What changes are you making?

[madscot13]

The changes I'm making predate this mess. Over a year ago I moved from the Washington DC area, which is VERY expensive, to a smaller, much more reasonable city. I was fortunate that I squeaked in under the wire and bought a house in July that costs me half of what I was paying in DC. However, I'm undertaking a renovation now. The upside is that the contractor's are ready to work because they don't have too many jobs right now. I'm happy to be putting my cash in the house at this time, but it's hard to swallow, this spending of money! But when it's done, the house will be just right.

I already work from home and hardly drive. I fill up my little car perhaps once a month. I can ride my bike to the grocery store, post office, and local cafe. And since I'm in my new little house, I'm starting a garden after several years of being gardenless.

The only thing I've decided to change in the past week is to put my renovation money in a local bank. I'll keep my regular checking at the Next Big Bank To Be In Trouble for work-related issues, but I feel better about having the bulk of my cash in a small, local bank.

Check back after the election--my plans may change dramatically.

Hey Tulip, the housing market will swing the other way eventually. You will be sitting pretty with a renovated house.

[madscot13]

With the stock market experiencing volatile changes and the banks struggling to remain solvent, have you made any changes in your day to day living?

I am buying cheaper groceries, making more meals from scratch, cancelled my newpaper and magazine subscriptions, driving less, painting with acrylics vs oils, and shifting money in my portfolio to less risky investments, watching less t.v. and spending more time with happy, upbeat people. I've noticed in the past several days that I am not receiving near the amount of junk mail. It kind of reminds me of post 9/11.

How about you?

you should trying being a college student or a poor post college student. You just described my life minus the art, TV, and investments. I am very economical so I notice when my grocery bill goes up because of the price of the store brand stuff went up. In turn I buy fewer groceries. I read my newspaper online and prevent less waste that way. I have yet to receive my Bicycling magazine subscription from performance. I am trying to put some money aside for when my loans come out of deferment. I don't own a TV. But you are right I need to spend more of my time with more fun upbeat people and stop working so much.

I am lucky I like biking so much. It gets me to where I need to go, which is surprisingly easy in DC. As long as I don't go crazy at the bike store, it is economical as well. I save about $5 round trip by not taking the metro. It is not a lot but it can add up, and I would rather use the money for groceries.
A little grease goes a long way. Starter costs for bike maintenance are still paying off and a bottle of T9 Boeshield lasts a long time. Oddly enough I find a bottle of White Lightening every year. It may not be the best lube but it is the best degreaser (isn't that odd?). I don't have to pay for a gym membership. Biking also keeps me busy. You know what they say: idle hands are the tool of the devil. I just raised over $2000 in memory of a friend's father through biking. You see biking is one of the ways I choose to live with intention.

My family is lucky, knock on wood, that the recession has not hit us. My father is a factory worker and has been laid off during times that have not been so terrible, buit so far so good. My mother is an accountant in a bank, and we all know banks are starting to pay for their ways. And although my job is not guaranteed for the year, I have a good boss who would find other ways to cut costs than to cut his workers.