Sharing Survival Strategies
Posted on May 28, 2009 by Ian Goldsmith
Tina in Philly makes her own laundry detergent and cuts washcloths out of old towels. Lisa in New York pays for everything in cash and leaves her card at home so she isn't tempted to use it if she doesn't really need to.
These helpful tips are a sign of the times, and contributed by readers of Living with Less, a mini-site created by the New York Times that is dedicated to sharing "the human side of the global recession." People post their recession-related tips, which range from the obscure to the obvious, as well as share their photos and stories.
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These types of "tips" are
These types of "tips" are making a comeback! I think many of us remember or grandparents insisting on such money-saving practices (my grandmother even ate leftovers from another table at a restaurant because "leaving food was wasteful.")
My older brother who live in South Korea recently told me his method of maintaining frugality. He withdraws a certain amount of money each month from his bank account and uses it until its gone. He knows he has to budget his spending or else he'll end up with nothing at the end of the month.
Turning survival strategies into lifetime habits
Yes, tips and tactics for penny-pinching are making a comeback, and perhaps many of us are starting to remind ourselves of our grandparents (although I will never cut anyone a $5 check for their birthday). While many of the posts on the New York Times forum "Living With Less: The human side of the global recession" are simply quick and effective ways to stop the bleeding (Supermarkets often put meat on clearance that is about to "expire." Freeze it right away; it will be fine later), a large number are also worthy of consideration as long-term habits (Biking! Time to dust off the old clunker. It's the best transportation - fun, nearly free, great exercise).
Just as the exorbitant price of gas was a front page headline last summer only to fade from consciousness by winter, or the flash-in-the-pan that was swine flu, it's hard to believe that once this recession ends (and it will, right?) people won't go back to their lavish ways and we'll immediately start digging ourselves into another hole.
And there's no guarantee we'll be lucky enough this time to live off social security and medicare when we're old and spend our leisure time lamenting the state of the youth if we don't change our habits now and for the long term.
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