Comments on: What, If Anything, Have You Given Up During This Recession? http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/ A place to discuss money...for the rest of us. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:07:10 -0400 hourly 1 By: Pat Yoe http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-35623 Pat Yoe Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:49:46 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-35623 I got rid of my iPhone. I loved it but AT&T made the experience a bad one day in and day out. Instead, I got Straight Talk on the Verizon network. Bought it at Walmart and it's an amazing deal. The Samsung Finesse is a very cool smartphone and paying only $45 a month for unlimited everything is the best deal going! Who needs an iPhone? LOL!! I got rid of my iPhone. I loved it but AT&T made the experience a bad one day in and day out.

Instead, I got Straight Talk on the Verizon network. Bought it at Walmart and it’s an amazing deal. The Samsung Finesse is a very cool smartphone and paying only $45 a month for unlimited everything is the best deal going!

Who needs an iPhone? LOL!!

]]> By: Betsy Bargain http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31736 Betsy Bargain Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:24:52 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31736 I live pretty bare-bones to start with, so there's not much to give up. I don't have a car, I have a cell phone, but it's a pay-as-you go so I don't have a plan, I only use a few minutes a month. I don't have cable, I share a Netflix subscription with my family, so movie rentals are cheap. I don't have a gym membership, there's one where I live I can use for free. I grow some of my own food, and don't eat much meat, so groceries are cheap. I do eat out sometimes, but not to where I need to cut back. I guess it's pretty much business as usual for me. I live pretty bare-bones to start with, so there’s not much to give up. I don’t have a car, I have a cell phone, but it’s a pay-as-you go so I don’t have a plan, I only use a few minutes a month. I don’t have cable, I share a Netflix subscription with my family, so movie rentals are cheap. I don’t have a gym membership, there’s one where I live I can use for free. I grow some of my own food, and don’t eat much meat, so groceries are cheap. I do eat out sometimes, but not to where I need to cut back. I guess it’s pretty much business as usual for me.

]]> By: Golfing Girl http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31731 Golfing Girl Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:20:33 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31731 I purchased a golf pull cart so I'm saving $13 every round by not riding. The $50 used cart paid for itself in only 4 rounds. Also we've been brown-bagging it alot and have done more meal planning. We were already pretty frugal so it's hard to find more areas to cut back. Direct TV might be the next one, but I'm pretty addicted to TiVO... I purchased a golf pull cart so I’m saving $13 every round by not riding. The $50 used cart paid for itself in only 4 rounds.
Also we’ve been brown-bagging it alot and have done more meal planning. We were already pretty frugal so it’s hard to find more areas to cut back. Direct TV might be the next one, but I’m pretty addicted to TiVO…

]]> By: Bocarat http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31724 Bocarat Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:32:09 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31724 Here's what I did the first week I got laid off. I ditched my cell phone. Well, it wasn't hard. I had a company phone but I had the option of keeping it and start paying for it on my own. I thought prepaid phones might be funky but did some shopping and found out that I could still get a good, no-frills phone for around 20-30 dollars and didn't have to sign a contract or even have a credit card or credit check. It turned out that I got a phone from net10 and I'm VERY happy with it and can really control my costs. I don't give the number out to everyone and that helps too, and I can control the costs up-front. Sweet! Here’s what I did the first week I got laid off. I ditched my cell phone.

Well, it wasn’t hard. I had a company phone but I had the option of keeping it and start paying for it on my own.

I thought prepaid phones might be funky but did some shopping and found out that I could still get a good, no-frills phone for around 20-30 dollars and didn’t have to sign a contract or even have a credit card or credit check.

It turned out that I got a phone from net10 and I’m VERY happy with it and can really control my costs.

I don’t give the number out to everyone and that helps too, and I can control the costs up-front. Sweet!

]]> By: Stephanie S. http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31720 Stephanie S. Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:26:08 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31720 That would be really hard. We've already given up so much to pay off debt. I guess the gym membership, but that's only $20 that is taken out of DH check. We don't have cable. We have to keep the house phone because our youngest does not have a cell. Or maybe we could add another cell on for cheaper than the house phone. I guess we'd use less water and heat. Oh, and the credit card payments would probably get closer to minimum due. I just hope that we are out of debt before we have to cut back. Or at least the credit cards are paid off. That would be really hard. We’ve already given up so much to pay off debt.
I guess the gym membership, but that’s only $20 that is taken out of DH check. We don’t have cable. We have to keep the house phone because our youngest does not have a cell. Or maybe we could add another cell on for cheaper than the house phone.
I guess we’d use less water and heat. Oh, and the credit card payments would probably get closer to minimum due.

I just hope that we are out of debt before we have to cut back. Or at least the credit cards are paid off.

]]> By: Slinky http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31701 Slinky Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:49:53 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31701 I'm pretty much just continuing business as usual. I'm actually thinking of <i>starting</i> a gym membership. The only concession I've made so far is to do a fresh evaluation of my minimum and ultimate eFund goals, and to make sure it's stocked up to the minimum. The minimum gives me somewhere between 4 and 7 months of bare basic living expenses. I’m pretty much just continuing business as usual. I’m actually thinking of starting a gym membership. The only concession I’ve made so far is to do a fresh evaluation of my minimum and ultimate eFund goals, and to make sure it’s stocked up to the minimum. The minimum gives me somewhere between 4 and 7 months of bare basic living expenses.

]]> By: Chris http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31699 Chris Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:08:17 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31699 I have cut back on Cable TV. I'm back to the basics!! This past summer, I didn't drive around as much. I usually take several trips to Six Flags, but I only went once this past year. I have cut back on Cable TV. I’m back to the basics!!

This past summer, I didn’t drive around as much. I usually take several trips to Six Flags, but I only went once this past year.

]]> By: Craig http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31698 Craig Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:14:06 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31698 I haven't directly been affected just have been trying to be more proactive about my spendings and savings. I haven’t directly been affected just have been trying to be more proactive about my spendings and savings.

]]> By: Gene http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31697 Gene Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:51:10 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31697 It's Gene here, from www.kitchentablenomics.com Turns out I've given up about 15 pounds since the recession wiped out my newspaper job in September. It's probably a combination of eating less, eating at home more often and a lot of that kind of cutting back that you and others write about, plus more recreational walking, about four miles before sunrise to clear my head and organize my day. It’s Gene here, from http://www.kitchentablenomics.com Turns out I’ve given up about 15 pounds since the recession wiped out my newspaper job in September. It’s probably a combination of eating less, eating at home more often and a lot of that kind of cutting back that you and others write about, plus more recreational walking, about four miles before sunrise to clear my head and organize my day.

]]> By: Enrique S http://www.mytwodollars.com/2009/02/24/what-if-anything-have-you-given-up-during-this-recession/comment-page-1/#comment-31694 Enrique S Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:43:12 +0000 http://www.mytwodollars.com/?p=1942#comment-31694 We've cut dining out to a bare minimum - just dinner for my wife's birthday. We haven't been to a movie since last year, and have postponed some trips and major appliance purchases. We’ve cut dining out to a bare minimum – just dinner for my wife’s birthday. We haven’t been to a movie since last year, and have postponed some trips and major appliance purchases.

]]>