Easy Ways to Cut Expenses

Visit the clearance racks regularly

Buy next year's clothes for your family at the end of the season and you will save 50 percent to over 90 percent. Also, don't buy clothes you and your kids really don't need. Spend a little time organizing your closets, then make a (short) list of items that will complete outfits or that you just can't live without. Look for these items only, on sale or clearance.

Do it yourself

Whether it's dropping the health club membership in favor of walks around the neighborhood or firing the Merry Maids and getting your family to pitch in with cleaning, it's usually cheaper to do it yourself than to pay someone else to do it.

Ask yourself,

In times of hardship, wants must be examined carefully. Most of us can have some of our wants, but very few can have them all. To think otherwise is to fool yourself. Eventually, you will pay for this self-delusion.

OK, that last one was a little heavy, but very true. So how much money do you need to find this month? Pick an item and go for it!