dryer shrinkage.

6) I love books and I still buy them but from thrift stores, second hand bookstores or used online from Abebooks.

7) My sister is a farmer so I get local veggies cheaply.

"The trick to being happy is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you have"

I agree with some above - if we all stop spending, this economy goes down farther. So for the most part, we haven't stopped our lifestyles here - it's the same as last year (except for a savings fund we started for a house in a few years).

Little things....

-Staying in the same apartment since when we mentioned moving, they took off $30 on every month's rent.
-Trying not to buy extras shopping - and a major reason for this is I don't need it.
-Driving on vacation and traveling with others.

Personally I'm not affected by the economic downturn (and I don't live in the USA), so I haven't changed my spening habits. That said, my husband and I made a budget about 2 years ago to know where our money is going, to see where we can save and but some money aside. But we have always lived within our means and don't have a car or house to pay and no debt. All that is happening now has only confirmed to me that I'd much rather have less and live within my means, then worrying about how I can pay the bills at the end of the months.

I am actually doing better than I have been in quite some time right now, and I feel very fortunate about that.

Rather than cutting back, I have had extra money for the first time in awhile. We recently started putting almost my entire paycheck into savings for a house, but other than that, I like to give my extra money to family businesses whenever I can--I know that they are really struggling right now and it makes me sad.

I agree with tifacola on this one- I kind of feel like it's my duty as well to do what I can because I know so many people who CAN'T right now, and that is really scary.

I recall that before the election a lot of people had those lovely pictures of Obama on their walls. Suckers!

We bought a new house this year, so we haven't been able to not spend. We have finished the basement and have made sure we buy North American (I am in Canada) The money I am able and am spending I want to make sure helps the people close to me. With the new furniture bought and the new house, we do eat more at home, but we also enjoy our living space. We installed a home theatre, so we rent more movies than we go out to see. We entertain more at home. We haven't stopped spending but we have adjusted our spending into different things.

these days, there's nothing like having money in the bank, however little it is -- that is the most opulent furnishing I can think of. Like shag carpeting for the brain.

I'm doing without curtains.
My windows already have beautiful 1910s wood trim, so I made paper flowers and vellum fans and strung them up around the edges.

People say it is expensive to eat healthy, but it can actually be dirt cheap if you kinow what to make. I eat a lot of rice, soups made in the crock pot, fajitas, sweet potatoes, kale, and fish. Also, I work at a restaurant, so that takes care of 1 meal/day.

Instead of cable or Netflix or renting movies, I get DVDs and books on tape from the library.

Also, I got rid of most of my car insurance. Scary, but the money is just not there. Unfortunately, public transportation in the rural South is not an option.

I'm with ticafola and madsarah on this one -- it is painful to see all the small business, the mom and pop lunch counters, suffering because even people who have not lost their jobs, are cutting down.

I try especially to support small businesses, and try to avoid contributing to the economic tailspin.

ebanfield,

Your point is...? You are really trying to blame someone who's been in office only 6 weeks for the complete meltdown of the global financial markets and the American economy? Nice. Maybe we should talk about the major surplus Bush inherited that he turned into the biggest deficit in history and all the deregulation that got us to where we are now. We are in a colossal mess that has been brewing for years and is not in any way Obama's fault. Give it up.

This whole political thread sucks. American greed created the financial hell-hole we now find ourselves in. It's like the emperor's new clothes or Walt Kelly's once and brilliant Pogo Possum: "We have met the enemy, and he is us." Get over yourselves and your vapid political opinions, and answer the question that was asked. Better yet, if you're so bloody politically astute, get off your lazy bottoms and run for office. DO something, make a difference. Participate.

I was a poor college student and poor grad student. After getting a Master's degree I earned less than 20k a year. Now, after five months of being unemployed, we don't have anything left to cut back. My partner and I spend on essentials: rent, utilities, college debt, and groceries. That means no car, no health insurance for me, no savings, no home decor purchases.

I'm not doing anything. Our personal economy hasn't been affected much. I am actually keeping track of how much I spend every month (I didn't before this year) but that has more to do with my new years resolution than the economy.

I am not noticing much difference in the stores I shop at either. The resturants here are still packed, the stores still have plenty of shoppers.

Any money in our 401k and investments that we lost were on paper only. We didn't overpay for our house- and we bought a house that was firmly in our price range and got a mortgage that we can pay back.
I have every reason to believe that we will rebound from this down turn. I blame Bush and the republicans for their "culture of greed" much more than Obama who has inherited this mess.

