Conspicuous consumption will return one day -- we are so good at it -- but not this year.

The trick to riding out meager times is figuring out how to live well on less. Like an over-restrictive diet, extreme, abrupt frugality can lead to binging later on.

A better strategy is to allow yourself the indulgences that add sparkle to your life, like that $4 cup of coffee that gets the day off to a civilized start. But look for savings elsewhere.

Don't discount the discounters. When times are good, pay a premium for the convenience of buying groceries and household supplies at the closest stores.

The key to saving money at places like that is to not have a list, but to quickly scan for things you normally use at low prices. The trick is to not be tempted into buying things you ordinarily don't use. A large bag of rosemary-orange scented potpourri for just $2.99? If you've gotten along this long without it, you don't need it.

For groceries, it's worth running through discount supermarkets like Aldi (bring cash; they don't take credit cards or checks) to see what they've got.

At Dollar Tree and other everything's-a-dollar stores, name-brand toothpaste and generic- brand sunscreen are good deals, but generic hand and body lotions were watery.

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