how are you cutting back to deal with the impending onset of economic devestation and collapse?

i get tall lattes rather than grandes now.

i am now wearing economic braces

i've fired my slovakian manservant

I light my cigars with twenties instead of fifties.

Maribou mules slightly feather-worn, will stay that way.

pondering weekly veggie burgers in the microwave

I've had to put three slaves down this week, can't afford to feed them.

Being extra careful to remember where I leave my monocle in future

moving savings & 401K monies into long-term commodities like movie trading cards and 9/11 memorabilia

Fill the Scrooge McDuck-style money vault with small bills and costume jewelry instead of 100s and real jewels/gold. Not as much fun cavorting in it now.

I'm washing my own taint.

One hooker at a time

Considering skipping some charity functions for a part time (shhh!) "job".

one word: Flobee

will feed my cats each other

Cancelled construction of mansion extension using platinum bricks, switching to gold bricks.

Cocaine---->Crack

Only fifty baby seals instead of the usual one hundred to be barbecued at this year's Christmas party.

Force all three mistresses to turn the thermostat down and wear sweaters while in their provided penthouses.

Downsize to Learjet 85, look into hybrid versions.

i'm going start using a knife to save on ammo costs. i've been getting lazy anyway.

saving keystrokes

installing hydraulics in the car so i can save gas by bouncing over gridlock

thinking about getting a real job

accruing 200k in educational debt

wait

will sleep by the ever-bright hole in the door,
eat in the corner, talk to the floor.

Taking my entourage out in the Rolls rather than the Hummer.

I might start making sandwichs for lunch.

I might start reading the books I've bought and never read, rather than buying new books and not reading them.

*shrug*

OTM - We should start putting real answers.

--I've cut down on my CD purchasing considerably.
--I've started making my own breakfast and dinner instead of getting bagels and chinese food
--I'm freelancing like crazy and saving the bux
--This year, i'm gonna try to heat my apt with space heaters.

I'm going to try to keep my wife from going to Wal Mart. :-((((

rolling ilc shantytown thread 2008

- started using the library a LOT more instead of Borders
- making lattes at home instead of 5x weekly trips to Starbucks
- Cycling to work instead of driving
- Making lunches rather than eating out

We have a 2nd refrigerator out in my old office. I'm going to shift everything out of it and shut it down.

I haven't had to cut back, as I have few expenses and make a ton of money, so this thread is not relevant to my interests.

^^^ the real reason everyone was giving funny answers above.

Gold grill instead of platinum

keeping a couple of gats, knives rats and wives in ONE room instead of several

we are downsizing from two children to one. (tough breaks, kid!)

(and... cue the opening credits of oliver!)

I download gigabytes upon gigabytes worth of illegal music every day instead of buying a CD a week.

sober mothra

no, just trading the garnacha for thunderbird

carving clothes out of stone

stealing subscription cards from bookstore magazines and making paper

building shelter from the tops of convertibles

collecting water from cisterns made from garbage cans and old hoses

raccoon hunting

growing vegetables in other persons' gardens

drilling for oil

I bought a brand new Prius to save money on gas.

ads on ilxor.com

filling apartment w/weed plants

soylent green

robbing m-w-f instead of just t-th.

sucking dick for coca-cola

only showering at night.

No longer offering alcohol-based mixers for oral sex.

composting

origami eating vessels

grill hoarding

started robbing little kids for bags

stealing and selling gascaps (in the future gas will be v v expensive do u c)

a fire hydrant is only as good as the tool that opens it, wink wink

just purchased li'l jonny bonesetter kit off ebay, will work for radishes and old record sleeves

my wife is probably going back to work.

shakey says amateur porn doesnt make any money so back to the drawing board i guess :(

on the real

-only eat out/order in twice a week
-no more buying records/cds
-no more book purchases, just bookmooch.com
-clipping coupons

I think for a lot of people the answer to this is going to be "moving back to Ohio from Williamsburg"

for that booming Ohio economy?

