As with the consumers to whom it sells, Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) has weathered tough times in recent months. The Cincinnati company saw revenues fall and volumes squeezed (not unlike its trademark Charmin bath tissue) as recession-weary shoppers continued to rein-in expenses and begged off buying pricier goods.

Still, following a year in which the company faced one of the most difficult macroeconomic environments in decades, P&G surprised analysts Thursday by reporting fiscal first-quarter earnings of $3.31 billion, or $1.06 a share, compared with $3.35 billion, or $1.03 a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by Zacks.com anticipated the company would earn just 97 cents a share.

Yesterday I wrote about the popularity of dumpster diving in Germany, and also told you alll a little about my less-than-glorious foray into the world of snagging other people's cast-offs.

Today's New York Times reports on one woman's extremely lucrative trash-picking adventure. Elizabeth Gibson was on her way to get coffee when she pulled a 38x51 inch painting out of someone else's trash. It turned out to be a piece by Rufino Tamayo that had been stolen 20 years ago, valued at about $1 million.

Amazingly, the widow of the man who purchased the painting has elected to put it up for sale and given Ms. Gibson a reward of just $15 thousand. Sotheby's, the auction house that will be selling the painting, is also paying her a small finder's fee.

While $15 thousand is hardly chump change, it looks like Gibson will mostly be gaining a great story to tell her grandchildren. You'd think the widow could have been more generous, given that the painting was 20 minutes away from landing at the dump.

I'm going to share a little story with you that could be the end of my career as an even marginally-respected financial writer. Or, perhaps, it could establish my credentials as an uber-thrifty guy. Back when I was in high school, I was walking on the beach at night and stumbled on a nice Nike sweatshirt. It had some seaweed stuck to it and was soaked from the ocean. But it was definitely my style. And so I picked it up, took it home, washed it and -- voila! -- a wonderful, good as new Nike sweatshirt.

It gets worse: fast forward 24 hours. I was working at a candy store in a marketplace not so far from that beach when a strapping young football player walked over to me and inquired about where I'd gotten my sweatshirt. I told him the truth and he asked if I wouldn't mind giving it back. So I was cold that night, having just relinquished my new-found sweatshirt. My boss was standing there watching the whole thing, and actually saw fit to give me a 50 cent an hour pity raise, he said: "So you can buy your own sweatshirt!"

But in Germany, they're taking thrift to a whole new level. I'd probably fit in well. According to The Wall Street Journal, sifting through your neighbors cast-offs while they wait for the dump-truck is considered perfectly normal -- admirable even. As one man put it, "Consumption is nothing good. It brings evil into the world."

Couldn't have said it better myself. In any case, thrift is a wonderful thing: It saves money, keeps us out of debt, and it's wonderful for the environment.

So now I'm not ashamed of my trash-picker ways. It doesn't mean you're poor or trashy: it means you're smart.

The first step to becoming a successful investor is finding ways to come up with as much money as possible to invest. That's why investors like Warren Buffett (who, at 76 years old and Number 2 on the Forbes list, still bends over to pick up quarters) gain the upper-hand. So, in addition to studying investing, it's important to also look for ways to cut costs in other areas of your life. There is no more interesting place to read about that than Donna Freedman's pieces for MSN Money. As an adult who made the tough but good decision to go back to college, she is just scraping by. And she has some tricks for "thriving" on $12,000 a year.

Make no mistake: I'm poor by choice, because I needed to change my life. I chose to leave my marriage, and I chose to become a student. I can live this way because I know it won't be forever. I'll have my degree in two more years, and I'll go back to work.

I survive on economies large and small. I bring my laundry to baby-sitting jobs (yes, I ask permission). I brown-bag my lunch every single day. I combine coupons and rebates to get items for free (I haven't paid for toothpaste, shampoo, or other toiletries for years). I drink water, not soda.

Donna, along with a few other MSN writers, provides inspiring advice on thrift, and even manages to add money to a savings account on her current income! Check it out today.