I'll respond to the OP's question of what are we doing differently....
We do a better job 'planning' our errands before we jump in the car...this saves a little gas.
We tend to order a few more things online and get free shipping...that saves on gas and usually the price is similar
We canceled a number of trips due to Covid-19, back in 2020, not because of inflation. I have one trip planned this year (in the states, by car, visiting family and attending a school reunion)
Actually Covid-19 more than inflation was the catalyst for us cutting back on spending. We had easily been dropping 30K+ a year on travel.
Since Covid-19 hit we have only traveled once, and that was in the states, by car to visit family
When Covid-19 hit, I began looking at how we might conserve on spending:
- I changed from using credit cards that offered points to cards that offered cash back. I use an Amex card that gives me 6% back at Publix...and a different card that gives me 2% back on everything else. It adds up, as I run just about all our regular expenses through the 2% card and pay the balance off each month on both
- I cancelled a few 'extra' credit cards that we had that we weren't using that had an annual fee
- brought the cell phone bill down...we were paying for more than we were using
- I shopped around for home and auto insurance (apples to apples, & lowered the bill by $300 over what it would have been this year)
- I pay attention to what Publix has on sale and plan the meals around that as much as possible
- I shop at BJ's every other month for those things that I like to buy in bulk, and clip their coupons
- I buy the 'gas cards' from Publix when they offer them
- we don't eat out much...we might eat lunch at a restaurant occasionally... I enjoy cooking
- I am more selective on what we go to see at The Sharon, and The Savannah Center....we used to be at one or the other every week
We shifted the portfolio a little to have more high yield dividend stocks, thinking 4% would be a good hedge against inflation....well, we all know how that's turning out.
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