I don't know about that but mom's couch lets you slide on the rent

From Winesburg to Williamsburg and Back Again

I'm curious though - for people who've actively started cutting back, when did you start, what spurred you, did you experience an appreciable drop in your income/purchasing power or did it just feel like that right thing to do, etc. etc.? I haven't changed my spending habits in response to the news; if my usual expenses seem to rise in price, then I'll adjust accordingly, but as of yet, they haven't: food's been costing more since summer, but I cook from scratch most nights and it was mainly the fruit shipped in from out of state that got too expensive. rice and flour both went up, but they were so cheap to begin with that as long as i'm building my meals from there, they're still not expensive.

This is officially the end of my drunken iTunes purchasing habit, I'll tell you that. I've been doing surprisingly well the last couple of weeks with this, actually. Besides, I can't keep filling up my iPod with stuff I paid for but don't actually want or need all that badly. I'm about to max the thing out, and it bugs me. I've already got most of what I need on there from my CD collection, no need to fill it up with anything I'm not really sure I'm going to play.

Haven't been buying many CD's lately, either.

i'm spending less on music now than i have since i got my first job (the equivalent of a full length cd a week). and yet i'm probably enjoying everything i buy more than ever.

also drinking and eating out less, and walking more. but what i really need to do is move to a cheaper house. easier said than done when you have as much crap as me

this debacle hasn't penetrated my personal bubble yet, except i've noticed the fry joints in the neighborhood are skimpin. i know.

i haven't bought a cd all year, sadly.

CD's are fast becoming these...really annoying plastic things...I'm serious. Never thought I'd feel that way about them, but yeah.

keeping a couple of gats, knives rats and wives in ONE room instead of several

Are you the guy I met on the way to St Ives?

Switching to cheap jokes.

Nothing. But then I haven't got any debt - decided buying a house was suicide a couple of years ago, so stayed renting which is cheaper and much more convenient, I've never had a great paid job, so since living away from my parents I've lived within my means.

I haven't splurged on a new car on "cheap" credit, I'd rather walk or use public transport, I've only bought stuff when I can afford it, and I'll always look for the best deal.

In fact I'm looking forward to the prosepect of being made redundant as I'll get at least half a years pay because I've worked her for nearly 10 years - I have an equal amount saved up too, which gives me a year to either find a new job, or set myself up as a freelance graphic designer.

In the meantime I'll be able to make music and concentrate on growing more on our allotment in all the spare time I'll have.

The bastards probably won't make me redundant though.

My wife's been too ill to work all year anyway so we're living on just my salary, so just carrying on as normal, we were already cutting back. I drink Carlsberg instead of Kronenbourg and I've given up smoking (but I was going to do that anyway).

I was kinda hoping for redundancy as well, I work at a property advertising company so we've been hit a bit by the property slump but not as much as the estate agents have (but they are our clients). So far my job is safe which I guess is probably better than redundancy at this point, the extra cash would be good but dunno about getting another job straight away at the moment.

stockpiling the veuve clicquot while i can

Chewy you're in pretty much the ideal position, I'm kind of jealous. I'm in a reasonable state as I have no debt and enough savings to get me through a couple of months of unemployment if need be. I've also got a safety net in that I can easily move back in with my parents nearby if the money runs out altogether.

I have no idea what will happen as I work in recruitment which is already being hit. However we're a small company with low overheads and a large market with only us really working it, so it'll probably be a case of muddling through hand-to-mouth.

I'm probably not going to take the expensive and exciting trip away that I'd been planning though.

i jacked in a well-paid but ultimately futureless (and frustrating) management position in june to go part-time in a more junior role, allowing me to start a part-time MSc.

this neatly halved my income, and i have to admit it's not been quite as easy to deal with that as i hoped. it's do-able, though. since the start of the year, i'd been trying to prepare by spending less ... i've cut down on my drinking, for instance, and mrs F and i go out to eat less than we did (although i managed to spend a total of about £80 on two restaurant meals in less than seven days last week, which was ... well, maybe a bit silly. it's one of our few vices, though). the key thing that's saved me £££ is making my own lunch: i look back at what i used to spend each day/week/month buying (say) a sandwich, a bag of crisps and some kind of overpriced fruit drink and it makes me wince.

