Just because the economy is in the toilet doesn't mean you should flush your workout program down with it, says Jackie Burns at "Love and Blueberries." No way, man. There are plenty of affordable and effective exercise options out there. Here, Jackie names five of her cheapest fitness finds, and I'm thinking that if you incorporate all of them into your life, you'll never need a costly gym membership again.

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We can't say enough about how to work out on the cheap. In this economy, it's a must. Check out what the American Cancer Society experts say about getting fit for pennies. Don't forget to take advantage of the very affordable America Takes It Off for all sorts of ideas for getting your bod in shape.

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Looking for an inexpensive and effective way to get fit? Look no further.

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If you've ever been to a Whole Foods store, you know why it's referred to as Whole Paycheck.

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Want to get fit? Low on cash? No problem -- I know of a great way to get fit ... for less than $5!

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During the summer months, many women get a few extra highlights (myself included). Even if I'm not hanging out on the beach, my hair can still have that sunkissed glow ... for a few weeks, anyway, until my roots start showing. And no matter how many celebrities go around showing an inch of darkness at the root, I'm just not on board -- my hair doesn't have enough body to pull that look off.

Like many of you, I don't have the time or the money to get my hair professionally highlighted every four or six weeks, so I've come up with a way to go longer between highlights -- with a semi-permanent, at-home hair color (I personally use Natural Instincts).

First of all, I have to tell you that at-home hair coloring can be disastrous -- if you're looking to really change up your hair color, or go from light to dark, you really ought to spring for a professional. However, many of my friends and I have had great success by using a light shade to blend our natural hair color with our grown-out highlights.

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When I say "good" I mean good for you. When I say cheap, I mean making this recipe will cost you only $6.22. For this price, you'll get six cups of this yummy Avocado Tomatilla Dressing. You'll get a healthy bite to eat too.

Avocado Tomatilla Dressing

Ingredients

Low-fat plain yogurt, 16 ounce, $175
Tomatillos (drained), 28-ounce can, $1.69
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon, $0.05
Avocado, 1 large, $0.89
Fresh Jalapeno (stemmed), 1 large, $0.10
Lime Juice, 1 lime, $0.25
Cilantro (stems removed), 1 bunch, $1.49

Directions

Combine all ingredients and process or blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information (per 1/4 cup)

37 calories, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 1 g protein, 63 mg sodium, 38 mg calcium

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Buying organic foods at your local grocery store can get pretty pricey, because I know you're filling up a third of your cart with veggies. Right?

Noshtopia has seven ways to cut costs on your organic purchases, which could help your budget, your waistline, and your overall help. Below are the three I found most helpful, but feel free to check out all seven of their suggestions here!

• Hit the local farmers' market. You're buying direct, so it's generally cheaper.
  
• Check store brands in places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. These businesses often offer a store brand and organic version for similar prices to conventional brand names.
  
• Shop near closing time. Because of the lack of preservatives used in organics, they are often more prone to spoiling. Therefore, grocers might mark those items down near the end of the day to move them off the shelf.

Got a suggestion that's worked for you? Please share in the comments!

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As much as I enjoy splurging from time to time on pricey beauty products, I also really like trying out simple, DIY beauty items. Not so long ago I wrote about home-made hair care -- using foods like mayonnaise and beer to soften and brighten your hair. I think what I like about at-home beauty is that, since the tips are usually cheap, barring any major disasters you can figure out which products you like without having to waste a tonne of money on stuff that turns out to be not so great.

I was pretty excited to find this list of 10 great budget beauty products that you can make at home. They're all really simple, containing only a few ingredients each. In addition, a number of the 'recipes' include a lot of the same ingredients -- like essential oils and rubbing alcohol, so you only have to buy a few things and can still try most of the ideas. All you need is a range of empty bottles and containers and you're good to get started.

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Anyone who has ever played the "poor college kid" card knows that living frugal can be the only way to make ends meet. But other than just budgeting, living a thrifty lifestyle has more benefits than just helping your wallet at the end of the month. Here's a list of 15 ways which frugality can help you live happier and healthier.

Planting your own vegetables is a good start (if you have a backyard). My grandparents have done this for years, and the results are amazing. Clean, fresh produce from your own yard becomes a delicacy! Not only are the homegrown vegetables healthy, they're dirt cheap (pun intended).

Learning to compromise is another important part of frugal living. Certain brands, from clothes to grocery shopping, are more expensive than others. A lot of money can be saved by picking the cheaper alternatives. The extra cash saved can go toward more fun expenditures! Want to know other frugal activities? Check out the full list here and start living on the cheap.

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There are few luxuries in life that I enjoy more than spending a day -- or even just an hour -- at a spa getting all prettied up. Sure, the results may only last a day or two and it tends to cost a small fortune, but taking the time to relax and rejuvenate, with the added benefit of looking good afterward, makes me feel pretty good about myself.

While I would love to enjoy a spa day at least once a month, it's not really possible because of the cost. I'm sure that many of you are in the same boat. But just because you can't afford to hand over hundreds of dollars on a regular basis for various beauty treatments doesn't mean that you have to go without. Why not try a few DIY treatments instead? Sure you've got to do the work yourself, but it's still relaxing to take some time out to focus strictly on you. Plus, it's a heck of a lot cheaper. It can also be fun to have a DIY beauty night the next time you're having an evening with the girls -- instead of hitting the bars, you can eat pizza, drink wine and have a few laughs while painting your toes.

