Articles on Frugal Living

Frequent Flyer Junkie? Manage your Miles Here

It's a daunting world of rewards programs out there. From frequent flyer miles with every major airline, to hotel reward programs, to individual store loyalty plans, not

Finding New Recipes, Without Paying for New Cookbooks

I have a hard time resisting the urge of buying every cookbook that comes along — I thoroughly enjoy trying out new recipes, especially cookies. I came to the conclusion, though, i

How often do you get your paycheck?

One of the BlogHer featured posts talked about a mis-match between pay dates and credit card due dates. It reminded me of just how much I used to agonize over this issue, back bef

Marketing Messes With Your Head

A new study out today in PNAS confirms what we always suspected was true. The higher the price you pay for a product, the greater your subjective experience of pleasure in the prod

Looking Closer at Savings Strategies

How you put money aside may be just as important as the fact that you do. Have a look at three main strategies for setting money aside, and find one to fit your life.

The line between frugal and crazy

You don't have to go very far down the path of being frugal to reach the point where people start questioning your sanity. (You bicycle to work? Even though you have a perfec

Miser v. Stunna: A Case Study

Miserly is derived from a Latin term that means "wretched." It is the linguistic blood relative of miserable. Stuntin' is when you spend too much money and w

How to Travel in Style...For Free

How would you like to travel in style for the cost of the most basic economy option? All you have to do is ask.

How much are memories worth?

I get a particular negative jolt when I review a credit card bill and find a charge for something that's already over and done--a meal already eaten, a vacation already taken,

Endurance Frugality: Staying The Course And Being A Winner

Frugality can be fun and help you sleep peacefully. But don’t be fooled: as frugal days turn into frugal years and frugal decades, bag lunches can be become boring; smallish houses

Realistic Budgeting: The Marriage Saver

The road to divorce is not necessarily paved with infidelity, quite possibly it's paved with secretive purchases and a lack of budget that causes both parties resentment and st

Our Obsession to Clean is Making Us Trashy

I hate to clean just as much as the next person, so many of the new products on the market can be helpful to my daily routine. Others, however,

Fast and Easy Pizza Dough and Sauce

Pizza delivery for just two people can quickly top $30, depending on where you live, not to mention the hour that you usually have to wait for that delivery. Buying frozen pizza

Three Types of Food that Can Make Encores

As much as I enjoy cooking, I hate doing more work than I have to. I’ve made a point to start making dishes that easily become something else for the next meal (or two or three). I

Unauthorized Video Game Hack May Net Consumers Up to $35

Discussion over the original version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas might have ended with its recall in 2005. A recent class-a

Beyond Wrapping Paper -- Post-Holiday Bargains

It doesn't take a frugal bloodhound to seek out half-price wrapping paper and holiday cards in early January. But don't stop your discount shopping there. Recent

Common Currency: A Primer

These postings will pertain to the economy of life, which is all about personal alternatives that shape our financial world.

7 Cheap Treatments for Year-Round Allergies

If you’re like me, your allergies don’t always stop with the changing of the seasons. If you too are unwilling or unable to budget more than $700 a year on prescription allergy med

Waste Not! Revisiting the 5-Second Rule and other Kitchen Classics

Working as a line cook for almost four years exposed me to the dirtier side of the food service business. Generally, I was less-than-impressed

Impulse Shopping: A Controllable Handicap

A friend of mine has a pathological weakness for impulse shopping. But using the techniques outlined here, she dug herself out of debt and into impulse shopping bliss.