Pinch Pennies Until They Scream

There are ways to live below your means and still live comfortably. They include choosing a good savings plan so your money is working for you and shopping sensibly.

One excellent source of information on the former is The Motley Fool. It includes a column by Mrs. Riches, who is like the Dear Abby of money matters. She answers questions from writers about various financial difficulties and uncertainties. Another is MSN Money. Both have sections with saving tips, borrowing tips, and other helpful advice. (Note: MSN's Payday Loans Superstore is not recommended by this author.) They also have interesting articles on current events.

When it comes to buying what you need, some of the best places to shop are garage sales, thrift shops and consignment shops. You can furnish an entire house and still have money left to spend. You can find nice dishes, clothes, books and more in some of these places. Two things that should not be bought second hand are mattresses and underwear, for similar reasons. Besides the obvious, old mattresses can be so saggy that the bare floor would be better for your back.

If you must have new things, you snob you, there are ways to get them without paying full price. Many department stores have killer clearance sales. Macy's and Sears and Dillard's mark things down considerably. Should we have a moment of silence for Montgomery Ward? Marshalls and Gordmans and TJ Maxx have great deals, but sometimes their selections are not as abundant as usual.

Of course, Amazon and eBay offer both new and used items, and you can compare prices and customer reviews without getting dressed. There are more places to shop in your p.j.s and find the best deal on just what you're looking for. One of them is Smart Bargains.com. They have clothes, jewelry, housewares that include kitchenware, bedware and bathware, and the best part of all, a clearance center where the already low prices are lowered.

Another is BizRate.com, which will help you find electronics, musical instruments, food, flowers, and practically anything else you can imagine, for prices from low to high. They have connections with retailers that are sometimes trying to sell their extra stuff for cheap. They have a clearance center as well.

Overstock.com is another place to shop for housewares, clothes, jewelry and such, and Buy.com is another place to shop for electronics. They both have low prices, but can take a little longer to ship than other places. Overstock.com is not always quick about replacing items when they accidentally send the wrong ones either. Their selections and their prices make them worth checking out, if time is not the most important thing.

When you have acquired the things that make you happy for prices that make you even happier, put the money that's left into savings. Now that's complete satisfaction.