Well, it's been awhile since I threw out any bones for all to chew on and this one's probably overdue even from me.<br><br>The economy has abruptly taken a turn for the south, as everyone is very well aware of and all of us are beginning to feel the pinch in more ways than one. From the cost of fuel going up and down like a roller coaster, to the cost of food being at a steady increase. I have never been the coupon-clipper of the house, rather the blow it on tools clown. We, as i'm sure many reading this have felt the crunch of the current administration in an effort to plug holes in the hoover damn with Volkswagens, or better yet, a Hyundai or two. It doesn't matter what side of the house you sit on, left wing right wing, what's the thing, bell ring ding-ding. We are all in for a bumpy ride, and being new parents doesn't make it any easier. From co-pays to deductibles to pants to diapers to boots to what do you mean she outgrew that, I bought it yesterday! (And yes that's happened to us.)<br><br>How are you circling the financial wagons and battening down the dollar-saving hatches in order to survive, while maintaining a quality of life? We find ourselves at resale shops more often, as Target up here writes off everything out of season and donates to them, giving us the same clothes for pennies on the dollar. Our trips to the stores are more condensed, with round trips hitting all at once being the goal. This might be an idea for an episode, if you guys haven't done it already. Any tips to the new and learning penny-pinching parents?<br><br>B.

I am all about this after my partner quit her very stressful job and we reviewed our budget. We can just make it if we cut back. We have made a few small changes like putting up window film to cut down on heating costs, doing only large loads on the washing machine, and ditching cable tv. Eating out has been reduced to almost zero, meaning I pack a lunch to work instead of getting the 7 or 8 dollar cafe meals that are so convenient.<br><br>With the reduced monthly bills, I am hoping to be able to pay off a couple of the highest interest credit card balances. We are already down one and working on the next. I am also hoping to use craigslist to grab any needed items that we don't receive from members of the family like toys, strollers, possible even a breast pump (we will wash the hell out of it and buy new tubing)