Meat is delicious but it's also expensive and sometimes not the healthiest food on our plate. Judicious buying of lean and cheap cuts, however, can make it both healthy and affordable..

Eating out is a great way to celebrate a special occasion, get together with old friends, go on a date or just for a change of pace. However, eating out can get expensive very fast.

Consignment stores used to be few and far between, but their numbers have grown as more people dig into closets and attics to make ends meet. Some shops are goldmines while others are filled with overpriced junk.

Most retail stores would consider staying in business for just a few days a total failure. But a growing number of merchants are opening overnight shops that appear and disappear within the blink of an eye. These "pop-up shops" essentially are temporary boutiques that pop-up in random locations for a couple days to a week and offer exclusive items.

We've known for some time that children's TV shows advertise foods with sky-high sugar and fat contents. Supermarkets don't make it any easier, placing cereals with the lowest nutrition content within easy reach of short arms. Such marketing devices make it difficult for parents to shop for children along healthy guidelines.

New Year's resolutions aren't all about depriving ourselves of something we love. They also can be about hope: Hope we can live a better life. Research has shown we get a powerful boost in mood by simply making a New Year's resolution.

Post-Christmas holiday racks and make-up counters are filled with what merchants consider to be last-year's style trends and colors for women. Fortunately, these racks often include spring and summer items from the previous years, as women's clothing stores make room for next year's fashions.

Merchants are mobbed between Christmas and New Years by shoppers looking for post-holiday sales. Racks claiming 30 to 50 percent off fill stores as retailers try to off-load overstock items and clear out shelf space for spring merchandise. Clearance prices and special coupons can make purchases very tempting, but what should you buy at this time. Coupon Sherpa offers seven tips to making the most out of these post-holiday sales.

Coupon use is on the rise and so is coupon fraud. From 1986 to 2001, the non-profit Coupon Information Corp. (CIC) reported only two cases of investigated or prosecuted coupon fraud. That figure rose to just nine in 2007. From 2008 to the middle of 2009, 93 such cases were reported and the numbers are expected to rise as the recession drags on.

Rain checks needn't always mean gloomy weather. Coupon Sherpa knows how you can turn these little slips of paper into sunny days for your pocketbook. A rain check is a ticket, coupon or the like, entitling a customer to purchase an out-of-stock item at a later date at the sale price. In essence a rain check is a paper "I.O.U." guaranteeing the same sale price at a later date of the customer's choosing.