If you happen to be among those who have had their income affected in the current economic situation here are some tips to s..t..r..e..t..c..h.. your dollar. I was laid off from a very good job in an industry (home building) that doesn't look like it is coming back any time soon in my city, so I have learned by necessity to change the way I live. There are ways to save money that are relatively painless, and you can turn it into a game if you have the courage for it. This downturn may not be short, and even if it is, resources of our Earth are dwindling and we need to permanently find different ways of being happy than buying stuff and constantly increasing the size and expense of our possessions. Or worse, throwing things out when we are bored with them and buying new. To look on the bright side, if you are unemployed it is easier to save money since gas, clothes, lunches out, childcare, etc. are no longer needed.

Self esteem is one of the most important qualities we can have. If we get laid off, we feel our sense of worth is diminished. Even though logically we can determine that it was not our fault, we go back into the past and say, if only I hadn't worked in this industry or moved to this town or taken this job. Or we think, if only I had entered a different field, or not bought this expensive home, or not invested in that rental property. But second guessing yourself doesn't help matters and just makes you feel worse. What is, IS. That's the truth of the matter and the present is all you have to deal with. The past is over and can't be redone. Find peace in the present and then go forward. If you have been laid off, think of it as a challenge and an opportunity to map out a different life for yourself. You may find it was the best thing that ever happened to you.

If you made a list of the ten things that are most important to you in your life, I would bet that fancy expensive electronics did not make the list, nor even did large homes, expensive cars, gourmet food or a pair of designer shoes. We are confused about what really makes us happy. Actually we are brainwashed by the media into thinking that buying more things makes us feel happier. When you are finished making your list, look at it and re-evaluate what truly contributes to your happiness, and what you can learn to live with out.

Be creative and challenge yourself to find ways to make LESS the new MORE. It's fun, it fosters human creativeness and it makes you feel self-reliant. It is important to think of your savings as accumulating by the month or year, not by the day. A dollar here and there doesn't seem like much but it adds up at the end of the year. Do it lots of times and you have hundreds of extra dollars to apply to other areas where they are needed. Below are a few suggestions of things that I personally have done to cut costs without it hurting too much. Today it is fashionable to be 'green' and not wasteful, so you can feel virtuous and in step with the times, while you are being thrifty.

If you are living on unemployment temporarily, see if your utility company will give you a low income discount. California has a program to do this and you can save 20% on your bill if your annual income is below 30K annually for one person. All you have to do is fill out an on-line form to qualify...no proving income etc. Go to www.csd.ca.gov/Programs/EnergyIncomeGuidelines.aspx for the income qualifying chart. Other U.S. States may have the same program. Check on line for your State.

Go over your TV/computer bill. See if there are things you can cut out that you won't miss. Do you really look at all those channels? Consider 'bundling' your phone and computer and TV cable all with the same company to save money. Use a phone message machine you can buy for $20 instead of the phone company message service that costs $6-7 dollars a month. Always remember that a savings of $5 per month ends up to be $60 at the end of the year. Mentally tally up your spending habits annually instead of monthly so you can see how they add up.

Change out the light bulbs to energy efficient ones, I did it and was surprised by the difference it makes in my bill. Only use lights in the rooms that are occupied. Turn off your fireplace gas pilot in the summer. Use fans insted of A/C when you can. Unplug infrequently used appliances. They can use electricity even when 'off'.

Don't pay for long distance rate plans on your cell phone AND your home phone. Make all long distance calls from one or the other. Check how many minutes you are using on your cell phone plan. See if you can drop to a cheaper plan with less minutes. Or drop your home line altogether and just use your cell phone.

Always ask if there is a senior or a student discount if that applies to you. You are considered a student even if you are taking only an art class in adult education. Carry your student card with you. Ross Department Store has a 10% savings for seniors every Tuesday. Other stores have coupon and discount days of the week. Go on line to see if there is a coupon you can use before you go shopping. If you shop on line go to an on-line coupon site before you buy and see if you can save by typing in a code. See www.currentcodes.com

Don't buy movies on demand for $5 each when there are free movie channels in your channel line-up. If you have DVR, scan through the week's movies ahead of time, and record movies to watch when you want to. If you don't have DVR trade DVD's with friends and family. Many people have extensive movie libraries and they are happy to borrow and lend with you. Do the same with books and CD's. Also don't forget the public library for books, DVD's and CD's. Libraries have sites on line these days and mine sends an e-mail three days before my borrowed items are due to remind me to either renew them on line, or bring them back. No fines that way.

Watch for the restaurant coupons in the weekly mail circulars. Don't eat out so much. It is cheaper to eat at home. Use your friends and family for entertainment instead of restaurants or movies or concerts. Play cards or a game, or take a hike and have a picnic. Its cheaper and healthier to boot. Have potluck dinner parties with friends.

Most cities have free 'concerts in the park' and free street fairs. Look on line at your city's website to see what activities are free. My city has a free museum day once a month. Get familiar with the free things to do in your city. Instead of going on vacation, go site seeing in your own city. Even if you have lived there all your life, there are probably things you haven't done or seen. I live in San Diego and know there is no excuse for not finding free recreation in this city.

