How is your family coping w. the raising grocery/gas prices ?

[Anonymous]

Just wondering how folks are coping. -- Last year we decided to go for broke and have our second child (its wonderful)...but we literally decided to go for broke doing so. -- Now with the raising gas/grocery prices...well, nothing left to cut back on - got rid of the cable, a cell phone, a car, etc...to have 2nd baby. Maybe others are luckier and have more wiggle room but I do wonder how folks are making it...I look at my DC's daycare providers...I know they don't make a lot and have families too and probably less discretionary income ...

Maybe we all can share some creative cost cutting ideas ?
Ours so far...*did not renew our summer pool membership - this may be a bad thing long term but just didn't have the extra $450. The baby pool will be the sole source of water entertainment.
*no summer (post-season) trip to the OuterBanks this year

[Anonymous]

Replacing summer vacation with something less expensive.

Not buying new clothes.

Using coupons.

More mindful of turning lights/tv off.

Decided against monthly housekeeper (this was going to be my treat since I am so cheap to start with!)

We were on the fence (actually leaning against) having #2, but the affordability issue and less job security pushed us over to not having a second.

[Anonymous]

We just got rid of our bi-weekly cleaning people - they did not do a great job anyway!

We got rid of the premium channels on our DirecTV - HBO, Showtime, etc.

We are trying to watch leaving lights on and making sure to turn off the a/c during the day.

NOt sure about vacation - we usually drive to Cape Cod, so I am not sure about that.

My 11 month old is almost done with formula - that will be a great savings - and I am hopeful my almost 3 year old will be potty trained soon so we don't have to buy diapers for him anymore.

[Anonymous]

Definitely been on my mind as well. A few things I've done:
1) I work part-time and am now going into the office (30 min commute) once a week instead of twice to save on gas.
2) I'm researching more places where kids eat free, or they have weekly specials (bagel place near me has a Tues special: 18 bagels for cost of a dozen)
3) Combining trips when I can - so I pick kids up at preschool, head to the library, bank then post office in one trip rather than several trips during the day.
4) Got rid of my cleaning lady which I swore I'd never do
5) stick to a weekly grocery budget which forces me to buy what's on sale and figure out a way to cook it, rather than planning a menu and then having to buy stuff that isn't on sale.

Good luck! I know, I too see the landscape guys and all those people and wonder how in the world they are doing it!

[Anonymous]

Bought subcompact fuel efficient car (Honda Fit) and sold sedan (Volvo). Shop for cheaper gas using gasbuddy.com. Skipping one meal a day to use up energy that's currently in storage (mostly on my butt and thighs).

[Anonymous]

We are not doing anything differently. We have always been big savers and live well within our means.

[Anonymous]

PP, good for you but not really helpful the original question.

Anyway, I now religiously read the Safeway flyer online and then make a list of things to buy based on the sales. Last week, for example, they had a sale for beef for $1.99 a pound. I bought a top round roast and that was dinner for 2 nights. You can't beat that price. I do the same with the veg and fruit they have on sale and then plan my menu around it, just like a previous poster said.

[Anonymous]

To the poster at 14:07- I find the post at 13:12 very helpful.

It helped me remember that if I were to live frugally and save when times were good, I wouldn't need to read threads like this when times get tight.

I guess my goal now is to take the current, trimmed down lifestyle and try to keep it when when the economy gets better.

[Anonymous]

We also aren't big or extravagant spenders. We clip coupons, note bargains at the grocery stores (Giant had blackberries on sale for .99 cents!), BF, drive fuel efficient cars, never had a cleaning lady/nanny/daycare, always saved, saved, saved, and only buy essential clothes and food. We splurge on entertainment, decor, junk food when we budget it in for the month (bonus from DH work, sometimes I"ll get cash from offering my babysitting services to neighbors, etc.).

So like the 1407 poster, we also live within our means, albeit modestly, but at least we aren't stressed about rising costs or being in debt.

[Anonymous]

You know what, 14:17 poster, I just learned something from you! There are always benefits to be had by somebody, even if it was useless to me (as a I stated in my prior post).

[Anonymous]

Well, good for you 13:12!

I do have to say that bemoaning about not having a cleaning person always rubs me the wrong way...

We canceled our cable as well.

I don't buy anywhere near as many books and use the library weekly now.

We eat out every other week and order pizza every other week.

Eat the basics a lot more - brown rice, tofu, veggie stir fry to use up all veggies (we do eat all organic - I won't give that up, so I just look out for in season things)

Fewer pre packaged things - now big tubs of yogurt, etc and also generic. I stick with all 365 Whole Foods brand

Fewer clothes this season

1 vacation end of summer instead of 2 vacations (no beach this year )

We take Metro. We drive to grocery shop and in very bad rain. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Almost NO eating out or carry out. I miss that. Sales at the grocery store, drive as little as possible, etc. It sucks. We are about as close to struggling as I ever want to be. My husband started in a new career about 2 years ago and we were very excited about it, but it will take a while for him to do well and the economy changing so drastically did not help, as we pretty much rely on just my income for the time being.

[Anonymous]

Brown-bag lunch to the office if you work. Easy to make a little extra for dinner and bring in the left overs. Even buying crappy sandwiches for lunch can be $10/day. If both of you work, that can be $100 a week.

Walk or bike to work.

Look at your work benefits -- we are saving lots of $$$ every month by switching to the "health savings account" option that the Feds just started offering last year -- look at that carefully (won't work if you have chronic health problems or expensive drugs), but if it works for you it is no more expensive than other plans (even with normal amount of kids visits and some unexpected adult stuff) and if you don't have any big expenses, it turns into a 401(k) like retirement savings.

[Anonymous]

Have given up: the beach vacation; cleaning person; pool membership; any new clothes for me; donating cash to charities that previously we'd been guilted into giving to (by neighbors). Eating out, period. Clothes for the kids. Toys for the kids -- they'll need to rediscover what they're already got.

We're shopping at Safeway / Trader Joe's more, less at Whole Foods. We've dropped any hope of renovating anything in the house.

We're thinking about: raising dedcutible / lowering the monthly premium on car insurance (BIG difference, but it's a gamble); dropping the pricey camp for 2nd part of summer and winging it.

Cannot give up: top-quality pet food from boutique store (have seen a big health diff. in the dogs). Organic fruits and milk, yogurt, etc. Expensive sunscreen that tops the list of Env. Working Group's healthier choices.

I count our blessings, I really do. We're not in true pain -- yet. But it also infuriates me that the cost of living and housing in this region sooooo outpaces most salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the poster at 14:07- I find the post at 13:12 very helpful.

It helped me remember that if I were to live frugally and save when times were good, I wouldn't need to read threads like this when times get tight.

I guess my goal now is to take the current, trimmed down lifestyle and try to keep it when when the economy gets better.

I have to disagree that just because you put a little money aside, doesn't mean you can ignore what is happening with our economy. Savings can be depleted and it makes good sense to always think with the future in mind. We are excellent savers and have money in the bank for tough times (not a lot, but I am very frugal and have always been told to have 6 months savings for emergency purposes). We are solid middle class, comfortable, not extravagant. But- despite this, we are still taking measures to save money. Unless I pinch pennies elsewhere, I won't have the extra cash funneling into savings and college fund. The increased dollars I am paying on gas, heating, and food used to go into our savings.

Of course, if I was wealthy with a super secure job and a large investment portfolio, I may think differently.