Sometimes it pays to be a little crazy. I went through a period of extreme frugality in my life (living in my office, showering at a gym, no bank account, etc). It's not something I want to repeat again. Group showers aren't exactly my thing. That being said, for the truly ambitious penny pincher, these 7 tips could come in handy.

Oh, a note to single guys: this list could also be titled, "7 ways to make sure you never get a date". So, you've been warned.

1. The 60 second shower

It's just like being in the military again, only you get to now shower in the comfort of your own home! Lather up, rinse, enjoy the last 10 seconds. Done! Not only do you save on hot water, you just freed up 9 more minutes in your morning routine.

2. Flush less

"If it's brown, flush it down. If it’s yellow, let it mellow" - I think I first saw this phrase in an episode of "Six Feet Under". If you haven't gotten what I'm talking about here... just keep thinking about it. Or not. Let’s move on...

3. Become a "freegan"

The freegan movement has become more and more popular in the last decade. The word itself comes from "free" (duh) and "vegan". It's like a super hard core really cheap vegan. Basically, living as a freegan, you try to consume what other people waste. Dumpster diving, um, er, I mean "Waste Reclamation" is popular among freegans. Wedding crashing (for the food) or attending a lecture at your local college where food is served (for free) could work as well.

4. Live in your car

Want a truly mobile lifestyle? Ditch your overpriced apartment and live in your car. Make sure to move your car at least every few nights to a different part of town. Staying too long in one place will arouse suspicion and perhaps a call from a not so happy home-dweller to the police

5. Unplug everything

Not using the fridge? Unplug it. TV? Unplug. Computer? Unplug. Nearly all electronic devices drain small amounts of electricity even when plugged in. So go unplug everything.

6. Move off the grid

Do you think Adam and Eve had to buy groceries? Of course not. Living off the grid could eliminate your housing bill, electricity, cell phone, internet, cable, Netflix, gas, car... the list goes on and on. You can even pick up a home for your off-grid lifestyle for $500. And that's the nicer version.

7. Sell your car

Do you really need it? Really? No car equals no insurance bill, no more complaining about gas prices. And plus, the bus can be a fun (aka, crazy) way to meet new people. Note, if you're living in your car, unless you want to go off grid, don't do this one!

As I said, these are all slightly crazy ways to be frugal. There are plenty of more practical ways to save money, but they aren't nearly as fun. When you have grandkids, don't you want to tell them your crazy stories about how you saved money?

One of the most popular gifts this holiday season will be video game consoles, leading to one of the most popular reasons for missing Christmas dinner being "but I'm only 300 points away from the next level!"

The holidays bring out the purchasing in everyone, or so the major video game companies hope.

Traditionally, November and December have been good to Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, and the success of famous consoles like the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Playstation 2 can attest to the holiday hand-over-fist moneymaking. But this year might be different. There have been some fears that an economic depression and suddenly-frugal shoppers might put a damper on 2008's holiday numbers.

Surely, there will not be a shortage of options for video game connoisseurs. The three main competitors in the video game market each have their own console out for sale: Microsoft's XBox 360, Sony's Playstation 3, and Nintendo's Wii.

You already have a Wii, right?

The Wii has a distinct advantage over the other two systems, and no, I am not just talking about Mario Kart. But I will if you ask. The Wii's advantage is its family-friendly style and games. With a revolutionary motion-sensing controller, the Wii is completely unlike anything else on the market.

Throw in the accessibility and ease of games like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Super Mario Galaxy, as well as the word-of-mouth popularity of the system itself, and it's easy to see why the Wii stands apart from the rest of the video game competition.

The real battle: 360 vs. PS3

So where the real battle will be this holiday season is between the serious-gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony. The XBox 360 and Playstation 3 cater to more hardcore gamers who enjoy their graphics rich and their games intense. The processing power of the two machines dwarfs that of the Wii, so consumers who are looking for a powerful, beautiful video game experience most often come looking for an XBox or PS3.

Deciding between the two used to be as difficult as the final level of Final Fantasy XII (or so I've heard), but Microsoft made the decision at least a little easier with a recent change to its Xbox product. Can you find the difference by looking at the system specs?

The Specs

XBox 360
Memory: Lots
Graphics: Really good
Game library: Practically infinite
Price: $199

Playstation 3
Memory: Tons
Graphics: Pretty sweet
Game library: More than enough
Price: $399

If you said "price," you are correct. If you said anything else, you should probably just go buy yourself a Wii.

The price drop from Microsoft gave the XBox a significant advantage in the console war with Playstation. The base models of each system are now $200 apart, with the PS3 coming in at twice the price of the XBox. Those numbers are hard for a consumer to ignore, especially at times like these.

Of course, the price tag alone can be misleading. Sony sells its product as if you know what you're getting: 80GB hard drive, Blu-ray DVD player, name recognition. A Blu-ray player alone costs $300, so the final price on the PS3 could be seen as a relative steal.

