We all have our own little quirky ways of saving money. Some are quirkier than others. I thought I would make a little list of ways I regularly save pennies here and there so that my budget goes a little farther from month to month.

Ten ways I save pennies:

1. My dentist is super generous with toothpaste and floss samples, not to mention toothbrushes. I have not bought any of those items in at least a year and we always have plenty.
2. See a penny, pick it up…and after 99 more you’ll have a buck. That’s what I’ve taught my daughter. When we see loose change on the ground, we pick it up – and then give it a good rinse – and put it in a little jar we have in the bedroom closet.
3. Reuse Ziploc bags. I am astounded at how many people do not reuse Ziplocs. Unless I’ve had meat in the bag, I turn it inside out, give it a good wash, let it dry and use it again, …and again and again.
4. Shop the loss leaders. Nearly every week in all of the grocery store ads, there are a few items that are so cheap they are almost priced at a loss of profit for the store. Those are called loss leaders. They are specifically aimed at getting you in the store so you will do all your shopping for the week while you are in there. So, make note of when I will pass each store through the natural course of my weekly errands, run in for the loss leaders, and get out. I don’t stay to be tempted with impulse items.
5. I wash every thing I can in cold water when doing the laundry. I save a little by not using water that had to be heated and my darks and colors love me for it.
6. No convenient snack packs. It is SO tempting to pick up little individual serving packs of chips, cookies, juice, and such for my daughter’s school lunches. However, when I just buy a regular pack or Oreos or bag of Cheetos and pack a serving in a little sandwich bags I save SO MUCH money. I try and use a thermos too, even though my daughter adores those Capri Sun packets.
7. Look at tags BEFORE you buy. I avoid clothes that need dry cleaned. When I was married, my ex’s parents owned a dry cleaning chain, so it was like paradise to have anything we wanted dry cleaned for free. Now, I just buy clothes we can wash right here at home.
8. OK, I admit it – I am one of those people who bring my own snacks to the movies. I even have a special purse. It’s a very cool Kenneth Cole that is nice and tall and happens to be made out of a dull vinyl, so it can be wiped clean. We take our own candy bars, chips and even sodas.
9. Kids eat free. When my daughter and I do take the time to go out to eat, we try and plan around a handful of local restaurants that have nights that kids eat free. I particularly like to go to Cody’s Original Roadhouse on a Monday or Tuesday during Early Bird Pricing. I get my meal cheap, my daughter eats free, and we love the salad.
10. Learn to love your pressure cooker. When I use my pressure cooker I can buy less expensive cuts of very lean meat and it comes out flavorful and so tender it falls apart. Plus, dinner is done a lot faster.

Of course, these are all small ways to save money. They can only help so much if you have run up a lot of debt. Personally, I try to by as much as possible with money I already have, thus avoiding debt as often as possible. Still, I went through a time after my divorce where I needed Debt help and turned to tips on Debt consolidation.

As America creeps closer and closer to a very dangerous financial landscape, more and more people find themselves overwhelmed with debt and in great need of Debt relief. Often, the wisest move is to find a way to bundle things all together and Consolidate debt. A good place to start is Bills.com, where they have a huge amount of articles and tips to get you started on understanding and paying down debt.