This is my favorite area to save. I love to cook, and am always finding new inexpensive recipes that are delicious.

Only go to the store once a week. If you run out, live without it until the week is over. It really won't kill you. Rethink everything you now buy. Buy frozen cheese pizza and put on your own toppings, instead of ordering in. Don't buy packaged food. Popcorn can be cooked in a fry pan and oatmeal cooks in a jiffy in a saucepan, instead of buying those individual packages that are filled with sugar and are expensive to boot. Don't use prepared dinners, they are not good for you and often loaded with sugar and salt. Buy paper products in bulk and store the extra in the garage or in the attic space if you don't have enough closet space. Seek out new cheaper places to shop for groceries. Stay away from traditional supermarkets as much as you can. In California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas we have the "99cents Only" discount grocery stores. My daughter dragged me to one of them and believe me I was hooked. They have produce, dairy and all food items and nothing is over 99 cents. It saves you a bundle. No meat though. Watch the ads and buy your meat in bulk on sale at a market and freeze it in meal sized packages..

Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Why have all that lawn? You can't eat it. Vegetables are very easy to grow and you can easily feed a family of four all they need of salads and vegetables and fruits for the entire year right in small patch in your own yard. It is fun and you get high quality organic food free for the price of the seeds and a little water. Mother Earth willl help you. I had an extensive garden when my kids were small and I know it saved me hundreds of dollars per year. If you have only a patio use containers and grow tomatoes, strawberries, herbs and peppers etc. They are easier than flowers and you can eat them!

Give up your designer coffee and wine. This is a hard one. Big Lots store near me sells Austrailian Chardonney for $3 per bottle that is not bad tasting. Also Trader Joe's carries cheap wine. Remember the days when we all drank MGB coffee? They still make it and it is much cheaper than beans "grown in Maui at the upper reaches of the rain forest" or some such place. If you are stuck on designer coffee, at least buy it on sale and make it at home instead of buying it out. Gotta have real cream in it though. Some things I just can't skimp on. You know what those things are for you. Allow yourself little luxuries and the cut backs won't seem as hard to take.

Eat beans and rice. They are cheap and good and nutritious. Reduce your meat consumption. Meat is expensive so go vegetarian several nights a week. There are hearty recipes on line. See www.Vegcooking.com. Buy your fruits and veggies at a farmers market in your town, or at a farmers produce store, if you can't grow them yourself. Make a list and stick to it when you go grocery shopping, don't just graze at the store. Don't shop when you are hungry.

Buy a filter pitcher instead of buying water each week. Or if you don't like the water's taste from a filter pitcher, buy your water from the machines outside grocery stores. Save your gallon plastic bottles and refill them once a week. Fill your personal size bottles from the gallon size when you get home, for individual 'take along' water. It saves money and the environment too. Be sure and bring your own bags to shop with, not to save money, but to save the environment from those ubiquitous plastic bags.

Watch the economic news on line and see if gas is going up or down in the next week. Get gas when it is cheapest, even if you are not on empty. Also look on line for the cheapest gas station in your area. They are listed. The price of gas can vary as much as 30 cents a gallon in a few days time where I live. That amount times 16 gallons is almost five dollars in savings for a fill-up in my car. Don't offer to drive but let your employed friends and relatives do the driving. Every gallon costs money. Be a skinflint. Do all your errands at once. Car pool. Get a basket on your bike and ride your bike to do your errands. Its fun, and healthy too.

If your fancy, expensive gas hog of a car is paid off, or almost so, sell it and buy a more economical car with the cash you make. Bank the leftover money or use it to pay off credit cards or other bills.

Watch the way you drive. Go 65 on the freeway and don't make gas guzzling, tire wearing race car starts.

Grow your hair longer in a style that doesn't require cutting so often. Cut your own bangs. Cut your kids hair. Make your own beauty products. Go on line and find hundreds of recipes for homemade beauty products. They are much healthier for your skin than commercial products and work great. Save some pretty bottles and jars from household items and fill them with your homemade product. Tie a bow around them and give to friends when it is time to give a gift, which I have personally done and my friends loved it. Make your own bath salts from kosher sea salt mixed with some essential oils. This also makes a great gift. Pure clay is what the finiest facial masks are made of that nourish and refresh your skin. Use cat litter that is pure clay and add water and scent and you have the same pricey designer face mask that costs you nothing. Here is the recipe; http://www.beautytipshub.com/beauty-tips/home-made-beauty-tips/cat-litter-face-mask.html (Notice: Use the litter before you put it in the litter box.)

Color your hair yourself. I've been doing it for years. Try L'Oreal. It works great.

Make your own liquid hand soap. Make your own clothes washing liquid. Just melt a bar of ivory soap in some hot water on the stove, add borax and washing soda, that you can buy at many grocery stores, and let them dissolve. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to. Again...look on line for the recipes for at home products. There are interesting and amazingly helpful articles on line from people who have truly gone 'back to the land'.

