Be Prepared for Anything

I think we’ve all felt the effects of the current economy. Every one of us needs to examine our lifestyles and see what we can do to prepare for a further downturn.

Can you plant a garden? Can you learn to can the things your grow? Can you buy generic? Use coupons? Sell of your big ticket items or trade down for things that are paid off and less expensive?

Take a look around - what can you change?

Can you combine trips or carpool? Will your job allow you to work four longer days instead of five to save gas? Can you telecommute?

If you have children in daycare, can one parent work part-time and stay home with the kids the rest of the time? Or can one parent stay home with the kids and completely eliminate the day care costs?

Do your children really NEED to play soccer on weekends? Can you find a family activity that can be done at home together on weekends to save gas? Who knows - you just might get closer to each other!

Do you really need satellite TV? If so, can you downgrade to a cheaper package?

Can you prepare more homecooked meals? Even preparing one extra meal from scratch will help.

Can you make it a habit to turn off lights and phantom loads to save electricity? Can you hang dry a portion of your clothes to cut back on dryer costs?

Try doing things yourself: Make your own laundry detergent; make some Christmas and birthday presents (learn a new craft to do this - you might find a new hobby you love!); learn to change your own oil; learn to sew; try some new recipes.

Get to know your local library! You can check out new release movies, the latest books and magazines and save yourself a bundle.

Step back and take a look at how your family can make small changes to better survive a financial crunch. You might be surprised at what you are able to do.

If you’re looking for more tips for weathering the storm, here are some more ideas.

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