1001 How-Tos

October 15, 2008

How to Survive the Economic Recession

Filed under: Money and finance — Tags: — Johnny @ 9:50 pm

People in the prehistoric times are not the only ones in survival mode. Nowadays, people all over the world especially in the United States are feeling the heat of the prevailing economic recession. With the sudden downturn of the economy, a lot of people are more hard up than they were in previous years. Some have even lost their jobs or have lost their homes because of the real estate crash in recent months. The problem with rising costs of gas has also affected the prices of food and other products. Times right now are tighter and harder.

But this is not to say that times are impossible to survive on. In fact, with a little creativity and a lot of forbearance, you can actually ride the economic recession tide and come out the victor. In this survival game, the most likely to survive are those who are willing to change their lifestyle and adapt to the times. Here are some ways to survive the economic recession:

1. Save!
This is not the time to buy, buy and buy in the excess. Buy only those that you feel you can eat or use. Do not buy more than you need. That way, you can be sure that you will not be wasting food. If you don’t need additional clothes or things at home, don’t buy any. Save your money for other things that you will be needing in case emergency times are called for.

Saving does not only mean saving money but also saving in electricity, gas and water. You may not realize it but these are things that get a large chunk from your monthly expenses. The same goes with clothes and snacks. This is the time to scrimp. People will not think less of you when you do that.

2. Plan ahead.
You may not want to become an obsessive-compulsive but there are a lot of advantages to being one. Planning ahead and keeping the household organized can help save you some money in utilities, gas and even food. Planning your meals for instance will help you determine just how much you need to purchase at the grocery stores. The same goes with the gas that you use when you cook food or the electricity that you consume when you use the microwave over.

Planning meals allow you to cook food at the same time. This saves energy big time. Designating a day to go to the laundry shop, the bank, the groceries and to do other errands will allow you to save on gas by going on one road trip instead of going on multiple trips to town. You can even plan your trips in between sending your kids to school.

3. Partner with your neighbors
If kids in your neighborhood go to the same school, ask the mothers to form some sort of group that will take turns sending the kids to school and fetching them afterwards. This will not only allow you to do more during the day, it will also save in gas as the kids travel in a carpool. If this is not viable, considering getting your kids into a school bus.

This way, you can be sure that your kid is safe and of course, school buses are cheaper than driving your kids to school everyday, truly a good option for kids in this time of economic recession.

October 8, 2008

How to Save in Times of Economic Recession

Filed under: Money and finance — Tags: , — Johnny @ 11:32 am

Economic recession is gripping the country. This can be seen in the job losses and the rapidly increasing cost of living in the United States. This is perhaps why the upcoming elections is all the more crucial as it would determine just who will be “unlucky” enough to preside over such a messy economic condition. But politics aside, there are ways to survive the economic recession while the race to the elections is still going on. Here are some tips on how to deal with this cashless scenario.

1. Don’t waste food
Food like veggies and bread may not be as expensive as other products such as meat, fish and rice but this does not mean that you can waste it or throw the food away. Teach your kids to get only the food that they can eat and if they want more, they can always get a second helping. This way, no food is wasted especially now that you can’t afford to throw away food.

2. Plan your meals
Plan your meals ahead by making a dish schedule at home. This will allow you to determine what to buy at the groceries at a particular time. Having a schedule also allows you to know how much is needed so that you will not be buying more than you can chew literally.

In planning meals, make sure also that you include dishes that is more or less similar in ingredients. That way, you can buy in bulk for the rest of the week, which is less costly, but will be able to use the ingredients in multiple dishes.

3. Learn to recycle food
Food can be eaten the next day. Just put it inside the refrigerator after eating and then reheat it the next day. Make sure though that you use serving spoon for the dishes to avoid spoilage. Practice clean hygiene too when you are eating to also minimize spoilage.

If your family do not want to eat the same dish for the next day, be creative and whip up a new dish using the old one that you cooked. Some people fry or grill the dish or use the dish as an ingredient into another dish. It’s up to you.

4. Walk!
With the rising prices of gas, a kilometer can cost you a lot! So, bring out those rubber shoes and prepare to walk those blocks. If you are just going to visit a neighbor or just buying bread from the local store a couple of blocks away, use the trip to do some brisk walking. Doing this will save your money and will also save you from illnesses. Remember that walking is a very good exercise. Not only does it help in building the muscles in the legs and in keeping people fit, it also strengthens the lungs and the heart.

5. Save on water and electricity
You may not realize it but you may be paying more for your utilities than most people with the same number of people in your households. So, don’t waste those water and electricity. Turn off the lights when you leave the room or when you are going to sleep. Put your television sets in sleep mode or on automatic shut off. When it comes to water, shut off the faucet when you are soaping your hands.

Powered by WordPress