I am a major-league cheapskate, so I have always liked to stretch my dollars like they’re Gumby figurines. Now that the economy is sinking like an anchor, I have collected a few more tips to stretch them even further. And I’m happy to share.

1. Reuse plastic bags.

Does this seem like a no-brainer? I hope not, because for the longest time it just didn’t occur to me. You can reuse plastic grocery bags to carry your lunch (or various other sundries). You can also reuse plastic Ziploc bags—unless I’ve filled them with raw meat, I just rinse the bags with soapy water, run clean water over them, and let them dry. Ta-da! Ready to be used again.

2. Shop thrift.

You guys probably do this anyway, but try doing it exclusively for a month, just to see what happens. For clothes, shoes, and accessories only, pick up everything you need or want at thrift stores, secondhand shops, or consignment stores. You’d be amazed at some of the great stuff you can find. Last month I picked up a brand-new French Connection dress at a thrift shop for six bucks, no joke. Read More »

Alright, so when I first heard Angelina Jolie wore a twenty-six dollar dress to the NYC premier of A Mighty Heart I almost thought she was awesome. I was like, no way! I wonder if I have it! Maybe it’s from Forever 21? Man, that Jolie’s the shit.

Then I found out the dress was black crushed velvet, and from a Vintage store called “Wasteland” on Melrose Avenue in LA. Then I found out the cost of the dress was proclaimed by Jolie herself, and that she wore it with crystal-studded, satin peep-toe Christian Louboutin for Loris Azzaro shoes. And then I just got annoyed. Jolie is shit, not the shit.

Every single day we hear about celebrities being ‘just like us’ with pictures featuring Justin Timberlake picking up his dry cleaning or Jennifer Aniston in line at Starbucks. I don’t think this irritates anyone more than me. Celebs are not like us. When I walk out of my house today I won’t be bombarded with swarms of paparazzi, I wasn’t invited to the Grammy’s, I can’t afford Gucci or Armani, and I’m not dating Jake Gyllenhaal (yet.), so don’t tell me that Jessica Simpson and I could be buddies.

If Jolie wants America to think she’s just like any other little lady on the street (Yes, I just said little lady), then there are a few things she might want to change. For one, Angelin-duhhh, black crushed velvet is not a summer fabric. Any average Joe knows that it is strictly winter garb. She might have gotten it from Wasteland but was she waste-d when she decided to wear it in the middle of June? (Gosh, I’m too clever.) Also, if you’re going to wear a twenty-six dollar dress and try and sell yourself off as a Frugal Frannie, then you might not want to pair it with $600 shoes. Just a thought. Read More »