Cutting living expenses...

[kuhio98]

I suppose most people could do w/out cable TV but we need some type of entertainment; at least I do. The stuff on network TV is mostly reality shows now and who can bear that? Cell phone, sure. Internet, no. I need it for my business, as do a lot of people. Most of us could cut these things out but why should we? We work hard in order to pay for modern conveniences, then have to give them up? It's maddening.

Nobody's saying you should have to give them up. But, if it's a choice between feeding my kids/pets or entertainment, I'll choose to give up entertainment.

[Scooter's Mom]

At this point, with the price of gas where it is now, hubby and I are spending $600 a month just commuting. When we moved here 3 1/2 years ago, it was $250/$300 at the most. We're eating the bare minimum, neither of us get our hair done (Mine has not been cut in over a year), our only luxury is once a week we spend more than $5 on dinner. MY luxury is my blood pressure medication and my migraine medication - those are $55 a month.

I am looking to rehome Charlie and Jingle Belle, and Oreo too. No, I don't want to do it. I do want them to have the food and medical care they deserve in case something happens.

We can't sell our house. It's gone down $48,000 since we bought it. Thank you, housing market. Also, since we moved here, my husbands office has moved further away TWICE. His round trip drive is 105 miles a day. Mine is 90. However, if we carpool - which we do - it's 150.

Yes, we did this to ourselves - buying a house far from downtown Phoenix. We bought where we could afford to at the time. Never did we expect the housing market to crap out like it has.

Each night I go to bed shaking, just hoping something happens that is GOOD in life... money on the sidewalk, a long lost relative dies and leaves us in their will, something - anything.

I have to have the internet in order to go to school. Our basic cable is in our HOA fees. My water/sewer is $80+ a month - oh, and it's contaminated water. We can't drink it. Boiling it makes it worse. They recommend we don't even bathe in it...

I can't find an extra $10 to cut out, let alone $500.

[Cookiebaker]

Along the same lines, I cannot BELIEVE how expensive groceries are now! I used to pay $60 for a large grocery shopping that would last us about 2 weeks. For the same thing, it is now costing me $120+/- Unbelievable.

For example, to compare approximately one year ago until now:

Pasta: I used to pay $.33/pound. It now goes on sale for $1.00/pound
Half&Half: I used to pay $.79/pint. Now it is $1.69
Lettuce: Used to be $.99/head Now its $1.49/head
Milk: Used to be $1.99/gallon Now its 3.99 per gallon

I worry about the young single moms, the elderly, the people who already struggle to make ends meet. How in the world can we continue like this???

[Catty1]

Oh boy...wow...I don't drink or smoke; gee, the only area I could cut $$ is on gas for the car...I am doing that a bit by cutting down on outings to the city, unless it is for work (housecleaning).

I could also walk more in town...I used to do it all the time. Lazy now? I don't know what happened - though I use to work right in town so that part was easy.

I wish I could telecommute - work from home - but don't know if that would be feasible with my job.

[Karen]

We can't sell our house. It's gone down $48,000 since we bought it. Thank you, housing market. Also, since we moved here, my husbands office has moved further away TWICE. His round trip drive is 105 miles a day. Mine is 90. However, if we carpool - which we do - it's 150.

I hope, for your sake, that the housing market recovers in your area soon, and that you don't have to move. I love when "talking heads" say things like "cut $500 out of your monthly budget" when they have no idea what our monthly budgets even are, and where our money is being spent.

Would your husband's company agree to some sort of transportation pay, since they are the ones that moved the office, not you!

[Scooter's Mom]

I hope, for your sake, that the housing market recovers in your area soon, and that you don't have to move. I love when "talking heads" say things like "cut $500 out of your monthly budget" when they have no idea what our monthly budgets even are, and where our money is being spent.

Would your husband's company agree to some sort of transportation pay, since they are the ones that moved the office, not you!

Karen, unfortunately no. We've tried. We've also tried getting them to allow him to switch to either 4 10 hr shifts or work from home 1-2 days per week (It's possible, easily!) At the moment it is not possible.

My office would allow me to work 4 10-hr shifts, but with him not able to, it isn't feasible.

[Medusa]

Nobody's saying you should have to give them up. But, if it's a choice between feeding my kids/pets or entertainment, I'll choose to give up entertainment.

Well, of course!