Last week I appeared on a local television news magazine to discuss approaches to a frugal Christmas. I was able to make use of several reader suggestions — thank you! All of these recent public appearances have been challenging, but I’m getting better at them as time goes on. What does not kill me makes me stronger — right?

Meanwhile, I’ve been sitting on some good articles. I keep thinking I’ll have time to write about them, but I never do. Instead, I’ll share them as quick links:

First, Ben at Trees Full of Money sent me the story of his neighbor, a man who built his own 105mpg car. The vehicle took him 1000 hours and $2500 to construct. This “microcar” is street legal and, reportedly, fun to drive. To read more about it, check out the official website.

If you’re after a more traditional motor vehicle, Reader’s Digest has a quick list of tips on how to haggle when buying a car. None of these are new, but if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, it cannot hurt to refresh your memory. If I every get a chance to buy my Mini Cooper, I’ll be back to take a look at these.

Kristina sent me a link to a USA Today article about urban farming in San Francisco. Here’s how the innovative My Farm works: If you have an unused backyard, MyFarm installs and maintains a vegetable garden. As they harvest produce, they leave some of it with you, and sell the rest using a CSA-style system. It’s a neat idea.

Finally, Random sent me a piece from Australia’s The Age. Louisa Deasey wrote an article in praise of frugality, explaining why she just says no to credit cards. She wonders why people think it’s so crazy for her to live within her means!