Are you doing without, or lowering your standards?

[eljefino]

The cheap eats have really surged in price.

Walmart brand cream of celery soup, an ingredient in my sheperd's pie, jumped from $.80 to $1.25 overnight. A pound of pasta, I used to get on special 3/$1, is now $1.30.

I still buy the doorbuster specials and shop several supermarkets as well as independent farmers and butchers. The supermarkets decide randomly to have 300% profit on ALL veggies, or ALL meat from one week to the next. I STILL don't give in.

I was in Dollar tree recently and a family bought $30 worth of dollar tree food. That was an odd sight.

I will be shopping for a used motorcycle shortly in the perfect season to do so, a semi-luxury good for some that I'll use next summer for economical commuting.

I got my wife cable TV for the summern as a treat/suprise so she could follow the Red Sox and I just ordered it cut off. Discovered they have a new "Lite" roadrunner internet for $20/month that I dialed back to.

I like the idea of making them wonder why a "good customer" "cheapened out".

Over the summer I filled my heating oil tank, half at 4.11 and half at 3.53. Feeling foolish with it now at 2.71, one bright spot.

 

[BrianWC]

Doing fine. I made a great investment when I was in college and began dating a pre-med major. My returns have really taken off lately, despite the drag of three sub-adults on the returns.

Seriously, though, we haven't had our money long enough to make any retirement investments so there's nothing to tank. We were poor to begin with with all the debt we incurred trying to raise kids while the wife was in med school. My wife just did some calculations other day and says at the current rate, we'll have our massive credit card debt paid off in less than a year's time. So things are only getting better for us, providing someone doesn't completely socialize medicine. I work for the fed govt but my salary is so minuscule in comparison that I could probably quit and it wouldn't be a big deal given what I have to spend on gas every month.

 

[BuickGN]

I haven't had to cut back yet but I'm probably in the category of living beyond one's means. After completing my biggest loser contest this month, I realized I had an extra $400 that would've been spent on food. That was an eye opener. I'm the opposite of my parents. I watched as my dad made more and more money over the years. Now he's in Iraq and making 4-5X more money than me but he saves it and never enjoys it. Looking at our possessions you would think I was the one with more money. Other than suits for work, my dad wears shoes and pants with holes in them, drives his $6,000 turbo Regal, and lives in a moderate house. I may have gone to the other extreme but I enjoy spending what I have. You can't take it to the grave with you...

 

[Audi Junkie]

It's much more fulfilling to buy something with cash. A credit purchase has it's place, like a durable item, but the second you sway from that standard, it's a sort-of empty feeling in the back of your mind that takes away the pleasure of the newly-aquired item.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's much more fulfilling to buy something with cash. A credit purchase has it's place, like a durable item, but the second you sway from that standard, it's a sort-of empty feeling in the back of your mind that takes away the pleasure of the newly-aquired item.


Well put. I use the business card for the business items. There is no pleasure in that, really. Just collecting it on one bill.

 

[firemachine69]

When I started out on my own, rolling into college, I lived well beyond my means. Although my parents filled my fridge while I was in college and on my own, I spent a larger share constantly eating out.

The devil's side of the coin is I just realized how far out of my means I was living. I now drive motorcoach for a living, and spend approximately the same amount on food out of town, where I actually have a need. Except that now I typically avoid dine-in restaurants, and lately, even places like Quiznos (particularly now that their large sandwhich for $5 is gone). I tend to go to the grocery store, and pick up a small veggie tray, and something else like a cup of Chunky soup if I have a microwave in my room. One thing that's really helped is in our "regular" rooms I've bought two liters of pop bottles. They always go on sale, and a heck of alot cheaper than constantly buying 591ml bottles.

One thing I have moved away from are $5 latte's and capp's. I'm drinking straight coffee now, still trying to cut down (without having a lack-of-caffeine-breakdown).


SO in short, I'm making more and more money, and becoming a cheaper and cheaper b@st@rd.

The other kicker was Visa sent me an interest refund (they were charging me 19.9% interest when I had the low-rate card @ 11.8%.) Total refund: $685'ish. And that was only paying the difference on interest for one year (on about 10K)!

In all seriousness however, it's when I tacked on the loan for the new Yaris - a bit of 20K owing, on top of previous debts (inluding school and personal loans in the name of the business I owned). A few hairs shy of 40K, and I'm set to gross 60K in a year. And I'm only 23. Yea, Houston, we have a problem here.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I use the business card for the business items. There is no pleasure in that, really. Just collecting it on one bill.


I didn't take you for someone who ever gets pleasure out of spending money.

I use a credit card only for rentals (gear, cars) and when buying airline tickets, and whenever I don't feel like walking with any cash on my body. I use my credit card as if it were a debit card. I never actually buy stuff for which I can't pay. I owe exactly zero money to anyone.

