When my brother was in kindergarten he wore the same grey corduroy for 25 consecutive days. On the 25th day, his teacher called my parents and asked if everything was okay at home. But my brother just liked these pants, which had an awesome loop on the leg to hold a hammer or other handtools, and refused to wear anything else.  My brother taught me that when you buy nice clothes that you like, there is no need to change them every day, or even every month. And when you are on a budget, you need clothes that will last... »

For years, landlords have been in the driver seat, free to charge whatever they want for that crappy unit with hardwood laminate in "Beverly Hills adjacent." But with the recession, those days are gone. This is a renter's market and a great time to renegotiate your rent. Recently, I negotiated a 10% reduction in my monthly rent, and I'm a horrible negotiator. But I had two things going for me: -A history as a good tenant. -A great letter. A friend submitted my letter (with some edits) to her landlord and one week later, her rent was lowered by 12%. These numbers... »