What are you doing to adapt to current times

[SQROOT]

We had some plans but even close to home is not working as our dog is getting to the point that may not make it thru the summer. So we are staying close and by that means coming home to be with him each day, at campground during day then home. Planned on trip to MI this summer and will still make that if possible and that would be to go fishing with cos and 56th HS reunion.. Was planning on ND this summer and UP in MI but that is really on hold for now.
Everyone stay safe.

[dvalley]

The only real change we have made is not to make separate trips out when we need something from town. We try to get everything in one trip. I work from home and that helps to save on gas.

We still allow ourselves some things that are wants and not needs, such as a new camper we picked up in October and an occasional dinner out or take out.

I budget and put enough aside each week to pay for planned camping the following year and pay it in full at the time the reservation is made. That would put our output when it is time to go, just the gas to get there.

Also budget for unexpected emergencies that rolls over to the next year when not used. That could be used for vehicle/camper repairs, home expenses, or medical (ours or our pets) expenses. After not using it for years I was glad I had it this year. In just the past month my furry work supervisor /lap warmer needed a CT scan, our fridge died, and we had to fill our oil tank.

I only buy what I can't make or grow myself. If it is something I use, and is not something that will go bad, I stock up when I find it for next to nothing. I watch the loss leaders at the grocery store and stock up when it goes on sale. Also coupon...coupon...coupon and combine coupons with sales for more savings adding up to $100 or more in savings each time I shop. Have a separate small freezer that I use when I stock up.

We dropped cable and house phone right before DH retired and wish we had done it sooner. Saved $200 a month right there.

We still plan on camping where we planned to this year. Hopefully the current inflation will be the worst of it for us but I am not holding my breath on that one. Life has a way of happening when you are making other plans. Meantime, practicing kindness may just make someone else's day a little bit better when they are having a hard time with it.

[wildmanabe]

Canceled a 5 hr trip away, and made reservations for a 3 hr trip. Already got ride of the home phone back in 06. Roku for the TV. Wife has finally learned how to cook good food. Cut down on mowing the lawn.

[rlocicero]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

This is not meant to be a gas price watch or political comment thread. Hopefully those commenting will resist the urge

It's a given that current events have caused prices for EVERYTHING to go up.

What are you doing to adjust and meet the challenges?

Eating out less?

Traveling less?

Planning trips, both local errand types as well as longer travel?

Lowering the heat setting in your house or RV and just wearing warmer clothes?


Care to share what you are doing, or planning to do, in order to deal with the increased costs?

other than parking my truck and driving our Subaru more, not much. If I spend more, the kids get less when I kick the bucket.

[Nick Danger]

When I was earning next to nothing in the military; my wonderful wife became an instant economist. The old saying of "doing more with less" applied so much she "could do anything with nothing".

Once we retired from that, we settled in one place. Having learned to live on $X we didn't opt for instant gratification lifestyle so many choose today (not calling out anyone). We lived within our means and put away for the future. Anyone remember the ant and the grasshopper fable?

I still go to work everyday and plan on doing so for at least the next few years. I'm not a prophet; but, I saw this coming many years ago. If you didn't see the current situation coming; you were willfully ignoring it. The only thing I can't quite get my mind around is the "equity" of results many in the "Brave New World" embrace.

Most of the respondents on this forum know what to do to get thru this because we lived thru the hyper inflation and long gas lines of the early 80's. All of this is cyclical and if you don't plan for the "big correction" that is coming you'll not be happy with the results then either.

I read the "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck many years ago. It hit me while reading the chapter that describes when they were filling up the truck with gas and someone in a sports car fly's by on the highway. What I learned from that was - I need to do what I need to do to be the guy in the sports car. No matter the environment, someone is always doing well and someone is not doing as well. It's all about the choices you make.

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. Sermon over!

[Jfkmk]

Originally Posted by wildmanabe

Wife has finally learned how to cook good food.

Now there’s some brave words!

[SVTodd]

Enough food and water to get my household through about 30 days.
Gas cans all filled and generators ready to go at moments notice.
Keeping Fuel tanks in vehicles above 1/2 all the time.
Keeping significant amount of cash on hand in case banking system goes down.
Potassium Iodide on hand in case of false flag nuclear detonation
Pitcher plant extract on hand in case next plandemic is smallpox.
Keeping the bugout plan up to date with my adult children so we can all work together to survive if SHTF and society collapses.

