I stumbled upon this writer, Felisa Rogers, a week or two ago and am hooked. She speaks about the impact the economic downturn has had on her, her return to her frugal roots and a scavenging lifestyle.
Thanks for the link. Her posts are a thoughtful and entertaining read. Reminds me of Amy Dacyczyn's "Tightwad Gazette" books. Not just "how to," but "why to" -- finding elements of elegance, joy and humour in a very modest, frugal lifestyle.
EDIT: I don't care for the word "scavenging" though. It conjures this image of buzzards descending on a well-ripened corpse. I think scrounging or foraging are better descriptions of what she does.