Survivalism - Cutting household costs

Survivalism is a term used to describe a strategy of being prepared. It describes people looking ahead and anticipating issues in their region or world wide, whether social or political, and seeking to make the necessary preparations, so that they are in a position to cope when hard times begin. As a result of the foregoing, they would, learn skills, store food and water, prepare to defend themselves, etc. The present global crisis and recession calls for some elements of survivalism, however the element that is being highly considered, especially in households is survival in the future and present, in light of rising prices and an impending recession.

As parents, you want to reduce your household expenses because you find that your pay is doing less than it use to and your savings are steadily being depleted as you try to cope with rising costs. You have tried getting a job that pays more, but companies are laying off employees rather than hiring new ones. What should we do? The simple solution is to spend less and in some cases do not spend at all. With rising costs and fixed pays we should try to prioritize, make purchases based mostly on needs. We should consider how each purchase will impact our finances and be less impulsive. We should always seek new and creative means of saving on our usual expenses. Outlined below are a number of old and new expense reduction methods that can be employed to reduce the amount spent in your household. The methods have been categorized into four main areas, automotive, household, recreation and luxury expenses. Please feel free to add to this list in the comments section. Also note that whatever technique you use most be in line with your values, ideals and circumstances, as these techniques may not work for everyone. So consider your own situation and make the necessary adjustments.

Automotive Expenses:

1. Car pool;
2. Walk more instead of using your car, as this saves on gas and general wear and tear on your vehicle;
3. If your family works or goes to school in the same vicinity, you can use one car instead of two;
4. Make sure that your car is maintained regularly, that is, preventative maintenance should be done frequently to avoid problems before they start. Preventative maintenance also encourages efficient gas use;
5. Drive slower. The slower you drive the less gas you use;
6. Accelerate at a slower rate. Accelerating slowly reduces the amount of gas required to reach high speeds;
7. Use your Air Conditioning unit less. Studies have shown that the less you use your A/C is the more you save on gas;
8. Trade in gas guzzlers for smaller, more gas efficient vehicles;
9. Purchase less cosmetics for your car. Only purchase car accessories that are absolutely necessary for the running of your vehicle;
10. Keep your tires properly inflated. This will help to improve your gas mileage and extend the life of your tires;
11. Brake slower. Rapid stops wear your brake pads at a faster rate than gradual stops;
12. Avoid traffic if possible. If you do, then you would have decreased your use of gas.

Household Expenses:

1. Make sure that your Air Conditioning Unit has an energy saving mode and that this function is always used;
2. Turn off your computer at nights;
3. Use energy saving bulbs;
4. Turn off lights and appliances that are not being used;
5. Hang washed clothes on a clothesline rather than using your dryer;
6. Don't use hot water unless it is absolutely necessary;
7. Wash clothes in cold water rather than warm or hot water. Not using warm or hot water does not have much of a negative impact on your clothes;
8. Use your microwave less;
9. Turn down the temperature in your refrigerator, especially in the winter;
10. Make sure that the windows are kept locked when your air conditioning unit is on;
11. If windows or doors rattle, seal them with draft exclusion strip. This reduces the loss of heat and cold from your heater and air conditioning unit respectively;
12. Block unused chimneys with a chimney balloon. Chimneys can account for high levels of heat loss and increased gas bills;
13. Do more household chores instead of hiring people to do them;
14. Fill up your pantry with at least two months worth of food as this will help you to avoid inflation;
15. Decrease your food intake. This would also help with obesity;
16. If a certain food item that you purchase is usually wasted, buy less of that item, as with every wasted morsel comes a waste of money;
17. Buy less take home and attempt to make more food at home;
18. Use boiled tap water to make juice instead of bottled water;
19. Use cash, rather than credit cards so that you will be able to plan expenditure better and avoid transaction costs and high interest rates. Withdraw your budgeted money for the week and stick to that budget;
20. Do not shop when you’re hungry. We tend to spend unnecessarily when we are hungry, especially in the supermarkets, as we spend based on our hunger rather than on what is needed for our homes;
21. Use natural household cleaning products. Bicarb and vinegar are great natural products that are cheaper than the products we usually buy in the supermarkets;
22. Use the water from the baths you and your kids take to water your lawn;
23. Take shorter showers;
24. Grow a garden with herbs and spices you cook with; and
    
25. Reduce Internet and telephone bills by signing up for simple packages rather than premium packages.

Recreation Expenses:

1. Ditch the gym membership and find ways to stay fit at home;
2. Choose activities that are low in cost, like trips to the park;
3. Avoid activities or substances that may become addictive, like gambling, drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. A smoker can save up to $1,800 per year if they stop smoking one pack a day; and
   
4. Share hobbies with friends. In this way, all of you can share the cost of whatever activity is chosen.

Luxury Expenses:

1. Decrease your use of luxury items and purchase items based on satisfaction of needs rather than wants;
2. Spend less time and money at the spa;
3. Spend less time and money at the barber or hair dresser. If you use to get your hair done once a month, think of extending that by two weeks. Also, you can choose hairstyles that require less maintenance;
   
4. Reduce the amount of times you go to restaurants with friends and invite them over to your home for dinner;
5. Get together with friends for a movie night at home instead of going to the movies; and
6. Fly economy class instead of first class when going on trips.
   

I hope this has helped. As said before, feel free to add to these techniques in the comments section as I know there are many other measures that can be used.