Making do When the Money Gets Tight

It has been well documented that the price of just about everything is going up. We can see, plain as day, the prices at the gas pump tipping the $4.00 per gallon mark.
I was extremely pleased to fill up for a mere $3.89 per gallon yesterday. Why, it only cost $52. to fill the tank! All of the other stations in our area are in the $3.95 - $3.99 range so this one will likely get there soon.

This has to translate to the stores. It is translating to many things we purchase regularly. We, in the States, do not yet have it as rough as the Europeans who are running out of meat and fish while the truck drivers protest the exceedingly high costs of fuel. Who can blame them, really. It would be frustrating to see your paycheck cut in half through no fault of your own. However, I was very saddened to read that there have been two deaths in this protest.

So, what can we do to protect our families from the rising costs?
First, it helps to know what you normally spend so that you can document your savings. Take a look back through the checkbook at your last few moths regular expenditures. Now, you'll be able to plan a cut-back in spending...not a cut-back in fun!

Get your whole family involved and plan ahead:


Do you have young children that love McDonalds or Burger King? Make a chart with them that shows what you usually spend on fast food...Make a game out of marking on the chart each time you don't stop when normally you would have and plan a
one-on-one time with them reward for a certain dollar amount saved. They will jump at the chance to do something special with just you!

Our other money saver is to skip the fries and just use the dollar menu. We can feed five of us very inexpensively if we do this. McDonalds even has sweet tea on the dollar menu. Three dollars/items per person. It is plenty!

What are the pantry items that you cannot live without?

Make a list. Watch the sale flyers. These items will likely be that thing that the store uses to get you in the door at some point. When this happens make the most of it. I will often pick up several of something on sale to tuck away for future use. It has long been a habit at Hospitality Lane. Better yet, if I can get my coupons and sales prices to match I am as excited as that Lancaster County hunter who just bagged a 10 point buck! I love to bargain hunt!

This is the time to save more money! I know you are thinking I am nuts! How? Pay yourself first! Every time a paycheck comes through your door or into your account, immediately take as much as you reasonably can and mark it for savings. Incomes are not likely to go up much in these slow times, but costs will. You'll be able to ride through it with relative ease if you have a buffer.

Plan your trips around town well. If I have to drive up to Lancaster, I am now thinking ahead of things to do while I am there to save myself another trip. Yesterday we did six separate errands all in one trip and because we had done some research before we left actually saved $30 on something we needed. It is not hard but it will require some of your time. The time that you are not spending in the car on multiple trips.

Now that you have higher expenses and less disposable income, what will you do for fun? Visit a National Park. Almost everyone has a free National Park within easy driving distance. Pull out the Frisbee, play some boccie ball, read a great book.

Or, you could have some friends over and enjoy a spirited conversation on the economy or the political climate. This is an excellent time for us to return to a time that we often wish aloud we had lived in. It is simpler...less stressful...a time to sit on a porch...to get to know the neighbors. A time to pick up a baseball and a bat. A time to dust off that old video cassette of ET and invite some friends for a movie night at your house with buttery popcorn fresh from your own stove or microwave. Maybe you love Laurel and Hardy?

A time to hang our clothes on the line. A time to be quaint and carry our own grocery bags to the store...or...I love the thought of taking my market basket to the Farmer's Market this weekend. Lets turn it into an adventure and an opportunity to teach our young about a simpler time.

For clothes, don't be afraid to shop the consignment stores or Goodwill. We have excellent success at yard sales. Just make sure you set a budget for yourself before you go. These things can really get expensive if you do not have a pre-set limit.

I believe that we can cut our spending by 20 - 25% if we make a conscious effort.
How about you?
What are you doing to beat the rising costs?

A Friday Adventure...

It was all to be so simple.
Our first trip, this season,
to the huge plant nursery
of our choice, Groff's!

This place is phenomenal!

Row after row of greenhouses, at least 12 massive
structures plus all of the outdoor perennials
divided into landscaped levels of sunny or shade loving.
Any plant your heart desires.
Truly!

The kids had their notebooks in hand
to continue their botany assignments.

We were ready.

We were traveling down the road and having
a good time. Both Moms were along for the
adventure. Suddenly the van became "possessed".
Not as in taken away, as in
gauges flickering, needles jumping, the radio
turned on spontaneously.
Strange!

