How to Recession Proof Your Home

How to Recession Proof Your Home

The future is uncertain and the end is always near. May be Jim Morrison knew more than we realized. With the economy faltering, we all need to tighten our belts. Here are some tips to help you to do so.

CABLE TELEVISION - This is an area where most of us can cut down. Luckily the cable companies have many different plans and it is possible to get your bill down to $15 a month if you want local channels only or $24 a month if you want local plus a few good channels. This is definitely the time to cut out all of the premium channels. The Sopranos are over anyway so it is not like your losing anything. If you need to supplement with a cheap subscription to Netflix.

CELL PHONES - These have proven that everyone has an addictive personality. To cut down on your cell phone bill, get a pay as you go phone. You can put $10 on it and then only use it in case of an emergency. Life is some much more peaceful without one.

PANTRY - If you are anything like me, your pantry is stocked. Try to start using the things that are in there. Challenge yourself to use it all up. It really cuts down on the grocery bill.

HEATING - Please don't tell me that you still have your thermostat set to 72 degrees. You are just throwing your money away. Buy a new pair of slippers and a sweater and turn the thermostat to 68 degrees, or 69 degrees if you need to. Your pocketbook will notice the difference.

COAST - Have you ever noticed your foot on the accelerator when you are going down hill. Remove foot. You will notice a nice amount of savings at the pump. I know gas prices have gone down, but don't let them fool you. They will sneak back up again if we let them. The US needs to keep their oil consumption low.

UNNECESSARY ITEMS - When you have your check book out and you are writing out your bill payments, look closely. Is there anything that you can cut out, may be magazine subscriptions, gym membership you don't use, etc?