But the problem for Sony is that consumers aren't seeing a steal when they look at the price. They're seeing a significantly cheaper alternative in the Xbox.

The 360 will be the winner this season

Microsoft's system is on par with the PS3 in virtually every other gaming category except price. And while it might cost more money for basic XBox users to match the feature list of the basic PS3, the initial payment to purchase the console is all that people are really noticing. As far as most video game purchasers are concerned, the Xbox and the PS3 are too much alike. They are essentially the same product made by different companies. Where previous iterations of video game consoles used to have exclusivity for game titles, pretty much every game worth having is now available on almost any console worth having. There simply is not enough difference between the two.

Sony would like to believe that its Blu-ray DVD player would provide enough incentive to make consumers pony up the extra $200. So far, it isn't happening. Most people in the market for a video game machine are looking for a machine that plays video games, not one that makes Hope Floats look absolutely stunning. Saving $200 on an XBox is simply a better alternative for those anxious to buy a next-generation gaming console. The cost-benefit analysis on that is basic Microeconomics 101.

The obvious solution would be to drop the price of the PS3. Obvious, however, does not appear to be on Sony's holiday to-do list.

Right now, price is King. Blu-ray isn't enough.

Sony executives have stood firm that the $399 price of the PS3 will remain through the holiday season, despite evidence that it is seriously hurting the bottom line for the company. Microsoft's XBox has widened its lead over the Playstation since Microsoft dropped its price, and if the trend continues during the busiest shopping time of year, Sony can say good-bye to the console battle.

The battle will be over, and if Sony isn't careful, it may lose the war, too.

This year's Halloween seems to be all tricks and no treat for most investors. Stocks have taken a beating in October, leaving many investors wondering "What now?". The markets are downright spooky right now, spookier than clowns. I hate clowns.

So, what can you do?

1. Be creative and get frugal with your Halloween costume this year. I once brought a box of cereal and a knife as my costume (I was a "cereal killer").
2. Make sure that to avoid these truly scary mistakes with your investments.

1. Investing only in "cool" stocks

In case you didn't notice, it's not 1999 anymore. When my friends discuss stocks (which is pretty rare, although more common lately), someone will without a doubt name drop a hot tech stock. I hate this.

Just because you own a few shares of Dell (down 52% this year) or Yahoo! (down 50%) or Apple (down 53%) doesn't make you cool. It just makes you un-diversified and ignorant about asset allocation. Don't name-drop tech stocks. It's really not cool. Don't only own tech.

2. Not taking advantage of free money

There may be no such thing as a "free lunch"... but there are plenty of opportunities for free money in your investment portfolio. Many companies offer 401K matching, reduced company stock purchases and more ways to get "free money".

3. Buying on a "tip"

Stock "tips" are for suckers. Any "tip" you hear on the street is either

1. already known by people with way more money than you.
2. complete bull, made up by people with probably less money than you.
3. insider information that you can't trade on anyway.

4. Too much company stock

When you're able to purchase stock in your employer at a significant discount, you should do it. Otherwise, you need to diversify away from your company and its industry. If you get laid off, not only is your stock probably down, now you're out of a job.

5. Panic selling

Just remember this: Every time you sell, someone else is on the other end of that sale, buying. What are they thinking? Are they panicking? Set specific stop losses or specific dates for selling parts of your investments. Don't sell on fear or emotion.

6. Not auto-investing

Make your investments automatic. Don't try and time the market. Nearly every broker or mutual fund worth its salt will let you auto-invest. Do it.

7. Blindly following a bozo broker

Do you know how your broker is paid? Find out. Don't leave your money in the hands of someone you doesn't have your best interests at heart. Unscrupulous stock brokers will be looking for scared money right now and will promise the world. Don't fall for a bozo!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Mistakes in day trading can be downright brutal, and no amount of "Hail Mary"s can save a trading account when you commit these sins. How do I know? I committed them all.

With the new Lending Club secondary market open for trading, you're now able to trade your loan notes on a liquid marketplace.

Just make sure you avoid these 7 sins. The eternal future of your financial soul may well depend on it!

1. Over-leveraging

Over-leveraging can happen in multiple ways. First, with a margin account you can double or even 4x your purchasing power for intra-day trading. What really gets you in trouble isn't the leverage, it's when you try to quadruple your entire account on one trade. Use margin wisely, and never bet the farm on one trade, let alone the farm plus 3 other farms you don't even own!

2. No trading plan

Always have a trading plan! Just following "your gut" will lead to emotional trading, the fastest way to becoming another day-trading washout. Test or paper-trade a methodology for a few months before employing it in your live account.

3. Not tracking losses

I always logged my really good trades. My really bad ones? Somehow those ones never seemed to make it into my trading journal.

Always track your gains and losses to the penny! Don't forget commission and/or transaction costs. Most online brokers now offer free or cheap gains/losses tracking. In fact, paste a weekly profit/loss log to your bathroom mirror each week!

