Save some stinking money 5/8/12

I know this blog is primarily recipes made on the cheap, but why not give you some tips on saving money in other areas, too?  I've learned how to save money the hard way so I might as well take that hard earned knowledge and share it.  Some tips may seem obvious, some you may not not be willing to try, but hopefully some will be just what you needed.  Worth a shot.

1.  Get rid of the home phone!  Do you really need it?  I'd rather save $20 bucks a month and stick with my cell.  That's $240 a year people.  Think about it.

2.  Quit riding your brakes!  I'm serious. Gas costs way too much money to waste and those of you that are constantly braking are losing gas.  Once your car is going, inertia keeps it going, and you're not using gas.  But once you start tailgating grandma in front of you, you're going to be hiting those brakes and in turn hiting the gas to speed back up.  Find a good speed and keep it (just keep it safe).

3.  Do you really need cable or satellite?  We don't even have either one.  We get netflix and hulu plus on our tv which costs about $15 a month.  We get all the shows we want.  The downside is Josh doesn't get all of his sports so we will be getting satellite soon, but for now I'm enjoying not paying that bill.

4.  Grocery Shopping?  Bring a list and don't go hungry.  I'm serious.  Only buy what is on your list.  It's way too easy to grab a little extra here and there or assume you need a new bottle of ketchup (and then go home and find a full bottle hiding behind an old bottle of grape juice). 
          *Give the clearance aisle a try.  Something on your list may be there.
          *See what's on sale.  If it's something you use and has a long shelf life (canned foods as an example) it's a good idea to stock up.
         
5.  Screw the Joneses!  Not literally mind you.  But if you find yourself forking out extra cash to impress the Joneses then you're being dumb.  Yep, I said it.  Dumb dumb dumb.  But money buys you happiness you say?  Wrong again!  Freedom from debt or other financial stresses can bring you happiness. 

Okay...that's all my tips for today.  I'll post more as they come to me.