SNEAKY WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

I came across this info and these are some things we already do.

Sneaky Ways To Save Money

Use Cash, Not Credit

Even before personal finance pro Dave Ramsey made his envelopes of cash famous, moms were relying on the same sort of system. It sets a good example for kids to see real money being spent, and it sets very real limits, too, on spending.

You Save: A cash-only system could save you $100 a month, according to Ramsey.

Brown Bag It

Lunch may not be free, but you can sure save money by taking your own. And it doesn't have to be boring sandwiches if you have access to a fridge and microwave at work. Sherri Hefley plans her monthly dinner menus with an eye to having leftovers for her husband, Bryan, to take in his lunch. He gets fare like barbecued meatballs and homemade mac-and-cheese instead of a fast-food burger or a cold sandwich.

You Save: Hefley estimates they save close to $5 a day when her husband packs his lunch—that can add up to $50 a month even if you're brown-bagging it only every other day.

Celebrate Free Kid Night

When you and the family need a night off, make it fun and frugal by choosing a restaurant that has good deals or "kids eat free" nights. "That's become our night out," says Reynolds.

You Save: The cost of a couple of kids' meals—anywhere from $6 to $10 each.

Check Out the Library

Amy Senk, a mom of two in Corona del Mar, California, loves to read. She's found that her public library, which offers an online request system for books (so it's easy to reserve the latest bestseller), is almost as convenient as amazon.com and a whole lot cheaper. Her kids get books and DVDs too.

"I don't mind buying books when there's one that I fall in love with," she says. "I love books." But for those one-time reads: It's the library for her.

You Save: A book a month at $25 each is a savings of $300 a year.