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Living with LESS
Like businesses and cities that are making budget cuts, individuals are trimming amenities to save a little green.
Could you live without HBO, an extensive cell-phone plan, dining out and expensive vacations?
Some Mahoning Valley residents have turned these one-time essentials into nonessentials to stretch their dollars.
“Every penny counts,” said Lynn Cataldo, 37, of Lowellville.
Cataldo has an associate degree in allied health and is working on her bachelor’s from Youngstown State University. Between school payments and the sinking economy, money is tight, she said.
“I’ve cut back on cable, my cellphone plan, on groceries ...,” she said, noting you don’t have to be overly creative, just smart about spending.
“You used to be able to just go out to the grocery store,” she said, but now it’s important to hit all the errand spots at one time to save on gas.
Eddie Stevens of Liberty finds himself paying closer attention to his speed while driving.
“I had a lead foot until I realized how much I was spending on gas,” he said.
Stevens drives to Boardman for work five days a week, where he is the senior sales representative at the Verizon Wireless in the Shops at Boardman Park.
Though business is good, Stevens said he’s noticed a number of customers switching to cheaper cellphone plans and more customers purchasing family plans.
One trend he’s noticed: People are dropping their traditional land lines at home.
“I’d say about 70 [percent] to 75 percent of our customers use their cell phones as their primary lines,” he said.
Packing a lunch is essential, Stevens said.
“There is food everywhere around [Shops at Boardman Park], but you would spend upward of $30 a week eating out for lunch,” he said.
Ami Novak, 34, of Boardman packed lunches for her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter for a trip to the Boardman Park. That allowed the family to splurge for some ice cream.
Novak’s family has been limiting the amount of times it goes out for dinner, coffee and ice cream, she said.
“My husband and I are on a strict budget,” Novak said.
Their budget guidelines are based on the books authored by Dave Ramsey, a financial writer of books such as “The Total Money Makeover” and “Financial Peace” and radio host of The Dave Ramsey Show.
“We’ve been following his plan for the last year and, as of last week, we are at zero on our credit card,” Novak said.
Ramsey promotes what is called the “Debt Snowball Plan,” which states that people should pay off their smallest debt first. “The principle is to stop everything except minimum payments and focus on one thing at a time,” according to www.daveramsey.com.
Aside from staying in for dinner and following Ramsey’s advice, the Novaks have developed grocery store budgets and are considering less-expensive vacation ideas.
This summer’s vacation could be a trip to visit family or taking weekend or day trips, Novak said.
One problem with long vacations is the cost of putting the family dog in the kennel, she said. Boarding pets for a week could cost about $85.
Pet care in general can be expensive.
“I just spent $53 to buy food and treats [for the dog],” said Novak, who noted she spends that amount every three to four weeks.
“But he’s been with us seven years, so we wouldn’t get rid of him.”
That’s not the case for every pet owner, said Debbie Agostinelli, director of the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County.
“We are now getting animals due to home foreclosures, job loss, people who say they are moving and people who just can’t afford to keep their pets,” she said.
The average veterinary visit is about $100, and that’s only for regular vaccinations, not including spaying and neutering. Eliminating regular visits to the vet could result in more expensive health problems, Agostinelli said.
“Owners themselves have to look at their budgets, but I can’t tell people to skip vaccinating their pets,” she said.
Although Agostinelli said she knows people have to take care of their family first, people can buy less-expensive brand-name pet foods recommended by their vet and keep up with vaccinations to keep their pets healthy. Purchasing generic pet foods can be harmful to animals, but there are cheaper commercial pet foods that are safe, she said.
Families considering a pet adoption should make sure they can afford a new mouth to feed before acting on impulse, she said.
“Having a pet is a 10- to 15-year commitment,” Agostinelli said. “[Animals] are not a sweater. If you don’t want it anymore or can’t afford it, you can’t just take it back.”
The last thing the majority of people want to do is relinquish their animals, she said.
kseminara@vindy.com