It's been a tough couple of years for everyone but, even if some of us have had to make do with less, there are others who have been hit even harder. Whether it's right in your own neighborhood or overseas, there are at least two ways I can think of that dollar stores can help you to help others during this season of giving without inflicting too much pain on your pocket book.

Author Christiane Jory has created a companion DVD to her cookbook the 99-cent Only Stores Cookbook just in time for the holidays. Fabulously Frugal Feasts will show you how to create a holiday buffet that will feed seasonal foods to a houseful of guests for the same cost of delivered pizza. Sounds good, doesn't it?

The DVD has lots of delicious new recipes and helpful hints, as well as Christiane's own brand of gentle humor. The recipes are easy enough for anyone to make and they're printable, so you won't have to keep plugging in the DVD every time you want to try something. My cooking never strays much from plain old meat and potatoes 'cause I need easy. Having watched a couple of the videos, I've gotta say that these recipes look easy enough for even the kitchen-phobic to create.

When it comes to Halloween handouts, I usually wimp out and buy one larger item like bags of potato chips to shell out at the door. But it can be fun putting a bunch of smaller things into treat bags and, at dollar store prices, it doesn't have to cost a lot, either.

Besides, it's more fun for the kids to get a mystery bag of goodies and as Dollar Tree shows online, you don't have to confine your offerings to candy.

The skeleton hand bags shown on the Web site come in packages of 18 for $1 and could be fun but because of the fingers, they're really only suited to holding small candies like M & M's.

If you'd like to include larger items, try some Halloween printed twist tie bags or Zipper seal bags. At 25 bags for $1, you're also getting more bags with either of these.

The next consideration is what non-food treats to include. Dollar Tree makes a few suggestions, such as Halloween stickers, pencils, erasers, fun straws, rings and creepy creatures for $1 each package. I bought four packages of 10 pencils for $1 each.

Dollar stores aren't the only retailers hosting weddings these days. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the York, Neb. Wal-mart Supercenter played host to its first wedding last week. Crystal Newsome and Robert Vickrey said their "I do's" in the lawn and garden department amid the greenery of the hanging plants. (Watch the wedding video here.)

The couple met at the Wal-Mart store several years ago and both continue to work there. Robert, the grocery department manager, has been with the store for 12 years. Crystal, who manages the deli, has worked there for five years.

Dollar stores are great places to find bargains on any number of household needs but you can't always assume that, just because it's only $1, you're automatically getting the most bang for your buck. Prices and quantities may vary according to stores in your town, but going by my shopping list, here are 10 things you might want to go elsewhere for:

According to a 2004 Consumer Reports study of multi-vitamins, some of the nutrients listed on the label were missing from half of the 18 dollar store brands tested and other vitamins didn't dissolve fast enough to be absorbed by the body. They recommend sticking to the tried and true mainstream brands sold in pharmacies.

Apparently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not tightly control these products.

After months of raving about dollar stores and all of the neat stuff you can find there, I thought it was time to tell you about some of the things I've bought there over the years that they should never have tried to sell for a buck. Think of this as a buyer beware kind of thing.

Any store can be guilty of less-than-stellar products and in a department store, for example, you're going to be paying a lot more but at least you can take the item back if you're not happy with it.

My local dollar store doesn't allow refunds, which I imagine reduces their costs. If you buy something and then discover it's a piece of junk, you're stuck. Still, if you only come across a dud once in a while, you've only spent $1 and, in my case, I'll take a chance on something so I can report to readers of my newsletter when I do come across something that should be left on the shelf.

I'm not a huge fan of Halloween's bloody masks, plastic severed limbs or fake knives that simulate the results of having been plunged into flesh, all of which I've seen at my local dollar store.

That being said, there's no denying that it's enormous fun playing dress-up, even for adults and, if you feel the way I do, dollar stores also have a lot less gruesome options available. Please check prices and availability in your area.

Start with a hat. When I was a kid, cowboys were the heroes. Today the big thing seems to be the anti-hero, the pirate.

I was surprised to find well-made cowboy hats in adult sizes at my local dollar store, some with a sheriff''s badge and there are also a variety of pirate hats, including a bandanna style and a pirate captain hat. There were also top hats and fedoras in adult sizes for $2 each. Other hats include kid-sized fedoras, bowler and top hats for a buck each and I also saw a hat that a small Zorro could wear.

Third Age has created a list of 50 ways to leave your clutter, both physically and emotionally. Basically, it comes down to A) identifying what's most important to you, and B) eliminating everything else.

That's the short list, and I'm not going to delve into all 50 points in the long list, but here are a few of the valid points made that we could all learn from. The writer suggests focusing on one point at a time among the ones that appeal to you, personally, and when you're done with that one, move on to the next.

At the top of the list, it is suggested and I agree that prioritizing is a must. What are the top four or five most important things in your life? Focus on the activities, hobbies and/or side businesses that you love doing and drop whatever doesn't line up with those activities.

Point 14 encourages us to create a simplicity statement that details what we want our simple life to look like and then write it down. As point 18 suggests, don't forget to include loved ones in your plan.

Time management is essential. I know I've been guilty of wasting time on frivolous tasks rather than focusing on my priorities. Points three to six encourage us to think about all the stuff we do at home and at work and do only essential tasks. Try to eliminate all the other stuff by automating, delegating or hiring help. Some people can't say "no" and so take on too much. Remember your list of priorities.

As a 50-something female, I'll admit to having been lured by the siren call of wrinkle creams for years. Apparently, I'm not alone in wanting the claim of "brighter, younger-looking eyes" to be true. Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on wrinkle removers.

Anyhow, I was interested in the findings of tests conducted by Consumer Reports magazine about the effectiveness of 16 different over-the-counter eye creams. Ten of these creams are sold in the U.S. and six are European products, bought online and range in price from $20 to $95.

The participants in the study included 94 women and 13 men who were each asked to use two creams, one on each side of the face around the eyes, morning and night for six weeks and fill out questionnaires. The package labels were covered.

High-resolution digital photographs of each person's eye area were taken before the test, one hour after the first application and again after the six weeks of use were completed. Then trained sensory testers evaluated the before and after shots without knowing what wrinkle creams had been used.

Results varied. I was surprised to learn that a moisturizer with no anti-wrinkle claims that was used as a control, reduced wrinkles about as well as several high-rated creams did.

The tests showed that several of these wrinkle creams are worth trying. I was particularly pleased that a couple of my favorite brands, L'Oreal and Olay, made the grade. Still as anyone fighting the battle against saggy skin will attest, no product, however effective, is going to make you look like you're 19 again.

What were the rest of the brands tried, you ask? You have to subscribe to Consumer Reports online or buy the October 2009 issue to find out. I got a copy of the magazine and here's the list of the "slightly more effective" products, the ones that were found to smooth wrinkles somewhat better than the rest. The operative word here is "slightly."

L'Oreal Paris Dermo-Expertise Revitalift Double Lifting Eye, $41.34

Nivea Visage Anti-Rides Q10 Plus, $33.84

Dr. Brandt Lineless, $60

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Booster Eye Transforming Cream, $20

Over 2,999 couples from all over the U.S. were eager to be married at the 99-Cent Only Store at 5270 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on 9/9/09. Nine couples were chosen by random draw and now they've said their I-do's and paid their buck!