If times get so bad you have to start giving up a few things, have you talked about what you'd give up?
Cliff and I discuss it often.
We'd take a lot of items off our real estate property insurance and let the chips fall where they may.
We'd get rid of DishTV as soon as possible and put up an antenna.
I'd go back to dial-up Internet. Yes, I'd hate it. But I'd do it. I won't totally give up Internet, though, unless we're homeless and starving. I'm selfish like that.
We'd stop eating out. We only do that once or twice a week, but every little bit helps.
These are only the tip of the iceberg. But we're preparing.
Here dial-up cost almost as much as DSL, the savings are not worth the pain in the a$$.I can easily give up eating out. Home phone goes, although I will do it anyway. Other than that I pretty much only pay utilities, groceries,gas and mortgage.Unless I am totally broke I will still send my kid to summer camp.
ReplyDeleteWow I'm trying so hard not to think on it but I know we have to prepare too. We've been cutting and cutting.... I think we would cut cable out right away... and I suppose our cell phones too would be cut. I would have to change a little about our grocery shopping and figure a way to expand our garden. We could take showers every other day. Change the sheets to save on washing an extra load of laundry every two weeks instead of every week, etc. I know it would be hard. We are all ready cutting so many things. We have been stretching razor blades and things like that... it's hard.
ReplyDeleteLisa
It's good to be able to plan ahead, but hopefully you won't have to give up those things you enjoy so much. I have an internet phone now so wouldn't be able to give up my cable. The things I'd give up would be luxuries such as new clothing, or getting my hair cut by someone else and I wouldn't be able to give my family much in the way of gifts at birthdays etc. There is little else I could do. As strange as it seems, even when I retire I'll be making almost the same as when I was working. The difference being the insurance, but now that I have medicare...I'll be going on an inexpensive supplement. If I can't afford that I'll have to do without.
ReplyDeleteOh gee, we are already carpooling more and spending less and the weird thing is ... we notice the difference in the checkbook.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't give up internet. NO.NO.NO. But I have stopped by books. I'm using the library more. ;)