my fourth day: “Je suis desole (hey, I know that word - Sad!) dans l’hiver (hiver, hiver, it’s a season, I know it’s a season) par ce que tout le monde (world, all the world) est gris, il pleur et on peux prends (that’s takes, to take, conjugated) le parapluie (damn it’s on the tip of my tongue...it’s Umbrella!...or Cat!)...read more
           Costco shopping carts Costco carts are humongous and totally lacking in style. But that's part of their charm. In fact, it's the only part of their charm. Two-toned in black and grey steel, the design is no-nonsense--boxy and utilitarian. Made to schlep almost a ton of your most important belongings, even the 60 inch plasma TV you can’t bear to part with...read more
Even if your clunker didn't qualify for any cash, it's a great time to pick up a new fuel efficient vehicle suited to your current needs. Since I've already been through the drill, I thought I'd share my research to help anyone else who's in the market.
FAMILY-SIZED AND ECONOMY:    
How to Live on $0 a Day:  Finding Your Next Set of Wheels.
Even though I come from a thriving, modern, urban metropolis, sometimes I can’t help feeling like a wide-eyed bumpkin here in Auvers.    
     My New York City apartment, was equipped with some of the most primitive tools available in North America, if not the northern hemisphere.
     The laundry machines in the ever-flooded basement had two settings: “sort of clean” and” not so clean”...read more
Lesley Stern
writer, counselor to the nouveau poor
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lesley-stern
France and I have been acquainted for years. From the first time I came with my parents and sulked my way through Provence, The Cote d’Azur, Loire Valley and Paris to grand shopping tours in the 90s to today when I’m once again as broke as I was when my parents brought me for the first time (my French hasn’t improved since then, either). As an experiment, I decided it was time to take a break from New York City and take a sabbatical in France.  See if I could survive in a place without a 7-11 and nail salon on every corner.  I also wanted to see France as only a French person can… well, a poor French person who doesn’t speak French. What better way to get to know a country than to move in with it?
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Don't come whining to me about the added burden of raising children in this economy. The truth is, having kids can be quite advantageous right about now. There are the obvious tax and welfare benefits, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. How often have I watched a friend's child unicycling through a park to the delight of the passersby and thought to myself, 'damn, give that kid a tin cup and you'd never have to work again.’ Most parents have no idea the little treasures they've got on their hands.
How to Live on $0 a Day:  Monetizing the Kids.
0 to 3 YEAR OLDS
Unless your baby has a birthmark in the shape of Christ, or can memorize a 30 second script and enunciate, infants and toddlers are pretty useless except as a prop for begging for money/help/assistance/patience. However, if you have five or more babies in this age bracket, you could qualify for a reality show, fame and fortune...read more
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1. You put a tablecloth over the stack of bills in the corner and are using it as an ottoman.
2. Suddenly, spending three hours on the phone with your bank demanding an explanation for a $35.00 late fee is the most profitable way of spending your time.
3. In a blind taste test of Ramen flavors, you got 100%.
4. You've sadly noted that the prevalence of cellphones makes coin returns no longer a viable source of income...read more
Comme tu dit “idiot”? The hick from Manhattan There must be a prince here somewhere.
of fear and uncertainty for them too.
 
Sure, their concerns are different than yours or mine. But I'm sure to them, the worry that their excessive wealth and lavish lifestyles will inspire envy, larceny and angry hordes is just as excruciating as the worry of becoming homeless is to the rest of us.
 
So, Hank, Larry, Lloyd, Bob, Ben, Ken, Vikram, and the rest of you guys, here's my advice to you on how to get through the recession.
 
I know this is going to be difficult to hear, but you're going to have to pretend to make some major sacrifices...read more
 
Rich Corporate Executive Have Problems Too, You Know.
 
 
 
How to live on $0 a day Tips for the nouveau poor LESLEY STERN As an expert on both depression and poverty, I'm here to offer my experience, wisdom and guidance. If you're on your way to rock bottom, consider me the welcoming committee. ABOUT ME
During these difficult financial times, most of us have been focused on things like paying the bills, keeping a roof over our heads and feeding the children. Being an empathetic person, I thought it only fair to devote a little attention to the 1% of the population who helped  create this situation, yet are still employed and living like pashas. Let’s not forget that this is a time
It’s time for a day trip. Preferably somewhere that my future husband owns real estate. I’ve heard Chantilly is nice and not too far. Technically, it’s in Picardie, a region slightly north of the Val d’Oise, which makes the train situation a little more complicated.
    It’s been raining like crazy, so I have to be spontaneous and take the first spot of sunshine at a moment’s notice. At 9:50, I’m on the train to Creil, where I’ve never been, but seems to be a
Reading French and speaking French are totally different.
    It hasn’t been a week yet, so right now, I get excited when I recognize a word or two in a sentence. Unfortunately, I am totally unable to comprehend the words strung together in context as a cohesive thought.
    Here’s an example of how I hear French as of
train station hub...From here I hop a train to Paris and get off at the first stop - Chantilly / Gouvrieux...read more
How to Live on $0 a Day: A Few Telltale signs you’re going under.