1. Shop around for a bank. Not all banks will charge you monthly maintenance fees. Don’t let your bank fees eat into your balance every month. Find a bank that will provide the services you use the most for the lowest price. At the very least, you should visit with your existing bank to see if they have a new program that may fit your needs better and lower your fees.



2. Use cash as a budgeting tool. Go to the bank once per week and get enough cash to cover all of your daily expenses for the next seven days. You will be more frugal with your cash. After several weeks, you’ll find that you actually have cash left over at the end of the week.



3. Set up a special e-mail account for customer rewards/coupon programs. Many people do not sign up for all the freebies stores offer because of all the junk e-mail that goes with it. Set up a free e-mail account just for coupons and special offers, then sign up for every program your regular stores offer. Then check your special coupon/rewards e-mail account anytime you are ready to shop.



4. Prepare for psychological warfare - make a list before you go shopping. This simple and easy activity can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year. Merchants use every psychological weapon known to mankind looking for ways to get you to make that impulse purchase. If you make a list beforehand, you are mentally preparing yourself for the onslaught and you are much less likely to be swayed by clever marketing gimmicks. If you can stick to your list, you will save a bundle.



5. Entertain friends at home instead of going out. Just about anything you do at home will be cheaper than going out. Have a cookout or potluck, play cards and have a few drinks. Everyone will have fun, and the others will likely reciprocate not long afterwards.



6. Entertain young children for practically nothing. Most children, especially young ones, can be entertained very cheaply. Make games out of ordinary stuff around the house: a large cardboard box, pillows and blankets, old clothes, etc…



7. Clean out your closet. Go through your closets and get rid of anything you haven’t worn for more than one year. Have a garage sale, take it to a consignment shop, or donate it for the tax deduction. Turn old stuff into more money in your pocket.



8. Drink more water. You’ll eat less. Drink a big glass of water before a meal and not only will you digest it better, you’ll also find yourself feeling better as you begin to get adequately hydrated. Drinking plenty of water also hydrates your skin cells and will make you look younger!



9. Cut back on the convenience foods. Instead of eating fast food or nuking some prepackaged meal when you get home, try making some healthy and simple replacements on the weekend that you can take with you or pop into the microwave during the coming week. Make extra of whatever you cook on the week-end, put meals together in plastic containers and freeze them. These are handy meals that will end up saving you a lot of cash and not eat into your time when you’re busy.



10. Give up expensive habits, like cigarettes and alcohol. Those habits cause money to flow away from you with nothing in return. Call up your fortitude and work hard to kick the habits and you’ll find that money staying in your pocket instead of burning up and floating away.



11. Be diligent about turning off lights and power-down other appliances. Also, switch to the new energy efficient light bulbs. You will be surprised by the savings on your electric bill.



12. Maximize yard sale purchases. Stop when you see one, but recognize that most of the stuff there is junk. Be very picky. Only buy what you really need and will definitely use. That way, you wind up with a genuine bargain. Always be prepared to just walk away without buying anything. Enjoy the entertainment value of the experience.



13. Install a programmable thermostat. These devices regulate the temperature in your house automatically according to the schedule that you set. Thus, when you’re not home, it allows the heating or cooling to turn off for several hours, saving you on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat can easily cut your energy bill by 10 to 20%.



14. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage significantly. It’s easy and you can do it yourself. Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual and you’re good to go.



15. Do a dust inspection on all your appliances, including computers. Check them to make sure there isn’t any dust clogging them and that they’re fairly clean. Look behind the appliances, and use your vacuum to gently clear away dust. Check all of the vents, especially on refrigerators, dryers, and heating and cooling units. The less dust you have blocking the mechanics of these devices, the more efficiently they’ll run (saving you on your energy bill) and the longer they’ll last (saving you on replacement costs).



16. Cancel unused club memberships. Are you paying dues at a club that you never or rarely use? Like a gym membership or a country club membership? Cancel these even if you think you might use them again someday - you can always renew the membership at a later date if it turns out that you actually do miss it.



17. If you need anything “standard” – think “used” first. Clothes, sporting equipment, classic toys and older games can be found at pawn shops, consignment shops, and thrift stores – in perfect condition. Just make these shops a part of your normal routine - go there first when looking for standard items and you will save money.



18. Keep your hands clean. Wash your hands thoroughly every time you use the bathroom or handle raw foods. And wash your hands frequently if you are shaking hands or playing with children or pets. You’ll keep yourself from acquiring all kinds of viruses and bacteria, saving you on medical bills, medicines and lost productivity.



19. Switch to term life insurance. Repeat this 1000 times: “Insurance is not an investment and it is not a retirement plan!” Switch to term insurance and use the difference in cost to get yourself out of debt and start building some wealth. Universal life and whole life policies are much more expensive and offer a sub par investment opportunity - you’re much better off getting yourself free of a debt burden.



20. Rotate the clothes in your closet. Take the clothes at the back of the closet and bring them to the front and suddenly your wardrobe will feel completely different. Take the clothes buried in your dresser and pull them to the top. You’ll be surprised at what you find. Use your mix and match creativity and you’ll have several “new” outfits without spending a dime.



21. Brown bag your lunch. Instead of going out to eat at work, take your lunch.



22. If something’s broken, give a shot at repairing it yourself before replacing it or calling a repairman. Great information about repairing anything is available on the internet. You may be surprised what you can do. Be careful that you only take advice from respected sources.



23. Keep a “to do” or “to buy” list in your car, purse and on the side of the refrigerator. Keep a small notebook in your car and purse. You can use a dry erase magnet board and a Velcro dry erase pen for the side of the refrigerator. Whenever you think of something you need to buy or do, jot it down. This way you will not waste time or money driving back to the store, or making extra trips.



24. Air up your tires. For every two PSI that all of your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most car tires are five to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. That’s free gas!



25. Start a garden. Gardening is an inexpensive hobby even if you don’t have a yard. Just plop some tomato plants in a container in a sunny window. If you have a yard and don’t want to rent a tiller, buy some top soil in plastic bags, throw them on the ground, cut out a large opening on top and punch holes in the bottom. You can grow large amounts of fresh vegetables. Delicious, healthy (and very inexpensive)!



26. Look through your cell phone bill, land-line bill and cable TV bill. You are probably paying for services you don’t use and don’t need. The phone and cable companies are banking on your lack of attention to detail when you pay their bills. Call the company and cancel that stuff fast. Bam! You’re saving money.



27. Student loans. Do some research. Interest rates are low right now, so it might be worthwhile to consolidate your student loans into one low-rate package. Also look into some new federal programs that will forgive some student loans for people who work in public service or qualify for low-income relief. Also check out automatic draft options to make your payments. Some lenders give you a discount if you have the payment automatically deducted from your account.



28. Find out about all of the benefits of your job. Most people aren’t even aware of all of the benefits available to them. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Spend some time with your HR person finding out about all the benefits of your job - you might be surprised at what you find. Some companies have free tickets to sporting events, free personal improvement opportunities, tuition reimbursement and other benefits outside routine health insurance and 401(k).



29. Bargain. Always ask for fees to be waived or prices to be discounted. Any time you sign up for a service of any kind and there are sign-up fees, ask for them to be waived. Or ask if the seller is willing to take a lower price. Sometimes (but not always), they will be - and you save money just by asking.



30. Buy staples in bulk. Use the large discount stores and buy quantity, especially items that don’t perish - trash bags, laundry detergent, diapers, toilette paper, and so on. Quantity packaging reduces the cost per item quite a bit. Over time, this adds up to serious money.