Lately I’ve noticed everyone’s buzz word is ‘the economy.’ I’m always looking for small ways to save money and resources, so I’ve decided to regularly share some tips that work for me with my readers.

“The economy” this and “the economy” that. Many people I know who never used to question their purchase power at common places like the grocery store are starting to feel a pinch in their wallet when purchasing what they consider to be their basic needs. It’s my belief that yes, our economy is slowing down, but that these market fluctuations give us a chance to re-evalute the items we spend our money on – both big ticket items like cars as well as everyday goods like paper towels.

I have certainly noticed price increases over the years and especially this year. I’ve made it a life-long habit to always take the time to think through trends, ask questions, comparison shop and utilize creative solutions when it comes to what I need in my life. As dorky as it sounds, I really like comparing ounces and prices at the grocery store – many times the opportunities I find to save are astounding.

Being raised by my grandparents gave me an insight into running my household in older, simpler (and many times more effective!) ways too. An added bonus is that often times, simpler equals not only money saved, but also resources saved. We as a society need to try to save resources and encourage thrift, even if those endeavors are not currently valued, supported or demonstrated by our government and big business.

Of course, I understand that people don’t want to compromise their modern lifestyles in any way. The good news is that you don’t have to! It’s my belief that people genuinely want to learn small ways on how to spend less and use less, but often don’t know how or where to start. That’s because most of us were raised in a generation that hasn’t encouraged thrift.

We all just need to help re-educate one another in small ways. While a post on saving money with cloth towels vs. paper towels might seem over-simplistic, I’ll bet that there’s at least one person out there who maybe never thought of the difference between the two. That’s why I’ve started this category.

And then the adventure whisks you away.

One minute you’ve got plans and schedules and the next . . . well, the next . . . you walk into work and they tell you there’s no money.

That’s what happened yesterday. Yep, after three months of starts, stops, promises and excuses, Capitol Films finally conceded – they essentially gave us 24 hours to pack up the accounting office and get out of town. They’ve got a roughly 30 million dollar mess on their hands – a movie that’s 95% in the can and 100% in the toilet.

I’m pissed. We all are. Capitol Films is splitting town with no intention to pay the shooting crew’s last week of pay that they worked so hard for. And they have no intention to pay the vendors who extended support and services for the making of the famously troubled film I’ve been working on for two months called “Nailed.”

Flown in as an emergency assistant accountant, I knew what I was getting myself into when I took this job with Capitol Films. I knew that they are very slow to give up the money. It’s like the ‘studio’ heads over there are in some fantasy world where they think that filmmaking doesn’t require funding. David Bergstein, the owner of Capitol Films has a ga-jillion bucks in his bank account. And doesn’t care that he’s fucking over hundreds of people.

If I’d have known that they were going to skip town owing millions of dollars, I would not have come here.

So, with 24 hours notice, I’m jetting town. Today. This afternoon, heading to Nashville, Tennessee for a little recuperation . . . one day I had Fourth of July plans with new local friends in Columbia, South Carolina . . . and the next thing I know . . . I’m hopping a plane without even time for a proper good-bye. I had my travel plans switched after they dropped the bomb on us because it’ll just be too depressing to stay, knowing the swath of monetary destruction that this horrible company is leaving in their wake.

Plus, if I don’t leave today . . . who knows if the ticket will be good later?

So, here I am in my hotel room this morning . . . tired, a bit hung-over and bleary-eyed. I’ve got about an hour to pack, but I’ve been on stand-by mode for weeks now, ready to jet literally at a moment’s notice. But I thought I’d have some sort of warning . . . nope . . . whoosh.

Here one minute, gone the next. On the road again. Ahh, the open road.

Everywhere I look in the media, the story is the same – articles about families eating more Spam potted meat product to combat the higher grocery prices, stories about the flailing real estate market, blurbs about Washington’s tax rebate, discussions of higher gas prices, advice on how to make your credit rating better. It endlessly goes on and on. And I have to be honest – these stories piss me off. My question to you all out there is – are we being duped? I mean, just a little bit?

Yes, food and fuel prices are rising. Yes, the housing market is in a slump. But this article discusses how the federal stimulus checks to the American people aren’t really helping much due to increases in the cost of living and quotes a Chattanooga woman, “You don’t get a windfall like this very often.” Are you kidding me? Since when is 600 lousy bucks a windfall?

I’ll admit, I don’t have children or a house payment, so that frees up my time and money for other things, like traveling. But, dammit, I’ve worked really hard for this lifestyle. Here are some clues for those struggling with a lack of dollars.

* Spend less than you make.

* Say NO to that new gadget, unless you can throw down cold hard cash for it. When you start laying down hundred dollar bills and you don’t get any of them back, that action registers emotionally in a way that a plastic credit card never will.

* Bike and walk wherever you can. It’s good exercise, it’s good for the environment and it’s especially good for your wallet.

* Be debt free. And don’t let anyone tell you that it’s impossible.

I made a radical decision nearly a decade ago that a 100% debt free lifestyle was my new paradigm and have happily lived in this manner ever since, without the weight and pressure and worries of owing anyone anything. It has set me free. It’s allowed me to do whatever I want whenever I want. It didn’t come easy as I was up to my eyeballs and beyond in heinous debt. I worked my ass off. And many people told me that it was impossible to become debt free. But I’ve never really listened to nay-sayers. It is possible. And life-altering.

Listen up people and don’t kid yourselves. When the subject of money comes up and I start spewing my debt-free philosophy, lots of people say things like, “Oh yeah, I’m debt-free . . . I only have a car payment.” Or “Yeah, I only have one credit card.”

This is not debt free.

I get lots of comments, like “What about a house payment?” Well, often I don’t know where I will be from one month to the next and right now I don’t want to be a slave to a house payment. This is my personal choice, but if I were to dive into the real estate market, I’d make damn sure I had a 20% down payment and that my house payment did not exceed 25% of my weekly income. A couple of years ago, when the real estate market was sky-rocketing out of control and an entire contingency of whiny Los Angelinos were knowingly offering much more than what their prospective properties were actually worth, I just shook my head in amazement. Now, a lot of people who simply “wanted” into the market no matter the cost are f-u-c-k-e-d and I don’t feel sorry for them.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell ourselves no. But, I’ve learned that a solid, “no, thank you” in the long run is the best choice and quite honestly – I don’t mind not having all the “stuff” that most people think are necessities. Keeping it simple is actually quite satisfying. I remember once many years ago not having enough money for food and the creditors’ calls were coming non-stop. The stress was incredible. I told myself that I would never again feel that way. And I never looked back.

I encourage any and everyone to have the fortitude to think for themselves just a little bit and not society’s mixed messages about money and how you choose to spend or not spend it. Commercials, newspapers, radio ads and magazines will all give messages from subtle to strong about how you absolutely need this or that thing in order to be successful. I say turn off that crap and go inside yourself to look for an answer. I bet you’ve got more inside yourself than you might think.

The federal stimulus of spending money at $600.00 is no “windfall” for me, nor is it eaten up by the grocery store and gas tank. Yes, I feel the squeeze too, but it’s not making me sweat. I’ve got a few savings accounts and I’m not in the red by a long shot. I’m not what most would consider ‘rich’ in dollars, but I’m doing OK in that arena, so well in fact, that I am rich in happiness and contentment with no money stresses.

At least that’s one less thing.