It will be interesting to see how the economy will change the way people think and act. People will have to adapt to survive ultimately leading to a better quality of life in my opinion. Thanks for the article it is very encompassing of many different helpful tips.

-Dan Malone-

I already do 8 out of the 10 things on your second list. Everything but the Dollar Store and freeloading. Of course, my lifestyle seems normal to me. But I guess it's a novelty for many if not most.

For instance:

1. Limiting and minimizing the use of most things to make them last longer. Imagine rationing toiletries! - No cavities since adolescence and gingivitis free for 3+ years on 1/4" of toothpaste per day.

2. Ignoring expired labels on perishable items such as food and medicine to stretch their use and value. - Keep in mind that very few foods have actual *expiration* dates. By law only baby formula is required to have an expiration date. More common are "best before" or "sell by" dates, neither of which are synonymous with spoilage.

3. Making a meal out of virtually anything. - Yorkshire pudding with bacon grease, along with a salad, recently. Fried rice with frozen veggies. Leftovers soup is excellent when your leftovers are first class.

4. Reusing and recycling everything. - Check

5. Shunning disposable products that need to be replaced. Reusable alternatives are used instead (e.g. cloth diapers). - We use pages torn from old phone books in place of paper towels, handkerchiefs and cloth napkins instead of tissue paper stuff.

6. Accepting hand-me-downs from anyone. - Sure, why wouldn't we? We've gotten great stuff this way.

7. Dumpster diving. - Yup. We collect from construction sites, and always have plenty of 2x4's for our DIY projects. I even made a very sturdy pair of sawhorses as a gift out of reclaimed materials.

9. Hoarding the free stuff offered at restaurants and hotels (such as condiments, plastic utensils, soaps, etc). - We mostly use toiletries my husband gets from hotels on business travel. On the rare occasions we at out, I clean out the bread basket and take home every scrap of uneaten food. Some we eat, and the rest goes to our laying hens. But taking extra condiment packets is just tacky.

I think that the best way to save is to change our way of saving. We are used in the equation of: Income less Expenses = Savings. So when we receive our paychecks or any other source of income for that matter, we tend to spend it first before we save. I think that we need to use the equation INCOME - SAVINGS = EXPENSES. That is, we need to set aside first for ourself everytime we receive our income. Thus, it suffices to say that we need to "pay ourself first". Then later on, we need to become financially literate as to the concepts of finance and investing.

I'll admit to 8 out of 10 on your second list. I was hoping to find some "new" ideas but apparently I'm already kind of extreme! Honestly, my project for tonight is to sew some more cloth diapers for the upcoming baby out of fabric/clothing the local thrift store was going to throw away (small rips and stains) and gave me free for the asking.
Other examples of my habits: Once-a-month contacts actually last at least 2 months! My sister cuts my hair (for free) every time I see her (twice a year). I trim it myself in between. I empty the kitchen garbage into the outside bin but keep the garbage bag to re-use until yucky. I rode with my school's (where I teach) basketball team on the bus to get to a nearby larger town to do some Christmas shopping. I take plastic silverware home from picnics to wash and reuse.

I think I learned it from my mom. Although they now have a very comfortable income and beautiful house and she does not pinch pennies in every area anymore, she still does things like re-using Saran wrap and going to the grocery store multiple times to buy the "limit" of a good sale.

I got you people all beat for extreme living.

After rent (for a room in a house with nine people), health ins, and a student loan payment, I live on $120 per month.

All my original cloth diapers came from thrift shops. After that, I used old hand/dish towels. They worked just as well. I could buy them for $.99 at thrift stores, vs. several $$ for a store-bought diaper. The baby didn't care; I didn't care, but I did save a lot of $$$.

@Kristin:
For many cars, changing oil at 3000 miles is too soon--my Saturn manual tells me to wait untill 5000, and the oil meter doesn't come on until at least 7500. The 3000 stressed by your local oil-change place is a racket. Consult your manual, and you might be surprised.