Having gotten all the worse case scenario planning stuff out of the way, I'm also getting both race bikes dyno tuned next weekend and making plans for this years endurance racing. Price of gasoline might make an impact on how many weekends I get to the track this year.
Getting quotes from concrete contractors to redo and expand the driveway for the toyhauler.
Stocked up on pool supplies before the shortages hit even harder then they did last year.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Getting rid of cable tv years ago was one of the biggest cost cutting measures I've ever made. I know I've saved MANY thousands of dollars over the years. Ditched home phone too. Saving money, and no more criminals calling the house 10 times per day.


**Ok, I added it up. It's been 10 years, saving a thousand dollars per year. $10,000 saved.

No landline phone or cable for eight years here. To compensate for dropping the tv part of cable, Charter/Spectrum upped the price of internet service. They advertise 200 meg service here but over time my speed has gone from in the 130 meg range to the 110 range. Complaining doesn't do any good as they say the speed isn't guaranteed but the rep goes silent when you suggest paying half the bill for half the speed. Of course I tell them it isn't personal and it is the corporate I don't care for.

Anyway, back to the topic, I'm due for a visit to my property in the mountains out west to do some brush and tree clearing. The trip is about 2000 miles each way and I have places at both ends. I installed an inverter and two lithium batteries last fall and would live to test them out in real world usage by taking a meandering trip but may just do a dash out there in my car and borrow a neighbor's truck as needed. After all, I have places to stay at both ends of the trip. I can take shorter trips in the camper when I return to give the new inverter and batteries a try.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by dvalley

Also coupon...coupon...coupon and combine coupons with sales for more savings adding up to $100 or more in savings each time I shop.

Do those things still exist? We used to be able to get the Sunday paper and it would have tons of coupons in it. Then we'd get more in the mail during the week.

Now we get maybe one small pamphlet with like 10 coupons at most. Mostly for stuff we don't want/use.

Or it's a coupon where you save a few pennies only if you buy 3 or 4 of the thing when I only wanted to buy 1 in the first place.

I pretty much gave up on them years ago.

Most stores refuse to price match as well. So if something is on sale at Store A and you are at Store B where it's more money, you have to drive to Store A to get the lower price.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Do those things still exist? We used to be able to get the Sunday paper and it would have tons of coupons in it. Then we'd get more in the mail during the week.

Now we get maybe one small pamphlet with like 10 coupons at most. Mostly for stuff we don't want/use.

Or it's a coupon where you save a few pennies only if you buy 3 or 4 of the thing when I only wanted to buy 1 in the first place.

I pretty much gave up on them years ago.

Most stores refuse to price match as well. So if something is on sale at Store A and you are at Store B where it's more money, you have to drive to Store A to get the lower price.

According to my bride, clipping coupons is a thing of the past. All the coupons are now digital. When you use your Safeway, Fred Meyer (Kroger) or any other club card the coupon is always available automatically at checkout. You can login to your account to see them if you want. Sometimes you just get surprised at check out. The fuel points at Fred Meyer are a bonus as well. Usually we have at least a 50¢ discount per gallon on fuel purchases. Some would say that's not much, but to them I say go ahead and pay 50¢ more per gallon.

[GPs37FLH]

Originally Posted by D W

According to my bride, clipping coupons is a thing of the past. All the coupons are now digital. When you use your Safeway, Fred Meyer (Kroger) or any other club card the coupon is always available automatically at checkout. You can login to your account to see them if you want. Sometimes you just get surprised at check out. The fuel points at Fred Meyer are a bonus as well. Usually we have at least a 50¢ discount per gallon on fuel purchases. Some would say that's not much, but to them I say go ahead and pay 50¢ more per gallon.

Uh, to fill up my 40 gallon tank?....hell yeah, I'll take a $20 discount every time! Wish I had something like that around here and nearby.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by D W

According to my bride, clipping coupons is a thing of the past. All the coupons are now digital. When you use your Safeway, Fred Meyer (Kroger) or any other club card the coupon is always available automatically at checkout. You can login to your account to see them if you want. Sometimes you just get surprised at check out. The fuel points at Fred Meyer are a bonus as well. Usually we have at least a 50¢ discount per gallon on fuel purchases. Some would say that's not much, but to them I say go ahead and pay 50¢ more per gallon.

Yup. Most people that can operate a smart phone are using digital coupons. Still a PITA. I just dropped my BJ's wholesale club membership, you had to spend 15 minutes before every trip clipping digital coupons, or you would end up leaving 50-100 dollars at register by not doing so. So happy my new Costco membership does not involve coupons.

[New2aBus]

Originally Posted by timfromma

Having an electric car as my daily driver is a HUGE help. Since I mostly charge at home and my electric rates have not risen in a few years, my "fuel" costs have remained unchanged.



