Articles on Frugal Living

Get Cash Back by Caring for Others

I recently discovered a website that offers cash refunds on an assortment of items that I use every day. The nation&#

Nonfat dry milk--no longer a frugal alternative

For more than thirty years, nonfat dry milk was a frugal staple. For things like baking and making yogurt, it was as good as fresh milk. Not many people wanted to drink the stuff

Go Ahead -- Take Candy From a Baby

One frugal mom recycles that Halloween loot for the Christmas stockings. Even if you don't go that far, now is the time to start thinking about stocking-stuffer sweets.

When to drop collision coverage on your car

A few years back, I got a tidy little lesson in exactly what collision coverage is. We'd had a car damaged in an accident, damaged pretty badly. So, it wasn't a surprise

The case for caloric labeling

As a conscientious consumer, you have a right to know what you're buying, eating, or wearing. New York City is enforcing a law that requires chain restaurants to provide nutrit

Super-Cheap Building Supplies and a Way to Help Your Community!

I’ll admit that my family is the “cobbling” kind of people. Our depression-era farm house was slapped together in a sturdy, but irregular fashi

Why Spending a Little More on a Brand Name can Pay Off

I have always been a fan of buying the less expensive generic version of whatever it is I am in the market for. Running shoes, clothing, electronics, pres

These Choos were made for walkin': an interview with a modern urban nomad

Ever feel stuck? In a rut? Running in place, but not getting much exercise? There's another way to live, you know; a way that bypasses, or at least delays, the mortgage, the co

Finally, Frugal Rules

You can come out of the shadows, my fellow cheapos, skinflints and non-pathological hoarders. Thanks to the rise of eco-hip, frugal is becoming cool. Sorta.

Optical Illusions That Make You Fatter and Your Wallet Lighter

One of my best friends told me that the key to food portion sizes was this: "Eat from small plates, drink from taller glasses." And optical illusions are at the root of it.

Free Shopping at Walgreens

If you could find a way to shop at Walgreens for free, and sometimes to even get paid to shop there, would you?

The Quiet Millionaire: Part 2 – Major Obstacles to Financial Success

Want to have the wealth you need to follow your dreams? Brett Wilder, Certified Financial Planner and author of The Quiet Millionaire suggests that there are 7 major obsta

7 Monthly Expenses We Don't Realize We Don't Need

When you put together a frugal budget, you are usually careful to make sure you're not spending money where you don't need to. But are you getting rai

Does a plastic cork make for a lousy wine?

I remember the first time my mother opened a bottle of wine that featured a plastic cork. She gasped audibly; the family gathered in the kitchen, where we took turns poking at this

Charitable Giving: Give in Order to Receive

The idea of giving away what you have especially if you don't have much is a tough one to wrap your head around. But if you truly want to be rich (both literally and figu

Local Currencies

Because the advantages of trade (lower prices) fall into the hands of the person making the decision (the buyer), there's a constant tendency to move toward freer trade, unless

Colorado and World Series Fans Will Just Have to Wait

It has been a disappointing day of online turmoil at the Colorado Rockies website

Who saves money when you pick apples? The grower.

You won't save money picking your own apples at most U-pick orchards these days -- but you might save the orchard. We went to the country to get our own apples for $10 a pound,

Separate Bank Accounts: 'Till Death (or Banking) Do We Part?

Many couples today boast separate bank accounts and successful relationships. But is it possible? Or are separate bank accounts a recipe for disaster?

Get More from Pumpkin Carving by Baking the Seeds

Even if you don’t celebrate Halloween, the pumpkin is a staple food for fall recipes and decorating schemes. The bright orange squash variety i