Being a frugality veteran, I already do much of what you mention. Don't think there is any crime in taking home the little soaps/shampoos, etc. at a hotel - they are there for your use - My grandmother used to take home extra sugar cubes when we took her out to dinner, and as I child I thought she was mad - but now I get it.

I also save extra condiments from take out - soy sauce, ketchup - for when we run out.

I have always loved hand me down and vintage clothes from when I was a kid and got lovely party dresses from my cousins! Nowadays I do most of my shopping at thrift stores and get my brand name and designer merchandise there.

Lately, I have been getting into being a serious freebie queen and sending in for freebies on the net - and I get something in the mail almost daily. That ranges from detergent to magazines to vitamins to makeup to skin care. I also enter contests. I just won some expensive designer dandruff shampoo for my hubby and a $25 Macy's gift card for me. Also have gotten fancy mousse I couldn't afford otherwise.

I make a point of frequenting the health food store that always has samples - as I might as well give them my business - Every little bit helps.

And I am always on the lookout for oddities - like samples at my local Walgrens!

I have always done survery research of one kind or another - and have been doing online surveys for petty cash.

These gambits in no way harm my life style - oddly, they end up enhancing it! (Ditto getting good deals at dollar stores - and they ARE out there.)

While the bottom line may look more or less the same - the everyday quality of my life isn't pinched at all. And that easing of monetary pressure does had to my quality of life.

My opinion for these tips on savings = fair, but no where near extreme.

I know that most Americans are crazy about automobiles, and that many people cannot do without. I visited the USA many years ago at the end of the 70's, so I do know something about Americans at home. I have a small 50cc scooter that is already 10 years old, but NO CAR!)Petrol & oil costs me €12.00 pm. Insurance €80.00 per annum .

I live in Holland (Netherlands), and every year it becomes cold and lasts for at least 6 months. I took over a rented flat with only single glass in the windows. My apartment is 65sq.meters. I bought a 50 X 2 meter roll of transparent plastic (€11.00) and covered all my windows leaving a space of about 7cm to trap a layer of heat. During the Winter, I kept all the curtains closed except the room I used at the time. I never opened the curtains fully, except when the sun shone, to allow for free heat to enter! Together with LED halogen and tube lighting I got an energy rebate last year of exactly €399.00.)In the cold months, I wear extra clothing at home to avoid unnecessary heating costs. I have double glazing

I find that the more healthy you eat, the cheaper. I always steam veg & fish including potatoes, this way you profit more from the minerals & vitamins that are always destroyed in boiling!) Frozen fish is fine, not expensive fresh unless on special offer. Lots of lentils, they are cheap. I buy often damaged veg & fruit that's hard for the shop to sell. Instead of eating a bar of chocolate, I melt it with crushed nuts, dried chopped fruit, bran flakes, corn flakes & honey. This will satisfy your sweet tooth and give you something nutritious at the same time as well as inexpensive.)I don't have a garden, but a balcony. It is now full of tomato plants instead of flowers, you can't eat flowers and tomatoes are expensive in Holland.

I have been cutting my own hair for the last 16 years with clippers, no hair dressing costs! I use only BARS of soap, regular shampoo and toothpaste, NO gels, aftershave, or fashion rubbish!)I save money with showering: I cook a kettle of water, add this to a large bucket of cold water and scoop it up and throw it over myself. Here again I save on water, gas & electricity!)

I do not buy books, dictionaries, music, CD's, games, applications for the PC or movies, or rent movies. I have the internet. I use the internet to make long distance calls & texts, as well as for the above mentioned.

I always buy 2nd hand articles when possible.

I have a minimum income, am partly disabled, and my girlfriend lives far away in poverty. I help her and her 2 kids. So these are my reasons for saving. Also very expensive for me to see her at the moment. Through my ways of saving, I was able to be with her last Christmas for 6½ weeks. I'm still looking for other ways to save, so far nothing... Hope this is of some use to someone somewhere...?)

Really,recession affects the whole world but there are option to overcome from them.Most of the people has follow them.