Cut Living Costs » recession

Eating and Staying Healthy During a Recession

Deal Finder — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:55:10 +0000

Sometimes in our quest to cut costs, some important things go by the wayside… like our weight. It’s no secret that we tend to turn to fatty comfort foods and isolate ourselves when we’re under stress. Case in point? The only stock to rise when Dow Jones Industrial Average fell a record 778 points in September ’08 was Campbell Soup Company. And it’s no surprise that sales of Spam have increased significantly since the recession began. The rising costs of food, layoffs and foreclosure scares aren’t enough… now we have to worry about our weight too!?

What to Eat to Stay Healthy?

Don’t let this recession get you down and get your weight up. Try these tips for keeping fit during a down economy.

The $1 menu is NOT your friend:
- It’s easy to pull up at the drive-thru and feed the family for $5. Just think about it, eat cheap now, and pay expensive medical bills later. Fast food is loaded with saturated fats that can contribute to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. While splurging here and there won’t harm you, making that $1 menu a big part of your diet can be detrimental to your health.

Inexpensive healthy meal options are out there
- Buy frozen, canned or fresh vegetables and add some protein to the vegetable dish, such as cooked whole grain pasta.
- Eggs are and low-priced item that people tend to forget about. It’s low in calories, high in protein and really low in carbohydrates.
- More and more, smaller portions are being offered at restaurants. Not only are these choices lower in price, but they’re good for you too.

Gym Membership Cost Cutting – Staying Healthy on an Unhealthy Economy

Deal Finder — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:37:40 +0000

Gyms membership rates aren’t cheap, if you add up your monthly charge and the annual cost is usually around $500. Now don’t get us wrong, being healthy is extremely important. The last thing you want to add to your money woes is a doctor bill. If you know you’re really going to use that membership then don’t bother signing up. There are plenty of no-cost options for staying fit. Now if you really serious about getting into or staying in shape and you’re committed to taking a daily trip to the gym, then by all means sign up.

Don’t be afraid to bargain at the gym:
Always remember that you aren’t the only one hurting out there. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the slow economy is a factor in the first nationwide drop in gym memberships in more than a decade. Here are some tips to getting a price break on your monthly gym memberships:

- More and more gyms are offering awesome deals because they want to keep their customers and take advantage of our desire to cut living costs (insert shameless plug here). Rather than have you walk away from your membership completely, they’ll likely offer you a break to keep you around. So, before you cancel, sit down with someone on the gym’s staff to see what could be arranged.

- This is also a good time to sign up for a gym membership if as long (as you’re really going to use it). Many gyms are waiving their enrollment fees and offering basic memberships for as little as $20 to $30 a month.

- Don’t forget to ask for free guest passes. You can get anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks of access.

- Of course, don’t forget to compare gym memberships before you sign up for anything! Comparison shopping is the way to go!

Check out some of the current gym membership special offers :

24 Hour Fitness
Bally Total Fitness

To Buy or Not to Buy Video Games – Gamers’ Woe During a Recession

Deal Finder — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:13:27 +0000

For gamers, a smaller budget doesn’t mean that you have to cut back on the number of video games you play – just re-think how you get them.

Stores like GameStop specialize in selling used video games in its stores at a lower price than the new video games. Or bid on games through auctions on eBay, where you can get the latest used games for less. eBay also offers new video games at “buy it now” options. The price may be a little higher than a used video game, but you sometimes get shipping for free or at a reduced price.

If you prefer to play titles, you can either rent video games from traditional Blockbuster stores or you can rent video games games online from GameFly.com (think of them as the Netflix of games). Another option for you to find some cheap used video games is Recycle Video Games Network. They sell and trade new and used video games and accessories.

Even if you want to keep buying new video games, you can avoid buyer’s remorse by taking advantage of the fact that many companies make short demos of their games available for free. Game demos for consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 can be downloaded directly to those systems’ hard drives.

Finding a Safe Place for Your Money

Deal Finder — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:01:20 +0000

Don’t trust banks anymore? More people are relying on personal money safes, instead of saving accounts. Sales of safes are doing very well in this recession, but is it really a surprise with the way this economy is?

With all the financial turmoil, many people are keeping their money out of the stock market and even their bank. Now don’t get us wrong. We at Cut Living Costs still believe in the financial strength of banks, but it’s no surprise that others are looking at other alternatives to protecting their money.

Keep in mind that if anything were to happen to your home and your money was somehow damaged, stolen or misplaced, you may not be insured for the loss. Make sure you check your insurance policy and applicable state laws to see how much of your money is protected.

Sometimes it might be a good idea to speak with an expert regarding the best way to handle your money saving woes. There are lots of places where you can get financial advice and speak with a personal financial advisor to help you work through all of your questions.