Things Consumers Are Learning to Live Without

Consumers are feeling the crunch and learning how to live without things that they once considered a necessity. The list goes on, but there are some things that have improved the quality of life and health.

Manufactured cigarettes are fading away. Consumers are either quitting the habit or rolling their own. A carton of cigarettes can cost as much as $65 dollars in 2010, whereas a rolling machine, rolling papers and tobacco can save the consumer about $120 per month with a grand savings of $1,440 per year. The one time cost of the rolling machine is about $40.

Consumers are eating at home more, which means the sale of products to store food in is increasing. Plastic containers, dishes, pots and pans, utensils and drinking glasses are essential in the kitchen when eating at home. Grocery stores sell everything that a consumer needs to prepare meals at home and it is cheaper than eating out most of the time.

Consumers are doing away with the home phone and relying on a cell phone to take and make calls. Once upon a time, the cell phone was a luxury. Today, the cell phone has become the major source of communication in the home. This has cut down on long distant call costs and kids now can have their own phones and don't tie up the family phone.

Cable TV is being altered to have only the basic channels, which can save as much as $60 to $100 a month, which is a savings of $720 to $1,200 per year. People are looking at movie rental places as a resource for movies when they have time instead of paying for movie channels that are watched once in a while.

Consumers are avoiding window shopping or last minute shopping. People will make a list of what is needed and shop according to the list. This can cut shopping and spending in half if not more. Coupon shopping has always been a way of life for some shoppers, but more consumers are finding out that coupons can save enough money every month that they can stick money away for vacations or other luxury items.

Auction site selling, selling on Craigslist and garage sales have become a way to get rid of clutter in the home and make money at the same time. Consumers are adhering to the rule that if you haven't used it in a year, chances are that you never will and won't miss it when it's gone. There is money to be made for things that you don't use because someone else may be in need of the item.

Although this is a partial list of things that consumers are doing away with, it is a huge step in saving money and even making a little extra for other things that are important.