Sigh..Avoiding my own personal recession

Yes, my favorite drink, a Tall Latte, is out. I cannot keep pace with a $4.00 drink when it can be added up for an extra gallon of fuel. I have tried McDonald's coffee, it's not bad but I think it's getting to a point where I'll need to start drinking the office coffee now :(. I guess I have to be happy that at least I can still have my morning fix, but trust me generic office coffee is not very palatable.
It's interesting how recently I heard in the news how Starbucks is closing 600 stores in the United States. I guess I am partly to blame, this economic downturn is really making me rethink on buying that tall latte.

I don't enjoy taking the bus. In my first bus experience a homeless crazy man sat near me and started talking to himself. It was bad enough that he took 2 minutes before he tried to find a dollar to pay the bus driver. When he finally took the dollar out, it was pretty brown and stinky (you can just imagine what the brown stuff was). The bus driver let him would not touch that dollar with a ten foot pole and just told him to sit down. When he finally sat down, he would talk on and on by himself with occasional expletives that would bring chills down my spine. My wife always tells me it's dangerous and fears for my safety. However, with this recent economic downturn, I managed to convice her it's ok, after all "what can they take from someone who is broke already", I tell her.

I used to go to the local supermarket to get some of the basics. These days, Costco is my best friend.

Buying in bulk is not fun, but it sure helps out in the long run. Besides, I may even make my rounds and get a full lunch just by sampling all the foods. Don't believe me, watch the Jimmy Kimmel video below.

Costco is great for gas too! They are usually cheaper than regular gas stations, the only hassle is the long lines I have to wait.

I am already an avid user of coupons, but with this economic downturn, I need to strategize more agressively. You would be very surprised to find how much coupons can save. Besides the Sunday newspaper, I go to manufacturers websites to see if there are any coupons posted. There are even coupons available in Ebay, this is a great source for baby products such as diapers, infant formula, etc. If you have babies, you know how expensive diapers can be. If worse come to worse, I'd go to cloth diapers, however, I am not that desperate yet.

I've also managed to look for generic store brands more. Some of them taste yucky, but hey, it saves a few bucks. By the way, I just saw a report in CNN that in Hawaii, it costs $6 for a jar of peanut butter. I really feel sorry for those folks in Hawaii.

What's a staycation? It's just what you think it sounds like. According to the urban dictionary website:

"A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer." I just can't afford to spend a few grand or two traveling to Hawaii anymore. I really think traveling is one of the most expensive things you can ever do. These days the local park is looking more and more beautiful every day.

As a side note, if you do plan to vacation make sure you use coupon codes to save on your travel needs.
Travelocity, orbitz, and sometimes Expedia offer coupon codes to help you travel. Here are a few
resources:
Expedia promotional coupon codes
Ebags coupon codes
Travelocity coupon code

These travel coupons will save you a few bucks on travel vacations.

I used to enjoy my lunches at restaurants nearby that cost around $11-$12 with tips. These days, it's McDonalds, Burger King, or any other fast food place. If I can pack my lunch from home, I do that too. As a result I've gained about 8 pounds in the past two months. I can't imagine what my cholesterol level is now.

I guess all I can say is "Bummer", I need to find alternative sources of income. I am squidooing a lot more, I hope you can support this lens and my many others where I sell stuff. If you plan on shopping on the internet, visit my coupon code site too! Anyways, I hope you are doing better than I am. Have a great day.