i hardly ever get taxis any more: i went to the pub last night after a lecture (total spend: £6.40) and left at about ten past nine. i was desperate to get home but ignored all the taxis zooming past, waited till half-nine and got a bus. this still got me home by 10, and saved me the best part of £10.

oh, and buying stuff from iTunes/a record shop i'm passing on a whim: out of the question.

ultimately, i can't complain at all. for three shifts a week, the money i'm on is fucking good. and i'm more than happy to reduce my income in order to allow me to do something (the MSc) i really want to do. there are times, obviously, when i look back with fondness at my old wage slips and think: fuck. but, like i say ... any promotion from the job i was in would have taken me somewhere i really don't want to be (ie newspaper executive management) and which would have had a parlous future to say the least. better to make the break now, by choice, than have it forced upon me in 10 years' time.

oh yeh: i was going to buy a new (well: new to me; second-hand) car last year, but decided against it for all manner of reasons. most sensible decision i've made in years, that. TBH, if and when my trusty colt gives up the ghost, i doubt i'll replace it. i don't need a car, and i do sometimes feel the running costs outweigh the use i get from it. that said: it's incredibly handy knowing it's there if i need it.

A lot of these things are pretty good aren't they? Trade in your too big, gas guzzler, stop buying overpriced crap at Starbucks, walk more, make stuff instead of paying twice as much for a ready meal, read some of those books you meant to read. These are all things I should be doing credit crunch or no.

Hey when you put it like that I suddenly don't mind about the impending collapse of the global economy.

I'm off to university in a cheap city, although TBH I am leaving a well paying and relatively safe job (company has no debt, good cashflow and serves an industry that tends to do well in a downturn)

xp
Reminds me of this...

Palin dressed as a woman: Well, that's the end of the film. Now, here's the meaning of life...hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.

i agree chew's position is good. mine is similar except i don't have enough saved up to risk freelancing unless on the side of a regular and secure part-time job...but this could well happen anyway which would be awesome if it means i can also fit in travelling plans next year. i'm not sure i could deal well with earning less money than i do now tho.

what are 'space heaters'? I think maybe I already use one of those. I don't have any proper heating, where I live.

Incidentally the Guardian has a special offer on Starbucks (starting to-day I think) - pay 80p for any size coffee. Go and fill your boots.

I.e. the Guardian costs 80p, just to clarify, the coffee is free. I think.

xp
Reminds me of this...

Palin dressed as a woman: Well, that's the end of the film. Now, here's the meaning of life...hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.

Did anyone else start reading that as Sarah Palin?

Yeah, I did

only attending three quarters of soccerball team's European games

Surely all those yelling traders have nothing to do with me?

Wrong. Their actions will affect your pension, your child's nest-egg, your investments and probably the value of your home.

dawww shiiiit

Is fifty-quid bloke becoming five-quid bloke?

five-quid broke.

I've been hacking away at the food budget as well. I'm usually at work for lunch and dinner, so have been essentially eating out every day and night so far, and it costs a bomb when you write it all down. So that's going. I'm also going on an eBay frenzy to get rid of all the tech crap that's accumulated over the years. Then a final push to wipe out remaining credit card/loan debt before the end arrives.

Why would you want to wipe out your debt before the end arrives?

I ask this seriously because I have credit cards.

just that job could become at risk (the harder to pay debts) + rising interest rates, no?

have started getting use out of the Skybox, the internet at home, all the old piles of books and DVD boxsets. I've never spent so much time in my/my SO's living room as I have the past few months.

outside recreation has become three nights of five a side footy (€4 per hour) and two rounds of golf (€150 for annual membership) per week, as opposed to spending €80 on one night drinking.

