I just discovered a site HERE givings tips on the “7 Habits of Highly Frugal People.” While there’s nothing wrong with any of the tips per se, the tips are so general in nature that they might not be of as much use to someone who is truthfully trying to save money. When I’m balancing my metaphorical checkbook at the end of the month, the idea of synergy—as nice as it may sound—might not help me at the end of the day or make my numbers add up any better.

What are some good practical ways to save money?

1.     Examine your expenses at the end of each month. If you don’t have Money or a similar program for your Mac or PC, there are lots of free options available on the Internet.

2.     Make a loose budget of how much you think you should spend per category each month and try to stick to it. Categories might include:  rent or mortgage, bills, car payments, car insurance, gas, and food. These are your fixed costs. Other expenses might be: entertainment, clothing, beauty costs, etc.

3.     Don’t buy every Groupon you see. Use Groupons and coupons that you need. Don’t forget to add the value of the Groupon into your total monthly expenditure.

4.     Examine ways to save money on your entertainment costs. This can be done by finding discounted tickets to events in your city, or by going to happy hours or less expensive restaurants.

5.     Try to find the cheapest phone and insurance deals. Oftentimes, the phone and insurance companies are forced to be more competitive in selling their plans. Getting a group rate for a phone bill with members of your family is just one way that you can save money on your phone bill. Taking the time to call around for auto insurance is another way that you can save money on your monthly costs.

6.     Buy your clothes (and your family’s clothes) during store sales if at all possible. The only good news about the bad economy is that most stores have more sales on their clothing and other items. Waiting a day or two to buy something can save you a higher percentage on your monthly total than you might expect.

7.     Keep a rainy day fund. You never know when you are going to have car problems or need money for something you didn’t plan for. Always expect the unexpected.