Starting to feel the economic pinch? Don’t worry, your family isn’t alone.  These hard economic times have affected us all.  But just because money is tight doesn’t mean you and your family can’t enjoy a high quality of life. One way is to make the dollar s t r e t c h as far as possible. Savings are all around us.  We just have to know where to look.

- Start by strolling or riding through your own community.  Check your local paper, supermarket and library bulletin boards for upcoming yard sales, flea markets, and farmers’ markets.  At farmers’ markets it is a good idea to visit close to the end of the sales day.  The items are still fresh and you can pick up sometimes twice the amount of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, cheeses, etc., for the same price. (The farmers do not want to carry those products all the way back to the farm).

- Visit your local library.  Children love the library.  Let them sign-up for their own library card as soon as they can print their name.   Allow them to check out as many books as they want.  This encourages reading, cuts down on the cost of buying books, and they get the same enjoyment of reading and being read to. Do not forget the video section.  Many libraries carry a large selection of videos of interest to the whole family.

-  Sign up for store savings cards (many have cards that can fit right onto your key chain).  Weekly specials and store discounts are automatically taken off at checkout.  Many national chains offer these cards, CVS,  Border’s Books, (sometimes 50% discounts), Stop & Shop, and Safeway.  Make a habit of shopping for weekly specials and store discounts at each visit; make a list before leaving home.

- Booking a hotel?  Stay Sunday through Thursday, rather than Thursday through Sunday.  It’s cheaper.  Check Hotels.com; they sometimes offer “book 3 nights – get the 4th night free.” Another tip, call the reservations desk at the hotel of your choice.  Do not be shy. Ask for what you want. You’ll often find this approach will get the very best deal.

- Car rental discounts can be larger if cars are rented from sites like “Hotwire.”  Do a little research.  Go first to Alamo, National, etc. and find the lowest price for rental on the car of your choice. Then go to ”Hotwire” to compare.  You will often find that you will get the same car from the same company but at a lower rate.  Always look for ads offering $10.00/day. They can in fact be $10.00 per day!  Remember, keeping a car over a Saturday night can reduce the daily amount.  Also, if you truly do not need the extra room rent the smallest car offered. It saves on fuel costs and rental companies will often offer to upgrade at no extra charge.

- Check the “Events Section” of your local newspaper for free events, especially on Thursday.  That is the day that many newspapers will post weekend activities. You will find concerts, puppet shows, dance groups, lectures, and more.

- Clip coupons.  Buy your “Sunday” newspaper.  It is crammed with coupons. You will easily recoup the cost by clipping and using the coupons.  Some supermarkets and national chains offer a two-for-the-price of one on the purchase price of  newspapers, (The Washington Post, for example).  Before shopping organize your coupons.  Often, you will find that store sales items will coincide with manufacturers coupons.  This can double or triple your savings.

Remember save big by doing a little!