A good time to try to stretch a dollar

There is plenty of sticker shock these days. Prices have been rising rapidly as a result of historic inflation levels. The costs of the most everyday items are up not just by a few cents, but a few dollars. Energy prices are up 32% from last year. Gas prices are up 48% from a year ago. The Consumer Price Index has risen the fastest since 1981. We’re feeling the pinch at the grocery store, at the car lot and just about everywhere. I have found myself trying to cope by being a minimalist. I’m trying to keep costs down by remembering how my grandparents grew up during the Great Depression, when it was a struggle just to put food on the table. There may be some good lessons there. It is possible to reduce daily expenses by changing, even slightly the way we live. And if the basic economic principles remain true, reducing demand will ultimately reduce prices. Generic brands at the grocery store are an increasingly attractive option.  I’ve been trying to make sure I don’t waste any food by eating all the leftovers. Now isn’t the time to buy things I don’t really need. Better planning errands to avoid making multiple trips to the same part of town cuts down on gas expenses. Thankfully, this isn’t the Depression. When an elderly relative passed, we found an envelope labeled strings too short to use. They knew how to stretch a dollar. And now seems a good time to remember those lessons.