For the past eight weeks, we’ve shared a lot of terrific money saving advice – and more than a few laughs and cheap thrills – here in the inaugural Savings Challenge.  I want to thank the more than 2,000 frugalists who joined the Savings Challenge Group.  It’s been a pleasure to get to know you, my brothers and sisters of the Cheaphood.

The good news is that the Savings Challenge group will continue to be active here in the AARP online community.  You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll pop back in from time to time to say hello and share a cheapskate thought or two.

And now it’s time to honor some of the venerable ones here in the Savings Challenge group, those who have helped to make this penny-pinching pilgrimage such a success.  We agreed at the onset to declare three overall winners of the Savings Challenge – and so we will – even though so many here have proven themselves worthy of that dollar-stretching distinction.

There are, of course, the illustrious winners of the eight Weekly Savings Challenges:

WEEK 1 – Slow-Cooker Recipe Challenge (Winner: BarbBeall)

WEEK 2 - All-Cash Challenge (Winner: melissa55)

WEEK 3 – Thanksgiving Challenge (Winner: OZZY123)

WEEK 4 – Holiday Decorating Challenge (Winner: nanniema5)

WEEK 5 – Holiday Entertaining Challenge (Winner: rn222)

WEEK 6 – What the Heck Was I Thinking? Challenge (Winner: JazzyTJan)

WEEK 7 – Go Ahead and Splurge Challenge (Winner: emtfingers)

WEEK 8 – Don’t Throw That Away! Challenge (Winner: GAM27)

And then there are all those Savings Challenge members who have also participated so actively and helpfully here in the group.  Some of those deserving of a Costco-sized honorable mention include:  MoorMookie, cydunne, sharon53, toddtee, withspirit, Susanem, mbw7890, StuckinTx, Lindy11, HOFFCO, carose1, tandemterry, lsivilich, SueAB, SunnyD17, jwsterling, pamperedmamaw, mm110south, EmeraldQueen, and sbuedor, to name a few.

But in the end there can be only three top winners, so here goes:

Third Place:  justbetsy - When it comes to pinching pennies, she thinks outside the box … and then tells you ten ways to reuse the box.

Second Place:  SeaLady61 - A fountain of practical, creative, money saving ideas, delivered with charm and the photos to back it up.

First Place:  Bohemian (aka “TheBuck Busting Budgeteer of 2009”) – With a blend of helpful advice, supportive comments, and a “unique” sense of humor, Bohemian optimizes what the Savings Challenge is all about.  Yes; it is possible to be frugal, generous and truly happy at the same time, as Bohemian proves.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the inaugural AARP Savings Challenge.  Best wishes for a frugal and fun 2010.

Stay Cheap!

     -Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate