10 Easy Money-Saving Tips

1. Give your cart a once-over: Before you reach the checkout, remove at least one impulse purchase. Cutting just $10 a week of unnecessary spending adds up fast! 2. Replace one processed food: Pick one processed item and opt for an unprocessed substitute. For example, making mashed potatoes from scratch twice a week instead of buying a pre-packaged version will save you $60 a year. 3. Punch the numbers: Don�t assume that a jumbo-size household or grocery product is the best deal. Bring a calculator on every shopping trip and figure out the price per ounce. 4. Compare prices in advance: You can save money on everything from books to home d�cor by checking sites like pricewatch.com and shoppingnotes.com before you hit the stores. 5. Lower your prescription costs: Before refilling, check out the competition, since prices vary among pharmacies. Log on to pharmacychecker.com or pillbot.com for current pricing, and look for promotions that reward you with cash back for making the switch. 6. Get into an energy-saving habit: Put sticky notes at eye level around the house to remind everyone to close the blinds during the day, turn off lights and water whenever possible, and unplug major appliances before leaving. 7. Insulate the attic door: Use a strong adhesive (try Loctite Power Grab; lowes.com) to secure rigid foam insulation and new weather stripping to the inside of your attic door or pull-down hatch. The project will pay for itself in a few months. Find instructions at energysavers.gov. 8. Change the furnace filter: You will save on unwanted repairs as well as heating and cooling costs, since your furnace will run more efficiently. Learn how at doityourself.com. 9. Seal up drafts: If you live in an old house or apartment building, buy draft stops to slide under exterior and basement doors and windows. Energystar.gov estimates that proper insulation could cut heating and cooling costs by 20 percent. 10. Install a dimmer switch: This project is easier than it sounds and could save you hundreds of dollars in electricity costs (learn how at allyou.com/dimmers). Save even more by using compact fluorescents (CFLs) made for dimmers.