Just because the economy is still iffy doesn't mean that we have to deprive ourselves of every one of our pleasures.  Instead, I say we could just be willing to lower our standards, even if it's just a little bit.

Creativity is crucial here….. 

The Tennessean’s Ms. Cheap

I'm not talking about ethical standards, I'm talking about compromising our champagne tastes in some areas of our lives.

The trick to making the new lower standard palatable is not to make a barebones sacrifice of all that is good in your lifestyle, but rather to be willing to make some tradeoffs in order to have the things you really want in other areas.