A new kind of retro is taking hold in today's kitchen — cooking the way that baby boomers' parents did during leaner times.

Three first-grade teachers at Enslen Elementary School made a simple plea to parents, marked "Urgent" and copied on fluorescent orange paper. They were asking for donations of reams or boxes of copy paper.

Brian Fletcher has gone from the daily handling of motorcycle engines, brakes, clutches and gaskets to dealing daily with baby diapers, pacifiers, rattles and a stroller.

It may seem small consolation in these rough economic times, but our country has been through this before. And each time, food writers and cooks have offered up their wisdom for keeping food affordable.

The following utility service providers have ways to help pay your bill.

ON YOUR COVER LETTER — DO: E-mail applications; Stick to one page; Use good paper. DON'T: Repeat information that's in your résumé

The jobless rate in Stanislaus County surged to a 12-year high of 16 percent in January, the state reported Thursday.

Several people got right to work upon being asked this question: How can we create jobs?

Prepaid phones, which provide a set number of minutes, are becoming a more appealing financial option as careful household budgeting becomes paramount in a tight economy.

This is no time to let good food go bad. Food storage becomes all the more important in a tight economy. If you don't pack items properly, the result is spoiled food.

NEW YORK -- On-site day care -- it's the serene ideal so many parents pine for.

WASHINGTON -- Congress on Friday approved a $787 billion stimulus package that aims to spur millions of jobs through massive investments in energy, transportation, education and health care projects, while reviving social safety-net programs that have been shrinking for nearly three decades.

A few years ago, one love-struck Romeo bought the 6-foot window display meant to lure customers into Hart Floral. He left the Modesto shop with a big bunch of heart-shaped balloons strapped to the hood of his car.

OK, so the damage has been done to your college fund. Now what? Tough times are certainly good times to review strategies for your beaten-down 529 account, the Coverdell education savings account or the stock portfolio that a year ago appeared to have more than enough money to cover four years at State U. That's sound advice if junior is still in diapers -- it's critical if the tuition checks are just over the horizon.

Home alone is a great title for a movie, but the concept can be a challenge when you're home alone on a Saturday night. Due to fatigue and illness, my 13-year-old son and I were housebound during a recent weekend. But we created a frugal movie night with several stay-at-home options. Here's a rundown:

NEW YORK -- Americans continue to worry about their energy use, even though filling up at the gas pump isn't the budget-busting experience it was a year ago, a new survey shows.

Can't afford a gym membership? Makes sense, given the financial climate and the need to tighten our belts.

WASHINGTON -- It will get vastly cheaper for most people to keep health insurance after losing a job if the government's stimulus plan becomes law. Some nickel-and-dime cuts in health coverage for the poor will be reversed, too. Geek jobs in medicine will grow.

Those of us prone to financial daydreaming spend a lot of time on the lottery fantasy. We create elaborate Excel spreadsheets in our head sorting what we would buy if we won, whom we would help and when we'd retire. But few people spend enough time imagining the nightmare case.

Tight times require some creativity and common sense. There are dozens of ways to pinch pennies around the house, starting with simple things like turning off the lights when you leave a room (all those watts add up) or dialing down the thermostat.

It's a refrain we hear so often: "There's nothing to do around here."

But with a little research and creative thinking, turns out that not only is there plenty to do around here, there's a lot you can do for free or on the very cheap.

There's not a millionaire or a minimum-wage worker who doesn't like a bargain. It's fun to share the story of how you got a great deal — better than anyone else's — at the supermarket, drugstore or department store. We all relish the idea of getting more and paying less.

It takes money to maintain and preserve park lands and open spaces, to pay for gasoline to get there and sometimes to park when you arrive. But in our book, these are all bargains compared to paying to come to Northern California from out of state. This is your backyard. You live here, so the surroundings are a steal.

You aren't cheap, just frugal. You want to stay slim, but your finances are a tad too lean. You seek to maintain your health, but your bank account is lower than Michael Phelps' pulse rate.

Let's face it: Children aren't cheap. While the smiles, laughter and joy they bring are priceless, the doctor bills, clothes and shoes, toys, dental work and college tuition add up to a small fortune.