http://www.frugaltopia.com The Pursuit of Frugal Decadance Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:49:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GH56BZDhEwhETJtpg4S6Bkct4GM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GH56BZDhEwhETJtpg4S6Bkct4GM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GH56BZDhEwhETJtpg4S6Bkct4GM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GH56BZDhEwhETJtpg4S6Bkct4GM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>I have tried to buy new cars, but the price tag is so staggering, the investment so depreciating, and the impact on the environment so great, that I&#8217;ve never been able to bring myself to do it. Instead, I&#8217;ve always ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/12VG-NDDt_k" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/12VG-NDDt_k/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/sustainable-living/reuse-or-recycle/how-to-buy-a-used-car/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IzwNWp93GNuIBb91hvqlDm34gQQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IzwNWp93GNuIBb91hvqlDm34gQQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IzwNWp93GNuIBb91hvqlDm34gQQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IzwNWp93GNuIBb91hvqlDm34gQQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>One of my favorite quick and easy kid-friendly meals is homemade pizza with fresh basil and oregano.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/AoUoRecsMRI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/AoUoRecsMRI/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/food-and-wine/pizza-with-fresh-oregano-and-basil/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CHVODp3Zeur7Gj8unAjHZTPXv7E/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CHVODp3Zeur7Gj8unAjHZTPXv7E/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CHVODp3Zeur7Gj8unAjHZTPXv7E/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CHVODp3Zeur7Gj8unAjHZTPXv7E/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>It’s an all-too-familiar scenario: the underemployed college graduate, drowning in student loan debt with no recourse but default, garnishment, and a black mark on his credit that will haunt him for years. Even in good times, prospective students think twice ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/gcZg8Lo7K3M" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/gcZg8Lo7K3M/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/education/a-new-kind-of-student-loan/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gqFaXRCxwpfYPLfOMwtVOVOJ11Q/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gqFaXRCxwpfYPLfOMwtVOVOJ11Q/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gqFaXRCxwpfYPLfOMwtVOVOJ11Q/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gqFaXRCxwpfYPLfOMwtVOVOJ11Q/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>&#8220;We are seeing, what I call, the redefinition of the American Dream. People report having fallen out of love with the rat race. They are passionate about redefining their lives and what is important to them.&#8221; - Diane Hessan, President ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/rOoQyB5dW40" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/rOoQyB5dW40/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/money/the-frugal-consumer/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/StCpu7DqvIoJo8GyrNPAOGtGy2Y/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/StCpu7DqvIoJo8GyrNPAOGtGy2Y/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/StCpu7DqvIoJo8GyrNPAOGtGy2Y/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/StCpu7DqvIoJo8GyrNPAOGtGy2Y/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>It&#8217;s appropriate that Memorial Day comes only a few weeks after Mother&#8217;s Day because war veterans and mothers have a lot in common. Childbirth and the battlefield are bloody, painful, dangerous, stressful, life-altering experiences. But for their suffering, vets get ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/vdH_EeXXZxE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/vdH_EeXXZxE/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/giving-back/mothers/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1pofXZ_X4arwkCgKJ8vGBqJcdc8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1pofXZ_X4arwkCgKJ8vGBqJcdc8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1pofXZ_X4arwkCgKJ8vGBqJcdc8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1pofXZ_X4arwkCgKJ8vGBqJcdc8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>This weekend I got in touch with my inner eco-nerd by purchasing a tumbling compost bin, installing it in the side yard, and feeding it kitchen scraps and leftover fall leaves with the intensity of a Vegas slot player plugging ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/qcxuP5QVchE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/qcxuP5QVchE/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/sustainable-living/how-and-why-to-compost/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oZudWLp5_wVZdTguhKe4rAU0-Sk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oZudWLp5_wVZdTguhKe4rAU0-Sk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oZudWLp5_wVZdTguhKe4rAU0-Sk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oZudWLp5_wVZdTguhKe4rAU0-Sk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>My efforts to wean my family off the earn-and-spend treadmill hit an ideological snag a few weeks ago when my seven-year-old son became obsessed with Monopoly. We were in the bookstore with a Christmas gift card to spend when the ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/JGb1lZsdq2A" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/JGb1lZsdq2A/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/money/budget/reinventing-monopoly/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/V9VLpeSQyu691oFX3O88RynKr-M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/V9VLpeSQyu691oFX3O88RynKr-M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/V9VLpeSQyu691oFX3O88RynKr-M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/V9VLpeSQyu691oFX3O88RynKr-M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Earlier this week, I realized the ad policy at Frugaltopia needed rethinking. The goal, the whole point of Frugaltopia, is to offer antidotes to commercial culture, and strategies to help you avoid buying stuff you don&#8217;t need. To make sure ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/AAGRHOMWfNk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/AAGRHOMWfNk/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/sustainable-living/pursuit-of-frugaltopia/frugaltopia-is-ad-free/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GywWeIuA1c4_8VfK3lXymHzRhRA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GywWeIuA1c4_8VfK3lXymHzRhRA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GywWeIuA1c4_8VfK3lXymHzRhRA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GywWeIuA1c4_8VfK3lXymHzRhRA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>I&#8217;ve been looking for a Valentine&#8217;s Day alternative for years and am totally on board with Sasha Dichter’s idea to reboot Valentine’s Day as Generosity Day. A day where you say “yes” to everything that is asked of you all ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/xOjkWCp2r4c" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/xOjkWCp2r4c/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/giving-back/reinventing-valentines-day/ <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kipl_Vso9MGKp1zRyV9MK_Mvrls/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kipl_Vso9MGKp1zRyV9MK_Mvrls/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kipl_Vso9MGKp1zRyV9MK_Mvrls/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kipl_Vso9MGKp1zRyV9MK_Mvrls/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>I live on a freelance writer&#8217;s salary, so if I want to drink really, really good wine on a daily basis, I pretty much have to go to work in a winery, which is what I did last fall. I ...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~4/xk-J1m7E7i0" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Frugaltopia/~3/xk-J1m7E7i0/ http://www.frugaltopia.com/food-and-wine/wine_and_spirits/the-lengths-i-go-to-for-an-amazing-glass-of-wine/