There's a good reason we call our currency funny money and it's not because it usually makes us laugh. Like Eskimos and snow, we have many words for it because it's important in our culture. Moolah, dough, bread, Benjamins...however you stack your paper, chances are you have some mixed feelings about bean counting. In order to take control of your finances (and if you're broke like us, it's probably about time), you need to do a little bit of that head shrinking business. Whether on your own, with professional help, or with your support network, get to thinking hard about how you to relate the old smackaroos.

Life can be expensive. Every bum has those months where just a bit (or a whole lot) more cash goes out than comes in. Lately, it might even have happened somewhat regularly. Oops. It may seem easy to get through those times by swiping the old plastic, but be very aware of how much action that magnetic strip is getting. Spending a hundred dollars on a credit card is an easy feat. Sometimes, charging things can be a saving grace or just not a big deal. Other times it can be a disaster. Of course, you want your plastic to be fantastic. Do you know what you're doing?

I was very excited when Rent.Food.Broke. contacted me about writing an article for them about saving money on groceries. I know Rent.Food.Broke focuses on staying under a $10 limit. Well, I spend about $10 a week on groceries for each per person in my family. Yep, that's right, just $50 a week for my family of five. This includes all our food, diapers, toiletries and paper goods. If you'd like, you can check out my most recent shopping trip.

Some days it's hard being a bum. Your friends chatter on about fabulous vacations and you're only able to chime in with the details of your last excursion to In'n'Out. LA is a fantastic city, but sometimes you long for so much more. So here's what we say at RFB: fake it! Although Europe may be out of your league right now, don't sweat it. Who wants to be stuck because some volcano exploded anyway? First on our list of cheap day trips is San Diego. Only two hours by car, this coastal city is a quick get-away with lots of fun to offer.

If you are considering a Masters or PhD, you need to get realistic about the costs of application and attendance. It's definitely not cheap. However, the beauty of making a list of expenses is that you may be able to find someone else to pay for them, or, at the very least, find places to cut corners. If you're smart enough for grad school, you better be smart enough to get prepared.

It's New Year's again and everyone is in a tizzy making big night out plans. You might not like to hear it, but New Year's is amateur night. People drop crazy amounts of cash to party with lightweights who don't know their limits. Drunk drivers abound, everything costs double, and who wants to kiss the weirdo stranger? I'm not bitter, just stating the obvious. Here are some suggestions for a more low-key celebration.

Even a bum needs a cozy place to live. Although the two milk crates and a cardboard box thing is tres chic, you may be ready to try a whole new look. Even on a tight budget, there are tons of pieces available if you're willing to search. Cheap furniture here you come!

It's that time of year again. Merchants hope to hear the cha-ching of your hard-earned cash being handed over so you can curry favor and avoid guilt. By now everyone has heard the news about jobs being cut and salaries reduced, so feel justified in playing into the general tightfisting. Giving cheaper gifts is a bit trickier because they usually require more hunting down, but we've decided to help you out. Here are some tips for high fun/low pain gift giving.

Budgeting isn't just about setting arbitrary "I think I will spend this" numbers, making it balance and letting it ride, thinking that you are now in control of your money. You need to track your expenses on a daily basis, and the most important task is analyzing what those numbers are telling you at the end of the month, and taking action on what they're telling you. Here is my 10-step process for how to bust out a budget and analyze it at the end of the month, along with some brief guidelines on what you should be aiming for.