How do we get out of this mess?

As individuals we can do many things to boost our own financial situation, small insignificant things that most folks do not even think about. Start at home and with your own personal spending habits. Home: Make a list of all the utility bills you pay, and how much each one is. Examine each bill carefully to see just what it is you are paying for. Go online and see if your gas or electric company has any special rates and/or rebates they give for cutting back your usage. My electric company gives me a 20% discount all summer, just for being able to turn off my air conditioner remotely in case they need the extra power. Look at your phone bill, how much are you paying for local and long distance? Maybe you are paying a lot for unlimited local and long distance, maybe it would be cheaper to be on a "pay as you call" type of long distance, it may save you money. Cut back on your cell services, and the amount of minutes you use. DO you really need texting, Itunes, and all the other goodies they gouge us $4-5 each month per service each month. Figure out how much it would take off your bill to give up some of these extra services. Inspect your cable bill, are you paying for more "tiers" than you really use? Cut back the level of service and save there also. Shop around for cheaper internet costs. I switched from cable to DSL and saved more than half of what I was paying, and I see no difference in the speed or anything else. Buy store brands instead of "name brands' They are just as good and can save lots of money. Buy in quantity, it is cheaper that way (usually). Do without stuff you think you just have to have. Make every trip in your car count, run errands on your way to and from work, do as many errands as you can in one trip and save gas running back and forth to the house. Buy less snacks and video games. Make the kids get off the couch and moving around, no TV or Video games or anything that uses electricity until a specific time of day. When you are not charging your phone, unplug the charger, or any other charger that you leave plugged in all the time. Change out all your lightbulbs to the flourescent kind, they are easy to find at 99 cent and dollar stores. Shop discount centers first, start with the cheapest store and work your way up. You would be surprised by what you can find in a 99 cent store. Use coupons if you insist on name brands, and combine them with sales. Don't buy produce that is priced too high, if you don't buy it and I don't buy it, they will be forced to lower the price eventually. If you are really in dire straights, and having trouble with rent, food and real necessities, give up your pets. It is more humane to give them up for adoption, than to give them cheaper food, or none. If you have an extra $20 in your pocket, put it away and save it, don't run out and spend it at JackintheBox or somewhere else. Make more than the minimum payment on your bills, pay them as soon as they come into your mailbox, use your ATM card and don't carry much cash (be sure to take expenditures out of your account though). Turn your thermostats up or down depending on the season, put on an extra layer of clothing and turn your furnace down, get some fans and turn your air down. Make sure your dishwasher is full, if it doesn't have a delay timer on it, turn it on at bedtime, electricity is cheaper then. Keep your refrigerator and freezer full even if you have to put stacks of newspaper or bottles of water in there, the less air space, the less it will run. Turn your water off when you are done washing, don't let water run, don't flush everytime you go in there. There are a million little tiny things you can do do save money, they may seem pickyune and frivolous, but they will work. Try it.