I just wish that when this economy comes back that we all remember how to do more with less- so this doesn't come back to bite us in the butt 10 years down the road.

Ummm, at the moment, we are spending more: moving to a bigger place and getting new furniture.

But once we're moved in, I will have an actual kitchen and the constant flow of food delivery men will finally come to an end.

ebanfield, seriously? You're blaming a guy who's been in office for 6 weeks for something that's been brewing for years? Get it together.

In terms of "doing without," I don't know if I'm going to have to move for job reasons, and I'm waiting for a few months to get a dresser from IKEA. My budget would absolutely allow for that right now, but it just seems like I can do without one until I know more about my job situation.

In terms of drastic changes to my lifestyle, this is the first time in my life with the amount of money that I have. I'm a first year teacher fresh out of undergrad, and even after rent/horse's board/car, I still feel ok. It boggles my mind when I think about some of the greed and gluttony that got us into this mess. My life is pretty simple in terms of my material possessions, though not quite as drastic as the picture in the beginning of the post -- my bedroom has a bed and a little bureau; my living room has a tiny table, two chairs, a cedar chest used as a coffee table, a couch, and some bookcases; the second bedroom/office has a desk and a bookcase. I like it.

Sometimes I wish I could splurge and buy fabulous art for my walls, put in some interesting storage in the kitchen, buy a sewing machine and a power drill, etc. But I can't justify that now -- just more crap to move if I have to. Darn economic instability.

The best thing for me is when shopping, always asking myself "do I NEED this? will I USE this? or will I be happier knowing I didn't buy something that would go to waste?"

worked wonders when the jeans I wear were on sale. and when i find cool sneakers. i do NOT need new shoes.

39520expat,

Point taken, but as the majority of comments on this thread demonstrate, people ARE participating--either by spending in their local markets or taking greater personal responsibility for their finances and vowing never again to contribute to the culture of greed that many of us were part of, unwittingly or not, over the past decade or more. I see many reasons to be cheerful when I read these posts.

We eat out less, that also helps with the diet part too.

I have always used coupons and my hubby has to cut down on his cigars.

Maybe we can't blame it on Obama (yet,) but let's just wait and see if he's really as wonderful as he thinks he is. All of this hype over a man who thinks he's the chosen one- and no substance to back it up...

I say live within your means.
Cut out all of the clutter in our lives.
Start focusing on the PEOPLE around us, not the things that don't matter.

tifacola and madsarah,

Okay, for starters? There is no such thing as a secure job. Not anymore. Not in any country, city, town, or industry. Don't kid yourselves. And it's not like the expenses we already have aren't RISING (insurance, transportation, food, etc).

Those of us that have been struggling for years before this recession was "declared" are not really changing it up, thank you very much. Still buying second-hand (not just for price, but also for the environment, style and quality--H&M is McDonald's for clothes) and decorating my new apartment with C-list finds and curb stuff. It's nice to want to support small business, but it is not reality for a lot of people right now. Why does it have to be 'fatalist' to be realistic?

"All of this hype over a man who thinks he's the chosen one- and no substance to back it up..."

He never called himself the "chosen one" - those were Oprah's words...
...and he's got one heck of alot more substance than a Silver-spooned draft-dodger who failed at every business he's ever participated in and allowed himself to be used as a puppet but the Neo-Cons who wanted to destroy this country - and the guy who left his first wife shortly after he returned home from Vietnam, got the marriage certificate to the rich second wife before the divorce from wife #1 was final - and can't keep track of how many homes and cars he and his wife own, but calles the other guy an "Elite".

chartreuse, way to go with the head in the sand approach!!

We've gone without our walk to our Sunday brunch bistro for 4 months now. I miss it. A LOT. It was an important ritual for us.

We've always been really thrifty so the economic change isn't really affecting us. The only thing that has changed is that we planned to have had our first child by now and if we were to do that, we'd basically be draining our savings. So, until things pick up a little more, we have to postpone our family. :(

honestly, I've always been pretty thrifty. I've always had a roommate (although I could afford the apt by myself), never had cable, got the cheapest gym membership (20/month) and made most meals at home. Also dropped the landline a while ago, although I did get DSL at about the same time.

This year, although I am still employed, I decided with the bf to cook more and eat out less (only on special occasions, or occasional brunch or dinner with friends), skip my yearly foreign vacation, see less opera and theater, and forego my yearly designer handbag purchase.

