Individuals are finding creative ways to manage and save money as the recession continues to deepen — from using payday loans instead of credit cards to learning which wild plants are safe to eat.
Companies are getting creative, too. As I scoured the internet today in search of some unexpected tidbits in the midst of all the expected headlines, here are some things I found.
A vacation from getting paid
Newspapers across the country are facing declines in advertising revenue, rising costs for printing and dropping circulation numbers. Most papers have responded to this by laying off employees, cutting sections and reorganizing their business models.
But one of the largest newspaper conglomerates in the country, Gannett Inc., has come up with an idea that I think is, quite frankly, brilliant. The company is ordering all employees to take a week of unpaid leave this quarter. This edict applies to everyone, from part-time workers to the CEO.
Like most newspapers, Gannett went through extensive layoffs last year. I highly doubt you will hear grumbling from employees if one week without pay means they get to keep their jobs. Because they will still be officially employed, employees can always get payday loans if an emergency comes up.
Going green to the extreme
There has been a lot of advice out there on how to save money on groceries and food in general. We’ve all heard about cutting coupons, buying in bulk, cutting out restaurants and investing in basic staples.
One commenter on a MySpace money forum reminded me that buying canned fruits and vegetables instead of fresh ones saves money. This makes sense because you don’t run the risk of produce going bad and ending up a waste of money.
Another MySpace poster brought up an idea that I honestly had never thought of. “Buy books on foraging!” he urged. It sounds a little extreme, but a quick search of books on Amazon revealed that there are indeed many books out there on how to identify wild plants that are safe to eat. They even have instructions for how to prepare them. Some of these books were as little as $8.
School of scavenging
Another idea occurred to me as I was reading posts by starving college students. Web sites geared toward young people attending school are all over the place and have been around for years. The starving student is a master of frugality.
The same advice aimed at individuals looking to be able to buy text books as well as Ramen Noodles can apply to families and individuals who are out of work or just plumb out of luck. I Googled “money saving tips for college” and got 14.5 million hits. You’re bound to find some applicable information in one of them.
Misery loves company
Many of us are struggling to keep our budgets and our debts under control. In times like this, it can be humbling to read about people who are going through — or have gone through — worse. Thus, I leave you with a collection of quotes from a MySpace forum titled “What Was The Poorest Moment in Your Life?”
“I remember asking the gas station attendant to pump a dollar in gas for me and I paid him with quarters.” - So Fly
“Eating condiment packages from McDonald’s,” - MG Sales.
“I invented … chili with tomato paste and corn, taco seasoning and baked beans,” -spam
My favorite “poor” story:
“My poorest moment was at a Korean store … I was short just 12cents for a can of Similac for my son. … I asked a person there if he could let me 12cents and I promise to give him back - (he) said no. Then I asked a man (homeless) that always hang-out around the store there and he gave me the 12cents. I treated him to Zippy’s 1/2hr later, gave him $50, and Thanked him!”
Just goes to show you can find help and hope in the most unexpected places. There also seems to be the message there that if you share what little you do have you’ll be rewarded.
This article was provided by your payday loans source.
“Count your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves,” the old saying goes.
GREAT ARTICLE! People are doing anything they can to save some extra money. The best part is there are many ways to reduce your spending expense and increase your savings. Oh and I love the story 12 cents story. Thanks for sharing!