JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Florida (January 30, 2009)- Like many journalists, the beginning of 2009 finds me without an employer other than myself. Reduction in income means a reduction in spending, but how do you do that?

I decided to treat spending reduction as I would any other journalism assignment – thus, The Tightwad Assignment.

I’ll be regularly updating with ideas for saving money in these tight times. Please feel free to make your own recommendations in comments.

First test – keeping a razor for a long time.  According to listeners on The Clark Howard Show, if you keep a regular, cheap disposable razor covered in mineral oil, the blade will last for months.  The theory is that the water from the shave causes the blade to rust and the mineral oil will cut down on exposure to air.  We’ll see if this works.