How to Be Frugal and Save Money During a Recession

It seems that lately everyone is spending less and looking for ways to save even more. And rightly so! Many folks are facing wage freezes and salary reductions just to keep their jobs. On the downside, others are being laid off. While there are literally hundreds of great tips to save money and stretch a budget, these are some of my favorites:

Car Maintenance

Don't be late to work in the winter because you have to scrape the windows. Keep a small spray bottle solution of 3 parts vinegar/1 part water in your purse/tote. Spray it on your windows at night to prevent frost from building up. Just remember not to leave the solution in your car because it will freeze!

Don't waste your money on expensive auto wipes. Use baby wipes instead. They're great for wiping up spills and removing dust from the dashboard and other vinyl upholstery. Don't use them on the windows because they do contain a bit of oil, such as lanolin or mineral oil.

Frozen locks? Squirt some waterless hand sanitizer into the lock. The heavy alcohol content will quickly break down the ice and you'll be on your way.

Did you know that fingernail polish is composed of nearly the same formula as auto paint? Keep a small bottle of clear polish handy to "paint" on scratches to deter the exposed metal from rusting until you can get it repaired. If you can find a color similar to your car's color, even better!

Groceries

Reduce your shopping to once a month. You'd be surprised at how much you will save when you buy in bulk.

Make a habit of eating leftovers. This is no time be tossing food because it made its way to the back of the fridge and is now unidentifiable.

Add a few meatless meals to your menu each week. Incorporate beans or rice into your meals instead.

Stop eating out and leave your change at home. That way you'll be less tempted to snack out of the vending machines.

Stop buying bottled water! Invest in a home filtration system. It's far cheaper in the long run and you won't notice the difference!

Before shopping, check the ads at all the local stores for the best deals. Use coupons, but only if they are for things you planned to buy. Coupons are deceiving. They often entice people to buy extra items they don't really need. Why spend an extra $3.00 just to save $0.50 cents?

Utilities

If you haven't already, switch to CFL bulbs. They use 2/3 less energy and they last up to 10 times longer.

Keep your thermostat turned down and use candles. They'll not only warm the room, they'll create a beautiful ambiance. However... never burn candles unattended and make sure they are out of reach of children.

Take shorter showers and never leave the water running when brushing your teeth or doing dishes.

Review your cable bill. Do you really watch all 120 of those channels? Switch back to just the basic service or minimize the extras to lower your monthly bill. Or better yet, cancel it altogether.

Unplug appliances that are not being used. Did you know just having them plugged in uses electricity? Do you know why your TV powers on so quickly? It's because it's still being fed electricity when it's off. Plug your TV, DVD player and other gadgets into a power strip. Turn off the power strip at night to cut the electrical supply and prevent waste from these items.

One popular tip you'll here is to shut off your computer when it's not in use. However, repetitive on/off motions can wear out the internal components in your computer, necessitating costly repairs or replacement. Your computer left on 24/7 uses far less energy than your refrigerator!

Health Care

Save money on prescriptions by using the prescription programs at Wal-Mart and Target. In the future, Walgreens is also planning to implement a similar program. Many generic drugs are available under these plans for about $4.00, even less than your copay.

Ask your doctor for a 90 day prescription. Often medical plans will cover a 3 month refill at the cost of 2 months. You essentially receive 4 months free each year.

Ask your doctor about a double strength prescription. Not all medicines are effective this way, but if yours is, you can take ½ doses by splitting your pills and save even more. Let's say your prescription can be split and you get a 90 day prescription. You only pay 2 copays for 6 months worth of medicine.

Shop around for medical care. You'd be surprised at the difference in cost at different clinics and with today's popular high deductible health plans and HSA's, you need to take an active role in your health care.

Shopping

Shop at good will stores. Often you will find new, never been used items at drastic discounts.

Consider buying used. Garage sales, eBay, consignment shops, etc.

Start a family and friend swap group. You can get a free account on Yahoo Groups. Everyone can list items they don't need any more (good condition of course) and then others can claim them. This works great when kids outgrow their clothes.

Send in for free samples. Wal-Mart offers free samples online and a great site for freebies is www.shop4freebies.com. Google "freebies" and you'll find many more, but as a caution, some freebie sites charge a monthly membership fee. It isn't truly free if you have to pay a fee!