In these harsh economic times, it’s not unusual for American families to live on a tight budget. For me, “shoestring” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Of course my wife and I are sure to provide for our children’s every need, but sometimes there’s nothing left after grocery shopping and the other staples are out of the way. In any case, it’s taught us to live in a thrifty and energy-efficient manner.

I took special care to weather-proof our home this fall, and we’ve talked to the kids about conserving electricity and heat to drive down the bills. As it turns out, my wife and I have been able to turn the heat down several degrees at night knowing that we’ll stay warm beneath a queen goose down comforter. I’ll be looking for smaller versions of the very same comforter for the kids.