The headlines for various projects and challenges to eat on a small food budget always slurp me in with their titillation, the gauntlet-throwing, and immediately I ask myself: could I do it? The answer always disappoints, because I'm either doing it already or find the challenge so impossible it's meaningless. Eating on $1 a day per person?

The term "frugalista" may be trademarked, but frugality is so hip the practice deserves a new, rights-free term. Let's call ourselves the "frugalite," as in, "frugal" and "elite." Or call it "thrift store chic."

We may be doing this because of the recession, but baby? Frugal is the new awesome.

The frugal run the gamut from the truly extreme (counting toilet paper squares, re-using plastic wrap, making your own laundry detergent) to the practical environmentalist (biking instead of driving, fixing old appliances and furniture instead of buying, re-using glass jars and plastic bags) to the hipster broke artsy (making hats out of holey sweaters and wedding gowns out of plastic newspaper bags).

Wherever you fall on the spectrum, however, it's clear that frugality has had a resurgence of the sort not seen since the Great Depression.

Americans won't be spending as much this holiday season due to continued worry about their finances, according to new research. The Discover Spending Monitor found that 56% of Americans rated the economy as "poor" in October, a 4% increase over September. In addition, 46% said the economy is getting worse, a 3% increase over September.

Overall, women are more worried about the economy than men. In October, the percentage of women who rated the economy as "poor" shot up by nine points to 58%, while the number of men calling the economy poor actually dropped from 54% in September to 53% in October.

This holiday, visions of sugar plums won't dance in the heads of nearly half of America's kids. That's because a new report says these kids might not be sitting down to a holiday feast. Or those who are sitting down to a holiday meal, they will be "feasting" on a paltry one.

"49% of all U.S. children will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point during their childhood," says the author of a new study, Mark R. Rank, Ph.D., poverty expert at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. A sign Rank says is a clear indication of poverty and food insecurity. "Two of the most detrimental economic conditions affecting a child's health."

Last week it was Pamela Anderson. Now, there's news that the recession has affected another one of the entertainment world's shiniest stars. Rapper Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, has confessed he's lost "a few million" of his estimated $442 million estate.

A move that's prompted his sharing some financial tips.

In 1999 the American Association for Retired People officially changed its name to AARP to avoid the misconception that it was only for retired persons. Since that time, it has vigorously pursued baby boomers as they enter their golden years.

Now, the association seems to be reaching even further down the ages, all the way to young people interested in gaining financial wisdom, by unveiling a new Web site, LifeTuner.

LifeTuner is "an online personal finance community site born out of a growing recognition that young adults need to take a much more active role than previous generations in planning and preparing for their own financial security."

The site contains the usual personal finance background information, calculators and other tools, expert Q&A and a community section where users can engage with one another. Like most AARP products, it seems well thought out and professional, and will probably be as good a resource as any for young people who want to start down the road of financial independence.

In an attempt to stem the tide of fleeing residents in an economic downturn, landlords across the US are showering tenants with gifts that include everything from flat-screen TVs to cash in the hope of encouraging them to renew their leases, writes the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

In a jobless recovery, they're hoping to avoid the expense of filling empty units. In the third quarter, the national apartment-vacancy rate hit 7.8%, a 23-year high, according to Reis Inc., which tracks vacancies and rents in the top 79 markets.

And rising unemployment is forcing some out-of-work tenants to seek ways to cut costs, including getting a roommate, moving home with Mom and Dad or trading down to a cheaper apartment. Owners are focusing on keeping existing tenants because when apartments become vacated they can sit empty for months and often require marketing, painting, brokerage commissions and other expenses to attract new tenants.

Denver-based UDR is offering renewing tenants a flat-screen TV, new carpet, kitchen upgrade or $300 in cash, according to the WSJ. In New York City, landlords are paying broker fees, too. Equity Residential in New York says it has paid about $1.5 million in such commissions so far this year.

"Many companies are doing whatever they can to keep units occupied, especially heading into the seasonally slower leasing period," Paula Poskon, an analyst with Robert W. Baird & Co., told the WSJ.

You'd think any fast-food chain would have taken a lesson from KFC and the Great Free Chicken Fiasco of 2009 and avoid offering customers an outrageous deal via the Internet, where word of just about anything -- good or bad -- can spread faster than greased lightning.

