I usually don’t spend a whole lot of money, and I try to stretch what we have as far as possible.  I thought I would just share some of the everyday things I do around the house to save money.

1. When drying laundry, I rip my Bounce sheet in half.  I found that half a sheet works just as well as a whole sheet, so the box lasts twice as long.  As a side note, I did try eliminating laundry sheets altogether by using 3 tennis balls in the dryer.  That worked ok, but wasn’t worth the savings.  I know some people also use less laundry soap or dishwasher detergent, but I have not gotten that brave yet.
2. I try not to water the lawn/plants if I can help it.  But, when we are in a dry spell, I do all watering late in the evening.  That way, more water gets to the plants and less dries up in the sun.
3. This is more of an annual thing, but I try to plan a year in advance and take advantage of my husband’s corporate health-care account.  This especially is important when I know a major expense will be coming up, like braces.  So I always communicate with our family’s doctors and dentists to try and predict when expenses may come up.  Unfortunately, this year my son will need his wisdom teeth removed, which kind of hit me by surprise.  That is a thousand dollar expense that I do not have covered in our health care account for this year.
4. I blabber on and on about this, but I always combine sales and coupons when grocery shopping.  I also will not go into Kohl’s or other stores that always issue discounts unless I have a coupon in-hand.
5. Almost all my books are obtained at the library, or with a gift card.  If I buy a new book, I read it fast and then sell it used on Amazon.  (Unless it is a book that I decide to loan out to a friend/family.)  I also take advantage of ‘Friends of Library’ sales and buy books for 50 cents or a dollar.
6. I adjust the house thermostat when I am leaving for longer than an hour.  I do have a programmable thermostat that is set for times I know I will be gone everyday.  But I also adjust it manually for times that are not programmed in.
7. I covered this in a post yesterday, but I don’t buy soft drinks at sit-down restaurants, unless it is a special occasion.  I also never buy alcohol at a restaurant either.
8. Almost all my bill paying is automatic, which eliminates the chance of getting hit with late fees.

What are some of the clever things you do to save some money around the house? Please share!