As far as my RV goes, I have trips that were planned long before Russia invaded Ukraine so those are still on. Future trips will be decided on a case by case basis.

You say you rates for electric have not changed but your BILL must have increased! If not what did you disconnect electrically at your home to off-set the additional electric to charge the car???

[robo44]

Ive been able to pay about $1.00 a gallon less each time I fill up using a Member/Loyalty card with my grocery store. Using that card gives me rewards off gas as long as I fill up at their station. I also try to use Costco Gas which is about .35 to .50 cents cheaper.

We also rarely use hook-ups so the places we camp/stay does not kill the budget.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Do those things still exist? We used to be able to get the Sunday paper and it would have tons of coupons in it. Then we'd get more in the mail during the week.

Now we get maybe one small pamphlet with like 10 coupons at most. Mostly for stuff we don't want/use.

Or it's a coupon where you save a few pennies only if you buy 3 or 4 of the thing when I only wanted to buy 1 in the first place.

I pretty much gave up on them years ago.

Most stores refuse to price match as well. So if something is on sale at Store A and you are at Store B where it's more money, you have to drive to Store A to get the lower price.

Use digital coupons from your store's smart phone app and you can save even more. Coupons you can clip from a flyer are going the way of the dinosaur.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Good thing younger people don't seem too interested in buying their own houses anymore, wait till all this manifests itself in high interest rates again.

Where I live a lot of young people ARE buying houses and they've driven the prices for houses in my neighborhood up to unbelievable levels.

Three houses went on the market on my street alone and all were snapped up within a couple days by young couples escaping from the "Seattle Sewer".

Prices here are only slightly lower than in Seattle where Avg is~$915k but the 35-40 mile commute makes it a lot more attractive than having to have an armed guard watch your house at night or when you're on vacation.

Perhaps back East where there are better public/rapid transit options than here where so many live a "car-centric" lifestyle will people choose to live in large cities in apartments/townhouses/condo's.

Had an Uncle living in Chicago years ago that was wealthy enough to buy any car made at the time and even have his own driver. He chose to live in a high-rise apartment and use public transit. Met him for dinner one night and both he and my aunt arrived at the restaurant on a city bus.

Maybe that's why he was so wealthy (Maybe helped that he was a famous attorney and served as a Judge for years including the State Court of Appeals.)

[Sharon455]

Originally Posted by GPs37FLH

Uh, to fill up my 40 gallon tank?....hell yeah, I'll take a $20 discount every time! Wish I had something like that around here and nearby.

Our Albertsons/Safeway Rewards is only good for the first 25 gallons. Still better than nothing.

Our biggest tank is only 20 gallons making me wish we carried a gas can around to get our full value.

[Bob K4TAX]

The wife and I are retired and live on a fixed income. My corporate retirement plus our Social Security. Investments are just that and are the "rainy day fund".

Travel and camping-wise, we will be using more TN State Parks, thus shorter pulls, and longer stays. As a TN resident and senior citizen, the TN State Parks have water, electricity and many have sewer for $15 to $25 per night at the sites. Almost can't stay home for that price.

We purchased the new-to-us trailer last year to accommodate our older years and physical needs. We plan to take full advantage of our purchase and plans.

Don't throw in the towel until you are no longer on the green side of the grass.

73
Bob, K4TAX

[ppine]

We have been spoiled by cheap energy for so long in America, times like these come as a shock. Who remembers waiting in line for fuel in the 1970s?

Covid and the War have messed up supply chains. I am willing to pay higher prices to stop importing oil from Russia. Even though the US has recently been a net exporter of oil we still need imports. The refineries in the US were mostly retooled in the 1990s and early 2000s for heavy sour crude. Now fracking is mostly producing light sweet crude. We import oil with a profile to fit our refineries.

There is no doubt that the US will be doing some transitioning to renewables, but the schedule has been interrupted. We need a course correction, and a more traditional approach for now with more exploration and production capacity.

The US is one of the only places in the world where 40 foot motorhomes and big fifth wheels are popular. Fuel costs too much everywhere else.

[robo44]

Originally Posted by Sharon455

Our Albertsons/Safeway Rewards is only good for the first 25 gallons. Still better than nothing.

Our biggest tank is only 20 gallons making me wish we carried a gas can around to get our full value.

We also use Safeway to fill out prescriptions so money spent there can be added to your rewards. with prescription co payments also high, it is not unusual for us to have enough points to do 50 or 75 gallons (3 separate transactions)