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Do you think you might be laid off? Has your company frozen your salary? Have you lost your job? 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, go online to buy new checks. You can save a bundle over the high markups your bank imposes.
• See if you can save money by cutting your newspaper subscription from seven days a week to only on Sunday. 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.
• Walk or ride your bicycle to run errands and do shopping close to home. Use high quality reusable tote bags so you can carry your stuff 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. Look for inexpensive ways to improve the energy efficiency of your house. Easy ways to save energy are by covering windows on cold nights and plugging leaks around windows 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 neglect to support your local eateries on special occasions like your significant other’s 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.

This is just the beginning of ways you can streamline your personal economy. Remember to have fun while you are saving money. Be creative when you buy checks. Don’t get the same boring design you have had forever. Get frog design checks or something exciting like wolf design checks instead. Try new recipes and eat things you’ve never tried before (how about a juicy grilled bison burger?). 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!