4. Not sleeping enough

Would you try and run a marathon on a few hours of sleep? Of course not. Don't try and trade on a few hours of sleep either! Especially for west coast traders, trading on little sleep is common. Get a full night's sleep so that you are alert and ready to make any quick decisions on a trade.

5. Borrowing money to day trade

What's the fastest way to lose money day trading? It's trading scared. When you're borrowing money to trade, you're trading with money you can't afford to lose. If you're going to miss your mortgage payment unless your next trade goes well, it's time to get some help.

6. Watching TV for trade ideas

I would not recommend watching or even having the TV on while you are trading. Once the trading day is over, sure, flip it on. But while you're trading, paying too much attention to a given show, however financially authoritative you might think it is, can seriously alter your trading routine. Stick to your plan, and avoid being influenced by any talking head on the tube.

7. Trading the unknown

If you don't understand it, don't trade it. I jumped into too many high-risk trading vehicles (options, Forex, etc.) because I had some limited success in stocks. Needless to say, I got killed. Avoid trading anything you don't understand, or that makes you lose sleep at night! (see mistake #4!)

What mistakes have you made with your investments?

In high school, I learned how to balance a paper checkbook. It was the year 2000, and it was a complete and utter waste of time. I was an Internet savvy, “I want things now” type of kid, and I wanted my finances to be real-time savvy as well. The last few years of Web 2.0 goodness have brought a number of financial apps that I now cannot live without. My desires for instant financial analysis online have been realized.

While our government may not be able to manage its financial health, with these 7 free finance applications managing your own money online has never been easier.

1. Rudder

“Set it and forget it”

Formerly SpendView, Rudder really shines with its email notifications. Once you've linked your accounts, a daily update is sent with recent transactions and any upcoming bills. If you like "set it and forget it" financial management, Rudder's for you.

2. Wesabe

“The Disneyland of money management”

Are you a savvy financial newbie? Does just the thought of a budget make you shudder? If so, you need to check out the groups over at Wesabe. For newcomers to financial management online, these groups are a money Disneyland... everyone is helpful and there is no trash anywhere.

Wesabe analyzes your spending using a semi-automated tagging method. Once you've "tagged" a few months of your transactions (auto downloaded from your accounts), there is little maintenance work to do.

3. Geezeo

“You've got a text! It's your bank balance.”

My favorite feature of Geezeo is their SMS mobile update. If you've ever wondered in a checkout line what your bank balance is, this feature is for you. You send a short text to Geezeo and it replies back in 10 seconds with your account balances (Sweet, looks like I can get that "US Weekly" after all. What!? Jessica is still dating Tony Romo? Crap...).

4. Mint

“We're beautiful.”

Mint is easy on the eyes. Large charts and beautiful graphs make creating a budget and tracking your expenses a semi work of digital art. Mint is all about "alerts". You can link your phone to your Mint account and receive text alerts if you get hit with a bank fee or have a transaction over $1000. It's all customizable and you can be set up, alerts and all, in about 10 minutes.

5. NetworthIQ

“Your life as a balance sheet”

While the above apps have been about your income and expenses, NetworthIQ is all about your balance sheet. Sure, you could be making 20K a month but if you're a million in debt... you still have a long way to financial freedom.

At NetworthIQ you can see how your assets (cash, investments etc.) and your liabilities (mortgage, car loan and credit card debt) affect your personal balance sheet. You can also enter your occupation, age and other factors to compare your Net Worth with your peers.

6. Jabplite

“A stand-alone finance app for your phone”

It will work on a wide range of devices including Symbian phones and Blackberries. For the mobile warrior who wants to keep financial data local and close to the pocket, Jabplite is the little free program for you.

7. Tabjab

“I'll split the tab.”

What's the cost of two months of cable, a month of the water, a month of electricity, and that pizza from last week total up to? Now, divided by 4?

Splitting bills can be messy, complicated and emotionally annoying. Tabjab makes bill splitting simple. For the college student sharing a house with 4 others, to that friend that always picks up the tab to split later, this service is for you. Don't get shafted with the bill anymore.

Special Bonus! Even more cool stuff

The following aren't apps for managing your money, but they will help you save it, or learn more about your finances.

Fatwallet

“We're cheap and darn proud of it.”

My wallet is thin, but I still love Fatwallet. Not technically an app, Fatwallet is an online community fanatic about saving money on purchases. The forums are absolute gold when it comes to free stuff (I just free movie screening tickets!), discounts, hot deals, coupons and more.

RetailMeNot

“Coupons gone Web 2.0 wild”

If a store has a coupon, it's probably listed at RetailMeNot. With a user-generated system to track coupons and promo codes that are no longer working, you'll never get stuck with a bad code again. Check this site out before you shop anywhere online.

Good Reads

Check out these oldies but goodies from the blog:

• Reduce your spending, Britney Spears style
• Four easy ways to clean up your finances
• All cash budgeting
• Obsessed with your budget? Try these tips
• What type of personality is your budget?