First off, you have to analyze just where your money is going.  Look at your spending, in other words.  You can almost always find SOME way to save a few more dollars every month.  Costs break down into two (2) categories:  Fixed Costs, and Variable Costs.  Now, your rent or mortgage, is a fixed cost.  Your utilities, such as power or cable/internet or phone, are fixed costs, but some of them are Variable Fixed Costs.  For instance, you will have to pay the power bill, but you will pay more during some parts of the year than others, most notably summer and winter.  (Using heat and a/c adds up.)  Your phone bill also varies by activity.  So, let's dive in to a few ways around.

  Power:  The more power you use, the more you pay.  Therefore, find ways to use less power.  As pertains to heating, one of the biggest ways you lose money is through heat or cold loss.  Here's a few tips on how to heat your place a little more money - efficiently.

1. Cover your windows - windows are the largest source of heat loss. Covering those bad boys up and insulating them will keep the heat in, and the bills down. 

2. Heat your home only when you are there.  I know it is wonderful to come in from the cold to a nice toasty house, but keeping the heat on during the day costs you a bundle. 

3.  Using space heaters in your individual rooms - Using a space heater in your bedroom can save.  They are more efficient and use less power than baseboards.  There are many models that have power regulation and temperature regulation built right in, so you can run heat at a lower amperage and therefore stay warm for less money, and most of them won't run you more than $30.  Only using baseboard heat or not heating main rooms means less power used, and therefore, less money spent.

Other Variable Costs - Consumables.  Your sundries and food are amongst the biggest variable costs you can have, and there are SO many ways to lessen the impact. 

 First:  Clip coupons.  I know many people view this as something only misers and old ladies do, but look at it this way:  If you can save $25 a week off of groceries and sundries by using coupons, that's $100 a month, $1200 a year.  Who can't use an extra THOUSAND dollars a year?  I know I can!   

Second, buy store brands.  Down grading to Western Family, Safeway Select, or Kirkland Signature for you Costco types, can save big.  Here's an example:  A loaf of Wonderbread costs about 3 to 5 dollars.  A store brand loaf costs 1 dollar.  If you buy 2 or more loaves per week, let us, for the moment, assume a savings of $3 per loaf.  2 loaves a week?  That's a savings of $6 a week, $24 a month, and about $290 a year.  An extra $300.  Five years goes by, $1500 saved. 

Third, buy more foods that you have to prepare.  It may seem like it doesn't work out, but fast food rarely has leftovers, but look at it this way:  If you cook four dinners a week, and have a sort of leftover potluck every fourth or fifth day, that's one less dinner you had to buy.  Leftovers...are good.  Cook a large meal, and then you have your next day's worth of lunch so you don't have to go out and buy it, and maybe a bit more leftover besides.     

Also, regarding food and other sundries:  Make the Dollar Store your friend, if there is one in your area.  I don't know if other countries have stores like them, but in the US we have Dollar Stores, and you can get a lot of stuff there for really cheap.  If you're going to cook spaghetti, why pay $2 for a bag of pasta, another $3 for sauce, when you can pay a dollar for each?  $2 for dish soap, well, get it for a buck.  The less you spend = the more you save. 

You also have to cut down on other costs.  For instance, less trips to the shopping mall.  If you don't need more clothes, don't buy them. Cut down the frivolous expenses. These are a few humble submissions, and I think I'll publish a few more hubs with money saving tips for the holidays and in general really soon.