Excerpt: We've been hearing a lot about change this year, and with the tanking of the economy to spur us on, changing our spendthrift ways can't help but be a good thing.

If you are ready for a change in the pocketbook and want to start saving money, whether you're shopping for your family or trying to cut back on the household bills, there are hundreds of books, Web sites and other resources out there to get you started. Only a randomly chosen few are mentioned here.

Our friends at Good Housekeeping magazine recently have published "Good Housekeeping's Good Deal & Smart Steals: How to Save Money on Everything," a pocket-sized so-you-can-take-it-with-you paperback to help consumers save some bucks.

A few examples from the book, which is available from Amazon. com for $9.95, follow: