Janet S. of NC
Decide to only use cash when shopping. Then only take a certain amount of cash with you. No matter what you find, do not spend more than you brought.
 

Madeline R. of NY
Cut your brillo or sos pads in half. Saves on rusted soap pads and sharpens scissors at the same time. Your pads last twice as long.
 

Carol K. of NY
If you burn a pan, soak with hot water and a fabric softener sheet overnight, the burnt build-up will clean right off.
 

Karen K. of VA
If you use White-Out, when it becomes very dry - just add water and it will make it last longer!! Try it. 
 

Adrienne L. of PA
*When my kids crayons get worn down to the little nubs that they can't (or refuse to) use; rather then throw them away I put them in foil lined muffin tins and melt them in the oven. Once they are melted that can be allowed to dry like that for crayon "coins" or poured into cookie cutters placed on foil or waxed paper. this not only gets more use out of old crayons but allows for fun shapes and custom colors or swirls :-)
 

Cindy S. of NY
Get rid of your ATM card. If the kids ask for money, give them a check. This alone will save you THOUSANDS per year! Plus it will make them (and you) PLAN to go the bank and be prepared!
 

Barbara G. of MI
*Everyone gets plastic bags as we shop now so I decided to cut them in strips and make hook rugs out of them...I now have good rugs to put by the door and all they cost me was my time and a piece of hook rug canvas...they are great because all you have to do is hose them off....
 

Christina H. of TX
When your bar of soap is to small to use put them together in some water. Let soak overnight, mix and now you have liquid soap you can put in your soap pump.
 

Elaine M. of CO
I add a package of Kool-Aid to my sun tea for inexpensive flavored tea. The kids love it. They call it pickle tea because of the odd color.
 

Janet E. of WI
To save money to rid the yellowing on my white appliances I use 1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and 4 cups warm water. Apply with a sponge and let set for 10 minutes. Rise and dry thoroughly. Also I use rubbing alcohol for shining things. For quick clean ups I use equal parts water and household ammonia. I also use club soda because it cleans an shines all at the same time. You can save a lot of money by not buying commercial waxes and cleaners. Also it is more healthy for your family. 
 

Betty W. of GA
*When one of the grandchildren have out grown an article of clothing I save it and cut strips for making quilts. Then they have a memory quilt because it is from their clothing and it is from Nanna.

The cotton that I get in the top of medicine bottles I save to stuff small items instead of cotton batting.
 

Donna S. of WA
Don't buy just because it is on sale. Buy only if you really need it.
 

Kelly T. of MO
Instead of buying expensive kitty litter. I buy the cheapest and add a box of baking soda. The box is easier to clean and there is no smell.

To save paper towels, put your glass hall light covers and ceiling fan light covers in the dish washer. They come out sparkling.

*If you have potatoes that are about to go bad, I bake them in foil and them throw them in the freezer. When I want a baked potato I unwrap it and throw it in the microwave. It has that same great taste and it saves me money, especially when 10 or 20 lb bags are on sale.
 

Diane P. of IA
Buy gas Thursday night...they always raise the price on Friday.
 

Jane T of WA
I put all change for the day in a jar. It really adds up. We use it for our vacation spending money. One year, we bought a dog!
 

Jane S. of MO
I shop all year round the clearance section of stores and yard sales and bargain spots for Christmas presents. Last year I either won all the gifts or bought them very inexpensively. I gave a lot of gifts this Christmas.
 

Jan H. of Ontario
Reuse the cardboard that comes with some fat quarters for templates. Our note: Save cardboard pieces from the packaging of other items that you buy such as linens and use them to make templates for a variety of projects.
 

Kathy L. of MI
*Always save an empty laundry detergent bottle and pour an eighth of the new bottle into the old bottle and add water until full. This works. It washes the clothes just as well as full strength detergent and there is not as much suds to be rinsed out of the clothes. This also saves you money in the long run, because one bottle ends up equaling eight.
 

Alice S. of FL
Catch rain water to water the plants.
 

Sue K. of OH
I make most of my household cleaning products myself. It's a lot cheaper than buying them and there are some really good web sites for 'recipes' for making so many of them.  Our note: Do a search online for " homemade cleaning recipes". One such site: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/homecleaning1.html
 

Karen K. of VA
I have a friend who eats out all the time! Think of all the money you can save if you prepare all your food at home.
 

Ilene M. of FL
I use my free coupons on the Buy 1 Get 1 free sales. That way I get the item free and the second item is free too as it is Buy 1 get 1 free.
 

Lilly P. of PA
*Using www.freecycle.org and joining a location near you will enable you to request things you need but don't want to spend the money for and you can offer things you aren't using rather than them going into the landfill. Remember one man's junk is another man's treasure!

I always look for discontinued items in a store. I've found many times as much as a 50-75% off.
Our note: Visit the discontinued / clearance section of the store first to see if you can find the item(s) you need at these greatly reduced prices.
 

Candy M. of NY
My best shopping tip is to use coupons. I save so much money every week using coupons. I check all the sales flyers on Sunday, and shop accordingly with the coupons. Most times I end up getting the items for free.
 

Lise P. of NB Canada
Visit different brand's websites and print out/order coupons to be used when buying.
 

Susan R. of VA
*I cook dinner every night for my daughter and myself. I always have leftovers, so I make my own tv dinners and freeze them. I grab a leftover for lunch so I don't eat out daily. I have a few containers from the local Chinese restaurant that I use to place my leftovers in..."free" bonus!
 

Nancy S. of MO
I wear a lot of pantyhose. I try to buy the same colors. When one leg goes bad I don't throw them out, I cut off the leg with the run and save them. I wear two pair at one time so that I have two legs covered that don't have runs. This saves me money, no one is wiser and I get more out of them for the money.
 

Linda H. of WV
Make all your shopping trips at once for a savings on gas.
 

Giovanna K. of MN
Always do a search for coupon codes before you buy something online. You'd be surprised at how many are out there to help you save money.

*I buy most of my family's clothes at the end of each season when they are all 75-90% off.
 

Alice S. of FL
Auctions are great for getting things at a much reduced price plus bidding is fun.
 

Karen K. of VA
I make my own Pre-spot Laundry Cleaner. I get a large bottle and put l/3 water in it, then add l/3 of ammonia then lastly, add l/3 of my dishwashing detergent (liquid). I find that DAWN works best. Great for crayon marks, ink, blood and other stains. Cheap to make too! 
 

Lyndamae M. of Canada
I do some sewing for my grandchildren.I have used the same patterns over and over..by using clear mac tac that covers shelves to preserve the pattern before cutting out the material...it is great because I am not afraid to lend my patterns to trusted friends...they can't destroy the original pattern and all the instructions on the patterns remain intact...everyone is happy and save money.
 

Kelly T. of MO
Try not to carry a balance on your credit card or cards. The rates are so expensive.
 

Deanna C. of MO
To save money on vacation go in the off season. You can save up to 40%.

During the spring and summer I go to the local farmers markets late in the afternoon on Saturday when they are reducing the prices on fruits and veggies.
 

Charlotte R. of NY
*I use the junk mail I get and make note pads. Alot of the junk mail is only printed on one side so I cut it in fours and staple 8 of these together. I use them in the house for shopping lists, writing down phone #'s, doctor appointments, directions, etc. My husband keeps some in his garage to write down measurements, materials he needs to get, etc. I also keep one in my purse for writing down prices in stores to compare so I know where to get the best value for my money!

*When I'm doing a special craft project I check out the Salvation Army Store on 1/2 price day and pick up items that I can take apart for what I need. I get big stuffed animals for a dollar and use the eyes, whiskers, stuffing, material etc. for the projects I'm working on. Dolls also contain many parts I use. A great way to save alot of money because I'm not having to buy all these things separately and end up with many extra pieces I don't need. You are saving money and contributing to a worthwhile cause at the same time.

I recycle my candles I burn by cutting them up in chunks and putting in candle warmers. I've had some very unique fragrances by combining different ones. 

I buy the large (35.3 oz.) jars Walmart brand non-dairy creamer and when they are empty, I cut the label off and use them to store rice, macaroni, dried beans, peas, bread crumbs, etc. They are great because you can see how much is left plus it has a spout so you can pour out what you need. I just label them with masking tape marked with magic marker and if I change the contents, I just replace tape. Great for storing items you don't use all the time - keeps them fresh and bugs out!!
 

Flora M. of Ontario
I always check the "day-old" rack in the bakery department and check for "reduced" items in the produce and meat departments at the grocery store. I make sure I am going to use the meat or produce either the same or the next day. I have managed to save $15 on fruit trays and $5 or $6 off on steaks (per steak).
 

AOK Staff Tip:
Always try to buy the generic brands. Often they are the same product as the brand name only under a different label.  Also, shop at WinCo Foods if there is one in your area.