Still eat out quite a bit though, which is something i'm going to have to look at, especially in relation to bringing lunch with me to work.

i still spend far too much of my leisure time in my car though- 2 years in and driving around the country is still probably my no 1 hobby. with the cost of fuel staying at around €1.30 per litre that's got to stop too.

http://i38.tinypic.com/jb038p.jpg

although i'll be leaving a public sector job to return to full time education next year, for much the same reasons as grimly above (also because my contract isn't likely to be renewed next august)

yeh, worries about job vanishing, or cut in pay (real or deflation) xp

OK, serious answer:
On the one hand I've managed to eliminate credit card and overdraft debt. On the other hand, I have no real savings, and no pension.

- walk instead of getting cabs/buses for short journeys (one mile walk into town instead of paying £1.10 for a single on the bus).
- freeze on CD/DVD/book purchases.
- holding off on upgrading/replacing PC.
- stop buying stupid shite at car boot sales/charity shops.
- stop snacking between meals/no more store bought coffee.
- reduce eating out to an absolute minimum.

I'm actually going to stop short of "buy supermarket own brand beans", because I think that the positive financial aspect of four pence saved per tin is outweighed by the negative psychological impact of eating beans that taste of soap.

going by this thread, restaurants and wait staff are gonna be fucked shortly

i can't see how i'm going to affected, as i'm a massive tight arse with my cash anyway.

I haven't really been cutting back on restaurants. Tell you what though, this has given me an excellent opportunity to cut out dull social engagements that I would otherwise feel obliged to attend.

i do that already!

haven't cut back on food at all. paid nearly £7 for two rib-eye steaks last night. delicious guilt.

1 whole english pound spent on my dinner last night, see? Tight arse.

Gradually taking savings above 16K out of the system in order to qualify for unemployment benefit should that come

stockpiling the veuve clicquot while i can

― lex pretend, Friday, October 10, 2008 6:47 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Like Chew upthread (wotcha Matt), I'm doing the allotment thing too and it does take a big chunk off our food bill. Dinner last night was rosti and stir-fried veg plus rocket salad, apple and blackberry crumble for pud, all home grown or pilfered from the hedge apart from the ice cream. Not buying much veg at all, checkout folks must think we're right unhealthy buggers.

im going to pretend nothing is happening and just keep spending until i run out of money

^^^ Only sensible option.

yah

i just bought a peppermint pattie

maybe i will start a speakeasy

Fat-Sams-Graaand-Slam-Speakeeezy

my dilemma now: I'm almost certainly going to lose my job, but I don't know when (our client was WaMu). There is a slight chance I won't, too, and will be retained to work on biz dev (hate) and transition projects with a tiny team (pain in the ass). There are a LOT of jobs out there right now and I've got interviews lined up, but I almost want to wait and see if I get laid off so I can get a severance. Problem is, if I wait, all these jobs that are around now might dry up in the meantime. I'm not thrilled at all about any of the jobs I'm interviewing for.

We've been doing a lot of shopping at Whole Foods but with food prices what they are, we're going to have to start going to Aldi or something. That or looting.

My job is 99.9999% safe (good university, been here years, well-liked, productive, etc), same for Emma's (same employer, though only been here a year). Obviously we bought a house just over a year ago, but we a; had a big deposit that we can effectively afford to lose as it was a gift, b; can afford the mortgage, c; have both had rises since we agreed the mortgage, d; have a nice property in a good area that traditionally doesn't fall. If needs be, we can sit it out. I make sandwiches everyday anyway. CD buying has fallen but that's as much because I've kind of retired from writing and thus wanting to keep up. I'd pretty much stopped going to the pub more than maybe two or three times a month ages ago. Occasionally selling old tat via ebay.

oh i've taken to doing online shopping more, cuz even though there's the extra delivery charge, sainsbury's have a policy of giving you a £10 voucher if they're late. and they're always late. i have many of these vouchers stockpiled already.

other than that, what max said basically. i'm kind of excited about it, we'll have ringside seats for a really exciting period of global history.

I hope people be cutting back with the sperms cos upkeep of kids will ruin you all.

I am spending more money in an attempt to avert recession by pure force of will.

