by Barbara Stanley

Created on: March 22, 2009   Last Updated: April 02, 2009

There are unpleasant things happening to us, our family, and our friends. The prices of all necessities are continuously rising while the value of the dollar continues to decrease. Millions of families are dealing with the stress of lost jobs, less working hours each week, and the loss of health benefits, and so much more. The dollar does not buy as much goods and services as it did a year ago. In fact, the value of the dollar has been decreasing slowly over the past several years. This is frightening to note about the world we live in. What do you do when you are the one facing these new challenges?

In most states, there are no jobs for which to apply. If you receive unemployment you are one of the lucky ones; many people in the construction business are even unable to collect unemployment. Families are facing situations they have never dealt with before. Americans are accustomed to plenty and, for some, excess. You must now take assessment to see how much you can do without and how much you can consolidate.

As much as you hate to give up some of the luxuries of life, there are some things you have taken for granted that you can eliminate to save money. Cable or satellite bills are not absolutely necessary. A family can save from $50 to over $100 each month. Newspaper subscription can be eliminated for a time or cut back to the one issue during the week that offers coupons and the Sunday edition that has the most help wanted ads.

Eating out, going to the theater, and buying the more expensive "junk foods" for treats and snacks can be put on hold. By going through the last three months of bank statements, locate the money leaks. You may be surprised to realize how much money your job was actually costing you. The price of fuel, new clothes, eating out, office gifts, and convenience food picked up on the way home for dinner all add up quickly. Babysitting fees can cost as much as half of a woman's salary.

Consider applying for food stamps if your family qualifies. There is no shame in using any means necessary to provide for your family. Find out when commodities are distributed in your area. Join a neighborhood or online coupon group that swaps coupons and alerts the members of local deals. Becoming a member of the Sam's Club or Costco is beneficial for some people. Not all items are priced below regular grocery store prices. Many people go together to buy in bulk to save money by repackaging the product into individual or family sized servings.

Even if you have

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