Articles on Frugal Living

Health insurance: Two other numbers to look at

Most people, of course, have almost no control over their health insurance: They get what their employer provides (if they have a good job) or else they get nothing. Whether they

Fantasy Football Leagues in the Workplace?

It’s that time again. Football fans are gearing up for the excitement of a new season. The rest of the world is prepping for how to deal with it. And Football Fantasy Leagues ar

Regifting: A Simple How-To Guide

As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. It's OK to regift as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

Eco-Capitalism - How to make money from garbage

Most of us probably have sold a few bottles and cans and got a couple dollars, but could you believe that some people have made millions or even billions of dollars from trash?

Small, Cheap Steps to Weight Loss

If you prefer baby steps to great strides, try these tips and tricks for cutting calories from your diet and burning off some extra pounds.

How Much Does it Cost Every Time you Get Into Your Car?

I was horrified when I discovered exactly how much it costs me to drive into town for groceries. Do you know exactly how much it costs you?

Dumbest packaging ever?

I tend to believe that American consumers are savvier than advertisers and marketers give us credit for. That's why I don't understand why marketers waste so much time trying to se

The disappearance of real America - my guest post at Zen Habits

I'm not one for believing in fate or destiny, but the timing on this was spot on. After just finishing a terrfiic documentary called "America Unchained", about one Brit's quest to

Free and cheap things to do in Champaign-Urbana

Here's a sampling of free and cheap things to do where I live--Champaign-Urbana, Illinois--offered up for my neighbors (who may not know all these places), for visitors (who may no

4 Reasons Why Green is Good, But Isn't Always Better

I'm all for taking care of the world around us. Is it possible, however, that we've taken “green” issues at more than their face value? Do we accidentally limit our discernment a

How to refill an ink cartridge with a small piece of tape

Is your printer lying to you? If you own a Brother inkjet printer, that's probably a big yes. As Slate magazine reports, a clever chap over at fixyourownprinter.com has discovered

Stay Thin and Save

We've all been warned of the increased health care costs resulting from obesity. But what about all those other things you pay more for, like transportation, utitilities and clothi

How good writing skills save and earn money

A while ago an article on Wise Bread talked about how complaining via a letter works much more effectively than complaining with phone calls. This made me think about all the othe

Opt-out of the wasteful $26 billion phone directory industry

In this day and age of the internet, free Google 411 and a host of other paperless directory services, what use do the big, fat phone directories serve? I don’t know about you, but

Hunting for Treasure - Frugal Fun, Rich Rewards

Letterboxing, geocaching and orienteering... Looking to try a new sport? One that doesn't require a gym membership, new clothes, or expensive equipment? One as much mental as ph

Trim Costs with Cheaper Kid's Haircuts

A recent tabloid article compares the homemade hairstyle of Brangelina's toddler with the designer salon-style of Tom and Katie Cruise's kid. Is there a happy and frugal medium fo

Paint a Room and Wash Your Face: More Uses For Powdered Milk Than You Ever Imagined

Powdered milk has accrued a bad reputation over too many years of kids being forced to drink the stuff growing up. But it ain't so bad - especially when you can do over 20 things w

A Million Bucks By 30: A Book Review

This digestible escapade from Alan Corey details his journey from fed-up college grad to self-made millionaire. But is it practical advice for you?

Fun Things For Five Dollars Or Less In And Around Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Want to have a fun day but short on cash? Here are some outings around my town that I have enjoyed, nearly all for free.

Cheap China the Expat Way (or Better, the Chinese Way)

If watching the Olympics has piqued your appetite for travel in China, don't despair: After the airfare, you can see a lot of sights in this country for not a lot of coin -- if you