What have you cut back on?

Toes.

[/chef]

 

--Moved to a cheaper (although not cheap) rental duplex
--Negotiated lower car insurance rates
--Got rid of the landline
--Talked Mrs. Editude to brown bag at work (as I do)
--Stopped paying college tuition

 

Well, to coin a phrase, "it is what it is."

The publisher's "explanation" is that by eliminating paid vacations, they are eliminating an average of 4 weeks per employee of "pay without work" -- therefore by their calculations, with this move, for every 13 employees, they can "afford" to keep one they would have laid off otherwise.

They'll lay those people off soon enough anyway, of course.

Many veteran employees are pissed, and seeking other jobs. A shocking outcome to management, I am sure.

 

Buncha fuckin' assholes. I hate that rationale: "Well, it seems like we're taking shit away, but we're really saving jobs! One of which -- hint, hint -- might be yours!"

 

I cut some Pay TV, then I cut the phone bill.
Ended my USA Today sub. Rarely eat out.
Today I called DirecTV and canned the NFL package, which I had been getting for 10 years.
I can listen to the out-of-market games on my Sprint phone's NFL Mobile app.
But I still drop $6 a week for 3 iced coffees at Tim Horton's, that's my luxury.

 

I'm notoriously cheap, so I like to think the rest of the world is simply latching on to my way of thinking.

This year's been status quo for Mr. and Mrs. Podunk with one exception:

We're saving money. It's not a lot. But it's enough to make me feel slightly better about our situation.

 

Hookers. Well, technically, this dates back to before I got married.

 

Nice one MacDaddy.

Lucky for you, I've cut back on criticizing people I don't know.

 

I've always been the bargain shopper - I don't think I've ever bought any piece of clothing that wasn't on some sort of sale. Not even prom dresses.

I've also found that I don't sweat it on eating out. Yes, it's not gourmet, mostly fast-food, but my tips include: eating Chinese food (heats up well and they give you enough for a week), not ordering drinks when you go through the drive-thru (I have drinks at home), taking a drink with me to work, eating lots of pasta (which can go a long way and is very, very filling), sandwiches and baked potatoes.

It helps that it's summer and I eat like a bird during summer. Usually one meal a day will suffice for me, especially if I wait until 6-7 p.m. to eat, I won't need anything else to get me through the day.

I'm very proud of myself that the times I've had to ask my parents for money in the year and a half since I've been graduated have been few and far between. One was a few months ago, when my paycheck was meager because high school had ended and Little League hadn't started, so there was virtually nothing for me to do, and occasionally I've asked for them to throw a little my way when bills land in the same paycheck or whatever. Other than that, I've done a good job of managing my meager paychecks while devoting $950 a month to my car payment and rent.

 

Still costs extra?

 

I've seriously cut back on respect for the bosses.