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

Families Ditch Cars for Cargo Bikes by Laura Moser
The Hoverman family lives in a ritzy neighborhood with a luxury, Audi SUV. They have it all, seemingly. But one thing that sets them apart is that they avoid driving on the weekends. Instead, they opt for “cargo bikes,” which allow for the whole family to ride in comfort and still be eco-friendly. What a great idea!

Nearly a third of savers have less than $1,000 for retirement by Vaishali Gauba
The statistic might shock you: a significant minority has little to speak of for retirement. Of the total sample population for the survey, 57 percent had less than $25,000 saved. This absence of wealth could be exceptionally difficult for future comfort, livelihood. But beyond the basic stats, I must caution readers that the solution isn’t as simple as saving more. The problem is that people are not paid enough to save enough. Then, and only then, people can be better directed to plan for retirement. Their immediate needs must be met first.

The Three Rules of Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness by The Frugal Farmer
Laurie’s a prepper. She has been storing food and goods for whatever financial straits she might find. In this enlightened article, she addresses three types of self-sufficiency: physical, financial, and spiritual.

Google launches its own mobile network by Chris Welch
This is tremendous news for all cell phone subscribers. Google has entered the cell phone network market. Now, they’re doing more than just building the operating systems and contributing to hardware development. With Google’s Project Fi, users can switch seamlessly between providers (Sprint and T-Mobile) across the world. Wherever there’s wi-fi, the phone defaults there, and then pops up to cell towers when you leave that area. Plus, the phone will work internationally, too. The best part — the frugal part — is that the monthly fee is $20 plus $10 per GB of data. If you don’t use your entire allotment, you actually get paid back as credit!

To fight income inequality, tell your friends how much you make by Meredith Bennett-Smith
It might sound counterintuitive, but income inequality calls for drastic measures! Despite this being the 21st century, there’s great income inequality between races, genders, and social classes. One author is advocating that people of all stratums rise up and say how much they earn. The hope is that people will be able to get an accurate and fair assessment of what they should be paid.