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Barbara

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Earlier this week, the abundant sunshine in my kitchen reminded me to check on my seedling trays (I decided to save costs by growing my own food...well, some of it). So, I moseyed over and squealed with delight. My little seedlings have sprouted! Woot!

Growing your own produce is a great way to go green  (and save a little green, too). Getting some of your food from your backyard — or a pot on your balcony for that matter — means less food needs to be trucked from an outside location to your grocery store.

Just the other day I got some great tips on green gardening from the Sioux Falls Green Project , a project geared at educating the community on how to build a greener future. Here are a couple of the basics I learned:

• Grow native plants. By growing plants that are already accustomed to the area, they'll need less fertilizer and water. Check with your local Cooperative Extension office  for resources on what plants are native to the region.
• Use compost  instead of buying fertilizers full of chemicals and pesticides. There are tons of spendy contraptions to help you compost, but it doesn't have to cost anything. Even just a pile of grass clippings, dead leaves and kitchen scraps will turn into compost. Or if you can't make your own compost, see if your city offers free compost (Sioux Falls does).
• Water your plants with rainwater run-off. I am super intrigued by the idea of using a rain barrel. This is a great way to save on your water bill. Some of my favorite bloggers  recently made their own rain barrel.  (Come to think of it, they've also been composting! )
• If you don't have a backyard or a balcony for a garden, see if there is any space available in a community garden.

As I dive into greener gardening, I'll be sure to keep you updated. Once my green garden is flourishing, perhaps I'll have to add a statue of the Marble Faun (props to those of you who got that Grey Gardens  reference!).

Staci

College students are well-known for their frugal habits. Ramen noodles , anyone?

But in a recession, everyone can take a page from college students, who know how to have fun on the cheap.

I'm taking a page myself. After four months of making double mortgage payments (and no offer in sight on my old house), I've had to adjust my own spending habits. Things that seemed essential in better financial times — like my HBO  subscription — suddenly find themselves on the chopping block.

But giving up Flight of the Conchords  doesn't mean I have to give up entertainment altogether. I recently discovered Redbox  $1 DVD rentals at my local grocery store. A buck plus tax will get you the latest new release for an evening, provided you return it the next day. You can return the DVD to any Redbox location — it doesn't have to be the same one you rented from — and you can reserve DVDs online ahead of time, too. Plus, since you're already at the grocery store, you don't have to make an extra trip!

Sure, Redbox isn't the only service of its kind out there. My best friend Charlie swears by Netflix  because he doesn't even have to get out of his pajamas to watch movies — the DVDs are delivered to his door or he can watch them instantly on his laptop. The selection is greater, too. But that requires a longer-term commitment, not to mention more than just one dollar.

In this economy, are you changing your entertainment habits in any way?

By the way, I'm drawing the line at ramen noodles. I ate far too many of them in college!

Barbara

Are you a coupon clipper? Generally, I'm not a huge coupon clipper. The savings are nice, but rarely do I find coupons for the items I buy regularly. So inevitably, I'd actually be spending more on items I didn't really need. This is one of the big tips for clipping coupons  — don't buy something just because you have a coupon, make sure you'll use it.

However, I might find myself using more coupons over the next year. I purchased a coupon book for the Sioux Falls  area — the Big Soo Coupon Book. I love this idea. This book is full of coupons from local merchants with savings ranging from dollars to hundreds of dollars.

This Sunday, the youth group at my church was selling the books as a fundraiser for $35 a pop. For each book sold, they got $10 — almost 30% of the cost. Good for them and good for me. Plus, I'll make that money back in savings.

A lot of the merchants are places I patronize anyway. So now when Staci and I head to the pizza place for their lunch buffet, I can use a buy one get one free coupon (provided Staci is willing to be the "buy one"). Or the next time I fill up with gas I'll clean my dirty car with a free car wash coupon.

Even though the coupons were something I had to purchase, I'm still really excited about the savings to come!

Is there something similar in the city where you live?And if you have coupon clipping advice, please share the savings tips!

Dinna

Do you eat breakfast?

I normally don't...well, I guess I get my soy chai latte . But on the weekends, I love to eat breakfast...or should I say I love eating out for breakfast!

So last Sunday, I packed my family in the car. All of us were excited to have French toast, crab hollandaise , savory crepes, and Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes at our favorite breakfast destination. When we arrived, however, we were devastated to see a "Thank you for your business" sign posted at the entrance. Our beloved Crepevine had closed down! We took our grumbling tummies back home and complained while we ate cold cereal and milk.

