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Report on downsizing during an economy that punishes those who work hard. I'm now into the 45 day period of my change in how I live my life. Being self-employed means that there is no one giving me a steady paycheck every two weeks so long as I show up for work and do my job and hope the company stays in business long enough or can withstand the punishing new costs of doing business imposed by this regime. I have to make my own living and to support myself in this hostile world where around the corner there is some new tax, some new punishment on those who bust their ass to support themselves so that others who don't take the initiative can get their government handouts. I have decided to downsize my life - to eschew anything that wasn't necessary and to remove myself from the consumerism of our culture and to buy only what is needed - and for hard goods, to only buy second hand and to repair and reuse what was broken that I can buy at a discount.   Below are the savings I am already recognizing. ELECTRICITY USAGE After employing the logging system for use of my major power consuming devices and only turning them on when needed (refrigerator excepted), I cut my electricity consumption by 60% in one month compared to the same month last year.     I have totally eschewed television for the last three weeks and watched programs on a week delay, but that tv isn't consuming anything sitting there unplugged.    I love my computers and have five or six laptops that I fixed and several desktops that I used to have on all the time.    No longer.   I will run up to three laptops now (1 work, 1 fratpad, and 1 for other free cam site) - and if I need the other ones where my major files are stored, I'll turn them on and log the time.   I know how much wattage they use and I track the time to the nearest quarter hour.    Each desktop computer cost me 13 cents every 4 hours to run and each one cost me 78 cents per day to run as they had been - 24/7.   When these three desktops were operating, that is $2.34 per day - and over a month, that is significant money.  Figure about $60 saved per month or $720 per year. CABLE Cut the cord and saved $57 per month right there.   Over $600 a year.    I have digital over the air capability but am saving up to get a nice flat panel HD tv that doesn't need a converter box like my SDTV.   If I'm going to spend $50 for a new converter box, I'd rather put that toward a smaller $99 flat panel that I can get on sale and then I'll have tv back at no monthly cost!   And once I have the flat panel, I'll check out hulu and netflix.   At only $8 per month, that is a huge savings over cable! FOOD Last time I mentioned that out of necessity, I cut my food bill in half to make ends meet and I have continued to employ a very selective approach to my expenditures.   I use more coupons now where possible and I shop in 3 stores now so I have an idea what prices are better on what items - I am anal - I remember prices very well.    I keep adding to my canned food and non-perishable food products during these visits since food prices are still climbing and I keep supplies on hand for any tough time that may happen or to allow me to totally forgo spending money on food for a week or more.    I have switched to chicken instead of beef where possible; I also shop markdowns from places I know have good quality and I freeze meats when I buy on sale.    The net effect is that I have lost weight the way I am now eating and I feel more energetic.   No soda.  No ice cream.   And I even gave up my beloved Doritos.   I have replaced snacks with unbuttered popcorn and with pickles - lunch is a ham sammich with sliced tomatoes and my lunch bill for a week is under $10.    I eat pasta several times a week and sauce lasts me two meals and delights me that it always is better the second day after it has simmered. OTHER NEWS I am repairing laptops on the side for a local non-profit and I have found some very nice HP units that are extremely easy to repair and parts are surprising inexpensive as well.    I am now looking on ebay to find units with smashed screens because they are so cheap to replace and I have a great supplier for them.    If these units can be kept under $200 for acquisition and parts they command between $300-$400 on ebay without fail completely fixed up.   REPURPOSE NEWS Do you have an old flat panel monitor that is too small now?   Does your laptop or desktop computer support hooking up an external monitor/2nd monitor?     I am repurposing discarded small monitors to add as a second screen on my business laptop and now I have two distinct desktop areas - one to work in  and one that shows my email and other secondary business applications.   I no longer have to keep flipping through tabs or icons to see something.   And if I'm working on a webpage and have notes from a client opened on the other screen, I just consult across the two screens without having to flip back and forth on tabs and icons.    And these monitors are given to me and don't cost anything and don't end up in landfill.    Some don't even turn off except by when I turn the laptop off, but I am smart-cycling! Continuing to use Windows 8 beta - it cuts off every two hours, but I am used to it now and start it on the hour and plan my times.    Getting a new operating system for nothing is great!