The phrase "dead horse" feels like a knife in the heart. Already suffering the widespread ripple effects of natural disasters of draught and fire, horse owners are relinquishing beloved pets in overwhelming numbers. I get notices of adoptable horses everyday and sadly, I can't be their rescuer. Pets of all types are suffering. I have always been miserly, second hand clothes, cut my own hair, have a truck older than most of you. Material deprivation isn't too worrisome to me, but the suffering of people and animals is hard to bear.

Other than making sure I keep to our budget and our goal of getting out of debt not a whole lot. I am keeping our goal of getting out of debt clearly in mind when I make the menu and do the grocery shopping. Its a lot easier to pass on the ice cream when I look at my goal and my waistline.

Um, Hardcore Souma, you are wrong. Have you ever heard of the public sector? Or a university?

Twenty-five percent of the people in my small city work for the university, the city, or the state, and the majority of them ARE recession-proof--tenure or contracts prevent them from facing the risk of job loss. I understand this is not the same in every community, but it is possible for many of us to find jobs that contribute to "basic" societal needs. And I say this as someone who has lost three jobs in the private sector over the course of my career--one within the last nine months. It's only in the past four months that I have found work that enables me to breathe easier.

And even with my own employment more secure now, I shop the way you do plenty of the time. I understand the pressures of rising costs of everything. Apart from day-to-day expenses, I have two kids to put through college in only a few years. What little money I had been able to set aside for them is now worth just that--very little. One thing that I am instilling in them is the importance of becoming "doers" with tangible skills--graphic design, carpentry, writing, and so on. I believe that people who can actually produce things others want--and do it freelance or solo if they have to--are going to come out least damaged by this current crisis.

Kate(NC) having lost my horse to cancer, I totally agree that the phrase "dead horse" really stings.. I know that horse and pet owners are suffering and I wish I could help. Horses can be like any pet - part of the family. It's so sad.

As for my response to this topic -
I'm bringing my lunch to work every day now. I used to go out several times a week for lunch. I'm not buying new clothes or things for the home. I cheat every now and then but I've significantly cut my spending.

We've been eating at home more (always an easy money saver) and I just canceled my gym membership. I was going very rarely, and honestly, I just prefer walking to pretty much any other form of exercise.

I gave up the maid :/ ooooooohhhh it hurts, it hurts.

In thinking about how to answer this question I decided that we are not doing with out as much as changing the timing of major purchases. Such as, instead of the Saarinen Dining Table - 60 in with a white marble top that I have been lusting after since oh about 1968, the 6K went to a new Apple Computer for work.

This thread had become a little depressing.

I like to think of "Doing Without" as a positive. For example, I am currently "Doing Without" a dining table. I would rather eat on the coach for a while and save for something I really want then settle for something of lesser quality.

I like to celebrate the things I do have, and not what's missing.

I am not really cutting back and it has less to do with the economy but more to do with my bad spending habits and the environment.

I sold my car, I walk everywhere now or take the bus. I got rid of cable, use HULU now, and netflix. Bought a little hand-crank washer so no more laundromat or using electricity on that.

I buy a lot more local stuff and a lot less from box stores. I think stimulating the local economy will be beneficial in both the short and long term and is better for the bigger picture.

I haven't had a TV for !% years now. Saves a lot of time I can invest in more productive activities.

The caption for the photo with this post confuses me--"An extreme example of doing without?". Let's see, a lovely Bertoia chair--inside a home--nice garden setting, wooden floors, electricity. What was the point of that caption?

I agree, this is a horrible time to cutting back or "doing without" something. I too have been continuing to spend money, mostly on fixing up/cleaning up the house.

I'm doing without worrying.

olegrrl, you got rid of car insurance??? Isn't that ILLEGAL? I feel sorry for whoever you hit.

This is depressing me too. I've actually been cutting back for a while to pay off some debt related to medical bills. There's not much left to cut back on. My clothes are starting to wear out because I haven't bought any in so long, so I forsee a big expense on the horizen.

I'm currently dieting, so my food bills have gone up, but I've been doing my best to only spend money on rent, food, utilities, internet, phone, pet care, and human health care. The internet and library provide all the home entertainment I could ever want.

@ Lexo - she said she got rid of MOST of her car insurance, not all of it. Probably downgraded from full to liability only.

I've sold a ton of my DVDs, books that are no longer interesting, and tchockes to a used book store for credit and cash. I've gone through a ton of my goods and donated them to the Goodwill.

