30 simple ways to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your money
By Bankrate.com

Despite the fact that you can find a zillion diets out there, the key to losing weight is really quite simple. Burn off by exercise more calories than you take in by eating and you'll lose weight.

The same approach can be taken when it comes to saving money. Spend less money than you bring in and your fortune will grow.

To help you do just that, Bankrate and its readers have come up with some simple acts that can beef up your bank accounts. Here are 30 everyday ways Bankrate readers have found to save more of their hard-earned cash.

Trick yourself into saving more
When your car is paid off, keep making payments -- to your savings account.

Always use dollar bills when purchasing something. Put the coins you collect in a piggy bank and roll them every few months. Put that money in a money market account or other savings program. You'll be surprised how quickly the coins add up to big bucks.

Start each day by taking $3 out of your wallet and placing the cash in an envelope or some hidden spot. Do this faithfully, and before long you've built up a nice little emergency cash fund.

Budget a specific amount for your phone bill each month and pay it online. The months when you are ahead of the game and your actual bill is less than you budgeted, just sweep the difference directly into a savings account. You won't miss the money because you already had written it off.

Pay yourself 10 percent of your net salary every paycheck. Have it automatically deposited into your savings account, mutual fund or money market. That makes it difficult to get to, but keeps it liquid for emergencies.

Checkbook trickery
Each payday, after you add in your deposit, deduct a big chunk for the mortgage, auto payment or any other big expense coming up in the month. If your checkbook ledger shows you don't have it, you won't spend it.

Forgo the posh hair salons
Check out the local career/tech school for your haircuts, hair coloring or permanents. The costs are a fraction of what a salon would charge. Usually, the students are closely supervised and intent on doing a good job. Or, have your spouse cut your hair.

Keep the messages rolling in
Get rid of unnecessary telephone features such as two-way or three-way calling, call-waiting and voice mail. Buy an answering machine for less than $20, and save as much as $9 a month on the voice mail feature.

Don't stop talking
Cancel your long-distance phone service. Instead, use a prepaid phone card, readily available at most any major retail establishment. For example, Sam's Club offers prepaid cards for 4.1 cents per minute.

If chatting on the phone with family and friends far away is important to you, switch your long-distance service to a cell phone with real nationwide minutes and save. There are cheap offers all over the place for as little as $29.95 a month. Just remember to track the minutes used, as the over-limit costs are very expensive.

Write it down
Make a grocery list and an errand list before heading out to shop. The trick is to do both grocery shopping and errands on the same day. That way you don't have the time to browse, salivating over all the cool stuff you really don't need.

Keep track of every dollar you spend. If you want to cut costs, first you need to know exactly what you are spending. Then, identify the "wants" and the "needs." Limit your wants and take care of the family's needs.

Compare costs
Switch your Internet service provider from one of the major carriers to a local one. Check out your credit union or newspaper for offers. The savings add up quickly.

No-name brands
Buy generic products whenever possible -- from groceries to medications to clothing. With name brands, you are paying for their advertising.

Take advantage of the library
Cancel all your magazine subscriptions, and go to the library to catch up on your favorites. And, if your library offers an Internet connection, log on to browse the Web and pick up your e-mail messages. You can save on the monthly fee for an Internet connection at home.

Co-op
Swap baby sitting with your friends. The kids have a great time, and it's free.

Form book clubs with friends, co-workers and relatives to recycle your books before donating to charities or selling in a garage sale.

Working the plan
If you and your spouse have 401(k) plans through work and neither of you fully contributes, make sure you're contributing the most to the best plan. If the employer match is higher or the funds to choose from are more desirable on one of the programs, allocate a higher percentage to that plan.

Find the deals
Use the "Buy 10 get one free" coupons or cards. Always ask a vendor if they offer such discounts.

Buy clothes at the end of the season -- you'll always find a sale.

Highbrow consignment shops
Professional clothing is not easily found at thrift stores, but the more upscale resale shops often have wonderful suits for men and women. You can purchase nearly new clothing at a fraction of the original cost.

Play in your own backyard
For vacations, stay home. Pretend you are on holiday and go out and play -- eat out, go to the movies, visit a museum, go biking. Getting out of the daily routine for a few days can often be as refreshing as getting away.

Green thumb = more green
Grow your own vegetables. Tomatoes are not difficult to grow. Even if you don't have a yard, they grow well in containers. What you can't eat, can. Gardening is therapeutic, and homegrown veggies always taste better.

Be creative
Make your own greeting cards and invitations on the computer rather than buy them in the store. The recipients are going to throw them away eventually, anyway.

Quit your job!
Two-income families can save on child care expenses, work wardrobe, dry cleaning, restaurant lunches, gas and other job-related expenses if one spouse stays home to care for the family. The additional time at home frees up more time to make more home-cooked meals, time to do research and find the best buys on household items and stay on top of other monthly expenses. Sure, you'll lose the income, but weigh that against expenses cut from your budget.

Save some money to play
You don't have to give up your pleasures, just be smarter. Give yourself a weekly allowance. That way, you won't feel deprived, and by allocating a set amount of "play money" you probably won't go overboard on your spending.

Haggle
Call your credit card company and negotiate lower rates or transfer to a card with better rates. Remember credit card companies often charge a transfer fee, so don't transfer unless the rate is low enough to make up the difference. For the best deals on credit cards check Bankrate.com's rate tables.

Lost job
If you receive a severance or exit package, use the money to pay off all your credit cards, auto loans and insurance premiums for the year. By doing this, you only have to concentrate on mortgage, utilities and food. It's a big relief not to receive several credit card bills each month.

Do it yourself
Use vinegar and water to clean windows. It's cheaper and more effective than a commercial window cleaner. Spray it on and use a window blade to take it off. It's easy, fast and inexpensive.

Never pay for a service that you can do yourself. Let's say you paid $30 to get your yard raked. In reality that cost you more like $40 because you had to earn $40 to have 30 after-tax dollars. And, if you work with your mind all week, it's kind of fun and certainly a challenge to work with your hands once in awhile.

-- Posted: Nov. 14, 2001