I've had a look around the web for some good Do It Yourself instructions and found pages that focus on pedicures, manicures and facials, so take a look and see which you'd like to try:

DIY Facial: I think this may be my favorite of all the at-home, on-your-own treatments because it looks really simple and I imagine you'd finish with a really healthy glow. Start with a cleanse using your regular face cleanser, follow with a steam either in the tub or over a bowl of hot water, and then give yourself a massage using an exfoliator. The next step is to apply a mask, then treat yourself to another massage but this time with your regular moisturizer. Finish by applying some eye cream and your skin will look great. If you want to look really fab, check out this site for instructions on how to properly shape your eyebrows so that they perfectly frame your face.

DIY Manicure: OK, I find that painting my own fingernails can be a nightmare. Trying to use my non-dominant hand to do anything is tough and adding nailpolish to the equation often equals a huge mess. But I'm sure for those of you who have similar problems, if you take your time, this DIY Manicure will have your hands looking spa-perfect. Start by removing old nail polish, trim nails to desired length, soak hands in warm water and then use cuticle oil to soften. Follow this by pushing back cuticles with a cuticle stick, exfoliate and then moisturize hands before carefully applying polish. I'm sure the time and delicate work will be worth it!

DIY Pedicure: This one is especially useful now that summer is coming to an end. A few months of going bareful has likely left a lot of feet out there looking and feeling pretty rough. A Do It Yourself pedicure is pretty similar to the manicure, which is great because you can use a lot of the same tools. Like the manicure, begin by removing polish and then soak your feet. Once they're nice and soft use a pumice stone to buff off all that rough, dry skin and then exfoliate off any leftover dead skin. Trim your nails before moisturizing your feet and applying cuticle oil. Push back cuticles and finish with a polish. You can either use the same one as on your hands or mix it up by choosing a complimentary color.

Once you've completed your big beauty day you can either stay and home and chill out while watching a movie, or head out on the town and show off all of your hard work.

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Manicures, pedicures, facials and visits to a salon for haircuts, coloring and hi-lites can be incredibly expensive. So what's a girl to do if she wants to maintain a polished, movie star look but obviously doesn't have the same kind of money to spend as a star? Well, you can try some of these tips on getting an expensive look for less.

The piece offers advice on how to keep hair looking shiny, keeping a just-polished look on finger and toe nails and getting celebrity-worthy eyebrows. Tips include not washing hair every day or using mousse as both will make your mane look dry and dull, shilling out for a really great, classic and personalized haircut a few times a year rather than opting for a trendy cut that needs maintenance every six weeks and buffing nails or using light, shimmery polishes -- like opal and taupe -- to keep nails looking like you've just been for a mani-pedi.

Let's face it, unless you've got too much money to throw around -- and most of us don't -- it's not really realistic to try to keep up with all of the treatments and styles that the stars favor, but these hints will help you look great without spending a fortune.

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Eating well can get expensive. Organic foods are quite a bit more expensive than regular ones, and when you're trying to grab something on the go, it's definitely the processed junk that's cheaper and more convenient to pick up. In a perfect world, it would be the opposite--healthy eaters would pay less for food--but we have to make the best of what we're given and try to find a way to save money and eat well.

For the frugal health nut, Yahoo Health's expert nutritionist has come out with a list of some really cheap and healthy meals that you can get pick up for $2 or less.

And here's my own tip -- next summer, why not consider planting a garden? Depending on where you live, you can grow your own fruits and veggies, though if you're green thumb is severely lacking (like mine is -- my man does all the gardening,) consider growing at least your own herbs.

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I'm not a big makeup person but I readily admit that I love expensive face and eye creams. I'm not proud to say that I don't even know if the pricey products do their job any better than cheaper brands available at local drug stores. I just like to think that they do.

Like a lot of you out there, while I enjoy trying out the fancy beauty counter creams and elixirs, I can only afford them once in a while as a treat. According to this though, there are ways to get the most out of your visit to the department store beauty section, and sometimes you can even get stuff cheap or even for free.

The complimentary gift with purchase is a personal favorite because you usually only have to spend $30 or $40 and get to try a number of high-end beauty goods. Also, as the article points out, a number of makeup companies like MAC offer cheap or free skin care evaluations and makeup applications, while others will allow you to try a free sample of a specific product you're interested in (my weakness is eye cream) before you commit to an entire bottle or jar.

For more information, as well as some beauty counter do's and don'ts, read the entire piece here.

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The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, but that doesn't mean you need to follow the crowds and spend money on dieting advice and products you don't mean. After all, if you're eating less, you should be saving money, right? Here are some tips from eDiets on how to save money while dieting:

• Eat in, not out. It saves money and you can keep track of what goes in to your food
  
• Bring your healthy lunch to work
• Buy bulk, as long as it is a non-perishable item
• But be sure to compare the unit pricing. Sometimes the larger size isn't a better deal.
• Cook extra and freeze what's leftover for a convenient meal
• Make your own pre-packaged snacks, and make them healthy ones like nuts or raisins
• Substitute ingredients. If you don't have one, don't go out and buy it -- use something else
• Buy the cheaper cut of meat and throw it in the slow cooker to make it tender

For some more great tips, check out the original article. Do you have any tips to add?

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