WE CAN DO THIS!

yah everyone gotta be a good consumer now

My personal circumstances are actually better, in any case, since I have no savings and moderate debts on fixed interest rates, which inflation will erode. Mortgage fixed at a low rate for a couple more years. Job and wife's job both 100% secure.

It's gravy, baby.

deflation wouldn't erode them. Which is an outside scenario.

http://www.jerrysbaitandtackle.com/Recipes/Squirrel.htm

Bah, we were doing that even in times of plenty.

I hope people be cutting back with the sperms cos upkeep of kids will ruin you all.

actually I think we put our decision to have another child on hold now.

(so we'll probably wind up pregnant in three weeks)

I'm not really doing anything, nothing feels that different to me anyway. Me and the wife both work for a big university, enrollment is up, probably will continue to be cause people hide out at school when jobs are bad, right? Jobs should be reasonably safe. Bought the cheapest house we looked at, can afford the mortgage. Don't have any other debt. Don't buy too much dumb stuff. Don't go out to eat that much. Take public transportation a lot of the time. Own one car, fully paid for.

Perversely we're actually thinking about going on a vacation to Europe somewhere in the next six months, which seems like it would be fine money wise but maybe won't be by then? Who knows.

Iceland welcomes you

Maybe we'll buy up a block of downtown Reykjavik.

In many ways, I'm in your situation. (Rent rather than own but already locked in an affordable lease for a while to come and no car, otherwise pretty similar, down to the 'vacation or not?' question for next year. I'll make my decision after Christmas.) No question California's general budget situation gives me pause, admittedly, but we shall see -- if anything I've already determined the area I oversee will come in well under budget this year.

srsly considering selling off the car and padding out the bike quiver to include a CARGO BIKE

glad to be a student, glad to be learning a trade that will be useful beyond thunderdome

looting?

he's training to become a white mage

I'm actually going to stop short of "buy supermarket own brand beans", because I think that the positive financial aspect of four pence saved per tin is outweighed by the negative psychological impact of eating beans that taste of soap.

this is so true. there are some really bad ways to economise, and one of them is cutting like six pence from the price of things like cereals, which you're going to eat for the next thirty meals and the conscious cutback of which will leave you spelling out RECESSION in your cheap alphabetti spaghettios. accepting a minute annual budget overspend, to drink nice tea or buy not-the-cheapest-bread, is psychically worth it.

moderate debts on fixed interest rates, which inflation will erode

inflation will not erode debts unless there is also wage inflation. while wage inflation is possible I currently find it unlikely (except in the few sectors where industrial action is a possibility)

discretionary spending goes to gifts for toddler niece so I can live in her basement in 30 years.

Is everything off-brand so terrible though? Some things, like cereal, do suffer in quality, but I have never noticed that store-brand canned vegetables or beans, for example, are any better or worse than brand name. It's like the joke that's actually true, about how the same plant will churn out the same cans, but stick a brand-name label on one and a store-brand label on another.

or you could make beans from dried beans

(xpost) Breakfast cereal, tinned beans, tinned spaghetti, bread, and toilet paper all seem to be terrible. Other stuff, YMMV. Also, own brand cleaning products (bleach, floor cleaner, etc.) seem to be weaker, so you end up needing to use more of them. On the other hand, I buy own brand butter and don't notice any difference, also milk and eggs, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

i actually prefer our store brand spaghetti

Malt-o-Meal cereal is pretty good, and it's a little cheaper because it's bagged instead of boxed.

Yeah, actually, with paper prices the way they are, you could really cut down by buying things that don't come in cardboard boxes. Someone told me once about how much of the price of a box of cereal was the BOX and I was shocked. Now forgotten.

CD's are still quite cheap if I get 'em from America, so I won't be cutting back.

what white mage school are you at gbx

I am buying ur cheap stox.

I buy the store-brand beans, and then heat them up with curry and/or onion, so I don't see that as a sacrifice.

I've considered selling some of my LPs (a couple of them might bring a satisfactory price), but I don't have a good idea how to navigate eBay as a seller.

washing, reusing condoms

Eating as many grapes as I can while walking through the grocery store. Then they're cheaper at the register, and it almost feels like you just ate a free meal.

