Economic downturns are never especially fun, but as Adam Smith noted over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants all over the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison sites like Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best online deals.

 

3. When you’re at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the item you’re interested in. Google will reply with a text message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s Club and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizeable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-raised food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices there are usually lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding them since they’ve been turning up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic pills available at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your car is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the worth of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited texting.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are superb resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are frequently more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the power consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricey restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a cheap rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

17. If anybody in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% off in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and recreation center.

 

20. Reduce your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the cash register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid paying a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book dealers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial discounts.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers can be found in department stores for less than the price of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with other families. Instead of paying a teenager to surf the Net, send your children to the neighbors on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free offerings from Rudder.com.

 

27. Exchange one-time-use items (such as books) with friends once you’re done with them. If you each have items you’ll never use again but that the other wants, you can save yourselves the cost of buying them new.

 

 

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