1. Eat at home. – Restaurants can be costly, and you save money – and control the ingredients, which make for healthier meals – if you cook and eat at home.
2. Use coupons for groceries. – Seek coupons online, in newspapers, and various mailings for the items that you use often. Look for the items that are on sale at your local supermarket to determine the week’s menu.

3. Turn off the lights. – Save on electricity by making sure to turn off the lights when you leave a room.

4. Use what you buy. – Make sure that you don’t let vegetables and fruit go bad. Eat them all because throwing them away is simply throwing your dollars in the trash.

5. Keep the refrigerator door closed. – Leaving the refrigerator door opened while deciding what to eat eats up your electricity and the money in your wallet.

6. Leave the car in the driveway and walk when you can. – Take in the fresh air and leave the gas guzzler in the driveway whenever you can. It’s good for your health, the environment, and your finances.

7. Eat before you go to the store. – Never enter a supermarket when you’re hungry. You’re more likely to buy food that you don’t need, which means spending more.

8. Exchange romantic handmade gifts. – Instead of wooing each other with expensive nights on the town, jewelry, and vacations, write each other love letters or make presents for one another – from CDs with your favorite songs to a knit cap. The gifts will have more meaning than anything expensive and you will both benefit from the money saved.

9. Rent movies instead of going to the theater. – Seeing a movie in the theater can cost up to $10 each. If you and your spouse want to see a film, you can more cheaply rent DVDs at movie rental stores or Netflix.

10. Lower the heat or use a fan instead of air conditioning. – If it’s cold, you can snuggle up to one another for heat and pile on the blankets. If it’s hot, you can turn on the fan or set the timer on the air conditioner.

11. Get to know the dollar store. – Many dollar stores sell frequently used household items – from fabric softener and cleaning products to dishes and glasses. You won’t find any of these items for $1 at other stores.

12. Filter water to cut down on buying bottled water. – Bottled water can cost you. If you must buy it, get the gallons or buy bottles in bulk. Better still, however, is to filter the water that comes out of your sink using a filtration system to cut water costs.

13. Reuse cans and jars from food you buy. – Containers for leftovers and vases and baskets for organization cost money. But you can save those funds by reusing jars, cans, and plastic containers you collect as you buy food products instead of throwing them away. Cover an aluminum soup can with pretty paper and use it as a vase. That plastic butter container is perfect for your leftover stew. And the glass jar from those olives will hold the change you find in everyone’s pockets as you do the laundry. Save those pennies.

14. Use vinegar and lemon and other products around the house to clean. – Staples like vinegar and lemon can be used to clean house instead of chemical products that will cost you more. It’s great for the environment and saves you a buck or two.

15. Exercise together at home. – Cancel that gym membership and start exercising together at home. Yes, sex counts. But you can also do sit ups, push ups, and jog for free. Living a healthier lifestyle will also help you cut down medical bills.

16. Quit smoking. – Those who are still lighting up can cut down on spending by quitting. Cigarettes are expensive and that is money that you may as well flush down the toilet. Much like exercise, quitting smoking will help you be healthier and spend less on healthcare.

17. Use your casual and fine china instead of paper goods. – Paper plates and napkins cost money and have to be purchased again and again, whereas your china just has to be washed before your next use. This is another way to save money and be green at the same time.

18. Use a family plan for your cell phones. – Often, you and your spouse can save on cell phone bills by having a family plan, which will allow you to call one another for free.

19. Use your home phone or Skype to talk to friends and family who live far away. – Cut back on phone bills by using your cell phone less and your home phone or computer more. Roaming fees for long-distance calls make your cell phone a less economical choice than your home phone. If you have a computer, Skype or another messenger service is your best bet. With a webcam and microphone, you can chat with friends and family and they can actually see you – even if they’re far away in another country.

20. Become a Mr. or Ms. Fix It. – Learn to take care of basic plumbing and carpentry in your home to avoid costly workers for simple things like a clogged drain or busted cabinet.

21. Learn to sew. – You don’t have to become a seamstress and make all your own clothes. But learning to sew a button and fix a hole in a favorite shirt or jeans can help you save money on clothes.

22. A weekend getaway nearby is just as good as an expensive week-long vacation. – That all-exclusive resort on the beach sounds lovely, but if money is tight a weekend at a nearby bed and breakfast might be just as good.

23. Print your own photos. – Those wedding pictures that you’d like to give to family and friends are on that CD your photographer gave you. Instead of paying the photographer to print them out for everyone, print them yourself on your home printer. Pick up some photo paper and save a few bucks. You could even make your own album on an online album maker such as MyPublisher or Kodak.

24. Fill the machines when you wash or dry clothes or run the dishwasher. – Make sure you run full loads in the washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher. You’ll use less water, be more energy efficient, and save.

25. Shop in your closet. – Instead of scouring the mall for a new outfit for date night, look through the stuff you already have in your closet. You’ll probably be surprised at what you find. Use your creativity to pair things together and create entirely new looks with the clothes you already have.