One of most basic ways to do more with less is to bring your lunch to work; if you usually spend just $7 a day on lunch, bringing it four days a week (splurge and buy lunch on the fifth, if you like) can easily leave $100 or more in your wallet each month. Though you do end up spending a little more on groceries, the savings — especially if you learn to love leftovers — can be substantial.

Bringing your lunch to work doesn’t mean throwing a soggy sandwich into a baggie and tossing it in your purse, though. It also doesn’t mean a dazzling selection of non-nutritive items from the snack machine. Here are five lunches that take little effort to prepare:
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I kill plants.

You think I’m exaggerating, but believe me, I am not. I have killed cacti by sheer neglect. Just tonight I remembered that the cute Peter Rabbit pot on my 4-year-old’s bookshelf contained an African Violet that I put there eight months ago and hadn’t thought about since. (It did not survive.) When we first moved into our house, I was helping my husband plant tulip bulbs when he stopped me and said, “Hey, you know, the pointy ends GO UP.”
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One of the things that has really shocked me about the state of the economy in general and my company in particular is that when people ask me if things are really as bad as they say on the news, and I say, “Well, yes,” they say, cheerfully, “Well, at least you have your husband’s salary to fall back on.”

It’s as if, in spite of everything, the concept of a breadwinning mom is still unfathomable.
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I think that one of the reasons my own work-life balance is so awful is that my husband’s is nearly nonexistent. He has a demanding job, at the same company at which I work; and he’s a journalist, same as me — which means we’re both facing with the same industry meltdown and accompanying stress. But he’s dealing with a wrinkle that I don’t: As a man, no one really expects him to be struggling with work-life balance.
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One year, my kids paraded into my room on my birthday, bearing gifts and breakfast. Granted, the toast had been nibbled on as the tray came up the stairs, the eggs were like concrete, and one of my children assured me that my coffee was “cold enough to drink” by dipping his entire hand into the cup and sloshing it around. They were so proud of their efforts, though, that I ate every bite while they opened my presents for me — and it was the best breakfast I ever had.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Here’s a morning menu that your kids can make themselves — with some grownup supervision, of course. Print it out and leave it on the counter where your partner and kids can see it. Maybe they’ll take the hint!
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Earth Day came and went with nary an acknowledgement from me. I woke up today, realized that I missed it entirely, and felt a wee bit guilty. For about a minute.

It’s not that I’m not interested in saving the Earth or conserving resources. It’s not that I don’t want to “go green.” It’s that I reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as I can already — why should Earth Day be any different?  It’s becoming a bit like Valentine’s Day, in some ways, but with CFLs instead of cards and candies. It feels like we’re encouraged to do all sorts of little things to mark the occasion, and then we’re in the clear to go back to our wasteful ways for the rest of the year. 
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My husband recently said something about how I seem to have gone beyond “frugal” and well into “bunker mentality” when it comes to money; I countered with the fact that he’s the one running his truck on waste vegetable oil and stoking the wood stove for the night. But the fact of the matter is that while we’re all feeling the economic pinch right now, we’re also reluctant to give up the little luxuries in life (him: steak; me: bourbon). Here are five of my favorite websites that help me do more with less:

1.) Coupon Cabin. Wondering if you could make a sweet deal even sweeter? A quick search through Couponcabin.com and you could end up with some percentage off your total, or maybe even free shipping, with their coupon codes to websites from Abercrombie to Zappos.

2.) Baby Cheapskate. If you’ve got an infant or toddler at home, you’re going to want to bookmark this site. They offer plenty of online coupons for baby essentials, but also information on cloth diapering resources, formula feeding, and buying carseats — among (many) other things.

3.) Want not. You might know Mir from her great blog about living the freelance life, Cornered Office, here at Work it, Mom!, but my wallet had a crush on her long before, when I first stumbled upon her fab shopping blog, Wantnot.net. She combs the web to find the best bargains out there and delivers the deals with smart, funny commentary — what’s not to love?

4.) Money Saving Mom. If you’re learning how to coupon effectively, roll with the CVS extra bucks, or reap the Walgreens rebate savings, Money Saving Mom has got you covered.

5.) Consumer Savvy Tips. For those of you who are looking to save money over the long haul, rather than a few dollars right now on a particular purchase, check out the archives at Consumer Savvy Tips. From choosing a snowblower to choosing a pet, there’s a wealth of information here that could help you keep a little more wealth in your bank account.

Where do you look for online deals?

I’m clueless about most sports — so much so that I didn’t even realize until late last week that the Superbowl is this Sunday. This amuses/irritates my husband a wee bit.

What I’m not clueless about is snacking, and appetizers, and munchies. This is a good thing in my household. In lieu of a painfully awkward post about me and football, I thought I’d just share the recipes to a few of my favorite (easy, quick, foolproof) party foods.
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With the economic outlook plummeting and the cost of tuition on the rise, now is the perfect time to go online to further your education or supplement your child’s.

You won’t be able to earn an actual degree for free, but if you’re trying to increase your expertise at the office, wondering whether to switch careers, or just wishing you had taken that film course back when you were in college, there are some truly amazing opportunities out there.

(I’ll admit, my first thought was “I don’t have the time!” But the beauty of learning online is that you can do it at your own pace. And if you have a chance to study something you’ve always wanted to, and to study it for free? Find time. You’re worth the investment.)

If you’re looking for ways to give your kid a boost in the science, vocab, history, or math departments, there are plenty of great online resources to choose from, and you don’t have to be a homeschooling veteran to find them. Here are five of my favorites sites for getting an awesome, and free, online education for adults, plus five more online destinations for educational games that your kids will enjoy.

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It’s a fact of life for most working moms: At some point or another, whether you work from home or out of the house, you’re going to be trying to get your work done with a little one at your side. Maybe your caregiver has the day off. Maybe it’s a school vacation day but you can’t afford to take one of yours to cover it. Maybe your child is sick. Maybe you’re snowed in. Whatever the reason, here are eight things you can do to help keep your little angel occupied while you make deadline:
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