Good economy or bad economy or somewhere in between, we can all use ideas on how to save our money or get the most benefit from our spending dollars. Though in these economic times, living on the cheap might be even more important to us.

1. Thrift Shops. Today's thrift shops, consignment stores and vintage stores are veritable store- houses of treasures. The savvy shopper will know how to find the silk among the polyester. Quick tip: If you are new to thrift shopping make a list of items you need or want and concentrate on only one or two categories. For example, business suits. If you only have to confront one area at a time it's not as overwhelming and you are more likely to find what you are looking for. The Salvation Army, The Goodwill and Disabled American Veterans have hundreds of locations nationwide.

2. Coupons. I don't mean that you should collect the entire neighborhood's Sunday paper and start clipping (unless you're really good at that sort of thing) - but I do mean you should hang onto coupons that come your way for products you actually use. Do you favor a particular pizza place? On flyer day, check your mailbox, for carryout coupons for places you like and keep them near the phone when you order take out. You can also actively look for coupons online. Just Google whatever product you use + coupons. You may not always find anything, however, frequently you will discover companies are offering printable online coupons for the goods you buy or will mail them to you if you send a request with your information.

3. Dollar stores. While, you can encounter an awful strange items and off brand food in these stores, there are also many items that can be gotten for a song that would cost you a small fortune even at the big discount stores. Candles, candle holders, loofah sponges, toilet paper, cleanser, dishwashing liquid, dryer sheets, zipper bags, microfiber dusting cloths, vacuum cleaner bags, soda and so forth. Again, go with a list, that way you won't be distracted by the sometimes thousands of items on the shelves.

4. Starbuck's. Okay, this is a little bit of a stretch for a place that charges about $2 for a cup of coffee but did you know that if you save your coffee cup you can get a refill for 50 cents? Which is approximately 25% of the first cup. I've tested this personally and it is a no questions asked request. Even if I bring the cup back later in the day or three days later. Rinsing out the cup is a good idea first though.

5. Craigslist, Freecycle, Recycler, Penny Saver. Though Ebay usually gets the billing for finding amazing deals or at least having pretty much everything ever made on planet Earth, the these guys are worth a look too. Craigslist for example has a freebie section - I personally got a desk and a bed for free. Yup. Free. Not top of the line or the best but given my current financial situation the price was more than right. Freecycle is a nation wide group that does barter by an offer and request system between its members. For example. if someone has a computer monitor they don't want to send it to the landfill, they offer it. A person who wants a monitor then contacts the offerer and the exchange is made. Conversely if you need something, you post a request and if anyone has the item they can contact you and arrange a pick up. It's a nice system and keeps items being used rather than delegated to the landfill. A win-win for all. The Recycler is a local California publication which has items for sale, freebies, jobs, rentals, pets and cars. Likely, you have something like the Recycler in your area, do an online search. The Penny Saver is a throw away publication that generally deals with regional areas of items for sale, rentals, jobs, services and so forth. Check your mailbox on flyer day and see if a copy doesn't shake out.

7. Public libraries. Did you know that many public libraries have a used bookstore attached to them? At mine, I can get 5 paperbacks for a $1 and hardbacks for 50 cents - $2 each. The great thing is that when I am done reading them I can take them back and redonate them which keeps the reading and feeding going. Additionally, they may offer free internet usage, lend out movies and dvds as well as the hottest best sellers. And despite the advent of high powered search engines, there is nothing like a good library's reference section for research. The plus of course is that you actually get to speak to a live person who is usually very knowledgeable about the reference materials.

8. Free downloadable software. I am not condoning running around the internet and downloading any freeware out there. However, there are certain products that are free, have been successfully beta tested and really deliver the goods. Many anti-virus free software programs work as well as the stuff you pay for, have auto updates, pop up notification and work great. Recording software, photo touching software, office type application software also abound. Recommendation: Always check for reviews of any freeware you are considering downloading. Cnet and Engadget are good sites to check for recommendations and reviews.

9. Start a garden. Growing your own veggies is amazingly inexpensive and the rewards are not only saving money, but getting organic, mineral and vitamin rich food in your system. Even in summer, tomatoes often go for more than $2 a pound. For $2 you can buy a hardy nursery plant, put it in the ground and grow anywhere from 5-40 pounds of tomatoes - a whole summer's worth. Zuchini, summer squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, herbs, lettuce and radishes have a similar cost and grow quite hardily. As long as they get enough sun and water, you are definitely going to get veggies in 30-60 days. Over a season you could easily save $500 in produce costs or more, depending on your consumption. Check your local area for nurseries that provide plants and seeds.

10. Prepaid cell phones. These days, none of us can survive without our cells, can we? However, despite the endless advertisements, cell phone contracts can still cost a very pretty penny and opening the bill at the end of the month can be a real nail biter. Of the prepaid cell phones out there I have two that I think are fabulous: Net10: this is my personal choice. The per minute rate is a flat 10 cents, no matter the day of the week or the time of day. Minute cards can be purchased at most stores and be loaded directly from your phone, you can even buy airtime from your phone if you don't want to go to the store to get a card. My initial cost was $30 for the phone and 300 prepaid minutes. It took about 30 minutes to set it up on the internet and I was good to go. The other prepaid which is very popular among the more chatty of us is, Boost. They have a flat $50 per month plan with unlimited calling, day or night, regardless of the day of the week. This is a great deal for someone who needs to use their cell a lot and doesn't want to keep track of their minutes.

While there are many other ways to live on the cheap these are my current top ten. Stay tuned for further articles on cheap living. Cheap doesn't mean living low it means living smart.