2009: spending less, cutting back

This New Year people in Greene are resolving to save money.
For some, like Earl Proper of Ruckersville, it has been a necessity.
Proper is an archaeologist who says he was forced to take a “temporary furlough” when the construction industry took its tumble.
“I work for an archaeological consulting firm. My job is to see to it that historical sites are not destroyed during construction … my unemployment compensation was 60 percent of my salary.“
As a result, even though he has found temporary work out of state and expects to be back at work early next month, Proper is not going out much. He’s eating pots full of “black-eyed peas with ham and different kinds of peppers.“ And, he says, “I’m not driving any more than I have to.“
Necessity is not dictating cutbacks for others, but still, they are cautious.
“We’re not buying as much as we used to,“ says Steve Wilson of Ruckersville, who believes that the wise thing to do now is cut back. “You need to have something if you lose your job or (the recession deepens). We don’t know what’s going to happen.“
Jerry Breeden of Stanardsville says he and his wife Sue Ellen are “combining our trips as much as possible and we’re watching flyers for sales.“ And, they’re planning ahead: for the first time in several years the Breedens will be planting a garden come spring.
Things haven’t changed for Cassandra Baker of Ruckersville, who says she has always “watched for sales, clipped coupons, and bought in bulk,“ but Dominick Terrigno of Quinque says they have for him.
“I don’t eat no more,“ he jokes, before throwing a sideways glance at his wife Julia and sobering enough to admit that times are tough, but …
“You stay home, cook home, eat pasta and beans, mind your own business, you got it made,“ Terrigno adds.
That may be the Terrigno rule, but some experts have more advice for saving money: everyone should have at least three months of living expenses in easily accessible savings, say contributors to ehow.com - a website that invites users to share what they know about doing just about anything.
And then, say the ehow contributors: figure out where every dollar is going.
They advise making a list of monthly bills such as mortgage or rent, electricity, gas, groceries, and even small daily purchases such as a cup of coffee that might be picked up on the way to work. Decide which of the things can be done without or replaced with a less expensive alternative - such as a cup of coffee made at home and carried to work in a travel mug.
Once alternatives for elected expenditures are found, there are ways to cut down on necessities.
There are several ways to save on heat - even with the thermostat set between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit: wear several relatively loose, warm layers of dark-colored clothing; keep the doors of cabinets, pantries, closets, and storage rooms closed; after cooking, open the oven door to allow the remaining heat to help warm the kitchen; use kitchen and bathroom ventilating fans sparingly to keep heated air from being blown away; and, turn the heat down or off at bedtime and use extra cover or an electric blanket for added warmth.
One can also save on electricity.
According to the United States Department of Energy, idle appliances - such as televisions, DVD players, video games, and, in fact, most home appliances can use as much as four times more energy than if they were only plugged in when in use. Lowering the power settings on home computers can also save on electricity.
As for groceries: there are weekly flyers and there are always coupons, but the best way to save on groceries is to not go shopping while hungry. Sales resistance is always stronger on a full stomach.
In addition, money-saving experts advise buying more raw foods such as meat, produce and grains and doing one’s own cooking instead of buying prepared foods.
For those not directly affected by the recession - yet - all of that advice can be turned to New Year’s resolutions; traditional promises made but rarely kept.
But for some, like Proper, who has been directly affected by the recession, knocked for a loop by the recession, saving money can be translated into a lesson learned.
“This experience has changed my driving behavior permanently,“ Proper says. “I used to drive about 20 miles from my house to the access road to Shenandoah National Park to go hiking. Now I take hikes in the woods around my house. I don’t go to Charlottesville any more unless I have to access stores I can’t here. When I go back to work, I will be traveling all over Virginia, so that burns enough gas. Required driving will be work-related, except for necessities.“