Rule #2 in survival advice is to find the Goodwill or thrift shops. Today I went to our local Goodwill and got great buys on ladies clothes. I found a pair of sage green slacks and a very nice black jacket for colder weather. I'm trying to upgrade my wardrobe, so I was very selective. I also bought some clothes that I think will be great for one of my friends. And they were really cheap. I glanced at the kid's clothes and there were racks and racks. I mean from baby to teens. I quickly went through the household items and finally bought a notebook for $.50. I don't need any kitchen stuff, so I put the treasures back that were in my cart- a blue glazed planter and a large oval wicker picnic basket. I cruised through the kid's toys- there was a ton. I passed up supplies that I could have used for school, but I really have enough and nothing caught my eye. I browsed through the books, but since Rule #3 in survival advice is to use the library, I didn't look too closely. Well, I got bargain entertainment, stuck to my budget, and perhaps helped a friend by being her personal shopper. Rule #2 in survival advice means that if you shop at thrift stores, you and your family can have very nice clothes, get toys, books, household items including furniture, at a reasonable price, and can be entertained to boot. It may not be the way to go for everyone, but it works for me.