21 Things We're Learning to Live Without

[jeffrey]

What do you really need?

It's become a national question. With jobs and money scarce, consumers are taking inventory and tossing lots of stuff once deemed important into a humongous discard pile. To safeguard the essentials—a safe home and supportive community, the kids' education, Internet connectivity, sustenance for a pet—Americans are giving up lots of other things. Some sacrifices are painful; others bring surprise benefits.

To gauge America's changing priorities, I synthesized market research, business trends, economic data, and reports from hundreds of consumers into a list of things that many people seem to be significantly cutting back on, or living without completely. Here are 21 of them:

21 Things We're Learning to Live Without - Rick Newman (usnews.com)

[rob62521]

Some of us having been living without some of these items because it was more frugal to do so. I can tell you that I have been laughed at more times for bringing my coffee in a thermal mug or Thermos and told I could have bought it on the way. Hmmmm!

[wnlbutterfly]

And here I thought this article was going to have some good ideas.

[Mike75]

Some good ideas in the article. But are people actually living without cable TV and lattes? I don't see that happening around me.

[PrincessPerky]

I do, I am sometimes surprised at the number of folk who admit to not having cable these days.

Often the same ones who last year told me they could never give up cable. (and that I was lucky for being able to stay home...some after losing their jobs, gave up cable and suddenly are just as lucky as I am.)