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Are you going to stop doing anything because of the economy?

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Already adjusted to gas prices by getting a more efficient car, cut electric use by installing skylights and changing to CFLs (yes, I said I never would, but I did). Bought a CD within hours of the Fed's rate cut thereby getting the older, higher rate (3.75!!!!!! Whoopeee!). Cutting back on lunches out. Worked a ton of overtime. No vacation this fall.
 
Nope. I did start taking food to work, though- it's a lot cheaper and it (sometimes) tastes better anyway.
 
i stopped smoking. use more storebrand crap instead of namebrand crap. it's all the same crap. except q-tips.
 
I'm going to stop masturbating into toilet paper and just shoot it in my hand. Its also good for the environment too.
 
Despite being in better financial shape now than we've ever been, and it's well ahead of the curve compared to people with gobs of debt and no savings, I have recently cut out my gym membership (I have a full complement of gear at home but it was a convenience) and put a freeze on discretionary spending including vacations and what not; we will buy closer to next year's planned one than now, I don't want us to be out any money whatsoever that we don't have to. That is only to add an additional layer of protection if things get truly terrible.

Otherwise, we were well on our way before, so there really hasn't been much we can change to be more fiscally responsible. When everybody was drunk on credit I knew it was a bad idea. Even without a crumbling economy, they would have to pay the piper. Now that we have no credit card debt and some savings and solid money coming in, we could certainly be looking upon things now in a much worse light and it would have been our fault.
 
Originally posted by: KK
I'm going to stop masturbating into toilet paper and just shoot it in my hand. Its also good for the environment too.

try that and then rub it all over your chest hair, voila! no more mess!
 
Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp
Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Originally posted by: Random Variable
Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Originally posted by: Random Variable
I'm probably not going to go golfing again this year, and I'm probably going to be bagging my lunches for the foreseeable future.


Did your portfolio take a big hit? Or has it caused you to lose a job/income in any way?

No, not any bigger of a hit than most people. But I'm poorer than I was last week.

Fair enough.


Im requesting my paychecks in Euros.

Today, and for past few weeks, the dollar is gaining in value, whereas the Euro is falling. Would you like to be more poor?

Wait until the government prints another $1 trillion+ out of thin air, and the world trades in its USD reserves.

Thats naive thinking right there.
Yes, the bailout might deflate the dollar a bit but there are other factors that works in the dollar's favor.
- Because of the crappy economy, the US are importing alot less which helps the dollar value quite a bit.
- And if you haven't notice, Europe's economy is just as crappy as ours.
Their growth has reached its peak in the past year and are in a declining period.
The Euro is 1.35 now and you will likely see it in the ~1.20 than the ~1.50 in the future.
 
Yeah... I'm going to stop putting all of my retirement savings in stocks and start diversifying into safer investments.

I also think that I'm going to find one of those economic pundits who told me that I should be 100% invested in stocks at my age and shoot them.
 
I did not buy the truck that I was planning to get, and I have started to sink money in to precious metals.
 
I switched from drinking exclusively craft brews to drinking Miller or Bud much of the time, and craft brews maybe once per week. Also switched from having a beer a day to 2 or 3 beers per week. Saves me $50 per month or so

I quit smoking (using nicotine replacement now, but down to 2 times per day.) Saves me $50 per month on cigs and $30 per month on my health insurance. (using ACS quit line ... )

It was open enrollment at work, so I changed HMO providers to one with a lower premium, and similar coverage, saved $40 per month.

Switching from Comcast to ATT Uverse .... same internet speed, more TV channels, saves me $5 per month


My profit sharing, stock, and stock options are doing very poorly, but I'm leaving them alone.
I just recently made the above changes because I am pretty much living paycheck to paycheck since I bought my house, and I'm not paying down balances fast enough. An extra $150 per month that I can use to pay bills will go a long way. (pretty much enabling me to build my home theater.)
 
I've been riding my motorcycle quite a bit more due to high gas prices...well, that and it's just so much more fun than driving.

I've stopped eating out as much and started bringing my lunches to work.
 
I'm a student with very little money, only a couple of K in investments, and very few assets.

I'm not too worried.
 
Doing the same thing I been doing. Try not to buy new, buy used. dont drive till I absolutely have to, and when I fill up the tank I do so not at a name brand station. Shut the water off when brushing my teeth. take Biweekly showers to cut down on not water but mostly my bill. If its yellow leave it fellow, if its brown flush it down, saves me on my bill, again not to cut back on water. Keep all my lights off unless absolutely needed. And then I do anything more I can when I buy, other then food, to do it used, refurbished, so that the end product maker doesnt see dime one of mine. Like with Games for any platform, I buy 1 year later games used, rather then new, so that they again, dont get dime one from me.

If I were a rich man, Id prolly do the same as Im doing now, Id just buy more used/refurbished things, but use up more electricity and water taking daily showers once or twice a day. And the thing I dont get is why were told, poor to upper middle class, to save this, save that, but the well off and super rich have 14 shower heads and take a shower that imitates a rain forest monsoon, an Olympic size bath tub, a toilet with 6 gallons and enough pressure that it will suck the colon out your ass hole, every light on including 100,000 watt flood lights showcasing their homes, and drive to work in their 8mpg hybrid Lexus. Its like being told to save all the stuff, so they can continue to waste it and continue to live their lifestyle unchanged.
 
Originally posted by: Ramma2
I did not buy the truck that I was planning to get, and I have started to sink money in to precious metals.

Stay out of platinum, its price is driven quite a bit by the auto industry and we all know how well they've been doing.

I've been bringing my lunch to work, driving as little as possible, and skimping on anything that's a luxury. The wife and I literally live off of about 50% of my total income. The rest goes to taxes or savings.
 
I don't have any money to invest to begin with. So I could really care less if the Dow drops another 1000 this week.
 
Haha to be honest. This economic crisis is working on my favor in a way... of course, just like everyone else I lost money on my 401K, but really I don't lose anything until I cash out... which is 30+ years from now. looking at it positively... I am buying more shares, which will have bigger return eventually (I think).
Gas is $1.50 cheaper... so I am saving a few bucks. Hearing about all this economical crisis makes me a bit more careful with money... somehow I am automatically spending less...saving more. My spending report this month is record low for 2 years ??? It is true there something psychological about this.

One more thing, I plan to invest 1K in GM stocks soon. hopefully by at less than $10 a share.
 
Originally posted by: Ocguy31



Did your portfolio take a big hit? Or has it caused you to lose a job/income in any way?

Both. My 401k and personal investments took a huge dive and I lost all overtime pay (forever probably) and a 5% paycut. That's about 45% of my income per year based on previous years. My wife took on a full time job this year.
 
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