 

[Steve S]

Once I pay of my 6 year loan on the Escalade, The $55,000 ten year loan on the ski boat . The 5 year loan on my wifes Mercedes . The money I took out of the house to remodel the kitchen and the bathrooms. 4 year loan on the Harley .The 3 year loan on the Atv I bought last year, The vacation to Hawaii I took the family on 5 years ago and the new furniture and carpet that I don't start paynemts on till 2010. I will be doing fine !

 

[Mr Nice]

We are not doing any thing different except stocking up on BOGO free deals at our local supermarket, plus I use coupons so a lot of times you can get stuff for so cheap, it doesn't pay to buy generic.

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
It's much more fulfilling to buy something with cash. A credit purchase has it's place, like a durable item, but the second you sway from that standard, it's a sort-of empty feeling in the back of your mind that takes away the pleasure of the newly-aquired item.


Anyone would be better off spending cash but I didn't have $40,000 laying around at the moment. Driving a semi-luxury car that doesn't break down makes me feel good. I have no problem making the $700 payment. It will be nice to be out from under it soon. Besides, if I were forced to, I could pay it off tomorrow.

 

[Win]

I rent space to a five star restaurant in one of my buildings - I can't tell their business has fallen off any. My wife works part time for a regional upscale department store chain. She tells me they cannot sell anything unless it is deeply discounted.

we live reasonably and are doing fine. I have a practice and commercial properties. All of our property is paid for, no debt of any kind, and the commercial properties throw off good rental income. I'm not smart enough to be a day trader, so have totally avoided the stock market and have no exposure to it other than tax exempt money market funds where I park cash. Securities are 0.01% of my holdings. They were 0.02 a month ago ....

Our part of the country has a pretty steady economy, never boom or bust, just steady. I probably won't start any new projects in the near future, but that is the only thing I see different on the horizon.

 

[XCELERATIONRULES]

I never believed in the 401 k trap.
I've paid off my mortgage and only have a car payment,and no credit card debt.
I have no need to keep up with my neighbors,who need every new gadget/convenience they see on TV.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
I use a credit card only for rentals (gear, cars) and when buying airline tickets, and whenever I don't feel like walking with any cash on my body. I use my credit card as if it were a debit card. I never actually buy stuff for which I can't pay. I owe exactly zero money to anyone.


Same here, except we use debit cards...gonna have to get a credit card to avoid those stupid double-ups at motels, car parts etc.

People down here have started getting letters from citibank, telling them that the month interest free (or whatever) has now been reduced to zero, and the 20-21% kicks in at time of purchase.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Debt free except 200 bucks a month in student loans combined for the wife and I. I rent a nice duplex for 640 bucks a month and drive two gas sipping vehicles we bought with cash.

We usually will buy something big, like our plasma television, once every 4 or 5 years. I don't have as much as others in my neighborhood, but I can't stand owing on anything. The fact we pay 200 bucks a month in student loans bugs me, but the interest rate (2-1/4%) doesn't really make me want to pay the 20,000 loan back as I can beat that with the money market at my CU.

We aren't eating out as much and all we really do for investments is put money into a Roth IRA. We are about 30 years from retirement, so our plan is just to max out IRA accounts and keep 6 months of wages in a money market/savings account and live simply. Every now and then I will buy a firearm 500-1000 bucks for my ongoing collection, but that has slowed down as my collection got to be a little excessive.

Yeah, we're pretty boring, but reading what I drive in my signature, you probably figured that out already. haha

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Shannow


People down here have started getting letters from citibank, telling them that the month interest free (or whatever) has now been reduced to zero, and the 20-21% kicks in at time of purchase.


Time to cut that card up.

 

[Pablo]

I have a house payment. Big whoop. Gotta live somewhere. We got a decent deal and put a decent amount down. I don't see having a mortgage as a sin. Our payment is way less than a tiny apartment rent.

 

[The Critic]

If anything, I've been spending more lately. There are just too many good deals during these tough market economic times.

 

[XS650]

Quote:

Yeah, we're pretty boring, but reading what I drive in my signature, you probably figured that out already. haha


If you can manage to be boring in the middle of this mess you are doing well.

Our big extravagance is travel, about 3 international trips a year. Next one will be February. I expect there will be some real travel bargains between now and then.

 

[Saturn_Fan]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Quote:

Yeah, we're pretty boring, but reading what I drive in my signature, you probably figured that out already. haha


If you can manage to be boring in the middle of this mess you are doing well.

Our big extravagance is travel, about 3 international trips a year. Next one will be February. I expect there will be some real travel bargains between now and then.


Your travel trips are my firearm purchases, but they are my passion. Before I die, I must take at least one major international trip. I have never been out of this country except to Mexico and Canada and I'd like to change that.

The wife has never left Wisconsin and I have always promised her a trip to California as she has never been to the ocean.

 

[pickled]

I'm simply working on paying off my mortgage as fast as I can to enjoy the dirt that I will not have a recurring fine on. Other than that my business leases a lot of things and flies my but all over on various airlines. I use my business credit card like Pablo...keeps my tax headaches lower with a benefit of a kickback here and there for keeping the hamster wheel going round and round!