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Is that title style getting worn??? LOL!

While it may be boring, I cannot hit this concept over your head enough. Changing your thinking about spending and you will be shocked at how much better off you will be in the long run.

Shop for clothing at thrift shops (especially for young kids). Look for gently worn or even new clothes for 1/10 the price of new (or less).

Pay your bills online. It’s protected and you can save with stamps.

Put your kids on the school bus rather than driving them to school.

Slipcover or reupholster older furniture for a quick update rather than buying expensive new furniture.

Refinish furniture and/or decorate with new paint. Use older and broken furniture to make a unique piece.

Take your lunch to work every day! Make your meals in bulk and then freeze them in smaller containers to save even more money.

Buy a bread maker to make your own bread. This is much cheaper than $2.00 a loaf, and tastes terrific!

Shop for dented canned goods and outdated toiletries at salvage grocery stores.

Read magazine subscriptions at the library or buy them at the thrift shop for .25 to .50 after someone else has read them.

Stop drinking expensive sodas and make Kool-Aid or decaffeinated iced tea, instead.

Cancel expensive telephone options like call waiting.

Check out library books instead of buying expensive new titles.

When you wash your hair every day don’t lather twice. Saves shampoo!

Change your eating habits and avoid expensive, processed foods. (especially canned goods which tend to have too much sodium in them)

Exercise and eat right to keep your doctor bills down.

Brush and floss your teeth to keep the dentist bill down.

Keep up on regular auto maintenance and avoid costly repair.

Mend your clothing instead of buying new clothes.

Buy only clothing that does not require dry cleaning.

Take care of your own nails. Avoid manicures.

Simplify your hairstyle – wear a hairdo that doesn’t require much maintenance.

Get at least 3-6 quotes when shopping for items over $100.

Develop self-control and simplify your life if possible.

Buy only inexpensive, no-name drugstore cosmetics.

Cut your dryer sheets in half.

Buy generic over the counter medicine rather than name brand items when possible.

Buy generic baby wipes, diapers, and formula, anything you can for the baby.

Look for quality, name brand clothing at garage sales in more affluent neighborhoods.

Find fashionable clothing in the sale departments of stores like the Gap and Stitches.

Keep in fashion by finding basic colored tees and skirts and then add cheaper, trendy accessories.

Buy baby clothes privately from someone that has an older child (one year older) than yours. You can find good quality clothing cheaper this way.

When you get change back from a purchase put it in the piggy bank. Always give the cashier whole dollars, not the exact amount. In a few months, you will have “found” money that can be used for an emergency fund.

You can save money by shopping for groceries in the “bulk foods” aisles in your grocery store.

Bulk up in the wintertime. You don’t need the heat above 68 degrees in the winter inside your house. Wear warm clothes and socks/slippers while in the house.

Use all plastic bags you receive at the grocery store for trash bags.

Some grocery stores give you a 5-cent credit per bag if you bring your own bags. Pennies add up over time.

Instead of buying a new house, rent to own. The payments are cheaper.

Install a water softener. It might be expensive to start up, but in the long run, you use less shampoo/conditioner on your hair and it saves your appliances (pipes, iron, washing machine, dish washer, kettle and hot water tank) from clogging up with lime scale.

Breastfeed your children!

Save money when shopping next time at the supermarket by remembering to check the lower items nearer to floor level as they are often much cheaper than those at eye level. Also, resist the temptation to purchase extra items at the checkout such as magazines and candy bars.

When you receive a gift that you are sure you won’t use, re-gift! The next time you will need to buy a gift – give away one of your own.

Hand-pick your own fruits and vegetables in season. They are less expensive and better quality foods.

The next time you yearn to see a movie wait to see it on DVD at the video store.

Quick braking, cornering, and accelerating (speeding) will eat your gas up considerably. Never let your fuel needle go below a ½ tank, or fill it up when you drive it to “Empty”. Nickel and diming your gas tank gets you no where fast!

Instead of buying a new DVD, save money by trading with family and friends. Once a month do the rounds and before you know it, you will have a new library of good movies to enjoy.

Plant a small garden each spring, with just the vegetables that you really like. Even a small effort every day can save you dollars usually spent on fresh vegetables at the produce market.

Buy your bread and other bakery items at the local thrift bread store.

Check your local library for the newest DVD/video releases and then rent three for $2.00 for two days.

Read your local newspapers online.

Search eBay for big ticket items and then save literally hundreds on computers, DVD players, etc.

Keep track of the cost of items you buy a lot and get them at the cheapest store, like cleaning supplies at Family Dollar, pet food at Wal-Mart, etc.

Make a conscious effort to combine tasks that require driving some place, so you will get the most out of your mileage.

For your friends and family who do not feel slighted by this, send e-mail cards for holidays, birthdays and as thank you cards. In addition, e-mail family and friends who live far away, instead of calling long distance.

Get rid of your monthly fee long distance service, and just use an access code when you do call, which is infrequently anyway and inexpensive.

Decide which satellite channels you could do without, and give up a few shows you really like. You can save more than $20.00 on your monthly bill.

When you buy vegetables, fruits and bread at the grocery store check the reduced-for-quick-sale carts and shelves first.

Change the oil in your vehicles yourself.

Save money when buying clothes for the following year at the end of the season / during the off season. You can get great mark down prices.

Each evening take the spare change from your pockets or periodically clean out your purse and toss the coins aside. Never take any money back until the end of the year. Then take all of the coins to the bank and exchange them for cash. You’ll be surprised to find out they’ve added up to $50, $100 or even $200.

“Take care of your cents, and then your dollars will take care of themselves.”

Bike to work in good weather instead of driving to save on gas.

Eat a few hearty vegetarian meals each week.

Shop garage sales for a great source of household items, books, clothing, and furniture.

Don’t buy bottled water! Buy a good water-filter and drink tap water.

At the end of each day put all of your change into an empty coffee can. Then roll coins as you watch TV or listen to the radio. This will add up to hundreds of dollars very quickly and gives you something good to do with your hands to relax.