When I was pregnant, people told me all sorts of dreadful things, often with menacing half-smiles upon their faces.

"Ha ha," they'd snicker. "My Jimmy had colic until he was 3 years old. I really hope your daughter doesn't have it."

"Wait until you see her first projectile vomit. My son's went clear across the room!"

"We were so poor after kids that we ate Ramen noodles every night for dinner."

Yadda yadda yadda. Did I listen? Of course not. I had more important things to think about, like choosing a really cool baby name, whether the tuna I had for lunch was chunk or albacore, or if the straps on my flip flops could possibly cut any more into my bloated feet. Cut to a picture of me preparing dinner, 18 months later. As I deftly tear open a package of Ramen noodles and stir in some frozen veggies, I freeze. Egads! The naysayers were right! (Although McKenna had reflux instead of colic, and never really projectile vomited.)

We're poor.

It was inevitable, I guess. We did lose one full-time income when I left my job to stay at home. But I never realized just how much we'd have to watch our finances. Before, we didn't have to worry about the cost of going out to eat or to the movies. My lunch breaks - and countless dollars - were often spent at Providence Place. (Can I just whine for a second here about how much I miss working across the street from a mall?)

We no longer have cable TV or Netflix. We clip coupons, shop for milk at warehouse stores (who knew milk was so expensive?), and gratefully accept every hand-me-down outfit generously given to McKenna.

If anything, being thrifty has made us realize just how much we don't need all the extra "stuff." It's just that stuff. McKenna and I have lots of fun during the day by visiting the library and pet store and browsing the aisles of local bookstores. During the spring and summer, we take lots of walks and have many al fresco bagged lunches. The operative word here is "free."

But I still need help. Which is where you come in, fellow mamas. How have you trimmed expenses since baby's come along? Do you have any mean money-saving tips you'd like to pass on? Any cool Web sites you'd like to throw our way? Send any and all suggestions to me at danarae14@hotmail.com, and I'll compile them into a future column. I can't pay you, but if you want, McKenna can make you a custom collage out of old magazine pictures and construction paper. She's quite the little artist - her latest masterpiece features pictures of apples, hot dogs, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, bacon and squirrels.

In the meantime, here are some thrifty tips I've discovered:

Visit your local library. Besides books, you can check out movies, CDs and toys for free. Story times are usually free, too.

Museums, including children's museums, often offer reduced admission on certain days of the month.

The dollar store is amazing. Trust me on this. Save magazines. They're great for making collages.

Dana R. Laverty is proud to admit that she once had to roll pennies for gas money. You can reach her at danarae14@hotmail.com.