In these increasingly tough financial times, it is no surprise that people are starting to think about the household budget and what can be done to save a little more money. Or at least get the spending under control.
I’ve got a guest post up over at Budgets are Sexy. It’s all about how the first rule of budgeting is to get your priorities straight. Head on over and give it a read.

Because it’s September, I’ve been seeing some Christmas stuff slowly appearing in stores. Sure the Halloween decorations are more plentiful (no Thanksgiving items, though), but all the black and orange can’t hide the red and green just a few shelves down.
And retailers may need all that Christmas gear out early this year because they need more time to sell it. According to the National Retail Federation, this year is expected to be the worst holiday performance in six years. BloggingStocks explains why:
These experts are right. It will be much worse. Retail sales are likely to drop compared with last year. …read more

Right now, with the economy struggling and household budgets slowly imploding, many people are concerned with what the presidential candidates will do for their personal bottom lines. Indeed, the flap over who is a “financial elitist“, and who is more likely to understand “ordinary” Americans on a personal finances level is becoming one of the issues of the presidential race.
I’m interested in your thoughts on this: Who will better for your personal finances: John McCain or Barack Obama?
Vote below (or in the sidebar), and even leave a comment if you would like to elaborate.
{democracy:10}

With the U.S. unemployment rate on the rise (and expected to rise higher), that seems to be the Big News for now.
But what about underemployment?This is probably becoming a problem for many people as well — especially as the economy leads to cutbacks in various workplaces.
What does it mean to be underemployed?
Underemployment occurs when your skills are not properly utilized. If you have the education and skills to work in a higher paying job, but you are working in a low-skill, lower paying job, you are considered underemployed. Underemployment is also defined as someone working part-time when he or she …read more

I recently read a story on CNN Money about what consumers are cutting back on in terms of household budget. It was a look at what people say they are willing to decrease their spending on when it comes to consumer items. Interestingly, though, it appears that Americans are trying to maintain their creature comforts. Quality of life is something that Americans are trying not to sacrifice at this time.
Some of the interesting findings by the survey done by GfK Roper Consulting include:

50% of Americans plan to buy a new TV in the next year (flat panel or high definition). …read more

Not too long ago, I wrote about the “recession diet.” While we may not technically or officially be in a recession, many people are nevertheless feeling the pinch. And with food prices rising, it is no surprise that Spam is seeing an increase in sales (hat tip: Miki at Leadership Turn).
Yep, items that are considered “downgrades” are seeing a rise in popularity as households try to squeeze the most of their hard-earned dollars. Discount stores are seeing some success as well with people turning to the off-brands that are found at dollar stores and similar businesses.
Are you buying things differently …read more

If you’re like me, it’s time to make an adjustment in the monthly budget. The dairy that we use is announcing increased prices on milk, cheese and eggs. And the fuel surcharge for delivery has gone up. Again. Not that we mind that much. After all, we like supporting local businesses — especially those with sustainable practices. But it does mean that we’re making adjustments.
But we’ve noticed a change at the grocery store as well. Food costs more. And we all heard about that panic-induced trend to hoard rice a few weeks ago. (Disclosure: I did not hoard rice. There …read more

It’s a good thing summer is on its way. We’ll be planting a garden soon, and that will help us alleviate some of the impact that food prices inflation will have on our household budget.
Right now, the big story is that oil prices hit $114 a barrel yesterday. People are talking about gas prices. And it’s true that gas prices are going to take a toll on many a household budget. They probably already are.
But with the release of the latest inflation data from the Labor Department, it’s apparent that we all need to be mindful of food prices inflation …read more