SUMMER 2009 EDITION
SCHOOLS»
Families make tough decisions to stay afloat
Ben Dillon/STAFF
From left, Adam Davis, Mary Alice Justice, Sarah Justice and Mason Justice Davis eat dinner together at their home in Columbia on July 16. Feeling the financial strain of the economic recession, Adam and Sarah began preparing more meals at home to save money and spend more time together.
COLUMBIA — Dana Martin, an Ashland mother of two, has cut back on her spending to ensure that her family can make it through these hard times.
She and her family ended their cable subscription, canceled caller ID and decided not to buy the new TV they wanted. She and her husband also took on overtime hours in their jobs.
These days Martin said she buys only necessary items.
“Things that we want to purchase, we don’t even think about,” she said.
Martin is not alone in her struggle to make ends meet. Many families in mid-Missouri have made tough choices during the recession, including canceling vacations, delaying big purchases and not eating out as much.
Sarah Justice of Columbia sticks to a stricter budget, especially when it comes to paying for gas. She also decided against going on several vacations this summer as she usually does; instead, she is going on one less expensive vacation closer to home — to Indianapolis — with friends.
Justice rents more movies to watch at home instead of going to the movie theater. She also goes out to eat less and cooks at home more often.
Justice said there's one positive thing about living in Columbia, even with the economic strain: she can always find cheap or free activities for her 2-year-old son.
“There’s a lot of free fun stuff in Columbia,” Justice said.
In the past, Jay Shellen of Columbia has gone on vacation each year to places such as Cancun, Mexico, and Colorado, but this year he and his family are staying at home.
Shellen, a retired master gardener, has planted more foods such as corn, tomatoes and beans in his garden this year. He spends less money at the grocery store that way.
There are some people in Columbia who are not feeling the economic strain as much. Yukiyo Lake moved here six years ago when she was pregnant with her second child.
The mother of two said she has not cut back much on her spending because her husband's job as a special education teacher at a Columbia public school is secure for now, so she’s not as concerned about the future.