Tales from the Economic Downturn

Salon has "Pinched," a whole series of articles on people and lifestyles that have been hit by financial problems. But these aren't your standard "oh woe is me, I was a moron and lost my house" screeds. Instead, they cover everything from a kid at Duke University who lives in his van (so he can attend grad school) to hipsters who are using their food stamps to buy healthy food. Some good ideas on making the most of your fast-food dollars, haggling and work ideas, too. (Well, most...a few get weird.) I was particularly touched by the single mom who had a job and a master's degree, but still needed to take her kids to a food bank to get by.

Take a look -- but plan on being there for a while. One article leads to another...and another...and...