Thinking of saving money using solar techniques? Get started in small ways and work up in price and complexity. Eventually run your whole house! Here is my personal solar plan.

The Solar ReStore solar panel and battery pack is a GREAT unit to get anyone started powering small USB electronics with the free power of the sun.

Every year on Thanksgiving we expect the turkey, the trimmings, the pies and overflowing drink. What if you can't afford to do it this year? Here are tons of alternative, and maybe better, ideas.

You don't have to pay top dollar for books. With a small amount of effort, you can acquire more free or very cheap books than you can read in a lifetime.

After you have made through Week One on the extreme $50 food budget, you can branch out with more foods and real meat in subsequent weeks. Here are the results of my shopping research.

How to begin planning a food budget for a family of four based on $50 a week.

How to combine your staples for the first week of frugal menu planning. The parameters are using $50 for four people (two adults and two school-age children) - obviously a very tight budget!

A one week menu plan for a family of four in tough times.

Thread count is all the rage these days, and you can buy new sheets for absurdly high thread counts, for absurdly high fees. And while a high thread count does ensure a good feel (if finer cottons are used), you won’t make a long-term bargain out of the expense.

Foraging for metals of all kinds - aluminum, steel, brass, copper (even copper wires) and old coins, can help you add an easy extra income to your savings jar. You get to spend time outside, get some free fitness, and do your community a service by cleaning up your local area.