I was just wondering if any of you are cutting back?

I live in a rural area. The closest town is 20min away. We have a grocery store, a Family Dollar & a hardware store. The Gas station has a Subway and we have several area pizza shops.

The prices at the grocery store might be 10-40 cents higher, but it's better than the price of gas. I can walk if need be. I also started setting out a couple rain barrels for watering my gardens. Switching to a store brand will also save some money. Using a lower priced laundry items & cleaners is another way.

Not far from where I live is a bakery outlet. You can get a lot of things so much cheaper than in the stores. Yes, it is day old but if you freeze it, it will be fine. If there is a reason to go into town a few of my neighbors will put their lists together & we make a one trip run getting things handled. We all go together & take turns driving. We try keeping it to once a month.

It's getting worse almost every day and your dollar doesn't get you much anymore. I had tickets to a NASCASR race in Michigan and had to sell them because of the gas prices and the extra money we would of spent at the race for souveniers, food and camping.

Every little bit helps. Great question...have a star. <<Peace n smiles>> :0~)

I live about an hour north of Boston and in the 2004 season I went to 5 Sox games, since then, I've decided to support the Minor League teams instead. My average trip to fenway for my wife & I would be well over $300 including tickets, meals, beer and gas. I can go to see the Portland Sea Dogs, and last year I saw Clay Buchholz pitch, Jacoby Ellsbury play CF and Jed Lowrie play SS, for under $75 including gas & a quick meal at the brewery.

"My girlfriend lives almost 400 miles away and we often meet at a halfway point. The price of driving to see her is nothing compared to her smile and company. That won't change."

*THIS* might be the BEST thing written on YA, EVER!!!! I feel pretty confident that she knows this is how you feel too. Best of Luck.

"Now, as far as going down to "The Jake", (ok I know it's Progressive, but it doesn't sound as good) is concerned, that is something I won't cut back on. As for the new jersey? I like the old ones better anyway!"

I do like the sleeveless jerseys they wore last year. I still wonder if they had a version of it with the script "I" instead of Chief Wahoo, but I digress. While I'd like to but myself that kind of jersey, I do feel like I have to cut back. I'm even debating whether or not to go to today's noon game. I've never been able to attend a day game and the idea is enticing me. But the expense still exists and the gas prices aren't going away.

Oh and I too believe it is still The Jake.

I work out of my home a lot so gas is not a problem for me. As for the rest:

I've always been kind of "thrifty" so I'm just doing what I've always done. Look for bargains on clearance racks, buy a lot of store brand stuff, use a coupon or two from the newspaper if it's a really great bargain, drive a little slower,

cook at home more... you know... the usual cheap-skate stuff!

As for my sweet Yankees, I'm happy to just watch at home on my computer or on tv when they're on (a rarity in CA). I have bought an MLBTV subscription for my computer but it's pretty cheap at $20 a month.

Good question, my friend!

Honestly, with the way baseball has been the last couple of years, I have stopped going to games. It is way too expensive and with so many scandals and the attitudes of the players these days, I will stay at home, drink reasonably priced beer (free from my bar), BBQ and relax with the family.

I'm hoping somehow, although doubtful, owners will stop paying players these rediculous salaries and make baseball fun and affordable for a family to go to the ballpark. The price of gas hasn't changed anything.

Comcast baseball package is about it. (Which is actually really good!) Only a few games until further notice. All I have down here is Tropicana Field. A really lousy ballpark to say the least. The only time I go is to see the Yankees. Other than that I don't waste my time.

I have so much Yankee "stuff" I really don't need anything new. Looks like me and the remote for the most part.

Definitely. As it is, I'm already a cheap bastard, LOL, but now, even Ebenezer Scrooge is embarrassed by my stinginess. =P All kidding aside, I share season tickets (Yankees) with my family in New Jersey, but since I'm don't live in the area, I only pay for about 6 to 12 games a year. This year, it'll more likely be closer to 6 (I've already been to three of them). And, I'm spacing out my trips to Jersey a bit more than in the past. Still, since sports is my passion, I've been conserving in other areas (such as going out, long vacations and buying unnecessary items) so that I can still spend money on my favorite teams. I've actually even started to cook my own food! I'm also considering going to more minor league games to satisfy my baseball fix.

Like Oz said, we can thank the Bush clan for their fine handling of our economy (among other things). And I think I have a pretty good idea who he's driving 200 plus miles to visit. ;-)

I always try to save a buck when I can so nowadays is no different. The only difference is the price of gasoline. My girlfriend lives almost 400 miles away and we often meet at a halfway point. The price of driving to see her is nothing compared to her smile and company. That won't change. I have been using coupons more at the grocery store it helps but manufacturers now make you buy 2 of the items so that doesn't help too much. I try to be as frugal as I can but not as to deprive myself from so of the good things. We can all thank George Bush and the past 8 years of his administration for our current strife.

Always been kinda careful and thank goodness for that! Living frugally makes you ready for the tough financial times (like now!). As example, needed a new spring purse and although I saw some big name designer purses I would have liked, I settled for a past season purse at a low price at TJ Maxx. (I was trained well by my mother to.....Never, never, never, never pay full price!)

Now, as far as going down to "The Jake", (ok I know it's Progressive, but it doesn't sound as good) is concerned, that is something I won't cut back on. As for the new jersey? I like the old ones better anyway!

Unfortunately it's difficult cutting back on driving because a lot of us only go to the places we need to be at most of the time anyway. I notice that I've been going to my friend's house a lot less because she lives like 30 miles away. I eat out a lot less too. And I definitely cut back on the drinking for like six months now. I used to go out with friends all the time but it just got way too expensive.