Introduction
To start building wealth, most people simply need to change their mentality. 
MoneyDecisions101 will open your mind to help you focus on your financial future.
 

Small savings really add up over time.
 

101 Ways to Save Money

You would think that all humans with their "big" brains would squirrel away cash safety nets, but only a fraction actually do.
A small portion of the human population is special... saving money is automatic for them. They seem to be genetically programmed to save, and they put back for a rainy day...money packrats. Some achieve overwhelming results over a lifetime. How do they do it? It comes down to common sense actions... where small things, focused on saving, not spending, living cheap, all add up to something bigger... financial growth and freedom.

Here are 101 ways that you can start to save money. Just remember that many items on the list are quite a challenge for most people. Why? Because most people are too worried about what others think of them and therefore unable to really and truely save.

1. Use/Purchase rechargable batteries
2. Use free software when possible. Open source software is becoming very popular.
3. Put power strips on all energy using equipment . Then, turn the power strip off when the equipment is not being used.
4. Use solar powered lights where possible.
5. Recycle aluminum or other metals. Recycle aluminum cans and other aluminum items (aluminum foil, aluminum wrappers, etc.)... Use a designated trash can or plastic bin as an aluminum container. Have all family members actively place all aluminum trash in the aluminum bin when possible. Recycling aluminum can earn a some extra cash... plus, it is good for the environment.
6. Use coupons when grocery shopping.
7. Refill ink jet cartridges when possible. Note: when purchasing a printer, try to get one like the Brother MFC640CW. Why? The ink cartridges are low cost, because they are simply plastic containers. They do not contain print heads or micro chips that require cartridge replacement. Plus, each color is an individual tank... you only refill the color that has run out.
8. Cut your own hair. I have been cutting my own hair since I was 13... and yes, it does look good. Most people are shocked when they find out and my wife still has difficulty accepting it. Anyway, I started cutting my own hair because of convience, realized it was pretty easy, and have been doing it ever since. It has saved me a bunch of money over the years. NOTE: some people really should not attempt to cut their own hair. I have been blessed with many skills and abilties... to work well with my hands.
9. Kill your TV cable and use a over the air digital antenna.
10. Adjust your toilet water tanks to the lowest usable levels. If your tank water level/float is not adjustable, simply place a glass jar in the bottom of the tank (note: be sure it does not physically interfere with the float), to conserve some water. 
11. Pay bills online to save time, stamps, and envelopes.
12. When it isn't extremely  hot and humid... use a fan to cool off instead of AC.
13. Turn lights off when not being used.
14. Replace regular incandescent bulbs with compact flourecents.
15. When eating out at sit down restaurants, eat half your meal and take the other half home for tomorrow. The essentially drops eating costs in half. Plus, weight gain is also reduced. Most of those meals are 1500+ calories anyway... enough for two meals.
16. Take lunch to work.
17. Buy Scott 1000 toilet paper. It goes a lot longer than other brands...
18. Cancel your long distance and use a dial around VOIP phone service (such as Cognidial) for long distance phone calls. It is Much cheaper. Plus, you can even use it on your cell phone.
19. If your car does not have a high compression engine, use regular grade (87 octane) fuel. Gas will be $3 a gallon again soon...
20. Cut your own grass... do not pay others to cut it.
21. Set your hot water heater thermostat temp to 120F. Also, make sure pipes leading from it are insulated. That foam wrap pipe insulation is priced cheap and very easy to install.
22. Rent movies from your local library. It is free.
23. Watch movies, shows online. Sites like hulu.com are free.
24. Instead of expensive cleaners, you can use bleach and water to clean mildew from your bathroom showers.
25. Replace regular night lights with LED night lights.
26. Grow some of your own vegetables.
27. Shop online for good deals, especially for electronics. Keep in consideration shipping charges and at times, sales tax. One place to look is xpbargains.com.
28. Use online coupon codes when possible; for example, at dell.com. Coupon codes can be found online. One place to look is xpbargains.com.
29. When ordering pizza, pick it up yourself to avoid delivery fees. You can place the order as you leave work, and pick it up on your way home.
30. Consolidate driving trips.
31. Wash your own car.
32. Turn off (do not use) the heated dry cycle on your dish washer.
33. Run your dishwasher and clothes dryer during off peak times (late at night).
34. When eating at fast food restaurants that have soda fountains in the customer area (free refills), purchase a small drink... then refill as needed.
35. When buying gasoline, purchase 5 or 10 gallons at a time. Although not likely, some stations have been found to rip customers off (you get less gas than the pump shows), for anything other than 5 or 10 gallons. Why? State inspections perform 5 and 10 gallon tests for volume (the sticker you see on the pumps). Therefore, they cannot cheat you on the 5 and 10 gallon purchases. Some pumps have been found to be programmed non-linear, where purchases that are not 5 or 10 gallons were ripoffs.
36. Install low volume shower heads in your showers.
37. When shipping packages by USPS (for example Priority Mail), package and print your own shipping label at home. When you purchase the label online at usps.com, the shipping charges are a few dollars cheaper than at the Post Office.
38. Also, you can order Free Priority shipping boxes online.
39. Put all your insurance policies under the same company to get a package deal (cars and home). Shop around for the best policy and price.
40. During the holiday season, use LED Christmas lights in place of conventional lights.
41. When eating out at sit down restaurants, try to eat during lunch hours... the same meals are more expensive during dinner hours.
42. Work out at home. Cancel your gym membership.
43. Buy refurbished or used items. You an even get used items for free from friends or family members... or try www.freecycle.org.
44. Cook small food items in a toaster oven. The smaller oven will usually require less energy than the full size oven.
45. Use thin towels instead of thick towels when bathing. Thick towels require more energy to dry in your clothes dryer. Also, thick towels are more prone to mold and mildew.
46. Logan's Roadhouse restaurants (www.logansroadhouse.com) have 2 Full Meals for $13.99. In this tough economy, many restaurants have great deals going. Take advantage of them.
47. Buy generic medications... they are cheaper.
48. Be careful buying larger food items. Larger is not always cheaper. Many times, the price per pound or volume, is actually more expensive than smaller packaged items.
49. Take vacations during the off season. If you don't like crowds, you can save some money by vacationing when others are not.
50. Adjust your refrigerator and freezer to the warmest possible settings.
51. If you are a smoker... stop smoking! It is a very expensive habit... and very likey to kill you in ways that you could hardly even imagine. Ask any person who has had a family member die from lung cancer and you will slightly understand.
52. Keep your car tires properly inflated. It will make the tires last longer and help save a little money on fuel mileage.
53. When going on a car trip... take snacks and drinks with you. Buying items on the road at convience stores can be more expensive. Plus you will save time and mileage, due to fewer stops.
54. Don't allow your sink faucet to run constantly when brushing your teeth.
55. Set your PCs to enable a power saving mode to turn off the monitor, HD's, and lower CPU usage.
56. Do not use the heated dry cycle on your dishwasher.
57. Insulate and weatherstrip your home. Note: cans of expanding spray foam are great for sealing areas around pipes or wires that run through walls. Make sure your garage doors are properly adjusted to fit snug against the door openings.
58. Keep tires properly inflated to get maximum gas mileage and to reduce wear on tires and drivetrain components. Do this on all air tire vehicles, including riding lawn mowers.
59. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs to reduce electricity usage.
60. Carpool to work, if possible.
61. If you are having your car's brakes replaced, buy brakes that have a lifetime warranty. Autozone and Advance Autoparts offer lifetime brakes. Then, later when the brakes are worn out again (they do wear out), take them back for a free replacement.
62. Re-evaluate your cellphone package. Find the best (lowest) package to suit your needs (to avoid over charges). 
63. Pay off your credit cards! Do not pay interest. Use your credit cards wisely... pay them off every month.
64. Stop your newspaper subscription. We know the newspaper companies are hurting... but nowadays you can get all the news instantly online.
65. If you buy tools from Harbor Freight Tools... buy them when they are on sale. Also... you can sign up for their mailing list. They will sometimes send you a 15% off coupon. Use this coupon in conjunction with a large item that is on sale... you can save a lot on that item (sale price + 15% off)!
66. Avoid buying items from vending machines... especially at work. Shop for those items at the grocery store and then take them to work. 
67. If you live in the Southeast and your gas hot water heater needs replacing... Southern Company will give you a FREE electric hot water heater for you to convert from gas to electric!
68. If you are not extremely hungry...many fast food restaurants have kids meals. The kids meals are much cheaper that the standard combo meals, with just slightly less food. Plus, some meals even come with a toy or dessert!
69. If you have ALFA car insurance... don't pay the 3 month payment... pay the 6 month payment. Why? It is cheaper. They give you a lower price if you pay for the longer term.
70. If you are buying automotive antifreeze/coolant... don't buy the premixed type, because you are just paying for 1/2 gallon of antifreeze and 1/2 gallon of water! Buy the standard gallon undiluted antifeeze and add the water yourself.
71. Open an online bank account. Many online bank savings accounts offer very good interest rates. You can earn a return on your cash that is many times higer than a conventional brick and mortar bank.
72. Use plastic store bags for trash bags. In small trash cans (like in your bathroom), use the thin plastic store bags as trash bags.
Note: plastic store bags also work great to line Littermaid self cleaning automatic cat litter boxes. That way, you do not have to purchase their plastic liners.
73. When eating out, order water instead of a regular drink. A recent trip to Chili's, regular drinks were priced at $2.20 each! You can even order water with lemon, to save on the cost of drinks.
74. Avoid excess traffic by driving during off peak traffic times. Go to work and leave work before or after rush hour, if possible. This will shorten your actual driving time and help conserve fuel. Besides, who wants to spend time sitting in traffic!
75. Drive easily. Smooth starts and slowdowns will help save money on gas... but more importantly... it saves wear and tear on the drivetrain and braking system. In the long run, this will save on maintenance and repair costs.

