Tag Archives: economy

Fewer Babies? Blame It on the Economy

Would you let the economy dictate how many children you have, or if you have children at all? For many couples, the poor state of the economy has forced them into remaining childless, even through they have always dreamed of having children, they say. If you’ve noticed fewer babies and young children at the park lately, you aren’t imagining things. According to the Centers of Disease Control, the U.S. fertility rate has dropped sharply since the country went into recession (2007), and it shows no signs of bouncing back any time soon. Experts predict that when the economy does eventually … Continue reading →

Look Around: How is the Economy Doing?

Sometimes, in order to gauge the state of the economy, you just have to look around. I check the news reports often, and am intrigued by reports about trends that will affect how my family spends and saves. For example, when there were problems with the peanut crop, I made sure to stock up on peanut butter, a staple in my household. I also like to look around at what is happening locally, in my neighborhood and community. Houses seem to be selling better than they have in a long time, and this is good. Fewer abandoned properties and homes … Continue reading →

Five Tips for Great Slow Cooker Meals

Using your slow cooker or crockpot is a great money saving idea. You can use inexpensive ingredients and have dinner ready with ease, avoiding the cost of eating out. I often get a lot of questions about using slow cookers, especially from people who find that their meals are dried out, tasteless, over or under seasoned or a strange texture. But most of the time, this can be corrected easily by following some basic guidelines or tips to freezer cooking. Here are five tips for great slow cooker meals. Be careful about opening the lid. While some recipes do benefit … Continue reading →

How Husbands and Wives Can Help Each Other in this Economy

The economy is affecting everything including marriages. We’ve touched on this before in the marriage blog, how financial crises can lead to conflict and divorce, how it can affect the kind of wedding that you have and even how it can delay a divorce. Today I wanted to share with you some ways that husbands and wives can really help each other in this economy and make not only their marriages stronger but support each other. When the economy, global or personal is in crisis, it is more important than ever to work together. Although your husband may or may … Continue reading →

Parental Dilemma: Braces or Breakfast

I spent nearly five years wearing braces… twice. They say it’s rare to get chicken pox twice. The same goes for wearing braces, but some how lightning struck me four times. I’ve had chicken pox twice and after wearing braces (and headgear) for two years, I got them off and was retainer free for nearly a year before I was forced to go through orthodontic hell for another two years. Though, come to think of it, my physical pain was nothing compared to the financial suffering my parents endured paying for my repeated orthodontic work plus that of my two … Continue reading →

The Economic Cost of Divorce

Now here is one more reason to avoid divorce at all costs, literally. Getting divorced may affect your net worth immediately and put you far behind financially from that point and going forward for years to come. Many divorce lawyers say that they are seeing fewer divorces during this recession, and that an economic downturn typically results in fewer divorces. While financial issues may be putting extra stress on marriages, the reality is that many people can’t afford to divorce or are choosing to postpone or cancel divorce because it could lead to economic hardship. So what are the expenses … Continue reading →

Preparing for Tough Economic Times

My sister and I were talking today about the importance of being prepared. She is worried about losing her job, and about how she would provide for herself if that were to happen. She also talked about the possibility of not losing a position, but everyone losing hours in order to save people’s jobs. As members of the church we have been counseled repeatedly to live within our means and to stick to a budget, and in these economic times it is even more important to begin doing these things. You can start by taking steps now to reduce the … Continue reading →

Dealing with Limits in the Economy

Most of us are facing limits these days. From food prices that have soared, to layoffs, to declining stock prices, we are being forced to take a look at limiting the things we can have and the things we can do. Dealing with limits can be difficult, especially if the concept is new to you. But it is important to take stock of your resources as soon as possible, so you know exactly where you stand. if you don’t do that, you may continue to live within the limits you used to have and not the ones that really apply … Continue reading →

Surviving the Economy: Expect the Unexpected

I know that we are all tired of hearing about how awful the economy is and how things will probably get worse before they get better. While this may all be true, it doesn’t help us much in terms of our own financial situations. So I thought I would share some practical advice about what we can do now to ensure that our families survive the current economy. One big thing that we can all do right now is to watch ahead for the unexpected in terms of major expenses that might really do us in. With unemployment due to … Continue reading →

Can’t Afford Your Second (or more) Baby? Here is What Some Analysts Say

Here is just another thing that the economy affects: how many babies are born and maybe even why. Many people today are deciding to delay having another baby because of a tough economy. Some feel that they can’t afford another child. In fact, after each depression or recession in U.S. history, birth rates, that is fertility rates have gone down. Sometimes these new rates become the normal. Previous to the Great Depression, for example, the average number of children per woman was three. After the Great Depression, it dropped to two, a number that is usually more “acceptable” for families … Continue reading →