How to Be a Recessionista
A recessionista is a person who will come out
the current economic
crisis better off financially than she or he were at the start of the
economic recession. While the recession may seem a dire situation, the
reality is about 90% of people who want a job, have a job. That's not
to say many people are not in a difficult situation. Many Americans and
people around the world have suffered great financial losses due to the
recession, whether it be a job loss, loss of funds from retirement
savings, or loss of equity in the house. As the recession has
gruelingly
wore on for more than two years, the good news is, it's not too late
for many to realize the advantages of a depressed economy.
So how can one become a recessionista? There are a few ways to go about
it, though using all the principals together, one can find the most
success.
1) Stop paying so much for stuff. Easy enough to say, a lot more
difficult to do. Some easy ways to save money include using coupons,
rebates, and/or sales to increase money saved on items one would be
buying anyway. For example, it is possible to combine coupons, sales,
and rebates to get items at the grocery store for free.
Call credit card companies, internet and television (cable or satellite)
service providers and ask for either a lower interest rate (in the case
of credit cards) or a lower monthly payment. Even saving five bucks a
month on internet service, for example, would save $60 over the coarse
of the year.
2) Learn to be more self-sufficient. Learning to do more on one's own,
by one's self, can save lots of money. Research and learn how to do
basic home repairs and save lots of money on do-it-yourself projects
around the house. Make cleaning products by combining basic ingredients
commonly found in the supermarket for a lot less expense than
commercial cleaners.
Learn how to grow a home garden. The average home garden can save the
average family $500 per year. Take the idea one step further and learn
how to preserve garden produce for use later in the year when fresh
produce is not available in the home garden.
3) Learn how to barter. Many local businesses and people are willing to
barter goods and services in order to save money. Find things around
the house that are not worth much to the family and see how much they
may be worth to other people. Most families have things laying around
collecting dust which can be used to barter or can be sold for cash on
sites like Craigslist.
4) Find unconventional ways to make money. Writing for sites like
InfoBarrel can increase household income. Also consider other ways to
make money, like collecting cans for cash or getting a paper route. The
stuff laying around the house can be gathered up, dusted off, and sold
at a garage sale, resale shop, or online.
4) Use money saved and made to invest wisely. Most of us have lost a
lot of net worth throughout the recession. Home values and stock prices
have plummeted. Use extra money saved through the above methods to
invest in home improvements to increase home value or to contribute more
to a 401(k) or IRA. If debt is a problem, use money saved to pay down
debt, especially credit card debt, in order to save even more money on
interest rates.
Even though money is tight for most of us, we can all find ways to save,
and even make money, even in the toughest of economies.
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Comments
I love the title! I have heard of "Thrifty Mamas" and "frugalistas", but not a "recessionista"! Great article!
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