h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Saving a little here and there is no good if you are "leaking" quantities elsewhere! Set out a realistic budget, very important normally, even more so when you only have a small weekly income. I did this religiously when I was at uni, and only made $80 to $120 per week (out of which half was rent).

Set out your outgoings and incomings. Where costs are variable (electricity, food, water, telephone etc) take a good logn look at where you can make savings.

Food: I used to get the older fruit and veg that had been discounted. Even the ones that looked a little soft I could use in stews, compotes, etc. Hey, sometimes overripe bananas are great (in cakes, etc). Also, I used to buy 10c instant noodles (no name brand or from hinese shops). Other staples such as rice, potatos, bread, etc are all cheap and can be made into more interesting concoctions with a bit of imagination or low-cost cookbooks.

Electricity: There have been good suggestions on how to save electricity on this forum, other ways are turning off lights in rooms not in use. You'd be surprised how much this saves. Also look at power usage and ratings on electrical appliances, and only go for ones that are efficient.

Water: Don't leave it running if you can possibly help it. For example, when you are brushing your teeth. Don't use automatic dishwashers as they waste heaps of water. Front-loading washing machines also use less water. I also put a half-brick in my cistern so it didn't fill completely (You're talking to a girl whose mother grew up on a farm during some pretty bad drought years!) If you wash your car, use a bucket, not a hose, and wash it on some lawn and kill two birds with one stone. Also water your garden early in the morning or in the evening, as you won't need as much to compensate for the sun's evaporative power.

Entertainment: Library cards, discount movie nights, free entertainment at local clubs/pubs. Community amenities are sometimes free, or cheap, although this is changing. Go for a walk or picnic. Sydney has free festivals at this time of year, which I would imagine holds true for most cities. Also look for last-minute concert tickets, you can get some great deals.

Transport: Try to walk where you can, instead of taking the car, getting taxis, buses or trains. You'll also save on gym fees I have been doing this for a while now, walking to my local train station instead of catching the bus, it takes me 15 minutes each way, but I save $12 per week ($624 per year). It has also helped me lose around 13kg in the past three months also!

Presents: If your friends and family are like mine, it's the thought ethat counts, not the price tag. And most appreciate a home-made gift that has shown I put some thought into it, rather than rushing out to buy the latest "thing".

Clothes: Vintage has come back in fashion, so get scrounging! Also look in your local papers or yellow pages for Discount Factory Outlets, where you can pick up the latest season styles for a fraction of the cost.

General: Always ask for a discount for cash. My husband does this everywhere, and you would be surprised at how often we get good discounts. Sometimes it can be embarrassing, but what's a bit of a read face when you save $100 off a car alarm system, as he managed to do recently?

Telephone: Keep tabs on the local calls you make, as well as STD and overseas calls. Mobile phones are a killer. If you can't afford it, don't go there! I have seen young kids saddled with huge debts on these. If you can't control your urge to be constantly in touch, then they are not for you! A great side-effect from monitoring telephone usage is you can dispute your bills if you think they are being padded. This happened constantly to my mum with Telstra (Australia's largest provider) and she has kept a book next to the phone for over a decade now, and was able to dispute a lot of call costs (number of local calls, mainly). The first year she did this, our phone bill came in at around 15% less than previous years!

Credit cards: cut them up and burn them. I have never looked back after doing this.