Around 60% of US families live paycheck to paycheck. There once was a time when most of us were confident that the next paycheck would be there. However, in these unstable times, tomorrow is not promised with many employers. Many companies are foregoing annual pay raises, so although the cost of living continues to rise we must learn to live on less. We must save for those rainy days and be prepared for rough seas ahead by either seeking supplemental income or reducing the amount of unnecessary spending.

Below is a list of cost saving options that can save your household a lot of money.

Children’s Consignment Shop
When my child was younger she would outgrow her clothes so fast, some had only been worn once or twice and others had never been used. I would gather all those gently worn or never used clothes and old toys and sell them to a Children’s Consignment Shop.  Every season children need a brand new wardrobe, so every season I got a nice return on my clothing investment. Of course, as children get older the wear and tear on clothes makes consignment shops less of an option.

Old Gadgets
Older children and adults alike both love gadgets and what could be better than having the newest gadgets? My daughter loved her flip phone until phones with full keyboards hit the market, she loved her Playstation II until the Wii came out. I loved my iPod until I got an iTouch. I had a friend who had a garage full of old gadgets that he didn’t use anymore. They weren’t old and outdated, they just weren’t the latest and greatest. I asked him why didn’t he sell them, instead of letting them collect dust? He ended up selling almost all of them, made several hundred dollars and of course bought more gadgets. There are many websites that making getting cash for your old devices very easy. www.Gazelle.com tells you exactly how much they will buy certain devices for, they mail you a postage paid box and then mail you a check for the agreed upon amount. www.Ebay.com lets you auction off your items to the highest bidder. www.Craigslist.com lets you list the item locally and sell without the hassle of shipping or auction fees.

Sunday Paper Coupons
I’ve never been much of a coupon clipper but one weekend I went through two weeks worth of my mother’s Sunday newspaper coupons. I generally do one big shopping trip the first weekend of the month, then I usually just stop in for minor things such as bread, milk and eggs. I ended up saving a little over $40 using only two weeks worth of coupons. It was like getting a free tank of gas. I now save myself $40 plus (or a free tank of gas) every month using Sunday newspaper coupons.

Mobile Applications
If you are one of the many with a mobile phone that allows for application downloads there are many “apps” that will save you money. There are applications such as www.Yowza.com, www.Coupons.com, www.MobiQpons.com and many more that help you save money in various ways. Some apps allow you to mail coupons to your home computer to print and take in the store. Other apps simply display a coupon code that you show to the cashier for an instant discount.

Mail-in Rebates
Retailers offer mail-in rebates on products ranging from the low cost to big ticket items. It’s been said that less than 50% of people send in the mail-in rebates. Retailers can lure customers to purchase a product with the promise of a rebate at a later date, but many don’t take the time to claim their money. This is clearly a win-win situation for the retailer. A simple investment of one box of envelopes and a book of stamps can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. My main excuse for not mailing rebates in the past was “I did not want to go to the post office.”

Home Phone Service
Nowadays it seems like everyone has a cell phone.  There are even cell phones that are designed for the very young and for the very old. Every mobile provider offers a family plan and the need for a home phone has diminished. Some keep their home phone for nostalgic purposes and for others there is a true need for home phone services. For those who truly don’t need a home phone, you could easily save yourself $40-$60 a month by simply disconnecting the service and using your mobile phone. For those who have a true need for home phone services, there are low cost VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) options:

Skype is an Internet-based phone service, owned by Ebay that allows users to make calls, voice calls and video calls at very affordable rates. They offer many free services with plans ranging from $2.95/month to $12.95/month.

Magic Jack is a USB device that allows you to plug in a conventional landline. Calls are placed through your computer and high-speed internet connection. The cost is $39.95 for the device and includes one year of free local and long distance. Each additional year of service is $19.95.

Utilizing the items listed above can easily save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year.