Frugal

[Editor's Note: I love thrifting, but I totally understand where Lakeitha is coming from with her warning -- it's so cheap, it's so pretty, but do you NEED it? Where's it going to go? Otherwise you might end up with a whole garage full of stuff -- check out Lakeitha's photos. -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: I have experienced the same trajectory with Groupon and other online deals sites as Carly has. It was almost the same trajectory I had when Internet shopping came into my life in the nineties: Euphoria followed by financial constraints followed by resolutions to rein it in. Have you had an experience like hers, or do you still love them? -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Though I've never given name to it before, I do indeed have a shopping flinch point, and its name is "$20." I can't part with more than $20 without feeling a bit of angst unless that money is coming directly out of my savings account and had been earmarked for the item in question. Do you have one? -Rita]  Read more

Whether it's voluntarily or involuntary, going from two incomes to one is a tough adjustment. Brittany at Knewlywifed recently quit her job to go back to school. Here's how she's adjusted.  Read more

[Editor's Note: Dresden wrote this post after celebrating her family's first month off food stamps in two years. She chronicles what she learned while using food stamps and what we should all think about before passing judgment. -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow is Black Friday ... or Buy Nothing Day. How will tomorrow set the tone for your holiday season? Caroline has some suggestions if you want to keep it low-key in 2011. -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: A while ago my seven-year-old brought home an essay she had written in second grade talking about her love for her bedroom. It brought back memories for me of all the time I spent in my room as a kid and especially as a teenager -- that was my space in which I felt safest, most "me." Giving a child some room to breathe in the family is important, but what do you do when you've got more kids than rooms? Tracy decided to give her oldest her own room, but she didn't have a budget to completely redecorate. Lend her your thoughts? -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: To me, "maternity" and "fashion" don't really go together. Clearly, though, for Molly they do! In her post, she takes you through what to buy during your pregnancy and what to leave on the rack -- so you've got more to spend or save later when baby arrives. -Rita]  Read more

Even though I've been known to extreme coupon, I'm not a shelf-clearer. Unless there's only one left, but that doesn't really count, in my opinion. I have, though, many times arrived at the store with my coupons all ready to find the shelf totally empty. And it pisses me off. I found Talina's post regarding shelf-clearing -- especially of toys in discount stores like Walmart -- had some points worth thinking about the next time I go to take advantage of a deal.  Read more

[Editor's Note: Ever wonder exactly how Denise and other extreme couponers do it? Exactly? With the free toilet paper? I have, and I still do, despite the fact I've been not-really-extreme couponing since around May. I love the concrete examples Lara gives in her post. -Rita]  Read more