Frugal $ense: Skip the dryer, save some energy
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Bankrate: Are you generally frugal?

Betsy: Pretty much I am, and I guess in addition to being beneficial it's kind of a game to me. I don't do anything extravagant, like I've heard of people that take two-ply toilet tissue and separate it. I'm not that extreme. But I save where I can and it's a little challenge to myself.

Bankrate: Do you save a particular amount each month or do you have savings goals you try to reach?

Betsy: I do but I'm not really strict with it, I just try to see the balance increase; I don't really restrict myself to reach a certain amount.

It's something I'm always thinking about and people, my friends and family, even sometimes laugh about it. For example, at work, I always take my lunch and my friends will laugh about that, but then they start thinking and they realize, you know, I am spending a lot buying fast food out. And they start to strive toward that. But to me it's more natural; it's not an effort.

Bankrate: How do you save money on a day-to-day basis?

Betsy: With my credit card, I pay off the credit card every month but I do put everything on the card to maximize my rewards from that. And I'm one of those people who follows the sale ads and coupons and rebates just to see what I can get for as little as possible. It's just a fun challenge to me.

I want to spend my money on fun stuff like traveling and going on vacation rather than everyday stuff that you have to do like buying food and paying your water bill. I'd rather save on those things and then do fun stuff.

Other environmentally friendly frugal tips from Betsy:

1. Use rechargeable batteries for electronics that use up the power quickly. In the long run, it's a lot cheaper and it saves from having to throw out the dead batteries so frequently. 2. Take public transportation to work. Just two months after I switched, I've saved $120 -- and that is factoring in bus and train fare as well as parking and gas. I get a little exercise walking to the bus stop, too. It takes the same amount of time. 3. Buy some food in bulk and then break it out into smaller portions in reusable containers. It's cheaper and uses less packaging than buying the individual servings.