Thrifty Thursday: Ask Friends for Help

One of the silver linings of the current recession is that there's no shame in trying to live frugally. Now, I've always been cheap and proud of it, but I've noticed many more of my friends coming out in the open about wanting to save money.

The great thing about this is that we can help each other stay within our budgets. Whether it's asking a friend for her high chair when her baby outgrows it, or bringing a casserole to a recently laid-off neighbor, it strengthens our community. These are some recent experiences I've had of friends helping friends live within their means:

• I mentioned that my girls were low on summer clothes, and a friend with older girls dropped off some hand-me-downs.
• A friend and I were going to meet for lunch out, and I asked to get together over coffee at my house instead.
• A different friend and I were going to meet for lunch and she asked to postpone for a week, since the 1/4 tank of gas in her car had to last the weekend.

How can you help your neighbors and friends? Are there ways they could help you? Don't be too proud to ask -- it opens the door for them to ask you for a hand too.

Read more Thrifty Thursday advice from About.com parenting guides: