Making ends meet

When I was a kid there was a TV commercial in which a frazzled housewife said, "Make ends meet? I can't even get them to wave at each other!"

Many of you are probably feeling the same way. In this era of cutbacks, salaries have basically gone back to the level of the 1980's. The problem is that things cost a lot more than what they did thirty years ago. And many of you have something I did not have: a student loan. (My four years of college cost $5,200, so I was able to pay for everything working summers for my dad.)

So how do you get by?

Well, you really have to step back and take a hard look at cash flow. There are probably a bunch of things you can do that can help your bottom line without making you live on ramen noodles every day.

-Ask the ND for overtime if you're eligible. Most overtime budgets have been slashed but most stations have some money to play with. Tell your ND you'd appreciate any OT he can throw your way.

-Consider a second job. I know, this is tough, but sometimes you can find something that is actually fun and pays a few bucks. I had second jobs at two stations; in one, I was the public address announcer for the minor league baseball team (which included dinner and all the prizes that went unclaimed); and I did play-by-play for a local radio station. Both jobs were fun, and those extra twenties and fifties made a big difference at the end of the month.

-Get a roommate. I know, most people don't want roomies, but sometimes it's necessary. I once had two roommates. We rented a house for $225 (total!) so our monthly rent was 75 bucks. And it was a nice house... one of the roommates knew the landlord. Crazy deals like that are hard to find but they're out there. And sometimes if you're living alone in a town far from home, a roommate can be good company.

-Learn to shop. If you're one of those people who stops at convenience stores for drinks, coffee and candy bars, stop. These places have the highest markups on food. Start clipping coupons, look at the supermarket sale papers, and plan ahead. Just about every store out there has a markdown aisle, so look for bargains there as well.

-Learn to cook. It is amazing to me (well, it's amazing to all Italians) that many people are clueless in the kitchen. If you're someone who can burn a salad, find someone who can teach you some culinary skills. You can buy a nice steak for what you paid for that fast food burger and fries. You can make a great omelet for about fifty cents.

-Negotiate your credit card interest. If you're someone with credit card debt, simply call the company and threaten to stop using the card if they don't lower the interest. Most times they will.

-Ditch the designer coffee. You're paying five bucks a cup, and I'm paying five bucks a pound. Do the math and brew your own. Or drink the free stuff at the station.

-Order water in a restaurant. Why pay two bucks for a soda?

-Cut your dry cleaning bills. That Dryel stuff works great in a dryer.

And if you master all this, you'll have a career as a consumer reporter.