Good Bye HBO, Bud Light, Marlboro Lights, Restaurants, Blockbuster and more.

Hello Keystone Beer, Roll-your-own cigarettes, and eating at home.

I know there are more sacrifices I will be making, like getting a haircut every two months as opposed to every month, staying at home on the weekends instead of going out, buying Brand X instead of the Name Brand,

and if I want a new shirt, new pants, or new shoes... it looks like my family and friends will have no problems with gift-giving ideas for Christmas and my birthday because that's all I'll be asking for if we choose to exchange gifts.

Toys for the kids... Sorry, go outside and play instead.

new Furniture for the house... not anytime soon.

Coupon clipping will begin.

I will be washing my own car.

Anyway, I'm curious to know what sacrifices you are making or luxury items you are saying goodbye to.

Or maybe you'de like to share some money saving ideas.

reply to post by Doomsday 2029


I laughed when I read the title because it is all things that I have been considering but being single have not had to sacrifice just yet.

I do sacrifice health insurance for the marlboro lights, HBO and tequilla.
Maybe not the best choice. LOL

Sacrifices? Holy crap... Washing your own car just makes sense, clipping coupons just makes sense, getting and giving practical gifts just makes sense, telling your kids to use their imagination just makes sense.

In short, saving money just makes sense. Edited to add: The saddest part is that it's taking the devastation of the economy for people to realize it.

It always has. Ending wastefulness is not a sacrifice. "Waste" and "luxury" are not synonymous.

No offense to you personally, this is just what I thought immediately after reading your post. I'm adding this bit in the hopes of allaying any harsh feelings. But then if there are people who actually believe that wastefullness is a luxury and that saving money is a sacrifice, maybe harsh feelings shouldn't be considered.

Btw, with taxes going up apparently on tobacco and tubes, roll-you-own cigs won't be much cheaper than generic cigs. Just so you know.

[edit on 23/3/09 by TravelerintheDark]

My girlfriend and I just bought 2 homes tax wise it made more sense than 1. Money back next tax time will cover more than a years payments and were going to rent one out WOO HOO!!!

mikell

My cables has been gone for 5 months or so. Don't miss it.
Microbrews - a six a week instead of a few a week
Food- organic when I can but a lot more store brands
soda? - a few a month
coffee - from $9.99 per pound to a $3.99 per pound brand

the den is drywalled but not buying mud or paint for awhile

no presents

making a lot more food from scratch

the tires can wait

fuel company cut us off today

hanging in there

Well I wish I could say that I was in your boat friend, but fortunetly we've been saving for just this kind of economic trouble.

Apart from my retirement fund we are sitting on safety net of about 150k which isn't much but still enough to get us through any hard times if need be.

Albeit I am a business owner and my husband is a Pediatrician, I don't think any of will be loosing our jobs soon, but it's always nice to have a plan B. Especially that we have 3 mouths to feed.

I do sympathize with your situation however, I don't think it's right for anybody to have to cut out things they enjoy for an economy being destroyed by very few.

~Keeper

hahahahaha.........We have no HBO(never did), my hubby does drink coors light but I have been getting him 30 keystones for 14.99 @ kroger, I smoke little cigars( i get 2 20 pcks for 2.69) we don't go out, we get ppv sometimes, geeze, we havent gotten haircuts for quite a while and do so every so often, we always buy store brand, I shop clearance racks or goodwill for clothes and car washing is always at home.
We live on a tight budget and do our best to make it even though my husband has a great job, it still hard to make ends meet sometimes.
I guess att can go, back to basic cable, use less ac unit and those are the luxuries I will be sacrificing.

Please, adopt me!

I tried!

Edited to add: This reply was to tothetenthpower

[edit on 23-3-2009 by cindymars]

Originally posted by TravelerintheDark
Sacrifices? Holy crap... Washing your own car just makes sense, clipping coupons just makes sense, getting and giving practical gifts just makes sense, telling your kids to use their imagination just makes sense.

In short, saving money just makes sense. Edited to add: The saddest part is that it's taking the devastation of the economy for people to realize it.

It always has. Ending wastefulness is not a sacrifice. "Waste" and "luxury" are not synonymous.

No offense to you personally, this is just what I thought immediately after reading your post. I'm adding this bit in the hopes of allaying any harsh feelings. But then if there are people who actually believe that wastefullness is a luxury and that saving money is a sacrifice, maybe harsh feelings shouldn't be considered.

Btw, with taxes going up apparently on tobacco and tubes, roll-you-own cigs won't be much cheaper than generic cigs. Just so you know.

[edit on 23/3/09 by TravelerintheDark]

There are number of things wrong with this post.

