During a recession we all look for ways to cut costs without compromising our quality of life. Those of us who do this have been called frugal shoppers. We actually look for off season rates as a means of providing the best for the least expense.

We make sure the lights and other electronics are not left on unnecessarily and we do not pay too much for luxuries like gym memberships. Then, as intelligent consumers, we pocket and bank the difference.

Recession or not, as a conscientious consumer you know you can save more today and still maintain your quality of life by observing opportunities and improvements in technology. These are advances that are designed to become standards in our society while at the same time improving quality of life at a lower expense.

Also, as a smart consumer, you look for ways to save for a rainy or sunny day. This is simply being a conscientious consumer who is aware that price is a fabricated number that will always be reduced. This is why we wait until the coupon comes out.

When you are a intelligent consumer you also hunt for savings as technology changes occur. You changed from your dial up to DSL to Broadband when the price and service coupons arrived and it was a bargain that maintained your quality of life. Only then did you switch. This is what came about with cell phones to family plans, Blockbuster to Netflix and cable to watch TV on PC. Products are constantly made for intelligent shoppers saving them tons of money.

For example, let’s look at your cable bill. You are about to learn how to save $239.40, $1199.40, or $1319.40 a year depending on your cable service, because you have been misinformed and it’s not your fault. The reality is you have been paying way too much for cable TV.

If you look at your cable bill you know that these are real numbers.

Cable company Monthly Yearly 5-year

Basic Service – Approx. $19.95 $239.40 $1197.00

30 to 40 Channels provided

Premium Services –Approx. $99.95 $1199.40 $5997.00

Channels 300 to 400 provided

Satellite TV Provider - $109.95 $1319.40 $6597.00

300 TV Channels provided

Yet, you can pay a one-time only price and never pay again for 12,000 global TV channels as well as movies, radio and watch TV on your PC anywhere, whether on vacation, in the airport, etc. Your family easily logs-in to your account from any part of the world, on any computer, instantly and directly connecting to worldwide live TV and radio. This eradicates your monthly cable bill completely and improves your quality of life. These are the types of savings aware consumers search for.

I myself like the fact that my kids no longer bicker over what TV show they are going to watch because they simply pull up the computer in their room and watch their individual show. I can watch TV on PC on up to six computers in my house. That means everyone watches what they desire. I also like that they can watch TV in languages and cultures that they are studying in school. It also assists them in learning their foreign language skills.

But more importantly I lower the cost of TV’s in my house. I find that today’s kids use computers at school, for homework and socializing. I know as a parent I will have to invest in buying a computer for my child. When my child can also watch TV on the computer, I eliminate the cost of having to buy a TV at all. This saves me time and money. I know my kids will drag a computer to school and college; however, they will not have to drag their TV to school in the morning.

Managing my household is a full time job and like everyone else I love to try to find options and opportunities to improve my quality of life and save more money. I love to explore new technology that functions well and provides excellent value while at the same time saving money.

This is a time in our history where penny pinching is not just a word you use to describe the frugal household, it is a necessary skill set that will help every family during this recession.

Look at possibilities and ways you can save money so that you can relieve some of the financial stress you may be experiencing. Look for coupons and monitor your electrical usage. Observe unnecessary costs and eliminate them. Let your family maintain a strong quality of life, be well and thrive.