Actually I do that whether the world is going to hell or not.

I am buying ur cheap stox.

― M.V., Friday, October 10, 2008 12:46 PM (35 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wish i could do this

I am dressing like a hobo. Being especially prescient about the economy, I have been for years now.

http://www.bov.ch/labels/USA/usa-miller-olde-english-800.jpg

i am feeling this a little more now. i thought it wouldn't be palpable until it impacted bagel prices, but they're going up.

I quit my job and I'm going on holiday to Chile for three weeks in November. I don't think that was too sensible.

My belt's been as tight as it can for years. The Coming Great Superdepression will be okay as long as it has the internet – I don't have shit all otherwise to lose in the deal.

oh, I flashed my xbox so I can pirate games. don't blame me, blame

http://broccolicity.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/jeezy-recession-cvr.jpg

starting to get a little worried about my job - business has slowed right down, think the owners might consolidate the 3 stores into 2 or even 1. and we just spent $1500 on 3 books. and we have major expenses coming up in a years time when we do the whole permanent residency thing.

i am eating more fruit and nuts. i don't know if this is exactly recession-related, but something about the whole environment makes me want to eat healthier. reverting to hunter-gatherer diet. every day: apples, bananas, mangos. grape juice, apple cider. and salads for dinner.

apple cider OTM.

economizing on groceries. no more "organic" products! like w/milk, conventional is almost $2 cheaper per half-gallon. sorry, elsie, but it adds up.

some of us don't even keep milk in the home anymore.

i guess if you have a kid that's not so much an option?

yeah we've been doing "dry milk" for a while now

also have a 40lb bag of rice on top of the fridge as the sole evidence of a minor survivalist freakout i had while looking at mostly empty shelves at the grocery store.

That's a v good thing to have – just make sure to keep it in a sealed container (like a rubbermaid storage bin) so as not to attract vermin: mice, roaches, weevils, etc.

Not so good a thing to have if you move every few months, tho. I had a giant Rubbermaid 50 gallon thing full of rice (from my parents) and moving, I started to feel like some Johnny Appleseed/Sisyphus hybrid.

Trying to cut back on the panic attacks but it ain't working at all. On the contrary.

i have been eating beans even more than i thought was possible (they are the magical fruit)

*sigh*... anyone taking on a second job? my primary job is fine; the base pay is nigh adequate to get me through the month, but I rely a lot on a consistent stream of overtime to supplement my income. Unfortunately that's all but dried up over the last couple of months. I'm thinking of taking some catering gigs over this holiday season. Those should be mindless enough, and shouldn't interfere with my 40 hr/week straight job. Even so, the thought of this is pretty depressing.

the two days after the election were the busiest my store has seen in a couple of months. hopefully this continues.

Saved my work the overhead of an entire person by resigning.

Cut holes in my ipod classic armstrap so as not to necessitate the purchase of another.

Bought Cadbury chocolate instead of Lindt.

Put up with a pain in my back to prevent expensive osteopathy bills.

i am eating more fruit and nuts. i don't know if this is exactly recession-related, but something about the whole environment makes me want to eat healthier. reverting to hunter-gatherer diet. every day: apples, bananas, mangos. grape juice, apple cider. and salads for dinner.

― tipsy mothra, Saturday, October 25, 2008 10:48 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ha. whenever im really poor i get a really strong urge to buy a lot of milk and bread. i have no idea why.

oh i didnt see all that milk talk above

My money is mainly going to grad school applications and rent, and since I recently moved and am looking for work, I'm nervous. I found a part-time job, so I need either more part time jobs or a full-time job, but I can't temp. Argh.

Right now I'm eating very cheap and basic groceries (mainly pasta, eggs, rice, & black beans) and not many fruits and vegetables. My roommates insist on having milk around, and since we do communal grocery shopping I am drinking lots of it and trying to avoid adding stuff I like personally to the list to keep the cost down.