By Colleen Rothe

Hopefully, you’re not in the nearly 10 percent of Americans that are out of work today. But even if you are, here are some tips to put money back into your wallet or bank account and save for a day that might be even leaner than today. Even if things don’t get tougher economically, you’ll have a good chunk of change to do with as you please.

Some of these are painful re-examinations on things we may take for granted every month. But, when you need to save, sometimes you have to completely re-think your strategy.

1. Stay away from the store. Most of us began a bad habit when we were teenagers and didn’t have anywhere else to go, except hang out in the mall. But each time you go to the mall, even if you tell yourself it’s just to “window shop” or “go do something,” you’re opening the door to blow a few bucks here and there. That “play money” adds up to big dough very quickly, especially if you’re hitting the food court while you’re there, or if you’re visiting the local mall once a week or a few times a month. Find another activity, one that doesn’t cost money, like taking a walk in the park, or going hiking or biking with your kids. Heck, you could even go play basketball with your grandson.

2. Figure it out before you shop. Don’t go to the grocery store without a list. The food budget is always the easiest to trim. If you go to the market without a plan, you’ll likely spend more than you need to do. Do an inventory of what you have already and make meals from that. Have a bag a rice? Plan your meal around that. I’ve even gone to having a mini white board on the outside of my pantry and freezer so I know what’s in it. I can add and erase as needed. At a glance I know what I have. I keep my list on my phone, so I never have to worry about where I put that dang piece of paper. Having a plan keeps unnecessary and always more expensive trips to the grocery store out of your routine.

3. Learn to love Leftovers. Don’t be afraid of leftovers. Learning to love leftovers or making a meal around the leftovers is another great way to minimize your food budget. Roast a chicken one night (or pick up the already roasted from your grocery store’s deli when they are on sale – often the price can’t be beat). Then take the left over meat and make a stir-fry, jambalaya, or soup the next day. Also, learn to love things the second day. Meals like spaghetti, lasagna, and chili always seem to taste better the second day. So, make big portions of that – you often save when buying in bulk – and eat it more than one day. When folks talk about stretching your food budget, this is exactly what they mean.

4. Turn off your TV. For the most part, TV used to be, after the initial investment of purchasing the television, cheap entertainment. But that’s not necessarily the case any more. Take the time to review the cable package you currently have. Do you really need it? Can you really afford it? Is there a less costly one that would suit you even better? Seriously, who can watch 199 channels every day anyhow? Would you really miss your cable show? Or would you rather have some extra green in your wallet?

5. Throw out the House Phone. Emergency Managers in every city and town are probably cringing at this, but if you’re in dire straits with your money situation, this is a great way to save you money each month. Considering that most folks have a cell phone, you should examine if you really need the extra monthly bill of a landline at the house. Besides, many of the emergency notifications can now go to cell phones too.

Next week I’ll give you five more tips to put money back into your budget. If you have another tip – something seemingly entrenched in American Life that isn’t really necessary and you can re-examine from a different perspective in order to save some cash – what is it?