Random Recession Thoughts

The world economy as everyone knows is running thru a really bad patch. Whilst everyone is looking up to the governments to solve the problems, one question arises : "What, as a common man can we do in our day to day life to help the survival?". Here are a few things I could think off. If we can do these, it will help us to keep more money in pocket and help the companies around you to keep their employees and continue to serve you.

Day to day life:

• Nothing is free in life (except breathing air as of now). If we are getting something free, some one else is paying for it. Use it, lets not misuse it.


• Use what we really need. Others might use the rest of it


• Use and throw is easy. How about fixing it and reusing it?


• That new stuff is good. But is that really required to have that?


• Can we use public transit to get there instead of driving there?


• Recycle, Recycle, Recycle


• Switch to VOIP phones. They cost cheaper.


• Use energy efficient devices. Switch them off and disconnect, if not in use.


• Buy a device because that has features that you can use, not because it is the latest and has hundred features that you dream about.


• Switch that unused lights and fans off.


• Review your subscriptions. Discontinue that extra channels or packages that you dont watch at all in your cable. Do not renew magazines that you don't read.


• Shop smart. Look for bargains and clearances. Clearance items may be neither the best nor the worst. Spend time ensuring the quality while you shop.


• Do it yourself. Even that cutting edge Computer can be built at a lower cost.


• Buy them bulk, if we consume them often.


• Close water faucets if not in use. Use cloth towels instead of paper. It is jsut a piece of cloth tha we can wash along with laundry


• Use your spare time to learn new skills and sharpen your existing ones.


• While vacations and outings are great to have, choose the prices with care.


• If you drink or smoke, reduce the frequency. It will improve your helth and savings


• If you live close to work, try to walk or use a bike (bicycle).
  

@ Work

• Reduce the printing. Email that presentation or that 10 page report across and show it in the monitor. We can save environment and reduce cost to the company. Hey, that presentation looks better with the effects too!


• Use emails more often than phone. Walk across the floor and talk face to face.


• Meet in a conference room, if parties are in the same location. Encourage Presentations and taking notes on the laptop or other mobile devices.


• Know that every minute you spend at work is attributed to the Occupational expenses to the company. Don't misuse the resources. every url you hit, every emails you send, every phone call you make, every paper clip you bend costs money to your employer


• Set a 9 hour time frame where you really do your job and leave soon after that. Explain to your boss what you are trying to achieve. when we do the cost-benefit analysis, it is even more expensive to maintain an employee who sticks around for more than 11 hours, unless he has a 150% productivity over an 8 hour professional day.


• Don't ask for a new device because the one you have is out of style. if the current one satisfy the needs, dont push to get a new one unless that increases your overall productivity over 30%.


• Use instant messengers (Office communicator, AOL, Reuters etc) instead of phones.


• Ask your building staff to reduce the air conditioning and lights, if not required.


• Dont just go to work on holidays because you dont have anything to do outside. you are causing your companies expense to go up.


• Offer to share work and responsibility with your boss and colleagues. They must be under budget pressures to cut costs and they may be wondering how can they get an extra hand to finish the work, without hiring one more at crunch time. This may cost you an hour extra, but will help your company go farther without drastic actions.


• Maintain good contacts. Be honest with them. if you cant, say so.


• Use opensource softwares if you cant buy that expensive tool.
  

@ Eat outs and Eat ins

• Don't waste napkins, water, ketchup, food and time. Try to take as little as possible to fill your needs. While the restaurants offer them free for you to use, they still pay for it. Less wastage, more chances that they will make a better margin to keep their employees and keep their shutter open to serve you thru the hard times. Don't just pocket stuff to take home because it is free. Their are billions of people less fortunate. Leave as soon as you can, as someone else can use that spot to sit down.


• Order medium instead of large, and small instead of medium if that fills your stomach just right. While most of the restaurants charge only a little more than what you pay for medium, Large items contains more than 30 - 40% in quantity than a medium. while this will save some money to you, the shop can sell the excess stuff over to another customer on a higher price. If you eat a lot of junk food, this will help your stomach and health as well.


• Cut down on that Soda and chocolates. This will be good for your health too.


• Support your shop around the corner than larger chains. Local shops pay taxes to your local authorities and helps to keep the money you spend to be used for your community better. They may have a sentimental value too, if you think about it. Loosing local businesses will not do any good to our economy. Moreover, they have lesser capital buffer that most of the big chains.


• You can cook that same stuff at a lesser cost, if you can cook it yourself.


• Regulate your diet to the three meal a day, if you have a habit of eating in between.


• Order one dish less, and start sharing the items. Variety adds spice and improves interpersonal relationship. order combos that are usually at a better price.


• Dont cut down the tip to your waiter. He or she counts on you for their daily bread.


• Be nice, smile at them. Know that they have the same level of problems, if not more, as you do.

(I will add more as I spot more)

So, what do you think?