I wondered out loud if it was the alternator or the
computer. I decided to pull over at a farm up ahead to
restart the engine and see if it cleared the problem.
My thinking was that if it was a computer problem
this could fix it...Warren always asks me if I have
"rebooted" the computer when I have an issue.

It did cross my mind that if it was the alternator it
would be very likely to not start again.

It didn't...start, that is.

There we were.

AAA cards were ripped from purses and Georgia was
the first to her cell phone. I walked the short
distance to the farm house to find out what road
we were on...oops. The tow truck said they would be there
in about an hour. So we sat and "enjoyed" the view.

After about 45 minutes I jumped up and said,
"What kind of Blogger am I?!?!?"

Then whipping out my camera I captured these for you...

aren't you glad I am dedicated to documenting every
story - LOL!




Soon after I snapped these pictures the farmer came over and asked if there was
anything he could do to help us...hmmm.
He was very nice, though.

Finally the tow truck arrived and thankfully
it was owned by my neighbor's parents.
He assessed the situation very quickly and put
a "magic" box under the hood, attached to the battery and the van started right up.
We drove home where the tow truck met us and reclaimed their "magic" box.

The van will be staying right where it is until my husband
returns home from his long, long trip.
I can't wait!

Not being the types to be easily put off,
we now headed back to the nursery in Georgia's car.
This time without kids.
Mikey had to go to work and the other two
had spent enough time with us...


It was crowded.

We parked. We began shopping.





My wagon full of plants.



It became apparent that the car
was going to be a "bit small" to
haul home the loot.

Georgia left and came back with the
TRUCK! Yep, this was what we needed!


We returned home and were unloading plants when the backhoe showed up to repair
the water problem at Georgia's. It is now fixed and other than some landscape repair we are thankful to have that mess fixed.

The kids and I were then off to a time of play with our church at a local school baseball diamond. They played, I watched and "encouraged" all the while chatting with my fellow "encouragers".

Finally, when it was too dark to see, we headed home. Several friends
came back to our place, where I served pizza and other snacks.

The kids made up a twist on the game of Pit by
playing keep away with the bell so that poor Mindy
couldn't officially win...since she couldn't ring the
bell. They wore themselves out!

Fun!

The Ball Game

Tonight was interesting.
The story begins in November of 2005 when my Daddy became gravely ill. He was in the Hospital and things went from bad to worse until finally within a week he was home in heaven. We knew that it was his desire to be an organ donor but knowing that most of his body had suffered terrible effects from Diabetes figured that it was only a nice thought on his part. We found out that this is not true and several individuals were able to benefit physically from my Daddy's passing. This means that we are now a part of a very unique group of people who share only their grief and a hope for others well being. Mom was made aware that she could make a quilt patch that would be added into a quilt for 2005 organ donors. She busily used some of Dad's shirts and cross-stitched his name onto a quilt square.
Now we get to this evening and the ball game. The quilt has been put together and was on display at our local ball game this evening. The donor program gave each family 4 comp tickets. I am not a huge fan of baseball....but I remember so well the am radio whistling while Dad listened to the games in the car...the nights we would pile into the car to see local teams play ball...Daddy loved it so it seems rather appropriate that this is how this whole donor experience should culminate.
We found the quilt at a booth and a gentleman who smiled from ear to ear at us as he explained that 7 years ago he was the recipient of a heart. It touched me to the core for I knew that his gain was someone's unbelievable pain. I wonder about that family and pray that they are aware of the joy that another family is experiencing because of their sacrifice. Believe me, the practicality of organ donation is rough. There are a lot of questions to answer at a time when that is the last thing you want to do. I think the only way Mom got through it was knowing that it was what Dad wanted. She had to do it for him.
The very subject of organ donation is touchy and very personal. I am still unclear of my own feelings in this matter...I just know that because of a decision made by my very generous father I am a part of the organ donor community and I think it is an ok place to be.
The ball game? We lost! Can you believe that we were up 7 runs to 0 and we still lost??? Did you know that teams don't shake hands at the end of the game anymore? Or was this a one time oversight? I was shocked and amazed and saddened that this simple courtesy was ignored. So, between the thousands of over imbibed souls who sat all around us, the lack of enthusiasm of the team and the seeming loss of courtesy, I think I am going to continue my passion for football and Nascar and let someone else sing about being "Taken out to the Ballgame".