Vacations & Penny Pinching - What People are doing - May 2008

Hub residents are cutting back on everything from Vegas vacations to fresh produce as everyone gets thrifty amid the the pinch of sky high fuel and grocery prices, combined with a nationwide recession.

“I don’t buy as much fresh produce. I guess I’m going with more of the frozen and canned food,” said Alina Schmidt, 24, a clinician at Tufts Medical Center who now takes the commuter rail to work from her home in Harvard, rather than drive.

It’s a sign of the tight-wad times, say other penny pinchers who share their tips on making ends meet:

Collect Coins: Walter McLean, 41, of Quincy swears by never using any change in his pocket. “It’s my psychology of stopping from breaking another dollar bill or a $10 or a $20. It means you might not buy that pastry,” McLean explained, saying he saves about $40 a month.

Chores At Night: Tammy Medeiros of North Providence, a night owl when it comes to saving, said she saves by running the clothes dryer and dishwasher at night because of cheaper electrical rates. “You don’t do the dishwasher during prime time,” she said.

Travel Limits: Her husband, Mike Medeiros, 49, a service technician for a garage door company, said instead of paying $800 to fly to his Las Vegas time share, he’s trading it for one in Atlantic City, N.J., and driving.

Burger Budget: Mark Jurentkuff, 51, an assistant manager at an inn in Chatham, said he combines errand trips and cuts back on buying “frivolous things” like CDs - and lowering his cut of meat. “Instead of steak, sometimes I’ll buy hamburger and look for sales,” he said.

Stay In Southie: Melissa Bonia, 27, said her family will spend Memorial Day in their Southie neighborhood, rather than pay $60 to drive to the Cape.

“We’ll just stay local,” she said while waiting for a bus outside Tufts Medical Center yesterday - another cost-saving measure.

Click on this story on bostonherald.com for a video of more thrifty tips and a poll on should the state suspend the gas tax.