Today I wanted to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eye this week. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

Do You Give Money to Panhandlers? by J. Money
This is an important, age-old question that J. addresses. Should you give money to panhandlers and homeless people? What happens when you do and how will others think about the decision?

Human civilisation ‘will collapse’ unless greed culture is stopped, report warns by Andrew Hough
Unfortunately, our reckless abandon and consumption of natural resources is hurting us all. This recent Telegraph article highlights how our consumption and luxury cultures/needs push us careening down an unstoppable path of climate change. We need to reduce what we use for more reasons than our budget — it’s about everyone’s well-being.

What 2,000 Calories Looks Like by Josh Barro, Troy Griggs, David Leonhardt, & Claire Miller
It might surprise you to see this New York Times story about calories in food in a list of frugal articles. Incredibly, when you eat out you’re not just spending more money — you’re getting tons more calories. When you make food at home, it’s often healthier and contains fewer calories.

7 Financial Lessons Learned from My Parents’ Debt by Erin M.
I was shocked by this intimate and detailed article focusing on the lessons that one personal finance writer took away from her parents. The most powerful takeaways center on reducing possessions and that “Keeping up with the Joneses” feeling. Well worth a read!