The gate was left open and the fox has eaten all of the chickens. It’s too late to close the gate now that the chickens are gone. Sound familiar?
Economically, some of us are driving vehicles that we can’t afford to fill up thanks to the soaring gas prices. It’s very likely that a married couple may own two gas guzzlers. Those vehicles can’t be sold because there are no buyers, so the manufacturers are going to be hit hard. Those vehicles can’t be traded in because the value has decreased as much as $20,000 and you owe more than the vehicle is worth.
Higher prices being paid for gas and food are causing families to use the extra money they may have once had to save. If many people weren’t saving then, they are certainly not able to save now. Even though things appear bad now, what’s going to happen if the conditions worsen? We as Americans are going to have to learn conservation skills.
Conservation requires us to preserve and manage better. Wasteful spending habits for goods and services we don’t need is one change. The luxury of a spa treatment or a car wash may be removed from the budget because you can do this yourself. This may be considered too great a sacrifice by some. But, if this change creates savings, it’s worth it. Money, no matter how little you think you have, will have to be saved.
Changing your vehicle use is another way of saving money. Conserve gas by combining several errands into one or parking your car one day a week. Plan your Saturday errands with your spouse.
