MoneyNewsWeb.com

Will You Survive The Summer of 2008?

The summer of fear is almost upon us. Gas prices are going to hit $4.00 or more, which will cause the cost of a gallon of milk to escalate to $6.00, which in turn will cause the cost of things like clothes and shoes to quadruple in price, the economy is going to implode and we will all be living in makeshift shanties.

If you want to be one of the few to avoid this calamity that is only a few months away, keep reading.

First of all, if you believe that the above scenario will happen, I want you to get up from your computer, go into the kitchen, fill a glass with cold water and then pour it on your head. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now that you have shocked yourself back into reality we can put everything back into perspective.

Follow up:

Yes, prices at the pump and the grocery store are going up and more than likely they will not be going down anytime soon. This is your opportunity to start making decisions about your finances while you are not in panic or fear mode.

This means getting your family together around the kitchen table and brainstorming ways everyone can help save money.

The Couch Does Not Need A Light On
This can be something as simple as having the kids make sure to turn off the lights when they leave a room (if no one else is in there of course).

How Many Different Phone Numbers Do You Need?
Getting rid of your land line phone if you have a cell phone you use almost exclusively. This does not mean you should up your calling minutes, etc. Also if you have a cell phone and your contract has expired and you are finally on the month to month plan, do not be seduced into getting a new phone for free and extending your service contract. Keep yourself month to month so you always have the choice of continuing your service or canceling and going back to a land line phone if it is cheaper.

Leftovers Aren’t Just For Thanksgiving
Leftovers are not the dirty little secret in the back of your refrigerator. I never realized how many people have an aversion to eating the same meal a second (or third) night in a row. The way I look at it you will spend less time in the kitchen having to cook dinner, you will spend less on groceries and you won’t have to endure the shame of throwing away perfectly good food at the end of the week.

A Little Hope Goes A Long Way
If you are having problems making ends meet. The hard and fast rule to remember is to pay your bills in order of importance. This means that you do not pay your Visa card bill and ignore the mortgage payment.

Always pay necessities first and they are: Food, Lights, and Shelter. You can add clothing in this list but only if you really need clothes because they are worn out. Not because that top and pants are so cute! Prioritize and you will make it through.

Don’t forget to check out our new Gardening section for great tips on how to grown your own food this summer and save more money.

Click Here to Go to the gardening page