Do you think you might be laid off? Is your company cutting back on raises and benefits? Are you unemployed? These trying economic times may cause difficulties, but they also represent a tremendous opportunity for each of us to examine our role in the economy and to examine our personal consumption habits. If we all resolve to improve the quality of our spending, even though we may be limited in how much we spend, our world will come out of the current recession much healthier than it was before.

If money is tight, or even if it’s not, carefully consider every purchase you make. Here are some no-brainer suggestions for ways to cut your expenses. You may think these things are too trivial to bother with, but over the course of a year or two, the savings will really add up:

• When you reach for the last book of checks in your drawer and see that “reorder now” sheet, instead of calling your bank, buy new checks online instead. You can save a bundle over the high markups your bank imposes.
• Check your newspaper subscription rates. If it is cheaper to just get the Sunday paper, change your subscription. You can save a lot of time by reading the paper only one day per week. Look for the grocery ads in your Sunday paper and clip the money saving coupons. The savings will pay for the paper many times over and will significantly cut your food bill.
• If the store is just down the street, walk or ride a bicycle to do your shopping. Use cloth tote bags or a backpack to carry your purchases home. If you avoid driving just one mile per day, you will save anywhere from $25 to $75 per year on gasoline, depending on your car’s efficiency and the price of gasoline.
• Turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer. Watch your energy use and find easy ways to save. Start by covering windows at night in winter and caulking around window frames and doors.
• Buy unprocessed foods and cook from scratch. Eating at home most of the time will save you a lot of money. But, don’t be a hermit. Spend some money to support your local businesses, like taking your significant other out on his or her birthday!
• Need new clothes? Check your local thrift store first, especially for kids’ clothing that they will outgrow quickly. You can find like new items at amazing prices.

These are just a few simple suggestions. Remember to have fun while you are saving money. When you buy checks, don’t get the same plain boring style you have had for years. Get frog checks or something exciting like endangered species checks instead. Make foods you have never tried before, like a green salad with arugula and spinach, or grilled bison burgers. Buy a designer dress that you could never afford brand new for just a few dollars at your local thrift store. Life is short. Have fun!