photo credit: flickr

1. Cut your cell phone plan

Have you looked at your cell phone history lately? If you’re using less than  your allotted minutes, text, or data, switch to a lower plan. Comb through your  history and bills, then ditch anything you’re not using.

2. Ditch  the landline

Speaking of ditching things, it may be time to cut the landline. If you  primarily use your cell phone, why keep two services that do the same thing?  Cutting your landline service can save $25 to $30 a month – around $300 a  year.

3. Take a staycation

Staycations are all the rage lately for one reason: They’re a lot cheaper  than regular vacations. If you’re trying to stash away an extra grand this year,  consider staying home and living like a tourist in your own city for a few  days.

4. Raise your deductibles

Raising your insurance deductibles will lower your monthly payment. For  example, raise your car and homeowners insurance deductibles from $200 to $1,000  and you could save hundreds in premiums. Just make sure you don’t raise the  deductible higher than you can afford if you need to file a  claim.

5. Drop the gym membership

You really don’t need the fancy equipment, just a good pair of running  shoes.