To quote Mark Twain, nothing to throw overboard

On January 1, the Star Tribune printed a list of ways to improve one's life in the new year. Surprisingly, except for eating healthily and excercising regularly (which is NEVER gonna happen with me) I already did almost all the recommended activities, which included learning how to send text messages, starting a Facebook page, and even joining a community band! (They didn't say anything about the risk/benefit ratio of joining multiple community bands.)

Now today, the Strib's official cheapskate columnist wrote about ways to save money in the current economy. Again--no ideas for moi! Cut back to basic cable (never have had anything more than the minimum), get rid of one car (only have one), buy things secondhand (we know every thrift store in St. Paul), save on garbage pickup (we share service with a neighbor). Obviously, the columnist has not lived with a Depression-era parent if he considers this cutting back! What about surviving on beans and playing board games (from the thrift store)?

Okay, I could work on the one suggestion common to both articles which involved eating only healthy homemade food...