10 Ways to Reduce Your Holiday Expenses

As the holiday season ramps up, I'm trying to follow the advice of experts like Suze Orman, who helped me come up with 10 ways to spend less during the holidays. I especially appreciated Suze's cautionary advice that sometimes gifts can become burdens -- for example, if you're spending beyond your means, that $50 sweater can end up costing a lot more if you're not able to pay the credit card balance in full. Frightening, but true if your finances aren't in order.

And though it's easier said than done, it may be worth reminding ourselves why we're giving gifts in the first place. For ideas on how to stay within your budget this year, check out this GoodHousekeeping.com slideshow featuring 10 ways to cut costs on gifts, food (entertaining isn't cheap!), and yes, even decorations.

Photo by Amy Chen

How to Weatherize Your Home: 7 Busted Myths

After living in a newly-constructed Brooklyn apartment with radiant flooring to help me get through the (dreadful) New York winters, I'm now renting a two-bedroom house in Berkeley that was built in 1926. Though the Craftsman-style bungalow has been renovated, the insulation isn't great. So what's a renter to do?

I talked to several energy experts for this Bankrate.com piece about the myths of winterizing your home -- and learned a thing or two. From getting the scoop on air vent deflectors to discovering that ceiling fans have a "winter mode," I'm relieved that to find that there are blessedly inexpensive strategies to keep my energy bills from going through the roof. No construction required.