Clean your own house. Even if it isn't as spotless as it used to be, you don't need to pay a maid service for something you can do yourself.

Clean out the garage and house, and sell stuff you don't use on Craigslist. You can make several hundred dollars in a week-end from your unused household items. People buy almost anything from Craigslist and come and pick it up and hand you cash. It's great. Once you get the garage cleaned out, park your car in the garage and you won't have to wash it so often. Or wash it at home instead of at the carwash, if it is acceptable in your community as far as water usage and HOA rules.

Go on a spending fast. Don't buy anything at all for 7 days. Do it once a month. It will make your wallet healthier.

Move your credit card balance to a zero or low interest company. From now on if you can't afford to pay cash don't buy it, unless it is milk for baby. I think it was Aristotle who said when walking through a town market and looking at all the wares for sale, "There are so many things in this world that I do not need." I love it. It's so true.

Make a firm monthly budget and type it into a financial template on your computer. (You should have one in either Microsoft Works which comes free on most PC's or in Microsoft Office if you have that software). Every few days look at your checking account on line and match it up with your financial sheet to keep on track. Think of your discretionary dollars like calories on a diet. Allow yourself only a certain amount per day or week. If you spend too much, you can't buy as much the next week.

Pay your bills on time if you can. Sometimes when we are money short, we tend to hide our head in the sand. The last thing we need is late fees. Stay organized.

Go to the Salvation Army or Goodwill first if you need clothes for you or your children, or if you need a household item like a vacuum or blender etc. It is amazing what you can find there. Its fun and you can bring home some real prizes. A friend of mine who is an expert frugal person from way back, furnished her entire living room there and it looks great. Stay away from department stores with pricey tags. To go in and browse is like going to the ice cream shop when you are on a diet. Too tempting.

Search in your own closets to find that special outfit. I have spare room closets, now that my kids are gone, that hold all kinds of gems. Old styles often circle around and come into style again. Or start your own new style. Be eccentric. Combine your old things in new ways. Your friends will love it. Also, search for items that you purchased when your wallet was fatter that you were too lazy to take back, and that still have the tags on them. Even if you bought it ages ago, the store will usually give you something for it. My son was in need of some cash, and found a sweater in his closet his grandmother had given him for a Christmas gift. He had never worn it and had left the tags on. He took it back to Macy's in the middle of summer at least two years later and they gave him more than half of what the original tag said. Now is not the time to be proud. Be brave.

Be thoughtful every time you open your wallet. Ask "Do I really need this?"

There are barter clubs that will exchange professional services or exchange items for sale. If you are a hairdresser, for instance, you can cut an attorney's hair in exchange for legal advice. Look on line for one in your area.

Get a coffee can or jar and every day put some change in it from your wallet. Have your kids contribute too. Make it a recreation fund, and at the end of the month treat yourselves to a family outing. Spend whatever is in there and start again next month.

Have the kids do chores for their allowance and fire the gardener. (Oooops, sorry if you are a gardener).

If you need a new faucet or garbage disposal, or your drain is plugged, don't dial the plumber. Do it yourself. My son changed out all the plumbing in one of my my toilets and put a new valve at the wall that was leaking. He had never done it before. My son's rates (free!) beat the plumber by over one hundred dollars. Go to www.wikihow.com to find out how to do pretty much anything.

Tell your friends that you're not working now and are not exchanging gifts this year. If you absolutely must exchange, make them a beaded necklace...cut apart ones you hate and make a lovely new creation. Or take an old basket and spray paint it white and fill it with odds and ends of beauty items you buy at a cheap store. Don't forget to tie a bow on. When you receive a gift, it will no doubt be something you don't want or need, so recycle it into a re-gift and pass it on to someone else. Just don't let it make the rounds and return to the original giver. Give it to a different gene pool of friends.

Don't automatically toss old items into the dump. I went on line and bought new parts for my gas barbeque that was years old. I just typed in the company and the model number printed on it and was able to order a brand new teflon grill and burner plate for pennies compared to what a new barbeque cost, plus did not add to the land fill. It made me feel good and I love my NEW/OLD barbeque.

Keep a positive attitude. The best things in life really are free. Enjoy your family and pets. Enjoy nature and take walks. Remember that the Universe is infinite and contains infinite abundance and that you will always be taken care of. Think of the Earth and how she gives you fresh air to breathe, water to drink, and food to nourish you just by planting a few seeds. Remember your ancestors and how they took an empty patch of land and carved an existence out of it. We don't really need all we think we need. We have been guilty of taking more than our share and being a part of the problem of destroying Earth's resources and now we have to pay the piper. Our economy is changing, maybe forever. But I believe good things are on the horizon. Sustainability is the word of the future. Sustainability and equability. Every human deserves to live a life of sufficiency, but not a life of greed.

How do you save money in this economy?  Do you have any suggestions?  I would love to hear them.

Much love and good luck from,

Violet