A Carnival of Credit Crunchies

With the news that the tech industry, publishing industry and pretty much every other sector are all feeling blue it is good to know that there are still plenty of resources that can help us become more efficient and in doing so be far more wealthy in resources of our own than we might have ever been otherwise. This might be especially helpful if you have a large family.

Things could be worse but that is no reason not to take action now. For example smarter shopping (easier with a new price war or two getting ready) and more careful planning can go a long way to make your budget more efficient.

The Guardian (UK newspaper) has recently pointed out traditionally in times of crisis we Brits pull together and co-operate. (read it here). Here at Credit Crunchies I'm hoping to encourage the people of the world to do likewise. We can support each other, share what we know, and do well even under stress.

So far this seems to have manifest in practical kitchen oriented gifts which leads me nicely to the next set of links I wanted to share.



When the kitchen cupboard is light then saving money by cooking like your grandma feels like a good plan but if you have ever been left with a lot of something you will understand what drove one person to ask about recipes for using up lots of milk. After all if you can turn something that is wasting into something of value you have gained. Knowing when food is still good beyond the date on the bottle is a great skill but if you don't know you might want to review How can you tell if milk is spoiled if in doubt about your milk.

myrecycledbags.com has several ideas for making things you might have kicking about into things that are actually useful. My Pointed Granny Dishcloth is one example and this Market Bag is another. While the festive season has passed there is still a year of birthdays and other occasions for gift giving and so the gift bag idea might be just what the doctor ordered.

Strangely in all this talk of reuse, recycle and make do (without) many bloggers are suggesting now is the time to make money. It seems that during such times as this it might actually be a good idea to start a business.

When it comes to cold hard cash the site moneysavingexpert.com has a good article on what it calls stoozing which is taking advantage of interest free periods on credit cards to make some free cash. Stoozing: Make free cash from credit cards is the article in question.

This is not for everyone and might even be reminiscent of the tricks that got us where we are in the first place so think carefully before doing everything some one suggests. Especially as con men are trying to get your cash too.

Whatever you do stay safe, be careful and plan well. Look after each other and come back here soon for more advice, commentary and debate.

If you have any great links why not share them with us in the comments