Cut spending in half??

Last night, while tending Ane, Oprah came on and Suze Orman was on telling about how to weather these rough times. Here are the suggestions:

1. Cut spending in half.
If you are living on 2 salaries, bank one of them. If you are living on one, cut spending in half--LIVE ON THE BARE BONES MINIMUM. It got really quiet when she said that. That seems crazy. However, when you are living in a tent city, instead of a house, You aren't going to be missing your cell phone and your fast internet. You will be missing clean running water, heat, a/c, a bed. She said to cut cell phone fees, buy less makeup, get your hair cut less frequently. Those types of "extras" that are really luxuries.
The idea behind living on 1/2 is so that you can build up 8 months of your salary, so that when or if you get laid off, you will be able to keep your head above water. It takes a long time to find a new job and unemployment isn't going to keep you living at your finest!

2. STASH YOUR CASH!
You need cash to live. Credit cards used to be great to keep in the back drawer and use only in a crisis, but now, they are closing your accounts because the debt is unsecured and if they think there is a chance that they won't get paid, they will hike up your fees or just close your account as soon as you pay it all off. So, you need money in case of job loss.

3. Make the Stimulus package work for you.
COBRA has some new rules. Check with your employer if you are being laid off. They fees can be SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IFF you check with them first.
If you can buy a new home, and it is your first, you can get back $8,000 if you make less than a certain amount....and the amount is high, in my opinion.

4. Make your home affordable.
MakingHomeAffordable.gov

5. Look at what you HAVE instead of what you HAD.
"Things that will get better, get worse. ...[In] the next two or three years, it will start to turn around," Suze says. "But I'm so sorry to say it will be, in my opinion, 2015 until every single person feels hopeful again."

Here are some tools for saving money:
Hourly Rate Calculator
How many hours will you have to work to pay off that new outfit, dinner out or new car you've been eyeing? Use this calculator to figure out if you can really afford it.
Wants vs. Needs Workbook
What can you really live without? Use these workbook exercises to sort out your wants and your needs—and figure out how to save money on both.

SORRY THAT THOSE GO TO OPRAH'S SITE, BUT THEY ARE USEFUL TOOLS.