Global Q&A: ‘If you had to lower your personal spending, what would be the first thing you’d cut?’

Geanina Morosanu, Suceava, Romania

Cutting down on clothing, hair dressing, and specialty foods are popular choices for what people would be willing to give up to reduce their personal spending. This is what Epoch Times reporters from Romania to Tanzania discovered when they asked locals: “If you had to lower your personal spending, what would be the first thing you’d cut?”

Suceava, Romania Geanina Morosanu, 32, French Teacher I think I would give up buying new cosmetics, and I’d use my old ones. And also, I would be more creative with my clothes, giving them a new look, transforming them, instead of buying new clothes. This way, I would not lower the spending for my daughter and family.

Stockholm, Sweden Pia Livebrant, 43, Music Teacher/Tourist Guide Temporarily, I would buy cheaper food. I like to purchase organic food. I’d buy cheaper brands, and reduce the spending on fancy/luxury food and cut the organic food expenses. The difference spent on a food budget for one week can be as much as 1,000 SEK (approx. US$150). One can also reduce wasteful and impulsive purchases—not purchase things I don’t need. One has to dampen the desire to go shopping.

Sullana, Peru Nélida Barrutia, 67, Elementary School Teacher First of all, I would stop buying clothes, shoes, handbags, and other accessories that we women always buy just because we like it and not because we really need it. Also I do not dye my hair, because now I think that it is not really necessary to always look elegant. I think that life is simpler now and especially that there are other major needs such as food and housing. In my case, I worry about my grandchildren, and the things that I can do to help them.

Vracov, Czech Republic Libor Kur, 33, Saddler-upholsterer I would cut down on gasoline use; I’d drive the car less often. Also, we would turn the heating down a bit; using a wood stove instead, and run less hot water.

Singida, Tanzania Milangoji Mazengo, 48, Pastoralist I come from the Tatulu tribe. We value livestock. I can leave my wife, alcohol, everything, but my livestock. Livestock are an inseparable part of my life; I cannot live without them. [Note: Tatulu are traditionally pastoral.]

Cartagena, Colombia Alma Esther Duran Perez, 55, Lawyer The costs I would decrease in my life are those things such as clothing, footwear, accessories, tableware, ornaments, etcetera ... that give us a fleeting happiness when we buy them, but later we never or hardly ever use them; hoping that someday we will have the opportunity to show off in some great event that almost never happens. I have practically eliminated those expenses in my life, because when we grow internally, we start to get rid of many things, such as prejudices and especially, we feel the desire to have fewer possessions.

Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. Elba Vasquez, 50, Bank Vice President I would say probably eating out. That would be the first thing to go. Then, magazine subscriptions to all those magazines I mean to read, but don’t always get around to reading.

Scotland (holiday in New Zealand) Dianna Fyfe, 60, Retired I’d try and cut my fuel bill. I live in a [Scotland] where the fuel bills are extortionately high ... I’ve been here [New Zealand] for five weeks, and fuel in our car has gone up considerably since we have arrived, so it’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it?

Barcelona, Spain Joan Herrero, 37, Anthropologist The first thing I am going to save is on clothes. Up till now, on occasion I could consider buying certain brands, but from now on I’ll have to wait till there is a sale, or buy directly cheaper labels which are more economical. [The economy] has also changed our vacations. Our long weekend escapes have terminated and in the summer our outings are shorter and closer to home, also I am taking advantage of places where we have family.

New Jersey, U.S.A. Paco Ndiaye, 28, Handbag Seller I’m African. You know how we live over here? It’s hard. We need to make money selling handbags. I would stop buying clothes, because you’re going to need food and rent. Then, [after clothes] I would stop buying cigarettes and alcohol.

San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy Ana Pierguidi, 70, Retired Teacher The first expense that I would cut is my usual visit to the hairdressers. At this moment, that is the least important of all.

Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “Have you or your relatives (friends) ever come across a phenomena that you could not rationally explain?”