Articles on Frugal Living

Fix energy in tangible form

They key problem with energy is that it's really hard to store--it's tough to buy energy now and use it later, and most energy storage techniques lose a large fraction of the energ

Relax... It's Only $2

Feeling stressed out, my first instinct is to schedule a one hour massage and order take out from the Chinese place. After doing t

The $40 Hidden Inside a 12V Battery

This battery hack that will save you roughly $40 on those 1.5V button cell batteries. All you need is a 2-pack of 12V A23 batteries.

Throwing out your own trash

Businesses, especially big businesses, try constantly to shift work from their paid staff to their customers. It's one of the major trends in business today. [more]

A year without toilet paper - The Interview

You wouldn't necessarily know it from watching him on his appearance on The Colbert Report. He comes across as a soft-spoken, good-natured guy, for sure. [more]

Cure it with Garlic!

I am married to a garlic lover. Not that my husband craves the pungent flavoring in his meals, but rather is insistent on eating it to ward off any impending sickness. [more]

Almost 2000 uses for a can of WD-40

My dad always sang the praises of WD-40. "It's not just for a squeaky hinge or a rusty bolt" he'd say. Alas, my memory is not all that sharp and I couldn't quite remember how

Have style, not a lifestyle

I briefly worked with a senior technical manager whose wife also worked for the same company, but at a different site. They'd bought a house about halfway in between, but they both

Mind Control Guru Can Pay With Blank Sheets of Paper

Using the power of your own mind against you is quite a scam and requires little to no set up, no partners, and no real props. See how Derren Brown does it.

Alcohol is good for your heart

After quitting smoking, having one or two drinks a day is the best single thing you can do for your cardiovascular health. [more]

Saving money while hosting guests

Having just spent the last 48 hours desperately scrubbing my home from top-to-bottom in anticipation of the arrival of some house guests, I appreciated The Simple Dollar's post thi

Yes You Can!: Travel With Ease and Without Guilt

You know you love it...travel, that is. But it's expensive--there's no way around that. [more]

Jettison the Junk: Why Clutter Clouds Your Mind and Saps Your Energy

A life cluttered with junk not only takes up space — it can take your energy, too.

Stock up on school (and office) supplies with back-to-school sales

You can start stocking up on school (and office) supplies now if you haven't already but be careful out there. Great deals are everywhere (including Target, Kmart, Staples, Office

Making the most of your guilty pleasures

I've been trying to come up with a way to articulate the mental shift from being not-frugal to being frugal. It's not really about wanting to spend less, and it's certainly not about making do with less. [more]

Quickly Remove Scratches From CDs and DVDs

Here are the results of my exploration to remove scratches from my CDs and DVDs, complete with my own experience with each remedy.

Opting out of the money economy

It's a quirk of mine that I've always found the idea of opting out of the money economy to be interesting.

Your budget: envelopes or a plan?

When I was first introduced to budgeting, the model used was the envelope method. Every payday you'd take your cash and divide it up among envelopes labeled "Rent," "Groceries," "Electric Bill," etc. [more]

Frugal travel with Esperanto

Travel presents the classic conundrum: If you have the money you don't have the time, and if you have the time you don't have the money. You can travel on the cheap if you have friends or re [more]

What to pack for a road trip with Rover

Our friends at Itchmo.com recently posted some helpful hints about what to pack when you go road tripping with your four-legged friends. It might seem like a bit much, but planning