The countdown has begun to move on from college dorms and your parents' basement. Freedom is so close you can taste it; no longer will your comings and goings be monitored. You can eat pizza and cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But before these dreams become reality, there's a lot of work to be done with the whole relocation thing. To help you combat packing panic, here are 12 moving tips to get you smartly on your way.

1. Start Sorting

Before you begin loading up boxes, go through all your stuff and weed out items you don't want. There's no point in adding this clutter to your new place. Remember, one person's trash is another's treasure. Before dumping and donating unwanted items, give friends and neighbors a chance to dig through for hand-me-downs. They'll appreciate the thought and it's one less thing for you to move.

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With all the hoopla about TLC's first season of "Extreme Couponing," it's no wonder Season Two is eagerly awaited by many fans.  Starting Wednesday, the maniacs of the supermarket aisles take to American TV screens once again to show shoppers how it's done.

Thanks to a bit of a sneak peak, Coupon Sherpa offers practical advice based on a selection of Season Two topics.

1. Shelf Clearing

No matter what the extremists say, clearing a shelf of every item is just plain rude. Sure it's okay to go for big bargains, but it's also important to remember the lesson we all learned about "sharing" in nursery school.

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More Americans are paying more of their health care costs out of pocket every year because they lack insurance, have higher deductibles and co-payments, or have chosen a Health Savings Account plan.

There are ways they can save money without jeopardizing their health and there are steps they should take to ensure they're getting the best value for their dollars, says physician Angel M. Garcia (www.DoNoHarmDrs.com), an internist who has been in practice for more than 25 years.

Garcia, author of Do No Harm: Saving Our Health-Care System, says patients themselves are the first line of defense in an industry where increasing tensions have created new stressors at every level.  "No physician is beyond becoming burnt out," he says. "Physicians who are working mechanically, who are no longer interested, committed and enjoying practicing medicine can be a danger to their patients."

"I've heard many patients excuse their doctors by saying, ‘Oh, he's just burnt out.’  While such loyalty is kind, the issue is one the patient should talk about with their doctor.  "You could just say, 'Hey, Doc, you seem tired. Are you OK?'  You may be surprised how much your doctor appreciates your concern."

Garcia offers these simple ways patients can save money and ensure their health care dollars are well spent:

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Remember all those tips saying you should cook rather than eat out? Well the USDA says we might just be wrong about that in the near future. A recent study by the government agency estimated the price gap between eating at home and dining out will narrow even further in 2012. Grocery prices are expected to rise 3 percent to 4 percent, while menu prices will likely go up 2 percent to 3 percent.

That doesn't mean you have to resort to the McDonald's Dollar Menu, however. It's still cheaper to eat at home, but amateur chefs will have to cut even more corners this year. Here are a few tips on dining at home frugally in a dine-out world.

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Thanks to steadily increasing cotton and labor costs, fashion manufacturers are cutting back on both quality and extras. Instead, they're using inexpensive tweaks to con shoppers into believing they're actually getting more for their money -- thus the new slang term "con-flation." It looks like parents aren't buying it, however. The National Retail Foundation released a study in late July indicating back-to-school shoppers plan to spend less this year across the board.

According to the study, "Parents are actually taking inventory of last year's items, asking kids to...try on those 'old' jeans, and check if the tennis shoes still fit."

The Labor Department reported clothing prices rose 1.2 percent in July, the third straight increase in the last year. In 12 months, clothing costs rose 3.1 percent, the biggest yearly increase since July 1992.

Shopper pragmatism is one way to beat the system; another is to use cost-saving methods to reduce back-to-school budgets. Here are six recommendations.

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Okay, now before I go any further, I want everyone to know that the whole story of the $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe is completely an urban legend and is not true in the least.  But, several years ago, I had this recipe passed on to me through a well-placed email, delivered while I happened to be in the baking spirit.  The result?  A new holiday tradition in my household!

My entire family loves these cookies and since I only make them around the holidays, they've become a decadent pleasure to look forward to.  (By the way, if you have no idea about the $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe myth and want to learn more, I've attached the story to the bottom of this post!)

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