If saving money was one of your main resolutions this year, it’s a good time to evaluate 
some new tips to help increase your current efforts. Like the old adage says, if you watch out for the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. And making it a practice to regularly follow some or all of the following tips should have you see the dollars in your savings account grow steadily as you climb out of debt.
Spending on food can account for a very large chunk of your daily budget. Make a commitment to dine at home most of the time rather than eat in a restaurant which is twice as expensive and also requires a gratuity for waiter service. If coffee is your favorite beverage, brew it at home each morning and carry it to work in a thermos rather than spend by the cup at an expensive coffee cafe where your hard earned dollars are paying for that brand’s marketing. Avoid the temptation to eat out at lunch and brown bag your lunch to work instead. Never go grocery shopping without a written list in hand so you can avoid buying spontaneous purchases and always shop for items for which you have a discount coupon, available every Sunday in your local newspaper.
Clothing is another category where it can be easy to save money yet still look fashionable. Check out the resale boutiques and thrift stores in your neighborhood, where gently used designer names and brand fashions can be purchased for one quarter their retail price. Not only can you find good clothing deals at thrift stores, you can also find used furniture, electronics, appliances, cookware, bedding and linens for the bath and kitchen. Church rummage sales are another great way to save money and offer many new and like new items that you can put to good use.
For entertainment, skip paying for a ticket to the movies and sign up at your local library so you can check out not only the latest current best selling books but also music CDs and blockbuster movies. Or form a borrowing club among family members and friends to swap these items to enjoy and then return them when you are finished, all without spending a dime.
Other money saving tips that can add up quickly include drinking filtered tap water rather than buying expensive bottled water, paying every bill on time to avoid late fees and finance charges and requesting a free energy audit from your local electric company to find out how to cut your usage to save money.