Things we are doing that help in the long run.

Sorry to hear of your situation, Mr. Ace. We're just now fighting back from a bout of unemployment in our household. Not a fun time at all!

As to your list, I'd have to say that #1 and #4 are the most important. Not buying new things is HUGE as far as wasted energy, pollution and disposal. Reuse is one of those wonderful things that really has no downside - cheaper to buy and better for the planet in every way possible. Hang in there!

 

your maybe poor in US terms but your not

i am not poor yet and i do al those things for years already except for the clothes
and unhealty food is not cheap just buy early and make your own.

if you can offer 200 on a reclining seat then thats luxury.
go without teh seat and save you 200 dollar!! you can do a lot of good food with that.

edit

o and sell your prius and buy a used cheap car if you really need one

 

Really sorry to hear about your situation.

On the food thing, I think that hits home in a lot of American households despite having a job or not. I would suggest contacting local churches in your area to see if they have food drives/bank. Our church would distribute food from the local grocery stores one day a week. It was unbelievable the good fruit and vegetables that were available (that had simply just past their shelf date). It makes me sick to think of all the food that ends up in the dumpster in this country.

 

Beware of false economy.

Buy durable items that are of the best quality you can afford, and have warranties that mean something.
Buy real food and prepare it. Processed food is generally about 4 to 10 times more expensive than the ingredients. Learn to prepare and store food.

Grow some food. Herbs in a pot, a small bed of lettuce, a couple of tomato plants in a bag of potting soil - don't go crazy, don't buy into all the "gardener's tools" things.

Buy clothing styles that are "classic"... solid colors, lasting designs. Go for better quality here, and they will last you for years. Second hand stores that carry better clothing are popping up all over. Well worth a look for career wear.

Launder your clothes in the coolest water temp you can. Hang blouses, shirts, and any delicate/bright fabrics to dry. Your clothes will last much longer. Avoid "dry clean only" clothing if at all possible.

Keep up with maintenance on your home. Appliances, fixtures, and the structure all need to be checked, cleaned, small things repaired/replaced, before underlying damage takes out a larger chunk of your home.

As things need replacement, look for the best you can get for quality and durability, and for energy savings. Also look for alternatives. Maybe you don't have to replace the item - maybe you can live without it, or there is something different to do the same task, with a lower cost, lower impact, or more efficiently.

 

i don't replace my laptop until it costs more to fix than buying a new one.:rockon: unless i can give it to someone who wants it.

 

Well, it would depend on your definition of "food"

Pot pies and frozen pizza is not "food" in my definition. Food is vegetables, fruit, whole grain breads, etc. Stuff that actually has real nutrition, vitamins, minerals, and which keeps you healthy.

The stuff you mention leads to dis-ease.

 

I was unemployed for about 1 1/2 years before finding another job. I'm working again now, but I know what it feels like to get by on unemployment.

My priorities for spending were:

1. Food
2. Other necessities for the job search: internet, transportation, etc.
3. Utilities and other bills so that my credit didn't get screwed up.

I did not buy clothes, furniture, car accessories, etc. during that time. My GF did buy me some shoes, but we cut way back on everything we could to make sure we could pay all the bills.

I think its wise to spend a little more on getting good quality food and cut back on some other areas. It is important to preserve your health as much as possible; it can be stressful looking for employment.

 

A $6 chicken from the grocery store, plus about $.10 worth of propane gives the two of us a very nice dinner, with veg on the side. Then my wife make 3 pot pies with more vegies and a home made pie crust, and put those in the freezer. There is enough left on the chicken for me to have sandwiches for a couple of day. Then she boiled down the carcass to make stock an soup.

So that $6 chicken gave us 6 dinners, a couple of lunches plus some soup. Add in $1 worth of Veggies and some fuel and may be we spend $10, that works out to less than a dollar a meal per person.

Buy them when they are on sale and you do even better. The bargain of the year is buying turkeys at the thanksgiving sales. A 15# turkey will feed us for a month and ~$.79/lbs.

 

By making your own pot pies you can turn them into real food by controlling what goes in, slash the fat to an acceptable level, and create far more variety than the one described here. This and many other dishes easily accept a huge variety of potential ingredients, making use of whatever is available / needs to be used up in the kitchen, or is cheaply available in the stores or free from the garden this week.

 

While I was a student, I lived on beans and rice for a while. I still enjoy beans and rice (with some frequency, purchased from one of your various ethnic stores).

A quote from another forum:
When you're only going to do it once, quality isn't expensive, it's priceless.