"This Element is an except from Living Rich by Spending Smart: How to Get More of What You Really Want (ISBN: 9780132350099) by Gregory Karp. You can take a number of easy steps to get some aspects of your financial life in order. But for others, all you can do is be well prepared for these eventualities if and when they occur. Spending smart means being aware and exploring your choices in advance"--Resource description page.

In an economic downturn that will surely persist into the future, frugal is the name of the game. Food prices have soared and aren't coming down. People have been trading their $40,000 SUVs for $20,000 subcompacts. Many homeowners are in over their head with mortgages they can't afford. Newspapers are shifting from hard-news reporting on business to consumer news, as readers clamor for more tips on how to manage their money. When it comes to personal...