Unfortunately, I'm noticing a lot more businesses closing around town...not just restaurants but furniture stores, specialty boutiques, pet shops, tea bars, etc. I guess it's a sign of the times. It makes me think about what I should be doing to prepare myself for a financial "rainy day." Of course the obvious (but not so fun) thing to do is to cut back on expenses.

Comfort food  is my vice...but I guess I could make breakfast instead of going out. Maybe I could have that $3 latte a couple of times a week instead of everyday. And do I really need that glass of wine with dinner? Wait, let's not get carried away!

In these economic times, it doesn't hurt to be a little more disciplined. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was thinking of going back to Australia to visit. Well, that's an expense I've decided to do at a better time...maybe when the exchange rate for the dollar is more favorable.

How has the current economy affected your lifestyle?

Staci

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I ate a lot of pie and watched a lot of TV. In fact, I'm now down to 47% capacity on my DVR (anytime I get below 50% is a big accomplishment for me). I got caught up on most of my favorite shows, including the fantastic How I Met Your Mother . But the series' "Dowisetrepla"  episode — though hilarious — left me worried about some of my beloved television characters.

Here's why: Lily (played by the terrific Alyson Hannigan ) is over her head in credit card debt and refuses to tell her new husband Marshall. Together the two of them make a terrible decision to purchase an overpriced apartment down wind of the sewage treatment plant. With Lily's financial baggage, they qualify for a mortgage — but at 18% interest, gasp — and decide to buy!

C'mon, Lily! You were Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer , for heaven's sake! You're stronger than that! I expect more from you!

Sorry about that. Sometimes I have a tough time separating television from reality.

See, in television, a series of poor financial decisions like Lily and Marshall's are funny. In reality, not so much. So take note: If you're married and have a lot of credit card debt, tell your spouse. If you're considering buying an expensive piece of real estate near a sewage treatment plant, think again. And if someone offers you an 18% interest mortgage, run.

But if someone offers you pie and time in front of the DVR, by all means, settle in and enjoy.

Staci

I just returned from a quick business trip to Las Vegas , the city of ultimate decadence. But not to worry — much to my mother's chagrin (she loves to play the penny slots), I didn't gamble a cent.

While I was there I had the chance to visit the UNLV  campus with a few colleagues, and I left feeling three emotions: impressed, jealous, and disheartened.

I was impressed with the campus itself — it's open and sprawling, with an architecturally stunning, technologically advanced library and a gorgeous, brand-new student union building. This year UNLV is celebrating its 50th anniversary  — also an impressive milestone.

I was jealous because in the gorgeous, brand-new student union building, there are — among other things — funky comfortable chairs, tons of natural light, wireless internet access throughout, and a food court that would put any shopping mall to shame. The place was hopping, filled with people and energy, and busier than a casino on the Strip.

And I was disheartened because I observed young UNLV students throwing money around like crazy. There were huge lines at both Starbucks  and Jamba Juice  — certainly not cheap at $4 a pop. Students were streaming in and out of the campus convenience store with their arms full of Red Bull and bottled water. Most of the students I saw were using cash, although some used credit cards or their Rebel Cards  to pay for their expensive beverages.

As we walked around, my colleague Rachel said to me, "I would've spent all my student loan money in here!"

Sadly, student financial services at UNLV are relegated to an older, out-of-the way building. Other than a few people in line to pay their bills at the Bursar's Office, no one was there.

I'm not trying to pick on UNLV, because this on-campus decadence isn't limited to Las Vegas. Colleges are undoubtedly responding to the demands of their student populations, and giving students what they want. This generation  seems to want lattés and smoothies and energy drinks not just as occasional treats, but as daily purchases.

College life has come a long way since I graduated, but so have the temptations to spend on campus. For those of you out there living it right now, how do you balance those wants and needs? Or do you not, and just figure you'll pay for it later?

Barbara

One adjustment students need to make at this time of year is mastering a food budget. When you're living on campus with a meal plan, food might not cross your mind. But when you're on your own completing a summer internship—or if you've graduated and are starting out in the working world—food costs can add up quick if you don't get a handle on them.

One of my favorite personal finance bloggers, Madame X at My Open Wallet , has a collection of inexpensive recipes from other PF bloggers : pretty cheap and still tasty. A winning combination for those on a budget!

UPDATE (June 28, 2007): I was checking out some other PF blogs and found that English Major  did a frugal food series . Very good stuff there, too.