We promise: After swearing off that $5 latte habit, these simple cutbacks won’t hurt a bit. Here are 4 simple steps you can take to start saving cash today.
1. Seek Cheap Thrills
You think your morning latte is a right, not a choice? Get over it. Coffee can be made at home just like movies can be rented from the library (or Netflix). Skip the pricey gym membership (you know you won’t go) and get a great yoga DVD. When it comes to dining out, why not head into the kitchen together instead.
2. Stop Phoning It In
If you and your spouse are on different providers because he just had to have an iPhone whereas you’re glued to your BlackBerry, investigate a family plan on the same network. Look at old bills to determine how your monthly minutes break down and pick the tier (most companies have levels of minutes per month) that makes the most sense. If you text more than you call, get a plan with unlimited in-network messaging. While you’re at it, review all of your bills -- landline, cable, Internet -- and see if you can consolidate them into a “triple play” to save money.
3. Quit Being a Lazy Luncher
If you eat out for lunch five times a week and spend about $5 a clip (at the very least!), you’re looking at about $1,300 a year in sandwiches, soups, and other fast foods. So start brown-bagging it. If you want to make vegetarian chili in your slow cooker on Sunday, make sure you have plastic containers on hand so you can dish it out for lunches (or dinners) in the coming week.
4. Keep the Airwaves Open
If you share a checking account and both hit up the ATM a few times a week without mentioning it to one another, you’ll be greeted with an “insufficient funds” message sooner than you think. Keep each other in the loop and say something as simple as “I’ll be taking out $80 today.” A little more conversation goes a long way toward helping you save for the house or vacation you’re lusting after.
-- Lauren Le Vine
See More: Budgeting , Credit Cards , Money
62200920 
jboley86
We're doing Dave Ramsey too! We are going to be debt free by May 2010:)
58338794 
cdavidson8
One of the best things my husband and I ever did was the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I simply bought the audio book for about $25, but he also has classes and seminars you can attend. It has really changed our lives! This is such a great way to get your finances in order especially for newly weds. Our house that I thought would take 30 years to pay off will be paid off in 5 years! I will actually be debt free minus my mortgage in 1.5 years. It really will change your life!
58249411 
summerwaldo
My wife and I started doing all of these last year and I have to say it all makes a difference. We got on a joint phone plan together and we're saving $60 a month. We bring our lunch to work now and we're saving about $40 a week, we just get the Lean Cuisine meals and Smart Ones and oh yeah...I've lost 20 lbs just changing what I eat for lunch (note: drink more water, since they're high in sodium!). We don't have to have super expensive fancy dates to enjoy each other's company. As a matter of fact, the cheaper the better because we actually talk to each other and are less worried about formality and ambience. We increased our 401K, which is never a bad thing and we always always always save 10% of every paycheck in a cash fund for emergencies. Cash is king! It's so important to talk and be honest about expectations. We sat down together at a coffee shop with our laptop and did a spreadsheet of what we make every month, what we spend our money on (i.e.--bills, recreation, etc.). We discovered we could be saving so much more money than we thought! Great article!
58248992 
rocket2japan
My husband and I have a prepaid cell phone. We don't really need to talk on the phone that often, so we use it more for emergencies. It ends up costing us less than $15/month. Since I'm also at home most of the time, we use Skype for our landline. For $25 a year you can get unlimited calling in the US and Canada from your computer to any phone. If I call someone's computer, it's free. We paid an extra $25 for a number so people can call us on our computer. It saves a lot in cell phone bills!
58247486 
almike62808
One thing that me and my husband do is budget a small allowance for each of us to use on the things that we want. We found ourselves arguing because I didn't understand why he wanted to spend money on buying tools he already had and he didn't understand why I needed anymore clothes. Now we each have money set aside that we can use on whatever we want without overspending.
58246220 
rpompano
One good way to make packed sandwiches exciting is to buy nice bread rolls from the grocery store. They're a couple dollars more than sliced bread, but they make you feel like you're eating a fancy cafe lunch! You're much more likely to stick with packing your lunch if you have healthy treats for yourself like this.