I just read a short article in the Sunday paper that I thought was interesting, mainly because my family and I already employ most of the ideas.  Why?  Because we're misers?  Below poverty level?  No, because we are homestead-minded!  In a nutshell, here are the suggestions the article listed:

1.  Look at your cable bill. Are you paying $5 per cable box for several rooms?  Give up premium cable packages.  [Hmm, let's see.  We don't even HAVE cable!  Where we live (big city for now) it costs right at $50 per month for BASIC CABLE (and that's BEFORE taxes and fees are added). Hello?!?!  IMHO, there is just not enough "good" tv on those cable stations to justify that kind of dough!]

2.  Use as directed (meaning your detergents and cleaning supplies).  [Yep, got that covered.  I make my own window and all purpose cleaners as well as laundry soap.  Still, it is amazing that, even though we want/need to save money, we sometimes just pour out whatever looks good instead of using the directed amount.]

3.  Consider eliminating your land-line phone and use only your cell phone if you live in an area that gets good cell phone reception.  [Done. When we moved the last time, we determined to use only our cell phones to cut costs. The basic land-line phone bill in this area is never less than $75/month - and that doesn't include long distance! Ridiculous!]

4.  Plan weekly or monthly menus.  [Please, that's a rule in our house!  We have done the "run to the store for just what we need for a couple days" deal, and we ALWAYS end up spending more than if we shop for 2 weeks at a time.  It truly pays to think ahead!]

5.  Consolidate errands and activities into one trip wherever possible.  [We usually do this as much as possible already, but when gas prices went over $3 per gallon, it became a bigger deal.]

6.  Map out your drive to be sure you are taking the shortest route.  [Well, this would make sense and be obvious for a road trip, but it also applies to running around town. I've lately been quite upset at the amount of "running around" we have had to do in order to find an item we need in the city. I have started calling ahead to a store/stores to be sure they carry the item I am looking for if I haven't noticed it there before. I also try to find a store that is close to other errands I need to run. A phone call is much cheaper than a gallon or two of gas!]

7.  Get a membership at a warehouse store.  [We have had memberships in the past, and there are some great deals to be had.  The hard part is refraining from buying things you really don't need or buying more than you'll use.  You must be objective AND aware of price per unit so you can determine if it is *really* less expensive than buying a smaller amount at a regular retailer.  Right now it just isn't the best option for us, especially considering that many stores have started selling the larger warehouse-type sizes in many items.]