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Note

If you don't have health insurance, your situation is more complicated, and sadly there's no such thing as Buying Health Insurance: The Missing Manual. These three articles are a good place to start: http://tinyurl.com/GRSsolo-insurance, http://tinyurl.com/KIPsolo-insurance, and http://tinyurl.com/WSJsolo-insurance.

Another great place to save is at the pharmacy. Here are some ways to cut costs on medications:

Use older remedies. Don't let ads for new drugs fool you: In many cases, the most effective choice is a tried-and-trued medication that's been on the market for years. The drug companies want to sell you the new stuff because they make more money off it.

Buy generic. When a drug's patent expires, other companies can make similar products to compete with the original manufacturer. This increases competition and drives prices down.

Note

Generic drugs are just as good as their name-brand counterparts. The FDA requires that all generics have the same dosage, safety, strength, quality, and performance as the "real thing". You can read more about generics at http://tinyurl.com/FDAgeneric.

Shop around. Don't assume that a given drug will cost the same at different stores. At the Freakonomics blog (http://tinyurl.com/NYTdrugs), Stephen Dubner reports that price differences can be extreme. He cites one case where Walgreens was charging $117 for 90 tablets of generic Prozac while Costco was charging $12.

Look for discounts. Believe it or not, you can find coupons for prescription drugs. Before your next trip to the pharmacy, do a quick Google search for coupons and rebates, or try going to the website for the medication you're interested in.

Consider pill splitting. Because of the way drugs are priced, it's sometimes possible to get a tablet that's twice as strong for the same (or slightly higher) cost as your normal dose. You then simply cut the pill in two before taking it. To learn more about this option, ask your doctor or pharmacist. (You can read more about pill splitting at WebMD: http://tinyurl.com/pill-splitting.)

Think long term. If you use maintenance drugs (like blood-pressure medication) or have long-term prescriptions, you might save by ordering a 90-day supply. Mail-order programs, like Walmart's (http://tinyurl.com/WM-homepharm), can often get you a 3-month supply for the price of 2 months' worth.

For more info on the costs and benefits of various prescription drugs, visit these sites:

Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is a free site that lets you search for drugs by category and offers tips for managing your prescriptions. (You can download a PDF that explains their advice for getting the best price from http://tinyurl.com/CRdrugs.)

WorstPills.org is a subscription-based site from Public Citizen, a watchdog group that aims to warn consumers about possible side effects of various prescription drugs and drug combinations.

And don't forget the best way to save money on medical costs: Stay healthy. It sounds trite, but your health really is your most important asset. Regular exercise and a proper diet reduce the risk of many diseases and improve self-esteem, both of which will help your pocketbook.

Maximum Fun at Minimum Cost

Some people are afraid to embrace thrift because they think they'll have to give up everything fun, but nothing could be further from the truth. In many ways, free fun is even better than the stuff you pay for. There's nothing like the satisfaction you get from enjoying a great evening that costs next to nothing.

Your Money And Your Life: Cheap Thrills

Does being frugal mean you can't have fun? "No way," says Trent Hamm from The Simple Dollar (www.thesimpledollar.com). This Iowa father—and author of 365 Ways to Live Cheap! (Adams Media, 2009) and The Simple Dollar (Financial Times Press, 2010)—believes a thrifty lifestyle can be more fulfilling than one where you shell out cash to find happiness.

"I used to run with a crowd that spent a lot of money," Hamm says. "We went