How do you save money?

Even families with six-figure incomes can sometimes struggle to save money. Lack of a budget or simply not watching your expenses can lead to financial troubles. We'd love to hear your strategies for saving money. Do you clip coupons and shop for bargains, or do you just turn down the thermostat in the winter? If you have some tips you'd like to share, submit them in the comments below. Thank you!

Comments

[marcie]

I like to go on a girls trip a couple of times a year. Just to get away, go to the spa, shop, and have fun with my best friend. We save our change in between trips. You wouldn't think this would add up but it usually pays for at least one if not two major expenses (hotel and car rental). We also have a garage sale and ask family and friends if they have things laying around that we could pick up and haul for them to boost sales. This usually pays for everything. We enjoy ourselves without taking money out of our weekly budgets. Marcie

We also usually come home with plenty of money to start us off for next time.

[Julie]

I look for mystery shop programs at the stores that I like to shop. That way I get paid at least $10-$15 just to go into the store and possibly reimbursed for part of my purchase as well.

[Beth]

I love the idea. It sounds easy to do but I'm sure you have to have discipline. You don't want to be dipping into the money before you get it to the credit union.

[Tony]

I recently read an article in the Boston Globe about a woman who saves every $5 bill she receives. In 3 years, she has managed to save $12,000! When she has $50 worth of $5 bills, she deposits them into a savings account at her credit union. When the account reaches $2000, she then buys a certificate to get a better interest rate. Ingenious! I think I am going to give it a try!