The XX Factor: What women really think.

Color Me Puzzled

Eve, I wish Portfolio had been a little more specific in their recession belt-tightening survey. "Stop coloring hair" is a pretty limiting response that doesn't factor in some other options to save money on maintaining that hair hue. Women (and men) who want to save money might come to terms with their roots and go longer between touch-ups. They could downgrade to a cheaper colorist or even buy a DIY hair-dye kit from the drug store. And if you're selling your home, chances are that your financial problems are too critical to be solved by forgoing lattes and trips to the salon for a few months.

I was initially struck by the claim that only 4.1 percent plan to donate less in 2009, but the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that a study foresees just a 3 percent to 5 percent drop in corporate giving this year. No word on how much individuals plan to reduce or increase their personal donations, but hopefully Portfolio readers tend to give a little bit of that money saved on lattes and vacations.