Philip, I'm just discovering your blog, and the advice to be frugal is probably the best piece of advice one can give.

It doesn't have to mean living in tattered rags under a barn. Just watching how and what you spend it on often does the trick, and you have to get rid of the notion that just because others do something, you have to too. I liked what Rob said in post no. 5. Me and my wife live in Sweden, and everything's expensive here. Yet my wife manages to keep everything very nicely within budget. There is a HUGE lot you can save by simply not buying packaged food that you micro, if you are willing to do some actual preparing and cooking. And you eat better by putting in that extra effort. So i'm not sure lucille's argument holds up about food costs. Just think what you're doing, and then think if there is another way to do it.