76. Get a rewards or cash back credit card. You can then earn points on all purchases and use them to get products, services, or cash. Note: be sure to pay the card off every month (carry no balance) for the rewards to be beneficial!
77. Close ac/heating vents in unoccupied rooms.
78. Install a programmable thermostat in your home.
79. Stop drinking alcohol... It gets expensive and hurts your health and decision making.
80. When possible, Fix or repair things yourself.  
81. Feed your pets your leftover food scraps when possible. This will get rid of food items that will take up space in garbage/landfills and allow you to save on dog/cat/pet food.
82. Purchase generic drugs at the pharmacy instead of name brand.
84. Instead of drinking bottled water at home, purchase a water filter pitcher for your fridge... It is many times cheaper.
85. Order items online when possible. You are likely to find things much cheaper online than at your local store. Also, online, you may not be charged taxes on your purchase. NOTE: be sure to include any shipping fees when comparing prices. 
86. Cancel your newspaper subscription. Read the news online.
87. Use old unwearable t-shirts as rags/shop towels.
88. Do you have an Android device? Instead of buying hard copy books... purchase ebooks or kindle books online (download kindle book app). Digital books are cheaper and can be downloaded quickly where ever you are.

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Lowering your electricity usage not only reduces your bill, it reduces air and water pollution.
Why? Because 50% of electricity production in the U.S. in 2008 is from coal based power plants.
Coal based power plants pollute the air from burning (particulate matter pollutes the air) and water by dumping of coal sludge waste!