Your best ever money saving tips

Plan meals and stick to a list when grocery shopping. I shop at Aldi for a lot of my basics.

Buy clothing & housewares secondhand when you can.

Opt for huge tubs of plain Greek yogurt and add your own bit of fruit, nuts, honey, sweetener, whatever you like. I find that this saves me big time because I used to buy the individual portions with fruit on the bottom and now a 3 dollar tub of Fage lasts for 2 weeks.

For full-priced additions to your wardrobe (suits, coats, running shoes) think long and hard about what you want and must have in the item and shop online and browse around before buying to get the best deal.

If you're going out with friends, skip the appetizer and dessert and drink water. Go out for lunch instead of dinner when you can.

Check out books (including e-books or audio books) and movies from the library.

If you receive a gift card, try to find a way to use it for something practical. For example, gas if it's a big box store card...underwear or necessities if it's a department store card.

Balance your indulgences with cheaper versions of other products you use. For example, I've got Suave shampoo next to Lush soaps and elf mascara next to Stila eye shadow.

I know this WILL NOT work for most people....but cut/color your own hair, do your own mani/pedi, etc. Again I know most of you are saying "WTF no way" but my husband and I both get compliments on our hair and I get them on my nails, etc, and we are strictly DIY in this area, always!

If you drink (alcoholic beverages) buy it and drink at home, entertain at home instead of buying drinks in a bar/club.

Use cloth napkins, kitchen towels, and rags. You will need to wash towels anyway and these can be thrown in. I save a considerable sum on paper towels and napkins even though it seems like such a tiny expense.

Don't grab a quick coffee, tea, or soda out in diners, convenience stores, etc. The savings will add up.

Cut out cable/satellite. Stream content online.

Don't have a smartphone - or if you do, use your home wifi and internet in other places rather than a pricey data plan.

Use leftovers in a new dish. IE: leftover chicken, sirloin, whatever... cut it up and use it in a stir fry.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. That stuff is AMAZING... and you can use it for ANYTHING. You super dilute it with water... it can be used as a cleaner, hand soap, body wash... whatever. They have about 5 different scents or you can get unscented and add your own essential oils... best of all... its all natural without all the crappy chemicals they put in other body washes, etc.

It's about $12 at target for a big bottle..... diluting only 50/50 a bottle will last me (for cleaning, hand soap and body wash) at least 6 months. Its super soapy.... so you could really dilute 25/75 to stretch it longer.

please pick up the book "i will teach you to be rich" by Ramit Sethi.

a lot of these ideas are great to save a few nickles and dimes, but if you really want to save money and make your money work for you, i recommend this book.

Be realistic about the car you drive. Choose the smallest car that meets 90% of your needs and is several years old. Now drive it as little as possible. Group trips together - if you are pulling out of your driveway more than once a day, you're driving too much (I am so, so guilty of this).

Buy a bike for shortish trips where you aren't carrying much stuff. Bonus - you'll get fitter.

Don't buy too much house (again, I am guilty of this, because I was an idiot). They cost more to heat, maintain, insure and tax. Plus they are too much damn work. Buy the smallest house that reasonably suits your family's needs.

Monitor mortgage rates, and remortgage when they are in your favor. Get the shortest term mortgage you can reasonably afford.

Credit cards are for emergencies, and discretionary spending should halt until that emergency is paid off.

Deduct your savings directly from your paycheck, and put them into a different bank than your checking account. That way you never see the money, and transfers are less convenient. Best choice is a brokerage account and keep it in a moderate growth mutual fund.

Make sure you are taking full advantage of your 'package' (ooo-er) at work. If they have a 401k match and/or ESPP plan, and you aren't contributing, you are literally declining a portion of your wages.

For retirement, unless you are somehow 100% certain what your tax situation will be, diversify across pre- and post- tax savings.

Avoid advertising like the plague - it's designed to make you think you need stuff you really don't. It won't make you happier, just poorer. Do stuff, don't buy stuff.

Anyone cut the cord from cable? I have looked into that, just going to antennae and internet. I spend about $110 per month for freaking TV and I barely watch it anymore.

What would be the best alternatives?

I have.

For me I made a list of all the TV shows I watch and 80% of them were OTA (over the air). In other words, I was paying $150 per month for 20% of my shows.

Of those, I could get most through Hulu or Netflix (though I had to wait until much later).

One of the hidden bonuses is after a year I don't even watch that much TV. And shows that I thought I "couldn't miss" I actually can and don't mind at all.

Anyone cut the cord from cable? I have looked into that, just going to antennae and internet. I spend about $110 per month for freaking TV and I barely watch it anymore.

What would be the best alternatives?

Netflix and torrents.

I've been without cable for 3 years now. It's awesome. I pay $7.99/month for Netflix and Hulu Plus streamed through your device of choice, and I have a gigantic antennae in my attic that gets 50 channels from the Milwaukee/Chicago area.

I seriously have not missed cable for 5 seconds.

Anyone cut the cord from cable? I have looked into that, just going to antennae and internet. I spend about $110 per month for freaking TV and I barely watch it anymore.

What would be the best alternatives?

I have.

For me I made a list of all the TV shows I watch and 80% of them were OTA (over the air). In other words, I was paying $150 per month for 20% of my shows.

Of those, I could get most through Hulu or Netflix (though I had to wait until much later).

One of the hidden bonuses is after a year I don't even watch that much TV. And shows that I thought I "couldn't miss" I actually can and don't mind at all.

Also... that part in bold. I love some couch/tv time, but no longer feel like i "need" to get to that couch for any reason... ever. Unless there's a naked man or cheese on it or something, I have better things to do with my time.

Buy bottle water by the case!!

Is there some reason your free tap water isn't good enough?

Anyone cut the cord from cable? I have looked into that, just going to antennae and internet. I spend about $110 per month for freaking TV and I barely watch it anymore.

What would be the best alternatives?

I have.

For me I made a list of all the TV shows I watch and 80% of them were OTA (over the air). In other words, I was paying $150 per month for 20% of my shows.

Of those, I could get most through Hulu or Netflix (though I had to wait until much later).

One of the hidden bonuses is after a year I don't even watch that much TV. And shows that I thought I "couldn't miss" I actually can and don't mind at all.

Also... that part in bold. I love some couch/tv time, but no longer feel like i "need" to get to that couch for any reason... ever. Unless there's a naked man or cheese on it or something, I have better things to do with my time.

Hmmm...cheese you say...it looks like you're taken otherwise I'd be sitting on your couch with nothing but a plate of cheese