For consumers who can’t afford to pay for medications, the struggle can be literally a matter of life or death.

NEW YORK — Interest rates aren't budging anytime soon. That means it's time to rethink your financial strategy.

WASHINGTON — I continue to debate with people about the purpose of college.

CHICAGO — Despite the best of intentions, retirees tend to make the same money mistakes over and over and over again.

If your desire for home ownership is growing, and you’ve been furiously saving for that 20 percent down payment, you may want to take a moment to reconsider.

The conventional wisdom is that allowances make children responsible money managers as they learn to budget so they don’t run out of cash.

Nearly 14 million people are unemployed in the United States. While some of them have savings and family to support them, others are struggling. If you wish to reach out and help those hurt by the weak economy, here are five ways to lend a hand.

We know, we know: Timing is everything. But when it comes to being a smart shopper, the old adage is especially true. Knowing when retailers will mark down the items you need and want can translate into serious savings. Not to mention that you’ll look like some sort of psychic shopping genius.

When it comes to talking to kids about money, most parents say thanks, but no thanks, according to numerous surveys. Many even admit they would rather broach the subjects of sex and drugs than discuss the almighty dollar. Who can blame them? Biology and chemistry can be so much easier to comprehend and explain than the engine that drives our capitalist economy.

Although higher education seems to be, for the most part, saved from the federal chopping block during congressional budget negotiations, it’s more important than ever for savvy college students to spend wisely on their education, according to Derrick Kinney, a personal finance expert who has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and Money Magazine. To pursue a degree without breaking the bank, Kinney recommends following these guidelines:

Normally, when your kids hear something about a double dip, they’re thinking ice cream cones with a swirl on top. But this summer, they might have been hearing another meaning: A second round of the recession.

Everyone wants to go to Disney. (Except for my old co-worker who ranted on and on about how evil Disney was. But she's the exception. Everyone else wants to go, right?) I go often, as in every six weeks or so. I'm gaga for Disney, but I also have two small kids and I'm a single mother. Disney is the cheapest vacation I can find.

At my kid's talent show, a sibling team sang that great Irving Berlin song "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" from the musical Annie Get Your Gun. (Got it in your head yet?) Well, it was a cute act, and we all enjoyed it, but it got me thinking about the idea of competing for cheapness. I just changed out the word "better" for "cheaper" and voila, instant competition.

Waste not want not: Well, maybe we could all "want" a bit more in our tax refund check, but wisely using this cash fulfills the "waste not" portion of this maxim.

It seems chicken has been super cheep — ha, ha — the last few weeks. Take advantage and freeze what you buy. Chicken keeps best in the package it comes in and can stay frozen up to a year.

Every year it seems that college costs go up, the number of applications topples last year's highs and acceptance rates continue to plummet. Is there really anything new happening in the college admissions world?

I consider myself frugal on some things (home design) and a wasteful spender on other things (food, for example). Just today I ran into yet another situation where spending money would have been justified, but I simply refused. When all four kitchen table chairs broke, most people would have relented and bought some new ones, or at least hit the thrift stores for a used set. Not me.

Just because everyone is broke doesn't mean we should all hibernate in our houses and never have fun again. While we wait out this economy, there are still plenty of entertaining things to do that don't cost a dime. It's time to get out there and do them.

Some fat envelopes (college acceptance letters) have already arrived and many more will soon be mailed. While the congratulations may have died down, the reality of paying for next year's college education has hit home with many families.

Have you heard the roar of the Tiger Mom? The new book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" (available from Amazon) has gotten moms—frugal or not—buzzing about the value of kids' activities, including piano lessons. Who could forget the story of the daughter at the piano, playing "The Little White Donkey," in author Amy Chua's article for The Wall Street Journal?

Did you make use of your company's flexible spending account option in 2010? Have you spent all that you socked away? The deadline for spending those funds is quickly approaching.

Now that winter is coming to a close, what better way to welcome spring than to get rid of the old drab and bring in the new fab!

The customs and weather that accompany springtime are ripe with opportunities to save money and enjoy the season. Here are a few ways in which you can simultaneously achieve both:

Look at any key ring these days and you'll see how quickly store loyalty cards have grown in popularity.

Gas prices are soaring closer to $100 a barrel as trouble pours out of the Middle East. It looks like transportation is going to cost us plenty for at least the near future, but there are ways to cut back on costs. Follow the following 10 frugal fuel-consumption tips so you won't have to leave the gas pump with a half-empty tank.

We've all had cheeseburgers before (some of us way more than others, right)? Have you ever really considered your burger; I mean taken a good hard look at it and given it the consideration of how it is just a like your money? You haven't? Well, don't worry, I have.

The cost of a package of ground beef increased from about $1 to more than $3 within a few weeks, one mom recently complained to me.

If you're willing to put up with a little bit of advertising the pay-off could be free long-distance and international calls from your home phone or cell phone with the help of a service called phone2phone.

If you have reached the point where you want to actively deal with whatever lurks in your closets, Jessica Waters of In Perfect Order has some good suggestions.

Some of the best money-saving tips in the garden were sent in by readers of this column. Thanks to the experienced gardeners who always have known you can have a green thumb without a lot of green in the wallet.

KENNEWICK, Wash. There are several references in the Bible regarding the phrase "man shall not live by bread alone."

BOSTON — Nearly all of us have spare change piling up in a jar or piggy bank, or accumulating beneath the couch cushions. But $7,000 worth?

GREENBELT, Md. — Jarratt Hughes and Marcia Harris splurged last year on a birthday party for one of their eight children. A show at Medieval Times dinner theater — complete with a four-course meal, Hollywood special effects and a jousting tournament — cost $500 for the whole family.

We know your budget is tight, but great style doesn't have to have a big price tag.

The tax man comes around, even in the worst of economic times. So it's time to review year-end tax tips. We've got a rundown of IRS changes from last year, and friendly advice for avoiding audits.

Columbia Crest 2005 Two Vines Chardonnay, Washington, $8