Buying all the best brands? Not so frugal. Picking through your neighbor's trash? Not so fabulous.

With the country's economic health on the line, how can you save money without suffering style?

Here are some ideas to live the fabulous life while still being frugal:

1. DO YOUR OWN DARN TOENAILS

The only people who might look at your feet closely enough to know the difference between a DIY pedicure and a fancy spa treatment won't judge you for it anyway, suggests Megan O. Steintrager, 35, an editor in New York. Use pale colors; a bright red coat might show if it's out of the lines.

2. ECO-SHREDDING

New York writer Lexi Dwyer, 31, saves shreddings from her paper shredder to use as packaging for fragile gifts. And if it's colored paper, it might even look cool inside a gift bag. It's green and frugal all at once.

3. EMBRACE THE WEEDS

If you have a backyard, weeds and yard clippings can be used to brighten up the corners of the inside of your home. Food editor Sarah Kagan, 34, suggests using the flowers in a tiny bud vase. Seed pods and dead branches from shrubs can look artistic and elegant in an arrangement.

4. LITTLE LIGHTS

You can use Christmas lights the whole year round, says Julie Musilek, 29, from New York. Run them along the top of cabinets or at the corner between the wall and ceiling. They're cheap and really brighten things up. Another option: tea lights. Without spending much, you can spread them around your home to create an aura of romance and coziness.

5. BRING DESSERT

Going to a potluck? Score double points with dessert, says Kelly Anderson, 26, from Northfield, Minn. Flour and sugar are way cheaper ingredients than salad fixings, vegetables or meat. Also, people love the dessert-bringer, so you'll be popular in spite of your frugality.

6. IT'S ALL IN THE PACKAGING

Refill fancy-brand soap dispensers with generic liquid soap, says Jeanne-Marie Hudson, 36, a marketing director for a publishing company. Or buy a heavy ceramic or sleek metal pump you can use again and again. Few can tell the difference, and you give guests (and even yourself) the illusion of luxury without having to pay for it.

7. TAILOR BIG SIZES

Often, the sizes left on the sale racks are tiny and huge, and only fit tiny or huge people. If your size is average, buy a bigger size with a major discount and take it to a tailor who can customize it to your body (or better yet, learn to sew and tailor yourself, or frequent stores with complimentary tailoring).

8. RECYCLE CLOTHES

When your kids outgrow their long-sleeved shirts or pants, cut them into T-shirts and shorts to squeeze another season out of them.

9. "NAKED LADY" (OR "NAKED MAN") PARTY

Gather your good friends and exchange clothes and accessories that are old to you, but will seem new to someone else. Something that looks like last year's leftovers on your best friend might turn you into this year's trendsetter. Donate the remainders to charity.

10. FORGO BABY WIPES

A tip from Hilary Zalon, founder of the new pregnancy and parenting Web site The Cradle (www.thecradle.com): "Instead of investing in baby wipes for your newborn's first few months, simply use soft paper towels that have been lightly soaked with water."

11. USE PARSLEY

For around 99 cents a bunch, this versatile herb can make almost any cheap dish seem fancier.

12. ADD FIZZ

Buy a half-gallon size of cheapo frozen lemonade, and mix it with tap water. Then, serve half-lemonade, half-seltzer in a tall glass. It's a ringer for Italian limonata soda, at a fraction of the price -- and, low-cal to boot.

13. DON'T ADD — SUBTRACT!

To help fix up a tired looking room, don't buy anything new. Instead, throw stuff away. You'll be that much closer to that streamlined shelter magazine look, and you won't be out any money.

14. GO HIGH-TECH TO LOWER COSTS

Learn to love the DVR. Don't buy expensive DVDs for your kids, just set the DVR to record every episode of whatever show you approve.

15. PRACTICE EFFICIENT DISHWASHING

Set big cooking bowls and pans in the sink. Wash your smaller dishes over them, carefully dumping sudsy water into the cooking pans.

16. USE SOMEONE ELSE'S MAKEUP

If you don't have an extensive collection of beauty products, but you want to look fabulous for a special night, Lauren M. Goodman, a 32-year-old New York lawyer, suggests getting your look done at a favorite cosmetics counter.

17. REINVENT YOUR HERBS

Trimmings from herbs make nice-smelling sachets. Lavender in particular helps keep away moths.

18. JUST ADD SALT (OR SUGAR)

A tip from Lily Morgan, founder of the skin-care product line Lily Organics skin care: You can add sugar or salt to your face cleanser or soap, for a quick and effective way of removing dead cells.

19. COLOR IT SIMPLE

Buy blank canvases and paint them in varying colors (maybe variations on a shade) and arrange on wall in a modern art-esque style.

20. CLOVES OVER CANDLES

Instead of expensive scented candles, stick some cloves into an orange and simmer in water on your stove before guests arrive.

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Are you cutting corners, too?