If you buy bottled water, save your empty bottles and wash in the dishwasher. Re-fill them with filtered water from a pitcher with a filter.  Start a price book. Watch your local stores prices on items and note what the lowest price is that you have seen them go to for often used and more expensive items. Shop with your price book and then if an item is on sale you will know if it is the rock bottom price that you will pay and you can stock up on those items. Use coupons and shop when they double coupons. I recently did this at K-mart when they were doubling coupons up to and including $1.00. I stocked up on personal hygein items and cleaning products.  (Where I am at a bottle of Suave shampoo costs on average around $1.00, with a dollar off coupon that is doubled...well do the math). You can save alot of money that way. If you do not want to shell out the bucks for a Sunday paper to get the coupons, try checking with your local stop and shop type of gas station store on Mondays and see if they have any Sunday papers left over. Alot of times they Cut off the UPC codes of the unsold newspapers and turn them back into the newspaper company for a credit and will let you have them for free. If you have a family with children, it may pay for you to join a bulk food club like Sam's club. As always comparison shop with your price book, it may not always be cheaper at the bulk price. See if you have a dented or outdated type of store near you. (Cheap Foods, etc). You can get great deals on boxed cereals, snacks salad dressings, mayo's, etc. (I recently shopped at mine, which offers a 10% discount to college students, I got Name brand cereal for approx. $2.00 per box, a large container of Miracle Whip for $1.89, alot of granola bar type of snacks for $1.79 ea., 2large snack trays with meat, cheese and crackers for $3.99 ea, canned tomatoes, veggies, boxed potatoes, noodle side dishes and rice-a-roni, paper napkins, etc. -- I saved alot of money on this trip with my college ID. Shop the Dollar type of stores--I will only buy my olive oil and sweeteners there.

Join a group like Freecycle.com in your area. People are always giving away treasures there. Plant a garden. If you are limited on space try container gardening or check out a Square Foot Garden! Check out Craig's list or search for another free advertising site in your area on the web. Alot of the local newspapers now post online also. Check into bartering in your area. I recently found out the a local greenhouse does bartering and plan on checking into that further this next spring! Wow --Free plants!!! Shop at thrift stores. One of my local thrift stores will give you 20% off of your purchase when you donate an item to their store. That is a great way to cut down on clutter, something in and something out. Don't buy new books at new book prices, check out your local library or again a thrift store. You can also get books on tape that way. My partner is a truck driver and I got him 15 books on tape at the libraries annual book sale for $2.00 total!!! (It was $2 for whatever you could fit into the bag.  And if you have too many books or magazines, donate them to a local nursing home,  hospital or re-hab facility. New reading material is always appreciated.  Shop after the holidays for next years holiday. You can get great bargains on clearance. Do try to keep it all organized or you will forget what you have bought. If you need to build something, watch for new construction going on nearby. Ask if you can go through their scraps. Alot of companies will let you. It is less they have to pay to haul away. You may find most of what you need for free.   For eating out, check out restaraunts.com. I have gotten $25.00 gift certificates for $2.00! Bring an Empty Water Bottle to the Airport - The stores in the airport charge you $3 a bottle and you are not allowed to bring a full bottle through security. You can fill it up at a water fountain and can flavor it with the new flavor packets.