Clearing the clutter and figuring out what is REALLY important in my life is what I'm doing now. Evaluating what I bring in and deciding if spending the money is worth it, most of the time it's not.

Boyfriend and I have also stopped eating Sunday breakfast out and so now he cooks. I find it much more enjoyable anyway drinking a cup of coffee on the couch in my jammes than getting ready in a rush to beat the church crowd to IHOP.

'doing without' has been kind of an enjoyable relief for us.
we live without credit card debt, useless stuff we don't need, and excess.
we swap mags and books with friends, and barter talents: i'll do alterations and sewing for a friend who can fix my e-mail, etc. we take turns hosting potlucks instead of going out. we find stuff we need at value village, and enjoy fixing it up (ie, we need new dining chairs and will be painting some cool mismatched ones we picked up cheap). i kind of love value village and garage sales, actually.
we're redoing the look of our apartment, and i'm recycling fabrics to make cushion covers out of. AND making a quilt! we have craft nights together with friends instead of going out, and have themed movie-rental nights with friends (instead of going out to the movies). next movie night: best 80's teen flicks!
overall, we're more social, and still buying; it all just more conscientious and meaningful.
we're looking at getting rid of cable next - who needs all the commercials anyway! ugh.

Thus far, I haven't lived any differently than I lived before this. The SO lost his job in September but, as he worked in a manufacturing facility, they let him go as a "displaced worker" which qualifies him for re-training opportunities in the form of an all expenses paid two year vacation complete with a college education. The difference between his income and unemployment checks was made up in large part by him ceasing the incessant lunches out and his hardcore vending machine habit. But we never lived at our means to begin with, let alone above them. I budgeted to put away 1/3 of our income when we moved (because I have a pathological fear of not having a healthy savings account) - so when he lost his job, that dropped to about 1/4 of our income...we don't have premium channels on the cable, but we do pay for the HD package. I don't have an internet package on my cell phone, but I never thought I needed one anyway. We aren't big on going out for movies and I love to cook at home. We have one car, and it's used, which is OK since we do our own maintenance. Neither of us have credit cards. We still keep our gym membership, even though a series of colds and sinus infections has kept me away from the gym for nearly a month now. Instead of renting movies, we're good friends with our TIVO and download the rest....

I haven't noticed a change to our lifestyle, but I think that's because we've always lived like it was an economic recession.

Well, I'm always more-or-less thrifty, so I haven't changed anything much yet. I adapt to the times. What am I doing without? Retirement. My retirement funds have not and never will amount to anything, and I will have to work until I croak -- which is only disturbing when I think about it. So I try not to.

I always have worn thrift shop clothes, and I never pay retail for anything if I can help it. No vast wardrobe of shoes, no mountains of fancy cosmetics, no movies out, etc.

In order to cut back on gas spending/emissions on my work commute, I recently moved from an urban neighborhood in San Diego to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, which is a small beach community in the northern part of San Diego County. Doing so cut my drive time from 25 minutes to 7 minutes. Much better!

Unfortunately, rent in my new beachy neighborhood is more expensive. In order to keep my rent from increasing beyond my means, I decided to move into a nice finished basement I found on Craigslist for $890/mo, only $40 more than before. My area consists of:

~living room - 16' x 14.5'
~full bathroom
~bedroom - 10' x 10.5'
~laundry room (yesssss!)
~office 'nook' - about 4' x 2.5'
~ocean view
~a surprising amount of sunlight thanks to skylights/windows
~1/2 of 2-car garage

My last place had more upgrades (granite, hardwood, storage built-ins), but this new place has comparable space, it's clean, and has lots of potential. My friends in this area say that I've found quite the bargain!

If you're wondering what any of this has to do with what I'm living 'without', please note that the list above does not include a kitchen. That's right -- no kitchen!

So, instead of parking my car in the garage, I turned my half into a makeshift kitchen complete with mini-fridge, foreman grill, toaster oven, rice cooker, microwave, crockpot....but no sink or stove.

Having no stove and washing dishes in the bathroom was annoying at first, but now I'm used to it, and my 'kitchen' turned out pretty darned awesome.

tenderoni, you should take a picture so we can see your makeshift kitchen. You are very creative to figure that out and now I will never complain about not having a dishwasher again--at least I have a kitchen with a sink!

Doing without:

a sofa
dinning area
chairs
enough book shelves
a microwave
dish towels
a big enough chest of drawers
bathroom cabinets
matching towels
rugs
throw pillows
a toaster


Sheesh, how do I survive?