(NaturalNews) It’s the dreaded "R" word, and all economic indicators point that way. Borrowing for the war continues. The housing sector is still in free-fall. Financial markets are jittery. Unemployment took the biggest upswing since 9/11. Gas and heating oil prices show no signs of abating, and the cost of transportation impacts all consumer goods. What to do?
Congress and the administration are working together to draft a tax rebate package, but chances are taxpayers won’t see a check for several months, meaning there is no relief in sight any time soon. And this rebate will only apply to households in the 15% bracket, meaning an income of at least $41,000. If you are one of the lucky ones, rather than spend your windfall, it might be wise to apply it to paying down high-interest bills. If you are among the roughly 30 million people nationwide who fail to benefit from this good news, how will you survive the hard times ahead?
Begin by determining what you can and cannot control. At the most basic level, you have no control over income, only expenses, which brings us to the "F" word: Frugal. The frugality measures I am about to suggest may seem foreign, but be assured that they are do-able. I have been practicing them all my life!
For instance, you have no control over the price of heating oil, but you control your thermostat. Turn it down to 62-65 and dress appropriately for the season. Don’t worry that your infant or toddler will be cold. Sixty-eight degrees is the ideal ambient temperature for human beings. Warmly dressed, we soon get used to cooler temps. Close off unused rooms; no point in burning dollar bills in rooms where nobody goes. Come summer, take the same attitude with your cooling system. After all, would you rather be hot or hungry?
Combine errands that require the use of a car. Again, you can’t control fuel costs but you can change your driving habits. Carpool to work if you can. When possible, use public transportation, bike, or walk. You’ll save money and drop some pounds, and your body will thank you.
Where else can you economize? Let’s look at foods, a big budget item. Belt-tightening means an end to restaurant or otherwise prepared meals. Home-cooked meals need not be elaborate or time-consuming and can be prepared for a fraction of the cost of a convenience meal. When ground beef is $1.99/lb., I can feed a family of six on less than a dollar apiece (Think stroganoff, spaghetti, meatloaf, American chop suey, burritos, sloppy joes, chili, and hundreds of variations that begin, “Brown a pound of ground beef....”). Buy chicken on sale and resurrect your crockpot. Get creative. Involve your partner and children in meal planning and preparation. Unforeseen benefits may ensue.
If you have not already done so, renounce empty-calorie foods like chips, soda and candy. Pound-for-pound, they are more expensive than sirloin and chock full of sugars, toxic sweeteners, chemical colors and flavors and preservatives. Your family will feel better and keep healthier snacking on fruits, veggies, and air-popped (not microwave) popcorn. Forget those processed convenience foods too, for the same reasons.
Keep thinking frugally when you grocery shop. Store labels are simply brand names repackaged; same product, lower price. A serving of quick-cooking oatmeal from the off-brand box is about 6¢, and you control the sweeteners and flavors – compare that to a serving of cold cereal. The cheap shampoo will probably leave your hair as clean and soft as the pricey salon brand. Carry that mindset through the supermarket and watch your grocery bill shrink!
Banish anything disposable from your shopping cart. Use cloth, not paper. Cloth towels. Cloth napkins. Assign each family member a distinctive napkin ring. Re-use napkins all week, launder on weekends. Use rags or sponges for cleanup. Think how you can replace paper towels. Newspapers? Recycled grocery bags? Keep thinking creatively. Need a funnel? Cut down a plastic milk jug and viola! a funnel, complete with handle.
Now that you’ve shrunk your grocery bill, let’s look around at what else you can control. How about your electric bill? Turn off lights in rooms that are not in use. Turn off the TV when no one’s watching. Turn off your computer overnight. What about cutting back on “ghost” power? In these days of "instant-on", things like TVs and stereos draw power even when turned off. I plug my TV, VCR and DVD player into a power strip and flick it off when these items are not in use. If you simply must use your dishwasher, run it only with a full load - and the same applies to your washing machine. Save even more by laundering in cold water.
Speaking of TV, hard times may mean reassessing your satellite or cable bill. How much would you really miss those shows? Cutting back on TV viewing might mean discovering more family time. It might also mean getting the kids (and you) off the couch and moving. Frisbee, anyone?
Homeowners, seriously consider switching to an on-demand water heater. These gas-fueled devices are activated by a drop in water pressure to fire up and heat only the water that is running. You never run out of hot water, but you are not paying to store a volume of water around the clock. Initially more expensive than traditional water heaters, their cost can be recaptured quickly. Mine has lasted for 25 years with only one maintenance call.
Think hard about the advantages of shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army. Stop laughing! The selection is vast, the prices are better than good, and sometimes the items are brand-new. Don’t be a fashion victim. Who are you trying to impress, anyway? Besides, chic and trendy jackets, jeans and handbags show up often, and the inventory changes constantly. And don’t assume your kids will balk. I’ve seen the trendiest teen girls head for the dressing rooms with a full cartload.
Oh, and before I forget, yard sales are another source of terrific money-saving finds. Infants and toddlers outgrow their toys, clothes and shoes long before they wear out, and baby furniture can pass through multiple generations in good shape. I’ve scored such brilliant yard sale trophies that I’m embarrassed to say I only paid a dollar. And if even a dollar is too steep, point your browser to (http://www.freecycle.org) . Just follow the prompts to find the location closest to you. Clothes, dishes, phones, tires, toys, sporting equipment, even computers - everything on this site is free, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Here’s a thought: how about edible landscaping? You needn’t dig up your backyard and replace it with a vegetable garden (well, you could), but why not a few tomato and cucumber plants in a sunny spot where you used to put the marigolds? Add some pots of fresh herbs to spice up your home cooking. Don’t rule anything out: I’ve grown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and chard on my deck, in 5-gallon buckets from fast-food restaurants (punch holes in the bottom for drainage). A sunny balcony will serve the same purpose.
One more suggestion, not just for lean times but any time: open a savings account. To keep focused, have a flat figure (a percentage or a dollar amount) direct-deposited from every paycheck. What you never see, you will not miss. Meanwhile you are growing a cushion for the unexpected car repair, illness, layoff or whatever other financial emergency might befall.
Lastly, lock up your charge cards. No mail order, no e-Bay, no shopping channel, no impulse buying. Really, don’t you have everything you need, anyway? Will one more “thing” buy happiness for you or your kids? Take the time you would have spent at the mall and share it with your family instead. Hard times seem to unite families in pulling together for a common goal. Make it fun!
About the authorPeggy Gannon lives on a 50-acre farm, where she is owned by three parrots and a few cats. She taught at Unity College in Maine for 18 years, and has in the same lifetime been a small farmer, public relations director, commercial horticulturist, and mental health professional. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in a variety of literary and other small magazines. She has pursued a lifelong interest in health and nutrition and is a vocal advocate of local and organic foods. When not writing, she keeps busy gardening, traveling to exotic and arcane locales, and periodically emptying the bag on the vacuum in deep space.
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