My spending patterns have dramatically change. I don't do it.

I'm luckier than most in that I don't live from paycheck to paycheck. But my husband and I have had some big expenses in the past few months. I'm cooking in more, trying not to use a lot of gasoline, keeping the thermostat down (it's already getting cold here), trying to make sure lights are turned off when we're not in a room and shopping will be curtailed. We're going to postpone some home improvements we've wanted to make too.

I think the really sad thing is that when we all curtail our spending, it's going to hurt someone else -- merchants and their employees, wait staff, handymen. It's a vicious cycle.

I have $90 in my checking account, a client that owes me $240 or so and a few more checks out there, but otherwise I am broke and actually suicidal.

Have a ledger..Mark income for each month..and expenditures..Pay on all the bills that you can and if you can only put a little down..a little is better then nothing..Let the people that want your money now..call them and tell them your situation..Eat at home, collect coupons..and sue them..People just need to disipline themselves..

People need to be more aware of their income and expenditures..Mark it all down in a ledger..Cut up all credit cards..( much too easy to use) and not so easy to pay down on..Cut out coupons..place in your wallet and use them..Eat at home..eating out is costly..
Face we all need to discipline ourselves!! This is a total wakeup call..

I have to agree that many people are now getting a wake-up call. We have always been very cautious with our money...mostly since we haven't had much :). I have learned how to make foods like those in restaurants. We buy in bulk to save $. I am always looking for a deal. I buy clothes off season so they are on clearance. We don't have credit cards and most likely never will. They are evil in my opinion. They allow us to live beyond our means. We reuse and up-cycle whatever we can.

Many people have put themselves in tough situations, but many more have just been thrown into a bad time. Jobs disappear and prices go up.

It is a good time to learn what is necessary in our lives and what is fluff. Cut back on the fluff and and least you won't have to worry about those things.

Just paying our regular bills has become hard. My husband has been taken out of work due to a disability after surgery. He doesn't have any disability pay from work and doesn't qualify for SSI until a year has passed. We are trying to live on my much smaller pay check until then.

We turn off all lights when not in use. No more fun trips out just because. We search for good deals to stretch our food budget. We cut back on meats and milk and extras. I bake more for the kids snacks.

It's hard, but we will get through it. We have been here before and I'm sure we will be here again. As a family, we know how keep plowing forward.

Robin

Quit using credit 100%! Getting a divorce also influenced this action. Working on more of my own cash economy.

Yes, I am actively trying to pay off high interest credit cards (for the last six months actually), keeping accounts over 10 years old open, but closing some of the newer ones (within 3 years), watching my FICO score. I always pay 3-4 days before the due date with $5-$10 more than the minimum payment. Have cut frivolous spending. Probably silly, but I pick out items at the store but deliberatly walk around with them before I buy and then go through them before check-out and decide if I really need or want them. Of course, I want them, or I wouldn't have picked them out, but can I live without them or do I have something similar at home? If the answer is "yes," I put them back. My downfall is buying for others, so I try to curb that (that's the part I hate!). Have become more creative in the kitchen and using up more foods on hand than ever before. And, I do redesign some of my clothes--cut off sleeves or add lace, give an old item of clothing a new look. Watching the gas, of course, and stopping at the store after work, instead of making an extra trip. Wear sweaters at night instead of turning up the thermostat. ARRRGGGHH! Wish I didn't have to think about it, but I do.

Well, there is no "extra" play money. We buy what we need, we don't eat out, and we rarely do any thing outside of the house (including vacations). What a bummer!

We haven't really had to change our spending habits.

Have done some of the same as some noted here. We don't have much in savings. Putting a lot more extra $ towards debt. That is the focus. We have been doing frivoulous b-fast and lunch spending for years. So, we are curtailing that and putting that extra towards debt. We still have some spending and are putting $ towards health and projects around house.

However, this is a huge WAKE up call and it is a bit scary. However, I think people shouldn't panic as we see people doing so, with the stock market going all over the place. We just need to sit back, be careful, relax as much as we can. Be smart as we can and not live beyond our means! Credit cards and the "American Dream" got us into a bit of this mess unfortunately.

I think it something we can all work on changing and we will all get through it.

TRYING HARD TO CHANGE SPENDING FOR YEARS, SOME RESULTS. THIS IS MORE OF A WAKE UP CALLTHO.WE COOK AT HOME, MOSTLY BUY WHAT IS ON SALE BUY LARGE QUANITIES USE LG FREEZER. HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING A BANK SOLVENT TO PUT LIFE SAVINGS IN. HAVE CHANGED 2 BANKS AND THE BANK IT IS IN IS HAVING PROBLEMS.

I think twice before driving somewhere to do the shopping,, petrol prices terrible, so l try to limit that.

I am a single mother with 3 children, and l took in a homeless teenager. Only one income, so i have to be very frivilous.

I dont buy processed foods that much, we dont have luxury foods, like biscuits (cookies to you americans)

i turn off the lights at night, to limit my electricity bills, same for gas, same for heating

I have unfortunately had to cancel a lot of insurance policies that hopefully i wont need.

I sell my second hand items on ebay, for a little extra income.

I am in Australia, food has gone up, petrol has gone up , and as most things are imported into this country , possibly everything has gone up

In my mind I think we are living paycheck to paycheck, but I guess that is not really true. We stil have "luxury" items such as cable TV, Internet, Cell phones (4), and 5 cats. I guess I changed my thinking after listening to an interview with of all people Ted Nugent. He had noted that many things that ARE luxury items are now considered needs. I only buy beer for my hubby IF we have the extra money, we do not smoke. I realized that there are people who are actually struggling to buy soup and rice, so I am very lucky! I cut out my lawn service (grass is done for the year I think anyway), lowered my cable to basic extended (I get some extra channels,but no digital), and we have started eating more hamburger and rice items. We do not go out to eat as much, but still do occasionally. So, I guess I am just cutting back. I do hate that I have to spend quite so much on my medications, but that IS a need, so something else will go.

I wish everyone well in this crisis!! Hopefully it will not last too long!

i decided that i'm not spending money any more. i'm taking a community college course in bank robbery...