When it comes to makeup, I've always believed that you get what you pay for.  I have had some real problems associated with putting cheap products on my skin.  All the same, I have decided to watch my pennies in the makeup aisle. 

When I saw there was a sale at Target on makeup last month, I grabbed up a few items that were marked down to $.78 cents each.  I didn't really pay attention to the brand name.  When I got home, I realized that they originally cost only a dollar.  I tossed them in the car and forgot about them. 

According to numerous reports, charities are hurting because people are not giving right now.  Church offerings have decreased.  People are holding on to their old clothes longer and not giving them away for charities to sell.   People aren’t giving away old cars, appliances, and furniture. 

Who can blame them? 

A huge part of being thrifty for me is being natural. 

I find that when I focus on avoiding products that are toxic to either the environment or myself that I save a great deal of money. For example, if you take a visit to The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, you will find many ways to save money.

Here are some of the natural ways I use to save money...

Whether you call it a discount card, a loyalty card, or a store card, the CVS Extra Care Card can reap you generous rewards, if you use it right.

The Extra Care program allows the customer to purchase items and receive rebate coupons for later purchases printed on a receipt-like coupon. These coupons are called "Extra Bucks Rewards".

Using store circulars, grocery coupons, and your CVS Extra Care Card, you can get items for free or at least at deep discounts on a regular basis. They work very much in the same way that store rebates work, only you do not have to wait as long to get your money back.

Due to skin allergies, I tend to purchase handmade soaps -- some of which I order online, and some of which I purchase from a local soap maker.

While these soaps can be on the expensive side, they are quite worth it as they save me money on rash cremes and prescription ointments. Still, it is painful to shell out extra money for body soap you know your specialty soap is 3 times the cost of store-bought soap.

Here's a little secret I've learned...

I recently watched an Oprah Winfrey episode where she profiled the Freegan movement. Freegans are people who get as many items as possible that they use -- for free.

This may mean taking items they find on the street. This may mean dumpster diving for food. This may mean going without new clothes.

The purpose of the Freegan movement is to inform the rest of the world about over consumerism.

Here's a collection of links that are jam-packed with money-saving ideas that everyone can use on a daily basis.

Enjoy!