Capitol Hill Blue Forums Misc. Topics General Stuff What would you give up first?

Movies/shows/concerts: My wife gets motion-sick from a big movie screen and we both have to wear earplugs at concerts to protect our hearing (which tells you about the kind of music we like). So we don't really spend much on these anyway. In fact almost all the concerts we go to are free via radio station promotions.

Going out to eat: Again, we don't spend much on the food we like out. Usually less than $5/meal! Hard to beat that by cooking at home.

Cable/Satellite: We actually receive about 35 digital broadcast channels from the antenna I have pointed at LA's Mt. Wilson. So there would still be plenty of free stuff to watch without the DirecTV satellite service. For anybody thinking about losing cable with an older TV: Get on the government website for a free DTV converter box coupon. It is worth up to $40 on the purchase of a converter box (and some do cost only $40), so you can still get free broadcast TV after February.

Cell phone: My wife and I both have cell phones on a family share plan with 3 other relatives. I might have a problem with my boss if I gave it up. Other than that they are mostly for safety.

Internet access: We both get most of our news, contact with friends and relatives, access to brokerage accounts, etc. via Internet. We also pay bills, do bank account maintenence, and so much stuff that would have to be replaced with more expensive alternatives. At $19/month, I would go out and collect soda cans to keep it if I had to!

When I watched TV, an antenna was for me the way to go supplemented by trips to the video store for movies. Just put up one that you can rotate for better reception and more stations.

Joe

Thanks for the nice sentiments Mellowicious and olyve - and what a sobering post by Gregor.

At this point though, I believe I've just been forced to be more responsible. I used to spend very frivolously and as a result, my wife and I have a lot of nice things to show for it - things that I am glad we have already because I could not go out and buy them now.

Now I must be very frugal and conservative. This has been a great lesson - still a scary one but a great lesson, nevertheless.

I just hope that we can all make it through this without too much pain but I fear the worst.

Greger it is obvious that you've been very badly affected by the housing collapse. Who knew that we would have a resident expert on the subject right here.
I wish good things for you, only good things.
I wish I knew about a huge construction project that needed gorgeous hardwood stairs right now.
I do know that luthiers and other instrument makers depend on bending wood for their craft but something tells me we're talking about a much different size scale in that regard.

Did you use to get a lot of work on Star Island or any of the other hoity-toity locales? I figure those areas will pick up before any others.

I needed to buy a refrigerator for my house. Lowes turned down my credit application on Monday night.

I put my 1996 Ford Ranger on Craig's List at 11 a.m. yesterday before going off to do my chicken work. I really hadn't driven the truck much in the past 6 years due to having a company car from my M-F job - while still paying $59.00 month to insure said truck.

The truck sold at 7:30 last night - cash.

I immediately went to Lowe's and bought a refrigerator and paid cash and had $29.64 left over.

Good one, rick! Stupid Lowe's, they could've made some $$ off of you, instead they shot themselves in the foot.

3. Cable/Satellite - Give me a good book and I am OK for a couple of days. Give me a library card and I can like forever without TV.
1. Cell phone - I don't carry it with me, ever. I have one for emergencies.
3. Going out to eat - I cook pretty well, I could enjoy my own cooking.
4. Internet access - That one would be tough, I am a news junkey.
2. Movies/shows/concerts - I only do this a couple of times a year, so I wouldn't miss it at all.

Actually Lowe's has an "interest free for one year" special going on right now - I would have paid off the account before the year is up to avoid the interest.

...but the really awesome thing is that it felt so good to plop down those Benjamin's and just be free from the thought of factoring in payments to them monthly.

Speaks volumes about your credit when you get rejected by a store for credit.

And you like to point fingers at Wall Street... ironic, huh?

I think just spending $203K with Countrywide on Monday had more to do with it.