• Do it yourself.
• How to bounce back from bankruptcy.

• Fabulously Broke in the City presents Yuppie Guilt and how to deal with it delicately: “She just felt so guilty for having those shoes when that amount of money could’ve gone to something worthier (in her eyes) that she felt like her enthusiastic and excited purchase of the shoes were dampened and a bit ruined for her.” Very interesting post. But as Fabulously Broke says, it’s not appropriate for those who are broke to throw a guilt trip on friends who have money. Be happy for their joys. You might both someday be on the other side of that financial coin.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Got Debt Over the Holidays? How to Eliminate Debt Quickly: “Nix the dining out, trips to the movies and mall, manicures, etc., until the holiday debt has been paid.” While this will not be pleasant, it is a necessary step for those of you who are currently unemployed, forced into unpaid days off, or otherwise dealing with shorter paychecks than usual. If you want to pursue entertainment while you are paying off debt or short on cash, ask for movie and restaurant gift cards for the next round of birthday and Christmas gifts.
• American Consumer News presents Be Poor (Not Dumb) and Still Get Out of Debt:  “Living by the seat of your pants is no way to live. In the event of an emergency, there is no cash, you find yourself making poor financial choices just to get through the situation.” This is why you have to make frugal living choices even during the weeks when the checkbook balance is good. Long-term lifestyle decisions are what will help you get through the weeks when you have to juggle more bills than money.

The Festival of Frugality for Dec. 30 was hosted by The Well Run Dry. Here are some of the posts you’ll find on frugal living concepts:

• M is for Money presents K.I.S.S. – Keep Is Simple, Small: “In a tiny house, every room is in use and no square footage goes to waste. This translates into lower utility bills.” We live in a small house too – only 1,000 square feet. It’s far more functional than you might think for everyday family living. A bigger home would give us more flexibility when hosting guests, but I would not want to have bigger house and utility payments in a shaky economy.
• Mighty Bargain Hunter presents Tips for the coming decade of frugality: “Stockpile goods. This is a strategy for hedging against inflation as well as taking a step toward being more self-sufficient in a crisis or disaster scenario.” I only stockpile foodstuffs that can be stored as dry goods on a pantry shelf. We’ve had repeated power outages in our neighborhood this year, and it’s a headache trying to save all the cold and frozen food when the electricity goes out.
  
• Good Financial Cents presents 3 Ways to Become Recession-Proof: “The only difference between your career status today and five years from now is the books you read and the people you talk to.  We live in a changing world and we need to change with it.” Even if you are able to stay in the same industry or the same company, the business environment is constantly changing.
  
• Personal Finance Analyist presents Shh … it’s really a Bankruptcy: Misleading Sales Pitches Gain Traction in a Weak Economy:  “You won’t realize it until you receive the “guide” (thanks to some careful marketing) but it will be little more than some cobbled together information about how to file for a bankruptcy.” This cautionary post links to several sources as the blogger explains what may be in the fine print. If you are deciding whether to file for bankruptcy, then seek professional advice on that topic as soon as possible. If you are looking instead for alternatives to bankruptcy, the non-profit consumer credit agency in southeast Michigan is Green Path Debt Solutions.

Here’s one of his posts:  Why does a Chapter 7 cost so much?