With so many businesses going under, signs that used to read, “open for business” now read “Going out of business blow out sale,” or “Out of Business.” How can you avoid putting an “Out of Business” shingle up in a weakening economy?

It’s not just about watching the bottom line anymore and the old business models seem outdated in an economy that has even established business such as Mervyn’s, Circuit City and the Sharper Image having companywide liquidations and closing their doors forever.

Recently I gave you quite a number of great ideas that were either free or very cheap to have a great time with family and friends. Here are more ideas to use on those nights when no one can come up with anything other than dinner and a movie but no one has the money to pay for it!

No matter how tight your budget gets or how much money you aren’t bringing home after taxes, you can count on one thing, you and your family will always need food. There are many ways to save on food shopping. The following are 11 money saving tips when you make your trek to the grocery store.

1. Be careful whom you take career advice from. There are many armchair career coaches that I believe fall into two categories:

a. Those who truly love you but are afraid you might fail.

b. Those who have hidden agendas and are afraid you will succeed.

With gas at an all time high, many people are cutting back on everything, including their food and basic living needs. The American population has been hit hard by the gas crisis simply because in most parts of America, there are no feasible means of mass transportation.

Because of the lack of mass transportation and affordable fuel choices, many Americans have had to make some tough choices. Some have left their places of work, in many cases places they have worked for many years, simply because they cannot afford to pay the gas bill at the end of the month. Others have chosen to move closer to their jobs, uprooting their lives and changing their way of living.

All this has led to, in some cases, a lesser quality of life. There are a few solutions out there that can help you during this gas crisis, besides the obvious choices of riding a bike or walking. You can live more and spend less!

According to the Economic Research Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Estimating and Addressing America’s Food Losses,” 48 million tons of food is thrown away in the U.S. In addition, Goldman Sachs estimated that globally, $24 billion dollars are spent yearly on make-up with an additional $18 billion dollars a year on hair care products. That’s $42 billion dollars a year, not counting spa treatments and facials!

How can you save on beauty treatments that work and avoid throwing the money you’ve spent on unused produce away? By using the produce on beauty treatments. Here are a few tips that I have used and work for me.

The economy is in turmoil, but there is still help for children, adults and those with disabilities with free meals (in some cases free breakfast, free lunch and a free snack.), even though school is out for summer. Because of the obesity problem with children, the meals provided will be much healthier than they have been in the past.

Children ages are 0 – 18 are eligible for free meals. Adults in many states are given a huge discount some lower than $2.50 per meal and still other states provide free meals for the mentally or physically disabled communities.

Health care is a grave concern for most American’s today. With the rising costs of everyday living, most American’s are not able to buy health insurance or at the very least, under-insured. How can we cope with the rising costs of health care?

Most families simply forgo a trip to the doctor and hope the ailment goes away. However, there is help. You can get your health care for a lot less than you think you can and in some cases completely free.

Are you in a funk with dating despair? Have a hot person in mind for a fabulous night, but you can’t afford the dinning tab? Don’t despair! Sometimes, eating out can be less expensive than eating in. There are several methods to dinning on a dime that will help you out of your dating funk.

It’s no secret that the economy has taken large hits in nearly every sector of commerce, which ultimately leads to higher prices for consumers. The loss of jobs and the loss of pay have affected everyone.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has reported that personal savings rates are at the lowest levels since the Great Depression and disposable incomes seem to have become a thing of the past.

If that weren’t enough, many American’s are being forced to live off accumulated debt, resorting to the use of credit cards to meet their basic living needs.

If your credit card and personal debt has become larger than your monthly mortgage or rent payment, it’s time to take stock in the bottom line.

What can you do to safeguard yourself and your family from recession and keep the collection dogs at bay? By following a few simple steps, you can help increase your savings, help decrease your debt load and help decrease your overall stress.