another day in the same life: frugal living

I saw this little article on the AOL homepage the other day and thought I'd share with you. I'm frugal at heart but find I'm less so now that I'm married. Thinking about getting back into it because man does it feel good to save.

http://www.walletpop.com/economizer/your-frugal-tips

My own personal money saving tips:

Coupons, coupons, coupons. It's free money, people. Check to see if that item is already on sale and you get serious savings.
Before running to the nearest fast food joint because you simply don't have anything at home to eat, check out your cupboards and get creative. Pasta+shredded cheese+can of black beans=Mexican Delight! Or bread+sliced cheese+butter=Grilled cheese! And you can put practically anything in a pot and call it soup or stew.
Save those plastic grocery bags and use them for your mini trash cans.
Drink tea instead of soda. One family size box has 48 tea bags. One tea bag makes a huge jug of delicious, antioxidant filled tea. Do a little math and try to figure out how little that cup of tea costs! Meer pennies my friends!
Don't buy the expensive makeup and creams. If you have sensitive skin like me, know that Neutrogena has fantastic products. My daily face lotion with SPF costs only $10 and last forever. Also, I buy inexpensive blush, lipgloss and powder, but treat myself to good foundation. And check the Sunday paper - in my area, Max Factor always has $2 off coupons for their mascara!
Use your crockpot. Ladies, I cannot stress this one enough. If you have one, you're probably nodding. If you don't, go get one! Not only can you pour a bag of beans, seasoning, water and STEP AWAY (as in not stand over a hot stove for hours cooking) you can make a larger meal. Meaning leftovers! But hey, don't gag your family with stew 5 days in a row. Do a swap with your friends or neighbors or simply put half away in your freezer for another time.
Turn off those lights!! When I lived alone, I stayed in the dark. Usually the blue glare of the tv was the only light I lived by. But in doing so, I had an energy bill of around $80 or less every month. Now, I'm not saying to bump around in the dark but if you aren't in the room, turn off the light.