Nevertheless, Boston Market stepped into similar pile of fowl doo-doo last week when it offered its loyal customers a coupon for a $1 chicken entree via its Web site. While not free, it was still one hen of a deal. For $1, diners got a choice of a quarter white or 3-piece dark chicken dinner, along with mashed potatoes and cornbread. Vegetables weren't part of the deal.

The next time a cashier asks you if you'd like to save 10% instantly just by applying for a shiny new piece of plastic with the store's name on it, think twice before saying yes. The real motive might just be to pad her own paycheck instead of saving you a little coin.

Everything might not be better

Their TV ads feature the late Bob Hope in a Santa hat saying "Everything's better at Macy's..." But "better" might not be "best" for your holiday budget.

When she worked as a manager at Macy's, Jennifer Krosche was offered some great employee incentives. " Macy's would pay employees $5 in Macy's money, which we could only use in the store, for every new Macy's charge card application we'd get," says Krosche, explaining that the store would run promotions by which employees could net bonuses. "Other times, it was $5 in "Macy's Bucks" for every three to five new accounts."

Looking for an early Halloween "treat"? Chocolatiers think you deserve one. In celebration of National Chocolate Day confectioners are giving away their delicious sweet treats. Willy Wonka would be so pleased.

Here's how to get your free bite today:

• The Village Fudge & Candy Shoppe in Concord, N.C. is offering customers a Buy One Get One free on all chocolates.All Wrapped Up by Village Fudge in the Concord Mills Mall, Concord, N.C. is also joining in on the giveaway fun.
• If every day is National Chocolate Day in your house, join the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club. One of the perks: One free piece of chocolate each month.
• Can't make it to the candy store? Try your luck winning free chocolate. Asher's Chocolates gives away free chocolates once a month to one random participant of their online chocolate survey.

Experts caution this American "holiday" could backfire. "We have to remember that everything should be eaten in moderation," says women's health expert, Dr. Marie Savard. So if you choose to celebrate today, don't over-indulge your sweet tooth.

Sound off. What's your preference milk or dark chocolate? Why?

In a seemingly Scrooge-like move, Hollywood studios may soon restrict newly released DVDs to sales-only for several weeks before allowing them to be available for rental from places such as Netflix, Blockbuster or your local video store.

Keen on reversing the trend of falling DVD sales and dwindling revenues, movie studios are considering such plans that would likely begin next year, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing people close to situation at several studios. And what does DVD-by-mail giant Netflix have to say about it?

It seems not all industries are suffering from the recession. Even though Americans are paying less on everything from hotel rooms to holiday gifts, and small businesses are fighting to hang on to their dwindling credit, the recession-inspired rollback theme hasn't quite made it to the long-term health care industry.

According to the MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs, private room nursing home rates rose 3.3% to a whopping $219 a day, or $79,935 per year. Quite a hike.

Assisted living costs also surged ahead by 3.3% to $3,131 per month.

Home health care aides also got a raise. Currently, they're pulling in an average $21 per hour, up 5%.

Despite the gloomy news that Americans are shelling out fewer bucks on Halloween paraphernalia (approximately $10 less per person), analysts say we're still spending. Estimates put Halloween at a $437 billion-a-year industry.

And most of the average $56.31 that each of us is pouring into the season is being funneled toward spooky, sexy and silly costumes.

Some will be cute. Others frightful. But celebrities -- or at least their pint-sized alter egos -- are what analysts are forecasting as most likely to land at your doorstep this Saturday. With celebrity-related masks, make-up and mustaches flying off store shelves, neighborhood streets will be transformed into red -- err, orange and black -- carpets this Halloween.

This week Intuit released Quicken 2010, the latest update to the popular Quicken line of personal finance software.

Included in the release are several features and enhancements to provide a better user experience in Quicken 2010 as well as an easy-to-use conversion tool to help Microsoft Money users convert to Quicken 2010.

Of the enhancements and upgrades to Quicken, customers will appreciate the following five features that will make using and sticking with Quicken 2010 easier.

• Faster setup -- New three-step guide gets you up and running faster than before.
• Simplified navigation -- Easier access to the tools you want to use.
• At a glance homepage -- All of your important info on one page; saving spending and bills.
• Automatic categorization -- Transactions are now automatically added to the right category -- saving you time.
• Easier to use -- More welcoming to new users and provides customization.