Just a few months back, before it became so ridiculously cold, I bought a gorgeous purple coat in a consignment shop. It was a designer coat, in perfect shape, and I swear it should’ve cost about $1,000. But for $150 I bought what had been someone else's coat, and put some additional dollars in her pocket.Selling used stuff isn't new, but it's the hot thing right now — especially since everyone is worried about their 401(k)s or how to balance out what you spent on holiday gifts without going into debt.

So it's come to this: either give carmakers some pocket money to buy them some time or they might just collapse. To help out, the White House is looking at a $15 billion plan that would provide loans — don't worry, it's not free money — to get them into next year. But aside from this longer-term help, the real issue is that they need cash now.

When I heard about this appalling scandal that has cost a lot of people a lot of money recently, I said to myself, "This is why America must come together, to use the power of 'we' and not just 'me.'"

Every day seemingly brings new examples of penny wise, pound foolish behavior. I think the steady stream of bad economic news is making us all a little nuts.

Up until the last couple of days, I was sure that the economy and its sad, sad shape occupied the top spot on Barack Obama's worry list as President-elect. That pesky Illinois Governor seems to have knocked Obama off-message and off-stride, but I'm hoping he'll get his attention back to where it needs to be for the millions who voted for him -- and for the ones who didn't vote for him, as well.

Welcome to the End of the Year! That magical time when it's recommended that you begin looking at your finances in preparation for the new year and tax time. But, if you're anything like me, you'd rather spend that time watching 30 Rock reruns and behaving as if the IRS is in some building next to Narnia. Unfortunately the IRS is a real place. I've actually seen it with my own eyes and received a letter from them about owing them a surprising amount of money that I quickly had framed after I came to of course.

Today I took half day off to play hookey and go shopping with my parents. Shopping for ME which is the best kind. Between my birthday and Christmas in the next two weeks and the fact that I never take my Mom up on her offer to shop led to the perfect storm of taking today to hit the stores. Much like everyone else I have had to cut way back on spending (even beyond the whole new freelancer thing) so I didn't take the afternoon as a carte blanche. Instead I took my hardcore list of clothes and other items I either needed or truly wanted and pretty much stuck to it.

It's amazing how the financial crisis is starting to affect people you know ... A friend who works for NBC told me recently that people there were getting pink slips. And, she noted, it happened last year at this same time. Not a great way to go into the holidays, is it? But get this: It took a couple days before I read this news in the newspapers. Talk about using your friends to stay ahead of the curve. That's a perfect example of how -- just by talking to others and connecting online-- you can get real info to help you make real decisions.

This won’t help our struggling retailers much, but this is the year to rethink the traditional holiday gift. In past years, holiday charity happened the old-fashioned way, with Salvation Army bell-ringers jingling and red tin cans jangling. We'd toss the coins into the cans and head into the mall to drop the cash on the counter. But more than ever, I really think this should be a “giving” holiday. Rather than buying stuff for the people who have everything, buy for those who are really in need.

At a conference the other day, I asked two women how they felt about the U.S. auto industry bailout. It was like watching the presidential debates. One said, "Yeah, we've gotta have it!" The other said: "Bailout? Why do they need a bailout?"

I sit and type this while my email inbox is deluged with sale notifications: Buy one sweater get one free! 30% off already markdown prices! 40% off! Deepest Discounts ever! All of J. Crew is FREE! Meanwhile every other commercial on television is for $17 diamond baubles because if you weren't buying diamonds before this recession then clearly NOW is the time to stock up. And if I see another blaring ad for ridiculously low prices only between 6 and 7 AM on Black Friday, my eyes are going to pop right out due to extreme pressure thanks to incredulity.

We're one week away from the busiest travel day of the year and the official start of what many consider to be "The Holiday Season" (Thanksgiving through New Years encompassing all the different holiday traditions in between). The holidays are synonymous with stress and spending. In this year's more uncertain economy some people are feeling the pinch more than ever. Even if you're experiencing relatively smooth sailing in your own circumstance, the global reality check we are experiencing is a fine time for everyone to adopt a more conscious mindset when it comes to our choices.