#1 -- Go out for dessert instead of dinner.  Dinners out can get expensive, but it's not fun to stay in every night.  Eat dinner at home and go out for dessert.  To save time and reduce the temptation to go out to eat, make up large batches of food and freeze it in individual serving containers.  This way you can heat up a homemade gourmet meal in minutes then go out for a yummy dessert after-wards.

#2 -- Borrow instead of Buy.  Need a special tool for a project or maybe a hedge trimmer or tent.  Go to NeighBorrow.com to find someone near you that will happily lend you theirs, free of charge.  

#3 --  Turn down (or up, depending on the season) your thermostat before you leave your house.  Shut the vents off in rooms that you do not use during the day, such as, bedrooms or family room and keep the doors closed.  No sense in heating rooms that are not being used. 

#4 -- Have a Clothing Swap with friends.  Invite your friends to clean out their closets, bring over their unwanted clothing and accessories along with a dish to pass.  Lay out everyone's clothes.  Eat, mingle and shop - for FREE!  You'll probably leave with at least a couple of new fun pieces to add to your wardrobe, and you'll have a fun and free night out.  Simply donate all of the left over items to charity.  

#5 -- Unplug items you are not using.  Even if they are off they are still pulling current.  This cost savings will add up to more than you think.  If you don't want to continually be unplugging items, invest in a Smart Strip (different than a standard power strip).  It does not allow your items to pull electric current when off.  You will probably cut your electric bill in half.   You will probably cut your electric bill in half.  Putting a Smart Strip on your TV, Tivo, DVD player, etc. is a great first step.  Those items tend to pull a significant amount of current even when they are off.  The next place is your paper shredder, and printer/scanner/copier/fax.  Click here for more details. 

#6 -- Don't run your water continuously when washing dishes or brushing your teeth.  Wash all your clothes in cold.  It's better on your clothes and they typically come out just as clean.  Use a little pre-spot if needed.  If you are replacing any of your appliances, purchase energy and water efficient models. 

#7 --  Before paying full retail price or even sale price for anything, check Craigslist, Ebay or HandMeDowns. 

Added bonus: It's great for our environment when we re-distribute items instead of tossing things out and re-manufacturing new things.  Click here for examples of what you can get for super cheap

#8 --  Get Cash-Back rewards on all of your purchases.  How much do you spend at Target or Walmart each month?  We spend about $100 a week.  Target offers a 3.5% cash-back reward (I'll share with you the secret on how to get it).  For us, that's a savings of $182 a year.  I can get three massages for that!  Target is just one of 600 stores that offers cash-back rewards.  Click here to find out more.  You can get a cash-back reward at just about every store you shop in.  That can add up to huge savings at the end of the year.    BONUS:  The rewards are automatic, no paper-work to fill out.  Some of them are even given in the form of a discount when you check out.  Learn More. 

#9 --  Get your haircut and colored at a school.  It will save you a bundle (especially on color services).  The student is monitored closely by an instructor.  The Aveda Institutes and Juut Academys are great places to go.  At the Juut New Artist Academy, those students have graduated from cosmetology school but are in a 30-week advanced training course required by all Juut Salons.  Haircuts at the Juut Academy are a little more expensive than the Aveda Institute but you get a more trained cosmetologist cutting or coloring your hair. 

• Haircuts at Juut Academy run about $25
• Haircuts Aveda Institute run about $15 and usually include a scalp massage and make-up application (all over color runs $33-$43).
• The schools also provide facials, waxing and massage treatments.

#10 --  Save on Travel!  Instead of skipping your vacation, just learn to travel better for less.  For the guaranteed cheapest hotel rate and cheapest Carnival Cruise Rates, book your travel through J&J Travel.  Bookmark the website on your computer so you have it handy when you need it.  They also offer incredible (and usually unbeatable) Last Minute Deals.  There is no magic bullet for the cheapest airfare but Orbitz and Price Line are usually good bets.  Package deals are almost always cheaper.  If you need hotel and/or car with your flight, then J&J Travel is best bet for getting the cheapest rate on a package deal.

#11 --  Use alternative healthcare options.  Health care is huge expense for many of us and there are cheaper and better options. Click here for some examples.

#12 --  Hire it out!  I know, it seems counter intuitive.  The reality is, if you focus on what you are really good at and hire out all of the little "tasks" that need to get done you will be more efficient, probably more happy and will earn more money.   Consider hiring out your yard work, snow removal, house-keeping, laundry, errand running and any other chore you despise.  Leave it to the professionals who love to do your chores  and can probably do them better and faster than you can.  One resource to find professionals in your area is Angie's List. Also, check out an inexpensive virtual assistant service such as VMGBPO.

#13 --  Save with Coupon Codes.  Find current coupon codes for the items on your shopping list at currentcodes.com.  

#14 --  Save on groceries without clipping a hundred coupons and still being able to buy organic and local.  Click here for details.

#15 -- Trade labor.  Have a project that needs to get done?  Trade labor with a friend.  Think about what skills you have and who you can offer them to in exchange for their skills on your project.  Go to BabySitterExchange to swap babysitting hours with members of your community!

#16 --The number one way to save money is to be organized.  How many times have you lost paper work that has cost you time and money?  Lost a receipt for an item you wanted to return, lost rebate paper work, had to pay to get an important document replaced, and the list goes on.   If you want to be able to find any piece of paper in your home in 30-seconds of less, get my Fast-Filing Method audio program.  It's inexpensive and easy to implement.  Spend your life being productive and doing what you love not searching for paperwork.  Get The Fast-Filing Method audio program today!