America's economy is based upon luxury... if we all washed our own car, avoided buying certain toys, and bought pratical gifts instead of luxury items,... then we could say good bye to another 100,000+ jobs in America.

I'll give you the coupon clipping... we should all do that.

and yes... 'luxury' and 'waiste' go hand in hand. If you want to enjoy popcorn at the theater, a cold beer at the ballgame, or chrome wheels on your car... you have to waiste your money, but you get to enjoy the luxury of it.

Next time you want to buy a girl a drink at the bar,... tell her you can save money if you bought that drink at the beer store instead... like I said waistful spending is a luxury, because I could buy six beers at the store as opposed to two at the bar (plus tip?). And I'll have a much better chance at picking up a girl with my waistful spending.

It all comes down to lifestyle.

I could never go on vacation, never go to a sporting event, never drink at the club, and basically sacrifice all the things I've adapted to as 'Entertainment value'... but where's the fun in that? We are all gonna have to do a little waistful spending in order to enjoy life.

Nobody needs to drive a Lexus... they could just drive a Corolla instead right?

There aren't many options as to what lifestyle you want to have when you're in a third-world country (like Somalia), and America isn't a third-world country... Not yet atleast.

And I'll look into the generic cigs vs. roll-your-own tobacco, but I think you're wrong.



[edit on 23-3-2009 by Doomsday 2029]

reply to post by TravelerintheDark


I've always been extremely frugal to the point of risking being called cheap, but in the modern world, some of the things you mention aren't luxuries. If we had to scrape up every bit of food and sustenance from the far reaches of the earth ourselves it would take up all our time. Education costs money, isn't such a big expense just a waste? How about health care? Well you could teach yourself and use herbal remedies...but how does that help you in the real world where a degree is near mandatory for a decent wage and the herb for curing your illness doesn't grow in your yard?

Just because we want to cut a few expenses doesn't mean we have to forget civilization itself and live out the rest of our lives like cave men. If you want to live like this then you should be cheering on the NWO.

Like the guy below says this just doesn't jive with our socioeconomic system the way it is at present at least.

Well I certainly hope people don't stop going to restaurants. I work in one. If everybody stops going out to eat, I'll be out of a job.

As for HBO and Blockbuster... I can't afford those anyway. I get most of my entertainment at the Halfpriced Bookstore. And I actually like it that way. Reading is good. TV rots the brain.

Marlboro lights? Bah!!! Camel filters for me. But unfortunately, I too must kiss my smoking habit goodbye. It has become too expensive. That sucks.

Health insurance? Can't afford it anyway. Besides, I consider myself to be immortal. At least until it is proven otherwise.
I could save lots of money by getting rid of my car insurance. Unfortunately if I did that, I would not be able to drive my car. In the state of Ohio it is illegal to drive without insurance. So that's one expense I'm stuck with unfortunately.

Beer? I quit drinking a few years ago. A decision that has caused me much regret ever since.

Haircuts? I only do that once a year. No worries for me on that one.

Buying brand X instead of name brand products? I've been doing that for many years now. No real change for me in that area.

Living within your means isn't so bad once you get used to it. I've been doing it for a long time now. Oh sure, there are times when I wish I could afford some of the luxury items. But when it comes right down to it, I'm quite thankful to just have the basics. Food, clothing, a roof over my head, and a good book to read. As long as I have those basic things, I'm happy.

Originally posted by Doomsday 2029
There are number of things wrong with this post.

America's economy is based upon luxury... if we all washed our own car, avoided buying certain toys, and bought pratical gifts instead of luxury items,... then we could say good bye to another 100,000+ jobs in America.

Most car washes I see are automatic. No attendants. That's just personal experience.

Most toys are manufactured in foreign nations. As are many other goods.

And if the economy is based on spending money people don't have, what do you really think needs to change? Should we all just keep digging into debt, follow the example of our government? Or perhaps we should figure out a better way. Focus on our essential rights as human beings. Owning land, growing food, providing for ourselves.

Originally posted by Doomsday 2029
and yes... 'luxury' and 'waiste' go hand in hand. If you want to enjoy popcorn at the theater, a cold beer at the ballgame, or chrome wheels on your car... you have to waiste your money, but you get to enjoy the luxury of it.

You aren't wasting it, you're spending it. Waste is what we throw away. Buying that new Lexus and driving it intentionally into a ditch, rendering it expensive to repair or undrivable would be closer to "wasteful". Otherwise, expensive or not, it's a functional item. Waste implies whatever is being wasted has no function, useless. Like getting more food than you are hungry enough to eat.

