I was accepted into three personal finance carnivals this week:

“The true and simple rules for house-sitting” is an Editor’s Pick in the Carnival of Money Stories at Canadian Finance Blog.

“Why you need renter’s insurance” was selected for the Carnival of Personal Finance at Cash Money Life.

“What do your kids need to know about money?” is in the Festival of Frugality at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff.

Go ahead – try reading some new sites. Just don’t forget about mine.

I love Wise Bread. How could you not love a blog that offers “5 frugal tips for perpetually lazy people,” instead of assuming that we’re all willing to walk five miles to save five cents?

The fact is, frugality means different things to different people – and that blog has something for just about everyone, from world travelers to stay-at-home parents.

This week I’m giving away a copy of “10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget,” put together by the lovely and talented writers at Wise Bread. This is no tip-a-day pamphlet, either. It’s a hefty trade paperback that will teach you how to do stuff like:

While visiting my dad recently I enjoyed a whole bunch of regional delicacies. Although I get irritated with those who claim it’s my job to uphold the economy by spending lots of money, I do believe in supporting small local businesses.

Or so I said every time I visited a South Jersey custard stand. Rationalization is a wonderful thing.

A reader posting as “abcegc” was chosen by the random number generator as the winner of the “cold and flu package.”

Congratulations, my alphabetical friend — and I hope you don’t actually get sick enough to use the contents of the package. Except for the Godiva chocolate, of course.

The next giveaway is…a secret. OK, one hint: It will help you live large. Check back Friday to find out how.

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In a recent post, “The true and simple rules for house-sitting,” I wrote about how startled I was to come home to a nearly dead potted tree in my living room.

There’s more.

I just bought $40 worth of Mexican food for the equivalent of $16.92. Or rather, I’ve arranged to buy the food in January, when I visit my daughter and son-in-law in Phoenix.

I’ve written before about social buying – the art of getting deep discounts on products and services through the power of bulk buying. In this case it’s $20 gift vouchers to a Scottsdale restaurant for $10 apiece.

Companies like Groupon, Living Social, Tippr and and Buy With Me make daily deals available both at hot new businesses and well-established joints that you already love.

There’s no cost to join – and it sure is fun to spend considerably less on: