Buy on sale whenever possible, and shop at discount stores like T.J. Maxx, Target, Marshall's, and Kohl's.
If you have young children, make their clothes last longer by buying them a little big. Then roll up the sleeves and pants bottoms, and shorten the hems on skirts and dresses.
Swap clothes with friends or family members. If you've got the time and the skills, make some of your own clothes.

Reducing your phone costs

Over the past decade or so, the amount of money you spend to stay in touch has probably increased. Cell phones are ubiquitous, and phone companies offer a plethora of extras that are nice but unnecessary. Therefore, reducing the amount you spend on your phone service each month may not be much of a challenge, and those reductions should have little or no real impact on your lifestyle. You can implement some of these suggestions for staying in touch for less:

Shop around for the best deal on phone service. If you're in the market for a cell phone and service plan, Web sites like www·letstalk·com and www·myrateplan·com can help you home in on your best options. Cancel your landline and go with Internet-based phone service through your cable company or a company like Vonage, SunRocket, or Skype. Typically, you pay a flat fee of about $25 for unlimited domestic calls. However, most of these companies require that you have high-speed Internet access, and you may need to purchase a headset; before you ditch your landline, put pencil to paper to be sure you'll save money.

Make sure your calling plan matches the way you use your phone. For example, if you make a lot of in-state calls, your calling plan should have a low intrastate rate; if you frequently call out of state, be sure your plan offers low interstate rates. Some plans allow unlimited long-distance call- ing on weekends, in the evenings, or 24/7.
Consider a family plan for your cell phone service if multiple people in your household have wireless phones. Also ask your teens to pay for the cost of having a cell phone. Get rid of your landline if you have a cell phone with an unlimited calling plan.
Review the extras you're paying for, like voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, and so on. Do you really need them? Minimize or eliminate your use of directory assistance.

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