Learn How You Can Help the Homeless without Spending a Dime

With the economic slump pinching many peoples' wallets, charity donations are down this year. Many people simply can't afford to share their earnings without jeopardizing their own living situation. And many others are reluctant to harm their own standard of living to help others.

But it isn't necessary to donate money to help people less fortunate.

Instead, you can donate time, connections, knowledge, and skills. While these things cost time, labor, and thought they don't take away from your paycheck. In fact, they look great on your resume.

So take a trip with me and find out how you can help the homeless without touching your pocketbook.

Learn How to Save Money with Silk Wedding Flowers

Many advice columns and well-meaning people give brides the idea that artificial flowers, also known as silk flowers, are always less expensive than fresh flowers for their weddings. This leads to many brides going to florists to order silk wedding flowers and then being gravely disappointed when they see no savings at all.

There are instances when decorating with fabric flowers can be more budget friendly but it's not always cheaper. It has a lot to do with the type of silk flowers used, their quality, and whether or not the flowers are arranged professionally. I think if brides were to learn about the differences this would save them a lot of money, hassle, and unnecessary stress.

You can save money by using silk flowers for your wedding but you have to keep a few things in mind to guide your choices.

Read on and learn whether or not silk wedding flowers can help you meet your wedding budget.

Learn How to Stretch Your Grocery Dollar

The economy is rough right now and many people have to cut expenses just to make ends meet. Food is a much larger expense than many people realize.

A few years back it was enough for most people to cut back on dining out and to cook more meals at home. But for many people that's no longer enough. More people than ever are struggling just to put food on their tables.

These days, people need all the help they can get to save money on food. So I decided to share my tips and tricks for eating well on a tight budget.

Learn how to Stretch Your Grocery Budget

Learn How to Stretch Your Wedding Flower Budget

Nearly every bride has a budget for her wedding flowers. In this economy, that budget is getting smaller than ever. There are ways to stretch your decoration dollars and get nice wedding flowers from a low flower budget or use a moderate budget to create an expensive looking impression.

I'd like to share with you some techniques I learned or created in my 18 years as a professional floral designer and wedding flower specialist.

Learn how to Stretch Your Wedding Flower Budget

So Now You're Poor - Enjoy Your Life Anyway!

Many Americans are learning about poverty firsthand for the first time in their lives. American culture has focused on consumerism and material riches as the major source of pleasure for decades, making this transition to poverty harsh for many people. Though their basic needs may be met, some of the newly poor find themselves depressed by their new monetary limits and unable to see the pleasures still available to them.

I've lived in poverty for different parts of my life. I was poor for much of my childhood and homeless directly afterward. Then I managed to pull myself up to middle class and even upper middle class for about a decade. But illness and other problems brought that time to a close. I've experienced everything from abject poverty to an upper middle class lifestyle.

I noticed during my middle class years that most middle class people don't do a lot of things that aren't spending related for enjoyment - they seem blinded by material things and status concepts. They seem to always be going out to eat, going to movies, shopping, or partaking of expensive hobbies.

I'd like to share some of the things I do for enjoyment as a poor person, things I feel that people of any income could enjoy.

I hope that you will enjoy 20 Ways to Have Fun on a Budget!

Living Frugal, Living Well

Many people being forced into tight budgets for the first time are depressed. They feel like they have to give up all of the fun and pleasure in their lives. And many frugal living websites encourage this thinking. So many frugality websites and groups focus on "getting by" and "surviving" in a tough economy but none of them really deal with living, enjoying, and thriving on a tight budget. But it's entirely possible to do more than scrape by on a lean budget.

That's why I created this blog, to share ideas on how to forget about surviving and get on to living, and living well on a budget.