Simplify Your Life

As each day seems to bring more bad news about the economy, people around the country are learning tough lessons about their money. "Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life," Oprah writes in her What I Know for Sure column in the March 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

People with and without jobs are using our national financial crisis to get back to basics. Is it possible to live with less? What truly matters?

If you're in debt, one way to see what it's like to live with less is to take Suze Orman's three-step money pledge:

• Don't spend any money for a day.
• Don't use your credit card for a week.
• Don't eat out in restaurants for a month.