For the last month or so, we Americans have been engaged in some serious soul-searching, exploring the depths of our psyches as we dealt with two issues that threatened to forever alter the way we live our lives. No, I don’t mean the recession and torture. I am, of course, talking about Susan Boyle and Carrie Prejean: one, a talented singer of ordinary appearance who defied the prejudice of her audience to become an international sensation; the other, a beauty queen who defied the utter nonsense of the phrase "opposite marriage" to become a mouthpiece for the anti-gay-marriage movement and the most controversial pageant contestant since Vanessa Williams. If you’re like me, you’ve spent a lot of time watching headlines about these two women scroll across a variety of screens and thinking, "Is there no one who can simultaneously reduce the stories of these two women — and, in fact, the entire female population — to the most disgustingly simplistic of terms?"

I needn’t have worried. For so long as Donald Trump walks the earth, "disgustingly simplistic" will forever be served. Thanks to last night’s Daily Show, I now know that Carrie Prejean will retain her title of Miss California, despite her boob job, her racy photos, and her honest-though-small-minded opinion on equal rights for all Americans. Why? Let’s let the Donald explain:

"Carrie is totally beautiful. And her answer, because of that, took on greater importance….If her beauty wasn’t so great, nobody really would have cared."

And so I can sleep soundly tonight, PopWatchers, content in the knowledge that 1) my current state of residence will not be robbed of its rightful beauty queen and thus left open to attacks from other states who might perceive our lack of Official Miss as a weakness and 2) I can now stop caring entirely about Susan Boyle, because she is not beautiful. In fact, I can stop caring about everyone who does not meet society’s rigid and unforgiving standards for aesthetic perfection, so long as they are female — because clearly, Donald Trump is not applying these same standards to himself or his hair. Thank you, The Donald. This was all really starting to weigh on me. I feel much better now. What about you, PopWatchers?

Movies, music, books, TV — the cost of keeping oneself entertained can add up, especially heading into blockbuster-heavy months of the summer. Fear not! We’ve got your budget covered. Check back every day this week for more posts on how to find the best in cheap — and free! — options.

Vinyl More and more people are picking up new music on an old-school format: vinyl. Fans cite the warm sound and eye-catching cover art. But is it a good financial move? Prices average around $25 per record, but sales can bring them to the same $15-$20 range that a CD runs. Best of all, many LPs now come with codes that will let you log on and download their contents as MP3s. Of course, you may need to factor in the cost of a decent turntable to play the things ($100 or more), but once you do, you can also start hitting the used-record shops to score classic albums for as cheap as a buck a pop. When you factor in those savings, it makes for one rockin’ deal. – Simon Vozick-Levinson

Premium cable vs. DVD box sets Fans of The Tudors probably can’t imagine living without their Showtime. But should they? Is it worth saving the $180 a year that it costs to subscribe to a premium channel like HBO or Showtime and simply buying your favorite shows on DVD instead? It depends on your viewing habits: Those who follow a single show would be smart to wait for the DVD (season 1 of HBO’s In Treatment is only $35 on Amazon). But if your household watches three or more shows on a channel — and also takes advantage of all the movie offerings — then premium cable is still a deal. — Tanner Stransky

The Kindle Sure, the Kindle 2 might lighten your backpack load. Unfortunately, your pockets will also be considerably lighter.The electronic reader demands a hefty initail fee of $359. As for books, they run $9.99 a piece, which is roughly the same amount as their print counterparts for most titles. Tthe deice may make more financial sense for avid buyers of hardcovers (which generally retail around $25) who could start saving after about 24 downloads. But for the majority of readers, the book on the Kindle 2 reads no deal. — Kate Ward