Well, I don't necessarily know if it's the economy itself that is affecting my everyday activities, but I certainly try to save money wherever I can. I consider myself a frugal person nonetheless, but I feel I am being even more adamant about it than usual.

Transportation: I definitely try to combine errands together to lessen the number of trips away from home I need to make. This doesn't sound that major, but I bring it to the point that if there's something we need to cook a dinner we planned, I will choose something else to eat. I've resorted to canned food, though I love canned food anyway (canned fruit has great nutritional value, you know). I get a little upset if I have to make more than one trip a day, and I think in the morning or even the day before about what I can do before or after I go to work. My boyfriend and I are both going to take public transportation for the first time in the area come fall, when we move further from our jobs. I have even considered purchasing a bike, which I have sworn off years ago (I have had many bad experiences with bikes...).

Eating: Besides probably not making the best dinner choices because I refuse to drive and get what we need to make a good meal, we also try to go out to eat less. We set weekly limits on going out, usually for Friday night dinner. Eating out at a restaurant is one of our favorite activities, and reducing our weekly trips is one of the worst parts of trying to save money.

Renting: Money was probably the main part about choosing our next place to live, as our lease ended this month. The city is a huge place with a wide range of places to live... good and bad. We just didn't want to live too far in a place where too many crimes had occurred recently. We found a cheaper place that was further from our jobs, so we'll have to both take public transportation to get to work (no way we're both going to drive!). We are definitely downgrading from a place with a gym and a pool to a place with... well, sort of a pool.

Work: My boyfriend has to pay off his mom's car, so he has to wake up early and stay late at work to make enough money to do so. The government takes 30% of his paycheck, so he has to work extra overtime, and this affects our lives at home (not to mention the relationship with our cat!).

Shopping: Well, I've never been that much of a shopper, but I can't remember the last time I bought a piece of clothing. I haven't been to a mall in a while, which is a place I used to go to once or twice a week for fun. Now I find myself saving every quarter and dime (pennies can stay).

Recreation: I feel like we usually stay at home for fun these days, which is fun, but we used to be party animals. Maybe we're just getting older, but we haven't hung out with our friends in San Francisco for a while because we dread having to pay for the gas and the parking. I haven't been to SF for any reason, and even avoided it when my longtime friend in Sacramento wanted to visit and suggested going there; we went to Berkeley instead, where the parking is cheaper.