Originally posted by Doomsday 2029
We are all gonna have to do a little waistful spending in order to enjoy life.

Wrong. People can actually learn to enjoy life for living, not the so-called "perks" like expensive cars, premium cigarettes, top shelf liquor, etc. Some of us already do.

Originally posted by Doomsday 2029
And I'll look into the generic cigs vs. roll-your-own tobacco, but I think you're wrong.

There was recently a post in a thread, perhaps the thread on government tax on cigarettes increasing, I can't honestly remember, where a poster said his box of tubes cost him, or would soon, around $15 dollars. From other posts I've gathered that roll-your-own tobacco will be up to around $30 a can.

The organic thing is kinda hard to get around, because it's hard to tell good organic from bad organic. The cheaper ones usually seem to be bad organic. Actually, bottled wine sales are through the roof because people eat at home.

Becoming a landlord might be better than just sitting on your mortgage for your one house. Especially if you buy a foreclosure home and flip it.

I've read a suggestion on another thread of fermenting mixed fruit juices instead of buying soda.

Premium movie channels are crap. They are only good for watching your favorite movies that you've already seen On Demand. I cried when Rosemary's Baby expired. They've only recently been offering HD On Demand, and it streams badly.

BTW, is it just me or did Blockbuster Video change to Blockbuster Media ?

Greetings all,

I used to smoke American Spirits, but they cost around 9 bucks a pack now where I live, so I've been buying tobacco from a local shop, and filters as well, and I have a rolling machine so I roll my own now (I can roll it without the filter by hand, but it's too hard to roll a filter in and have them come out even vaguely cigarette shaped). So now I spend about 10 bucks a week on tobacco and that lasts me most of the week.

I've always enjoyed good beer, but have been drinking Miller Highlife lately, you can get an 18 pack o the bottles for 11 or 12 bucks (it was $9.99 when they first started, but the prices have slowly edged up). 40's of malt liquor are always an affordable option. Alternately I experimented with getting big jugs of Carlo Rossi wine (around 12.99 for 4 liters) thinking it would last all week, but the problem with that stuff is that you can end up drinking too much too quickly if you're not careful and wake up on the front lawn with all your clothes on, so I'd advise caution with that option.

I've been cooking alot myself anyway, because it's something I enjoy anyway, but I've started shopping at a grocery store called "Market Basket" which is substantially cheaper than other grocery stores, but you have to deal with huge families crowded into the store shopping for 14-20, who usually don't speak much english (not that there's anything wrong with that), and tend to meander aimlessly and very slowly. It's a frustrating experience, but the money saved is worth it.

I cut my own hair (well, I have clippers and keep it pretty closely-cropped). Long story short, we're all having to get creative in these desperate times. I wish everyone success with their economic down-sizing.

Peace,
Hex23

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Well I wish I could say that I was in your boat friend, but fortunetly we've been saving for just this kind of economic trouble.

Apart from my retirement fund we are sitting on safety net of about 150k which isn't much but still enough to get us through any hard times if need be.

Albeit I am a business owner and my husband is a Pediatrician, I don't think any of will be loosing our jobs soon, but it's always nice to have a plan B. Especially that we have 3 mouths to feed.

I do sympathize with your situation however, I don't think it's right for anybody to have to cut out things they enjoy for an economy being destroyed by very few.

~Keeper

That 150k that you have will be worth about 75k in about 5 or 10 years. Regardless, that's a good saftey net to have.

And for the love of GOD, I'm not asking for any sympathy, nor do I want it. I'm doing just fine, I just realize that I need to start spending less.

I got a safety too... it's called 'Mom & Dad' ... but that should only be used for emergency situations. And I mean serious emergency situations.

I have two mouths to feed, so health/dental insurance at $600 a month hurts a little bit. Not to mention I still have to buy diapers, formula, and all kinds of baby stuff.

It's just time to be a lot more conservative with my money.

Originally posted by TravelerintheDark

Originally posted by Doomsday 2029
We are all gonna have to do a little waistful spending in order to enjoy life.

Wrong. People can actually learn to enjoy life for living, not the so-called "perks" like expensive cars, premium cigarettes, top shelf liquor, etc. Some of us already do.

Okay... I meant to say waistful spending in order to enjoy the "American" life.

I see how that comment looked horrible... as I have spent months in Mexico and bared witness to a poor community appearing far more happier and united than a wealthy community which appears far more depressed and divided.

Look, I understand your point... but you have to understand that some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and if they have to buy Keystone Beer or Natural Light instead of Bud Light... By God that's a sacrifice!!! (JK)

But about the spending comment...

