NATION

A tale of 2 bank accounts

Cheap with money, cheap with love?

That's what Ann Hood, a novelist, wondered about a date who calculated her portion of a restaurant bill and kept a tally of every dollar she owed him. Was his frugality a reflection of his inability to open up or commit? Was the relationship being nickel-and-dimed to death?

Hood is one of 10 contributors to Hilary Black's new anthology “;The Secret Currency of Love: The Unabashed Truth About Women, Money, and Relationships.”; The writers examine their feelings about money and how it affects their most intimate relationships.

“;Money is omnipresent, no matter how much or how little you have,”; Black said. “;It always feels like a dirty subject, but it plays a huge role in family and romantic relationships. In this economy especially, as people are worried about losing their jobs or are having financial problems, it's harder for them to deal with money issues in a veiled way.”;

The book's essays explore topics like keeping separate bank accounts, being the family's main breadwinner, the high cost of single parenthood, and one woman's secret desire to be financially supported by a man.

Black herself realized the weight money has in a relationship when her decision to leave a wealthy man was questioned by her friends and family.

“;It was only because he was a very rich man who had so much that people thought I was crazy to leave him, just because I wasn't in love,”; she said. “;If he was an unemployed actor, no one would've been surprised.”;

Beer versus bubbly for New Year's

Would New Year's Eve be the same without a bottle of bubbly?

If buying champagne for your party might break your budget, there are some cheap alternatives. Instead of cocktails, for example, try “;beertails,”; says Scott Kerkmans, chief beer officer for Four Points by Sheraton.

To put a spin on a traditional drink at half the cost, mix three parts nonalcoholic eggnog with one part pale ale, barley wine or dark abbey ale. Mix one part raspberry lambic beer—brews with fruit added during the conditioning stage—with one part chocolate stout for a festive, sweet treat. Or, try an Irish stout, beer composed of barley and varied types of malt, with hard cider.

Kerkmans offers these tips for pairing food with beer instead of wine:

» Turkey goes great with a French saison-style beer or an amber ale.

» Ham goes well with an English-style bitter, Weizenbock or a brown ale.

» Sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce taste well with a Dunkelweizen or an oatmeal stout.

—For dessert, Kerkmans suggests trying a sweet stout or fruit lambic.