Times are tough, folks. We are in the midst of a recession, and inflation has not been tamed by the fed. Some of the biggest issues facing consumers are energy prices, rising healthcare costs, and escalating property taxes.

Many people have had enough, and are leaving the Northeast states for states where the cost of living is more reasonable. For those of us who are left behind, I thought I would dedicate a thread to ways people are managing to cope, and any money saving ideas you have started to use.

Any opinions and comments are welcome here, and please let's not pile on someone just because they may mention something unconventional, or it may seem weird to us. (Unless they suggest using less toilet paper, then I think they deserve whatever ribbing they get.)

If this thread generates enough interest, I am thinking of creating a new forum to combine it with the "solar energy solutions" one.

Maybe together we can come up with some decent ideas, or get people to consider different ways of doing things.