We all know that the economy sucks right now. Honestly all this financial freak-out doesn’t really affect my life too much since, as a struggling artist, I’ve always been on a budget. I’ve tried to minimize my spending but New York City has a unique way of sliding bills out of my wallet to pay for cab rides, cocktails and chair massages (only $10 for 10 minutes! How can I say no?) So how long could the average person really go without spending any money? Check out this great piece by Steve Almond about his experiment to see if he could go a week without spending a single penny.

For more money-smart stories and advice takepart and check out the Real Simple’s Guide to Money and Finance. I know I need to educate myself on the art of saving.