Twoshirts memeber Lynn Moquet was interviewed by Petaluma 360 recently about her use of free internet sources to make ends meet in tough economic times:

Twoshirts.org is another Web site Moquete uses. Similar to Freecycle, Twoshirts.org is a place for people to donate and get household goods for free.

“Twoshirts.org is picking up speed in this area,” said Moquete. “It’s really great.”

It's a great little article with lots of good information, so be sure to check it out! Thanks for the shout out Lynn. And thanks also go the writer Yovanna Bieberich for putting together the piece.

Dean Simmer, a new Twoshirts member in Detroit, Michigan writes about Twoshirts in his recent blog post, The American Dream: a Packrat Society

We don't give our stuff to someone who needs it, we give it to someone who will sell it to them, or better yet, we treat those agencies like garage sales and turn right around and buy someone else's crap from them. Cost effective, perhaps, but if we didn't need those ten sweaters, why did we just buy 8 more and bring them home?

The truth is, we have taken the human contact out of helping, and sharing, and even loving. I have great respect for The Salvation Army et al, but they are misused by us in suburbia as much as they help out those who can't afford the mall. Better than nothing, for sure, but it still lacks the relational aspect.

We couldn't agree more! Thanks Dean for joining and thanks for the shout out. We look forward to seeing you and your neighbors on Twoshirts practicing the economy of generosity in Detroit.

At first, you're pregnant - and THAT seems to last forever. But then eventually they're born and it's all strange-little-noises and cute-runny-noses and learning to crawl across the carpet. You vow to take pictures of everything.

Then you get busy working and, well, dealing with life and before you know it they're all grown up and snatching the car keys on their way out the door on a Friday night.

They grow up so fast.

So here's to Tennessee, which surpassed California this week with over 40 items posted! The folks as Living Hope have taken daddy's car out for a long joy ride and they seem to be having fun.

Good job kids. Daddy's proud. Try not to dent the fenders and don't bring her back on empty.

Former AIG chief: Bailout not working

In another story that fits into my "The system didn't just break, we broke it" category, the former AIG chief had this to say to congress today:

"Let me be clear: AIG's business model did not fail -- its management did," said Greenberg.

Greenberg said his successors should have scaled back their issuance of credit default swap contracts on subprime loans after the company lost its top-notch AAA credit rating. Instead, Greenberg said they ramped up that business and took on unhedged risk, which ultimately brought the company to its knees.

"I think they got greedy and they wrote considerably more business than they should have," Greenberg said.

Then again, Greenberg may not be the most reliable witness either:

In Tough Economy Teens Embrace Entrepreneur Mindset and Start Businesses

YOUTHpreneur partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Phoenix and Fry's Food and Drug to conduct a gumball machine business pilot program. Dozens of kids participated in the test program with the goal of placing their gumball machines in a local business, monitoring its success, maintaining it and competing with each other to generate the most revenue. All proceeds went directly to fund other Boys & Girls Club programs. Participants also learned business etiquette skills by practicing BE FAB: Back Straight, Eye Contact, Firm Hand Shake, Ask Questions, Be Bold.

Honestly, I think this is fantastic. I really do. I hope to see more of these kinds of urban education programs being enacted for teens and adults all over the country. However, why no mention of teaching these kids business ethics?

Frugal Mom Makes Household Cleaners

"I think of substitutions of what can I live without. 'Is there something else I can use?'" Coffman said.

Some of those substitutions include making her own cleaning products, such as wood cleaner for just 4 cents a bottle.

"I like to soak vinegar and oranges. It makes it smell better, turns it orange and boosts cleaning power, too," Coffman said.

Well, that's just brilliant if you ask me. Of course, if you asked Harvard researchers they'd probably say she's undermining her own mental health.

Economy got you down? Try new federal website!

While the $800-billion stimulus package is designed to boost the economy, the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, today unveils a new website to boost your mood and help you cope with the psychological effects of unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy and financial losses and generalized financial worry (which is not yet characterized as a psychiatric disorder).

Aldous Huxley got it wrong; Not SOMA...SAMHSA!

Oversaving, a Burden for Our Times

Immediately after the break, the students’ chief regrets were over not doing enough studying, working and saving money. But when they contemplated their winter break a year afterward, they were more likely to regret not having enough fun, not traveling and not spending money. And when alumni returned for their 40th reunion, they had even stronger regrets about too much work and not enough play on their collegiate breaks.

Maybe it's just me but this feels like consumerist propaganda. My biggest problem with researchers is not their data, but how they interpret it. For example, middle-aged men look back on thier lives and wish they'd had more time for fun - and this somehow indicates that frugality is bad for our mental health?

Doesn't this say more about the pace of our culture than it does about the wisdom of frugality? Furthermore, isn't the frenetic pace of our culture a direct result of the consumer economy?

What do you think?

More frugal tips to save around the house

My sister and I are often sharing ideas to save in new ways. She came up with this one, and I think it's one of the best. We both like to use the square tissue boxes because they take up less space and we have pretty decorative covers for them. But the square tissue boxes are much more expensive per tissue than the rectangular ones - about two to three times more when you do the math. She took the empty square box and opened the folded seams (very easy, they just pull apart). Then she took out a bunch of tissues from the rectangle box, folded the stack in half, and placed them in the opened square box and taped the seam back up. You get instant savings because one large rectangular tissue box will fill three smaller squares

Wow. That's hard core.

Obama: Legalizing Pot Won’t Grow Economy

“The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy,” the president said. His answer prompted applause from the audience.

Huh, no kidding? There may or may not be good arguments out there for legalizing marijuana...but growing the economy? Please. I can't think of a LESS productive member of society than a pot-smoker.