If you are among the many who are still comfortably employed with a healthy and successful company, you may well find that your employer offers benefits you do not even know about. Of course, you are most likely taking advantage of the health insurance policy offered, and making regular contributions to your 401K, but a visit to your company human resource department may help you learn about other opportunities available to you.

Because your employer considers your physical health important to the company, many today offer their employees on-site gyms, reduced membership fees at local gyms, or a possible partial reimbursement for their individual annual membership fees.

With the cost of commuting constantly increasing, some employers are trying to assist their employees. One way this is done is through the Qualified Transportation Benefit. An employee is permitted to put pre-tax income into a special account which can then be used to pay for parking and/or public transportation.

Many companies offer discounts to their employees on products they make, or on items they can buy in bulk, sharing the benefit with their employees. One company I recently read about is encouraging their employees to purchase hybrid cars by offering to give them $3,000 after they have purchased the car.

Some employers allow their workers to assist one another by donating unused paid time off into a pool for emergencies of co-workers. This is a great way for employees to work as a team towards a common goal while supporting one another in their time of need.

Tuition reimbursement has been a benefit offered by some employers for many years. New people, however, are not always aware of this opportunity. The company is encouraging you to continue your education and is willing to financially assist you up to specific limits. This is a great way to increase your knowledge and gain additional training at no cost to you and your family.

Consider all of the above and then make an appointment to sit down with a human resources representative to discuss these and any other benefits available to you. It will be time well spent.

The current economic climate in our country has caused people to re-evaluate their priorities and severely reduce the amount of money they are spending. We do not know how bad the economic situation will become, but most consumers are preparing for the worse case scenario and cutting way back on everything. Although consumers are spending less, they are also stretching every dollar as far as possible.

The current trend has people passing the mall to get to the local discounter. Secondhand clothes are becoming popular and many are beginning to look more closely at store brands which almost always cost less than the name brands. Coupons are being clipped more than ever and credit card usage is down.

Some people are taking second jobs, eating more at home and turning down the heat. Most are foregoing clothing purchases and making do with what they already have.

They are patronizing warehouse clubs and thrift shops. People are resisting mid-priced restaurants such as O’Charley’s and going to McDonald’s instead and pocketing the savings.

All of this saving on the part of the consumer may be good for their budgets but is actually bad for the overall economy. Yet, watching the value of their homes decrease and their 401K’s devaluing at record speed, most people are planning on continuing their current frugality. Consumers are learning to say “no, not today” when tempted by offers that they would not have resisted in the past. We may just see a major shift in the attitude of consumers that will stay with us for a long time.