And if the economy is based on spending money people don't have, what do you really think needs to change? Should we all just keep digging into debt, follow the example of our government? Or perhaps we should figure out a better way. Focus on our essential rights as human beings. Owning land, growing food, providing for ourselves.

I can only speak for myself, because I've rejected almost every credit card offer I've ever recieved. I can remember some of my friends in 1998 saying "everything is free right now!!!" In other words, Credit Card Companies were giving any dumb *** who could fill out a form a credit card.


[edit on 23-3-2009 by Doomsday 2029]

reply to post by Doomsday 2029


I actually understand your perspective as well, even if we initially don't seem to agree. The crux of my point really is about perspective. If we think of all the things we are going to "lose", our "American" way of life, we are only going to depress ourselves and look for a way back into the nightmare. And that surely won't help. If we accept the changes in our lives and try to get along with them easily, we have a better chance of survival. At least I think so.

Fact is, I would say the "American" way of life as some people would describe it is just as responsible for the "mess" we're in as the bailouts. They fooled us into thinking that because we're "American" we're entitled to a certain lifestyle. It was a lie. From the beginning.

And kudos on the ditching the credit cards. That's where it started, selling plastic dreams with plastic cash. Everything's expendable. Guess some of us are finding out too late, that isn't true.

To capsfan8: I'm not sure what I mentioned that isn't a luxury. I didn't say anything about a decent wage, education, health care or living like a cave man. So maybe you can clarify?

Even still, living like a cave man is another way of saying, "living like a human being" isn't it? I personally would rather not define myself by my lifestyle.

reply to post by Doomsday 2029


Don't worry I didn't mean to imply that I was giving you any sort of sympathy, maybe I should have worded it better.

What I meant to say is that I do know what it is like to be in your situation and understand how hard it can be to find every dime needed in order to stay afloat.

In the past when faced with hard economic decisions, I generally only had a few rules.

Eat
Sleep
Work
Limited Play ( Can't Just Do Nothing All The Time)

Back then by answer to eating was buying in bulk, non perishable food items that would last me a while. Sleep well that was rent, which coincides with work.

For work I generally worked 2 oe 3 jobs while in university, it was hard but it paid the bills.

Limited Play was accomplished by buying REALLY long RPG's with replay value haha.

I miss those days!

So to summarize, I apologize if I belittled you in anyway, it was not my intention.

Good luck in your ordeals my friend, I am sure all of us will be fine.

~Keeper

Originally posted by TravelerintheDark
reply to post by Doomsday 2029

 

Fact is, I would say the "American" way of life as some people would describe it is just as responsible for the "mess" we're in as the bailouts. They fooled us into thinking that because we're "American" we're entitled to a certain lifestyle. It was a lie. From the beginning.

That's the truth, and this is why we will fail. Too much Debt.

George Bush said it himself, and I'll never forget it .

A few weeks after 9-11 he told the American people to go to Disneyland.
(translation: go back to sleep)

Hey man, I can live like a caveman, and my wife, who grew up in Mexican poverty, could probably do the same (cave woman). The fact is "American" society will always paint/advertise/ and force this picture of what success is, and if you don't have the stereotypical way of life and have all these luxuries... then you aren't on top.

There really is no solution to this global meltdown. As a Nation, we've dug a hole so deep, that we've burried ourselves in debt. Maybe the NWO can rescue us... but until they do, we will see a depression.

Mark my words... we will see a depression in the near future. If our plan for economic recovery is MORE SPENDING, we are doomed. This is fact.

So, I'm saying Good bye to a few things I grew to love.

I don't think I'll spend $25 at Red Lobster ever again... $25 can cover my lunch money for a whole week. (and pretty soon the rest of the nation is going to feel the same way)... So the restaurant business is going to hurt.

Blockbuster brought back their late fees!!!! I owe them $10.00 ... however I don't think Blockbuster will go bankrupt... Many people will spend their weekends staying at home with movie rentals.

And as far as Tobacco goes... $7.00 for Marlboro Lights!? I was spending $5.50 a pack, and I was mad at that...

$7 = "No thanks, I'll switch brands."

[edit on 23-3-2009 by Doomsday 2029]

[edit on 23-3-2009 by Doomsday 2029]

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I knew what you meant... In this thread I did the same thing:

""We are all gonna have to do a little waistful spending in order to enjoy life.""

Now if I was a politician running for office, that comment would of ended my career. lol.


Ya know lately I've been able to appreciate the greater things in life that I've always neglected. Ofcourse when I'm in my daily routine, I tend to forget that I should just be thankful for what I have.

Here is saying that I've told a few rich folks:

"Be careful of what you possess (cars, clothes, house, fake boobs)... because those possessions end up possessing you."