My wife and I have started saving money for a house. We know lots of people that are either saving what they feel they can or are scraping by because they just can't seem to make ends meet. In our talks, we came up with some good and easy ideas for saving money. All standard disclaimers apply, I am not a financial advisor, etc..
Stop Using Your Credit Cards
I now allow myself to only use my credit card at two places: the grocery store and the gas station. We all need food to eat, and using one car to get two people from Point A to Point B makes the car a necessity for us. All other purchases have to be made with cash. The checkbook no longer leaves the house, and it is only used to pay bills.
Stick to an Allowance
We currently have three allowances set up. We each get $30 a week to spend or save as we please. $20 goes into a small box that we've dubbed "the going out box." Money from this box is used when we both want Taco Bell or when we're going on a road trip. This allows us to eat out every now and then, but it keeps us preparing our own food most of time, which is much more cost-effective (and healthy) than eating at Panda Express once a week.
Eliminate Some Luxury Items*
Take a good look at everything that you pay for in a month. You may be used to things like fast Internet access, cable or satellite television, Tivo, paid LiveJournal account, web hosting, NetFlix, GameFly, DVD/VHS rental, and so on, ad nauseum. Digital cable from Comcast and cable Internet costs me $80 every month. If we decide we're short on money, that will be one of the first things to go. That's $960 of our money lost every year. Just to Comcast. Tivo subscription; there's another $60 a year. These things add up. If you're strapped for cash, start cancelling those luxury items. After all, you can check your email at the library if you're missing credit card payments (we're not, but that's why we decided I could keep the digital cable).
Shop at a Cheaper Grocery Store
Is there an Aldi in your area? If so, why aren't you shopping there instead of Tina's Organic Health Food Hut and Juice Bar? Food is food, and there's no reason to overpay. If you don't have a cheap grocery near you, sign up for the discount cards (Albertson's and Safeway both do this), and then buy things when they're on sale. It doesn't matter if you love cereal if it costs $6 per box. Wait until it's only $3 per box and then buy four of them.
None of this is revolutionary stuff. We can all save money if we just remember where to look.
*Author's Notes:
Of the commodities listed, we subscribe only to cable television and cable Internet. I was just on a roll with that list.
Two people have said I only mention two allowances. I mention three: mine ($30/week), my wife's ($30/week), going out ($20/week).