I've been reading alot of articles on the state of our economy lately, one of the areas I feel lucky in at my age, is knowing my Grandmothers who lived and managed homes during the Great Depression. Believe me when I say recycling and penny pinching is nothing new when it comes to running, and managing, a family home.

Plastic shopping bags cut into 2 inch strips tied end to end can be crocheted into all weather door mats, and chair pads for the kitchen table.

Can't find a rubber band to contain your daughters braids? Cut a yard of yarn and braid it with thier hair. Wrap the ends around the bottom of the braid and tie in a bow.

Old towels can be cut in half lengthwise, take one half hem it along the cut side and attach brass rings at each end for a back scrubber. the other half can be cut into thirds, or fourths, and hemmed to make new wash cloths.

Washcloths can be folded in half and sewn along one end and the side to make bath mits, or folded in half and sewn along two sides then filled with uncooked rice then sew the bags open end shut, you now have a hot and cold pack. Store in the freezer for cold packs, for hot packs dampen the outside and zap for one minute in the microwave. When cooled enough to handle place on your sore muscles.

A hand towel sewn long side to the middle of a bath towels long side and then folded in half and sewn along the top of the hand towel. This makes a nice hooded bathrobe for a small child.

When it comes to clothing don't fall into fads. Buy your family members classic, basic clothing that they can mix and match. Fads are just that, they come and go, but classics will last until the piece wears out. So what if you or your kids get a reputation for dressing "preppy." Maybe your kids teachers will treat them as though they expect them to behave better, and make better grades, and we all know that kids only behave in the manner expected of them. Ignore name brand clothing, and shoes, go for well made ones instead. They'll last a lot longer and if well taken care of will look just as good. Learn to knit and or crochet would you rather pay $100.00 and more for a handmade looking sweater or $12.00 and more to have a real handmade sweater.

When the weather starts to warm cut your kids jeans and pants to 1 inch below knee length and hem to make summer shorts. You can even cut and hem them to have cuffs. Iron iron on patches to the inside of the knees of new pants and jeans to make them last longer. The portion of leg you cut off of jeans can be made into cute purses, and wallets, for teenage girls.

The same can be done with shirt sleeves to make summer shirts, cut them to just above the elbow and hem. For a cuffed look cut them just below the elbow. Have a nice sweatshirt, or pullover type sweater, but want to make it look a little dressier? Cut the yolk from an old worn shirt keeping the collar intact and sew it to the inside of the sweatshirt or pullovers collar.

To make men, and boys, sweaters, wool and corduroy blazers last longer sew a leather patch to each elbow. Want to update your blazer(s) by some nice matching or contrasting braid and sew in a loopy pattern along the hem and up the front

Old sweaters, and sweatshirts, can be cut and sewn into new mittens or comfy throw pillows.

A blanket thats starting to show wear and tear can be covered up by a top you make from your families old clothes. Cut them into 4 and 1/2 inch squares. Sew the squares together with a 1/4 inch seam. Cover one side of the blanket with this and cover the other side with an old sheet. Viola' you have an old fashioned looking quilt.

Replacing your bed pillows for new ones? Cut the old ones in half and hem the open ends shut. Then make removable covers for them, and you'll have new, washable, throw pillows for the sofa.

Learn to make a handful of basic sauces i.e., white sauce, a cheese sauce, a tomato sauce, a gravy and use these mixed with your left overs serve over potatoes, noodles, or rice to make entirely new and fresh meals.

Some prepackaged food stuffs are just silly to buy especially if you're trying to save money, things like cracker crumbs and bread crumbs. It also takes just as long to make puddings and gravies from scratch as it does to make them from packets.

Bottled water is rediculous - buy a filter for your kitchen sink if your worried about contaminents in your tap water. Bottled tea? How hard is it to make your own tea and bottle it yourself, place it in the fridge and it's ready when you need it.

Quit buying junk food. Do it slowly at first so your family gets used to the idea. Think about it 75 cents for a candy bar, or $1.50 for a pastry, versus 25 cents for an apple, or an orange. You'll not only be saving money your family will be eating healthier as well.

Make family dinners an evening ritual, dress the table like a nice restaurant would, complete with water goblets, and a pepper grinder, a bottle of olive oil, and another of apple cider vinegar for the salad, divide the meals into couses have a soup, or salad, first then a main course. Yes, you may have a couple more dishes to wash but a nice, healthy, dinner with the family should be worth the extra time in the kitchen. Besides if the kids are full with a soup, and/or a salad, a main course, and a side dish who has room for a fattening, and spendy, dessert?

You say your kids don't like vegetables, soups, and salads? Have them help you make a family garden. Then have them pick what they want in the soup or salad for dinner. You may end up with a lttle gardener, or chef, on your hands.

Did you know that some librarys not only have books that you can borrow, but that some have art work, movies, and even video games, that you can borrow as well. Do you like museum quality art but think you can't afford it in your home? Look at your local library, what you find may surprise you. A lot of libraries also have a childrens story hour, that's free entertainment for your kids!

You can start an arts and crafts swap club, to trade items that you make for items that you don't know how to make, but others do. You can also teach one another how to make items that you like, or need.