Back in December, I posed this question:As an American citizen, is there a patriotic duty to spend hard earned money to help the economy out of its mess? My answer is NO. David Leonhardt opines in To Spend or Save? Trick Question: "It’s your fault. Part of it is, anyway. You, the American consumer...

What accommodations have you made for not-quite-fully-functional gadgetry? You know the kind of thing I’m talking about: that microwave door you open with a tuning fork, or the childhood TV you had to whack with a shoe every thirty seconds to keep the picture coming in clear. Or the cellphone that...

Filed under: Arts and Culture, United States, Budget Travel Here at Undiscovered New York, we often find ourselves wondering why our city is so expensive. It's usually the first question from friends and family who come to visit us here in New York, and truthfully, they're kind of right. Want a beer...

The consumer confidence index plunged to 25 in Feb., down from 37.4 in Jan. Many economists only predicted it would fall to 35. The index is based on a monthly survey of 5,000 households, responding "positive", "negative" or "neutral" to five questions about how they feel about certain economic cond...

Every time you darn your socks, a child goes hungry. Not only did your overspending cause the recession, your underspending - Nielsen's Feburary Economic Current predicts consumer saving rates will rise from 1.7% in 2008 to 5.1% in 2009 - is going to deepen it. America's new thrift ain't a fad, and ...

Did you know that it’s Thrift Week? In celebration of National Thrift Week, I want to know, what does Thrift mean to you? To me, thrift always seemed like one of those old fashioned words from a bygone era. I always equated it to frugality, where you are smart about your money and trying to ge...

it has been a while since i have gone 'treasure hunting'.  i went this weekend, alone, with plenty of time to look through boxes, touch fabrics, imagine stories.  it was very nice.  hace mucho que no iba en busca de 'tesoros'.  fui este fin de semana, sola, co...

Today is Benjamin Franklin's Birthday! Here is a Wiki entry on his life. Born in 1706, I believe that makes him 303 (if he were still alive today). Truly one of the greatest of the American Founders. Here are his list of 13 virtues: 1. "TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation." 2. "S...

Well, it's finally time for my big reveal! I am fulfilling a lifelong (oh yes, lifelong) dream of expanding treasure hunting from just a hobby to a little business, and I think Portland is the perfect place to do it. I now officially have a booth at Stars and Splendid antique mall. I fell in love wi...

Wouldn't that be a refreshing headline to see in the local paper? What ever happened to this character concept in the American way of life? We used to have it. Case in point: National Thrift Week started at the beginning of the 20th century and continued to 1966. Private charities, initially the Y.M...